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Builders of Faith is a Bible Fellowship Group (Sunday School Class) at First Baptist McKinney in McKinney Texas. This class was created for Adults in their 30s with Preschool/young Elementary school children. Directors are Todd & Sharee Sanders. Teacher is Craig Shaver; wife Melissa Shaver. Class meets in room 3115 down from the Gym at 8:30am each Sunday.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.Proverbs 3:5,6
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WALKING IN GRACE MINISTRIES
By:Melissa Shaver
I just came back from mission in Lancaster, PA to teach the Word of God during a weekend women's retreat at The Lydia Center. As the trip 'bookends' we also had a carnival on the Thursday night of our arrival and then on Monday morning we did a very special session of pampering. Both of those events were at the Water Street Rescue Mission. The ladies we met at the Lydia Center were people who have agreed that their lives need to be changed from the inside out and they've come into a long-term faith based shelter for women that uses grace as their basis for healing and transformation. This trip was different from past mission trips. We had many that were between the ages of 18 and 22 with a handful at the age of 36-42. They were babies it seemed. Their pasts were full of prison time; and addictions to heroine and cocaine. They are clean currently but for many it's an hourly process of fighting the temptation to run away and get 'numb' to life again. Their lives have had so much abuse and they are desperate for lifechange but they're also fearful because they know no other lifestyle. I think that's what I left with that spoke the loudest to me...they want to be healed but they're afraid of what it'll take and what they'll 'look' like after that transformation. It's too much to imagine. It's truly a day by day process. They are completely isolated...their home is on top of a mountain called 'Grace Plateau' - absolutely beautiful at night looking over the river and bridge with the city lights. The quietness often times drives them crazy...solitude...just them and the Lord. The weekend retreat was one that I've written called 'God's Reality' - never forgotten, always forgiven and forever free. An amazing time of the ladies soaking in God's Word and allowing themselves to respond to His message for their lives. The staff and our Dallas team were just as impacted...God's Word does not come back void. We had large amounts of time of fun and laughter too. One of the 'babies' said that this was her first time to laugh sober! Being a follower of Christ can be a blast!!! Another one said on Sunday - which is an amazing day of affirmation, the Lord's supper and prayer - that she hadn't cried for 2 1/2 years. She was in jail and during that time her husband got cancer and died. She was finally able to grieve and rejoice at the same time...God is healing. The Water Street Rescue Mission was our second focus. We spent Thursday night with their ladies and children for a cool carnival and 'spark in the dark' night; and then on Monday morning we came back with 2 hours of hand and foot massages, praise and worship and a message from God's Word...'The Touch of Jesus.' These ladies were addicts, prostitutes, and mentally ill for the most part. It was unbelievable how quickly the Holy Spirit worked in these lives as we talked with them and gave them foot massages. Many of them had never had anyone look at or touch their feet. Some were apprehensive but as soon as we gave that first pressure on the bottom of their feet they just began to relax and enjoy. It was really healing for some that are on their feet all day with bad shoes. Then, after laughing with them and attending to their physical needs, we gave them the Word and the Director said that the message was exactly where they were. Many tears. God touch their hearts in miraculous ways. The other wonderful thing on this trip was that my Mom was with me! One of our ladies said, 'when I get home there's going to be a change in my house!' She was talking about the urgency to speak Christ to her children and to every person God brought her way. She saw the glory of the Lord and she could never go back the way she was before the trip. I think that's how my Mom was afterwards. We had 4 ladies with us in their late 60's and we called them WOW...women of wisdom. I loved how God brought them on this trip - three were mothers of other ladies and one an aunt. But the ladies at the Lydia Center fell in love with them and saved them seats for worship time and meals. I realized that many of these ladies that we ministered to probably didn't have Moms that loved them and nurtured them. We all need that in our lives...these 4 women filled that craving for many this weekend. God is amazing. I've attached a few pictures from the trip so that you can see the sweet ladies God allowed us the privilege to serve. Thank you for praying for Walking in Grace Ministries in all of these events and for the future ones. I am so greatly privileged to serve with the Lord in this manner. My heart sings!! God loves His children and desperately wants them to know their need of a Savior and allow Him to come into their lives. There's just no other way to be transformed. Please continue to pray for the ministry. God is doing great things. Pray with me to follow His lead...to wait on Him or to run with Him at every turn.
