Redeemed Lives Wednesdays 7:00pm The Barn at 933 Forks Road West, Welland (corner of Pietz Road and Forks Road)

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1 Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, There are yet four months, then comes the harvest? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, One sows and another reaps. (John 4:34-37) I want to introduce you to Lorraine, the caring aunt of a good friend of ours here at the Mission named Josh. Josh has been sharing his time with us volunteering for our Saturday lunch program for more than 80 clients. Josh helps with setting up, serving, and cleaning up. Josh is also a valuable member of our Redeemed Lives group. Open Arms Mission s Quarterly Newsletter November 2015 to January 2016 To let you know a little about how Josh ended up being involved with Open Arms Mission, I would like to share with you about a phone call Lorraine made about two months ago to my office. She called with a distraught heart about the concerns she had about her nephew that was experiencing some difficult roads in his personal life. Josh had been getting into some trouble and found himself at the end of his rope. Lorraine was praying for Josh and although Josh was far from God, Lorraine knew that God loved Josh and was willing to forgive him and give him a new path for his life. It took one person to pray, one coffee, one visit to the Barn, and one amazing experience with God that changed this young man s life forever. Josh is now a member of Christ s eternal family, serving at the mission, and desiring to make a yearlong commitment at Teen Challenge to get his life on track. Lorraine lifted Josh up in prayer, sought out help, and trusted that God has a plan for Josh s life that far outweighs his current struggle. We are grateful that we are able to come alongside Lorraine and Josh and rejoice together in the work the Lord is doing. -Jeff Aitken, Mission Centre Pastor and Manager Redeemed Lives Wednesdays 7:00pm The Barn at 933 Forks Road West, Welland (corner of Pietz Road and Forks Road)

2 From the CEO Where has the year gone? We are once again entering that wonderful time of year when we celebrate the harvest, knowing that Christmas and the New Year are on their way. I would say this has been a year of opportunity for Open Arms Mission. So many new doors have opened up to us, along with new and fresh relationships. We have experienced change in many areas, resulting in praiseworthy positive results. We have seen God work in the lives of some Mission friends who have decided to follow Jesus. God blessed the ministry with financial food donations that made it possible to purchase needed foods in bulk, providing us with the best food inventory at this time of year that we have ever experienced. Praise the Lord for His grace and provision! The mission has been very supportive, loving and available. Thank you! -Client I am excited to see what God is going to do next in this exciting community ministry. We have our challenges that stretch our faith (like nonbudgeted roof issues) but God always shows up. Let me take this opportunity to thank you all for your support of prayer, service and finances. I pray that you experience a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! -Jerry Vanderklok You are invited to Open Arms Mission s Friday, December 4 Croatian Hall 6 Broadway Ave, Welland, ON 5:30pm Mocktails, hors d ouevres, silent auction and live music 7:00pm Dinner, Christmas Carols and Ministry Updates You must RSVP by calling or ing leslieb.oam@gmail.com by Nov 23

3 In a client survey completed in September, we asked a question, What would you do if there were no food banks in this area? Backpacks for Kids Some said they would We distributed 211 backpacks to elementary school children in the month of August. Thanks to Giant Tiger for making this possible by fundraising through their Toonie campaign and to Staples for providing school supplies. ask friends or family I am a single mom with four kids. [Open Arms Mission] helps me to keep them fed well. Some said they would turn to crime Most said they -Client would starve In September, we ran a three week CAP Money Course in partnership with Rosedale Baptist Church. CAP (Christians Against Poverty) is an international charitable organization dedicated to teaching budgeting and money management principles. It was started in the UK and is currently expanding across Canada. We had several clients and volunteers take part in the course. The participants said that they would be able to use the practical ideas to get out of debt and better manage their finances. Sewing Class Every Thursday from 1:00-3:00pm All skill levels welcome. Sewing machines and all materials provided.

4 Ride for Refuge It was cold and windy but that didn t stop over 100 riders from enjoying a fun ride through the streets of Pelham. Pelham Friends Church hosted Open Arms Mission and other agencies that are serving the displaced, vulnerable and exploited. We helped organize the event and manned the halfway point of the route and provided water and snacks to the riders. Thank you to the teams of riders, volunteers and donors! Groups of Hope Dr. Judith Mercer is currently leading an 8 week Bible study for women who have experienced abuse or other difficult life circumstances. Judy has used this program in many settings (including native reservations) to walk with many women in the journey to find hope and healing in the Lord. This session is almost finished, but if you are interested in joining a future session, please let us know. November 19 10:00am to noon At the Mission Centre May the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit. HOPE Romans 15:13 Coldest Night of the Year Join us on Saturday, February 20, 2016 for this year s Coldest Night of the Year. We are participating in this nationwide event to raise money to help the hungry, homeless and hurting. We had a great time last year and look forward to having more teams than ever this year. If you would like to form or join a team and walk with us, call the Mission Centre at and speak with Pastor Jeff or check out the website: and search for Open Arms Mission.

5 Life On The Farm The food portion of our warehouse is quite an amazing thing. For the first time in a number of Typically nothing too exciting happens out at The years we still have food on the shelves to send to the Mission Centre during the weeks leading up to Farm but recently there have been quite a bit of changes. Our regular warehouse worker, Saman- the Food Drive. Make no mistake, the need is definitely still there but through God's grace we are tha, left to go back to school. This allowed Open able to meet that need this year. Our Mission suparms Mission to bring in Jesse and I. We partporters are amazing. They are the reason why we nered up through the Ministry Campus program are in a good position now. Whether it's a church and took over Samantha's duties. Jesse was collecting food items every month or personal already volunteering at our Redeemed Goods monetary donations that have allowed us to purstore and I was already over seeing our food warehouse, In that time we've been trying to make chase food items, without our faithful supporters the warehouse more effi- things would look a lot different. Each month, our cient for sorting incoming It is so great that staff, volunteers, and supporters food bank provides donations as well as mak- of the Mission can all come together for a common ing sure our sales area groceries for 700 that is open to the public goal so that Christ may be glorified! Tuesday and Thursdays For His glory, people. Bryon Pettit, Food Warehouse Coordinator is neat and orderly. Thank you to our community partners for organizing food drives Southern Cruisers Last Ride of the Year October 3, 2015 Junior B Hockey Tournament (1000 lbs of food!) October 4, 2015 Pelham Community Church VBS (586 items of food) July 2015

6 The smell of fall is in the air. Do you know what that means? Christmas is coming! Some have been counting down the days since July. Others have been waiting in anticipation since December 24, School, Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day, American Thanksgiving this is a busy time of year. It seems like there is still a lot of time to prepare for Christmas, but we invite you to join our early Christmas fever and get a head start on those thoughtful gifts. Think of all the occasions that you will need to present a gift of some kind, work parties, girls night out, extended family gatherings, stockings for the children, neighbours, co-workers, even the mailman! We can help you compile a set of themed items for a gift basket. How about a set of rooster figurines for your rooster loving aunt? You can find treasures in our store that you didn t even know you were looking for. Don t forget a new outfit! We have men s suits, ladies evening dresses and Christmas outfits for the kids. The only thing we don t have on hand is the famous Christmas loaf that has been recycled through the family since Tanya James, Redeemed Goods Manager Open Arms Mission has partnered with The Hope Chest Stevensville to bring a Christian bookstore to Welland. There will be a section inside of Redeemed Goods for Christian books, Bibles, music, DVDs, cards and special occasion gifts. To learn more about the Hope Chest and their products, visit: Opening the first week of November! Financial Focus Coming soon, the Redeemed Goods Christmas Open House Watch for details on our Facebook page and website! 2 Cor 9.7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. God wants His children to be cheerful givers out of the abundance that He gives to us. We are called to be Christ-like. Jesus gave himself for the lost. To encourage charitable giving, the Canadian government offers a tiered non-refundable tax credit for donations made to registered charities and a special first time donor super credit (see next page for more information). As you look over your finances at the end of the year, consider how to maximize your money for the biggest impact. According to the Canada Revenue Agency, in certain cases, the benefit to you can be as much as half of what you give. Whether you are motivated by the government incentives or by God s desire for generosity for His work, I would like to encourage generous giving this Christmas season. -Melissa Kirkpatrick, Financial Officer and Mission Centre Manager