Walking in Grace,Melissa Shaverhttp://www.walkingrace.org/
I just came back from mission in Lancaster, PA to teach the Word of God during a weekend women's retreat at The Lydia Center. As the trip 'bookends' we also had a carnival on the Thursday night of our arrival and then on Monday morning we did a very special session of pampering. Both of those events were at the Water Street Rescue Mission. The ladies we met at the Lydia Center were people who have agreed that their lives need to be changed from the inside out and they've come into a long-term faith based shelter for women that uses grace as their basis for healing and transformation. This trip was different from past mission trips. We had many that were between the ages of 18 and 22 with a handful at the age of 36-42. They were babies it seemed. Their pasts were full of prison time; and addictions to heroine and cocaine. They are clean currently but for many it's an hourly process of fighting the temptation to run away and get 'numb' to life again. Their lives have had so much abuse and they are desperate for lifechange but they're also fearful because they know no other lifestyle. I think that's what I left with that spoke the loudest to me...they want to be healed but they're afraid of what it'll take and what they'll 'look' like after that transformation. It's too much to imagine. It's truly a day by day process. They are completely isolated...their home is on top of a mountain called 'Grace Plateau' - absolutely beautiful at night looking over the river and bridge with the city lights. The quietness often times drives them crazy...solitude...just them and the Lord. The weekend retreat was one that I've written called 'God's Reality' - never forgotten, always forgiven and forever free. An amazing time of the ladies soaking in God's Word and allowing themselves to respond to His message for their lives. The staff and our Dallas team were just as impacted...God's Word does not come back void. We had large amounts of time of fun and laughter too. One of the 'babies' said that this was her first time to laugh sober! Being a follower of Christ can be a blast!!! Another one said on Sunday - which is an amazing day of affirmation, the Lord's supper and prayer - that she hadn't cried for 2 1/2 years. She was in jail and during that time her husband got cancer and died. She was finally able to grieve and rejoice at the same time...God is healing. The Water Street Rescue Mission was our second focus. We spent Thursday night with their ladies and children for a cool carnival and 'spark in the dark' night; and then on Monday morning we came back with 2 hours of hand and foot massages, praise and worship and a message from God's Word...'The Touch of Jesus.' These ladies were addicts, prostitutes, and mentally ill for the most part. It was unbelievable how quickly the Holy Spirit worked in these lives as we talked with them and gave them foot massages. Many of them had never had anyone look at or touch their feet. Some were apprehensive but as soon as we gave that first pressure on the bottom of their feet they just began to relax and enjoy. It was really healing for some that are on their feet all day with bad shoes. Then, after laughing with them and attending to their physical needs, we gave them the Word and the Director said that the message was exactly where they were. Many tears. God touch their hearts in miraculous ways. The other wonderful thing on this trip was that my Mom was with me! One of our ladies said, 'when I get home there's going to be a change in my house!' She was talking about the urgency to speak Christ to her children and to every person God brought her way. She saw the glory of the Lord and she could never go back the way she was before the trip. I think that's how my Mom was afterwards. We had 4 ladies with us in their late 60's and we called them WOW...women of wisdom. I loved how God brought them on this trip - three were mothers of other ladies and one an aunt. But the ladies at the Lydia Center fell in love with them and saved them seats for worship time and meals. I realized that many of these ladies that we ministered to probably didn't have Moms that loved them and nurtured them. We all need that in our lives...these 4 women filled that craving for many this weekend. God is amazing. I've attached a few pictures from the trip so that you can see the sweet ladies God allowed us the privilege to serve. Thank you for praying for Walking in Grace Ministries in all of these events and for the future ones. I am so greatly privileged to serve with the Lord in this manner. My heart sings!! God loves His children and desperately wants them to know their need of a Savior and allow Him to come into their lives. There's just no other way to be transformed. Please continue to pray for the ministry. God is doing great things. Pray with me to follow His lead...to wait on Him or to run with Him at every turn.
Walking in Grace,Melissa Shaverhttp://www.walkingrace.org/
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