7 angel boots born carols Christmas decorations dinner family inn Jesus Christmas Word Search J H R C W O N S Y B G Z H O O Joseph manger Mary nativity shepherds snow star stocking tree wreath Just for fun When does New Year s Day come before Christmas Day? Every year! What did the bald man say when he got a comb for Christmas? Thanks, I ll never part with it! Tax Credits for Charitable Donations Did you know that you get a higher tax credit for donating more than $200 a year to registered charities? Up to $200 of charitable receipts yields a 15% % non-refundable tax credit on the Federal and Ontario tax returns. Above $200 yields a 29% % non-refundable tax credit on the Federal and Ontario tax returns. Tax credits can make a huge difference to the amount of tax you have to pay. As a registered charity, Open Arms Mission mails out tax receipts by the end of January each year. Any donation received by the Mission by December 31, 2015 will receive a tax receipt for the 2015 taxation year. I G K C Q L U B H O S S T S K Y T I V I T A N S O T C A C B D S D I N N E R N T O Z E M L O V A R Z S U B O S C B R G W V D O I R A S V I H K Q W L J B B D A A M I S T E I N N H F E N O H T T Y L A P N M A R Y E Y Z P S S P O R H G S K Y Y R N Y E H I H R O E A U U S L T Y L S C R L A C R B S Q I E M E I O N H R C E D D E X E G P A M J K C T Y D S Q J X W N Q F A Q B S Z J W B N C U Q A V E F E F H P R E G N A M W J What kind of candle burns longer, a red candle or a green candle? Neither, candles always burn shorter! Why are Christmas trees such bad knitters? They are always dropping their needles! First Time Donor Super Credit In 2013 the government recognized the lack of donations from younger sectors of our population, so they introduced a limited 4 year first-time donor s super credit (for taxation years). This allows people who haven t claimed any charitable donations since 2007 an extra 25% non-refundable federal tax credit when they claim a charitable donation tax credit but up to a limit of $1,000 (after which regular rates applies). An individual qualifies as a first-time donor if neither the individual nor the individual's spouse or common-law partner has claimed the charitable donation tax credit since If you or anyone you know has never given to a registered charity or hasn t been able to since 2007, now is the time to give!

8 22 Fifth Street Welland, Ontario L3B 4Z3 (905) Crowland Avenue Welland, Ontario L3B 1X6 (905) Forks Road West Welland, Ontario L0S 1V0 (905) (furniture donation pickups) Winter is upon us. As the days get colder, the challenges of our clients grow. Heating and hydro bills increase and become more demanding on a meager income. Warmer clothing is needed. Mobility around the city becomes more difficult. Lack of sunshine add to the stresses of those already struggling with depression. Christmas is expensive for young families. Where do they turn? They turn to Open Arms Mission! We provide practical physical support and help connect them with other services when they need something we cannot provide. But we don t just stop at giving a hot meal or a bag of groceries. We are there for them. Our drop in centre is open Tuesday to Friday mornings, ready to welcome people with hot coffee and donuts, morning devotions and caring volunteers and staff to listen. We walk alongside them at Redeemed Lives. We pray for the customers who come in to Redeemed Goods. As our core value statement says: We are Christian. We are committed to the poor. We are stewards. We value people. We are responsive. Will you join us in responding to the needs in our community? I will participate in God s work at Open Arms Mission. Name: Address: City: Province: Postal Code: Phone: My donation: $ Monthly One time Please make cheques payable to Open Arms Mission. Tax receipts are issued in January. Donate online at Charitable registration number: RR0001 Open Arms Mission Welland Redeemed Goods Redeemed Lives