CHANGED LIVES

The stories below are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all of the lives that are being impacted, ministered to and connected to the Body of Christ every week in our partner churches. Some of the stories are dramatic and inspiring! In one case a Connection Partner talked a mom and her pregnant teen-aged daughter to come in for counseling where they accepted Christ and cancelled an abortion they had scheduled for the next day. In another case a leading attorney who was suicidal was powerfully and lovingly led to Christ through multiple Connection Partner contacts. These real-life stories that we hear about from week to week keep us motivated and passionate at ConnectionPower!

CAPRICE - WINNING A FAMILY ONE WEEK AT A TIME

Connection Partner's Completed Call Results:

Staff:
Director September 21, 2003: ACCEPTED CHRIST TODAY!!!! This was also their 3rd visit so it requires a pastoral call. GO Pastor Vic!

Welcome Call
Wanda: 2003-09-23: She came as a guest of Christina Cross. Just signed her 6-year-old daughter into Prims at the church. Not ready for GG yet, maybe later, very busy. Everything is great, no prayer request. Encouraged her to purchase the Purpose Driven Life book that will help with her new relationship with Jesus. She was very nice and will continue coming to our church. She enjoys the messages.

Connection Partner Call
Alyssa: 2003-09-26: She is doing well, loves the church and will be there this week. Commented that she has a lot on her plate right now with a sick child and her husband away from home. Has been there 3 times and seems like we have her. Her coworkers brought her to us.

Connection Partner Call
Cindy: 2003-10-06: This was her 4th time. She will not be able to come next week but will say hello at the 9 am service. She got the book! & read seven days in one day...I explained why she should not read but one day at a time She understood & will start over. Invited her to women's G.G.she will think about it (very busy) her husband is a non believer so see prayer request.

Connection Partner Call
Alyssa: 2003-10-18: Spoke to Caprice, we have her, she comes every week and is doing well. No new prayer requests.

Connection Partner Call
Cindy: 2003-10-26: Great PRAISE REPORT! As in last notes her husband is not saved....he saw the book Caprice is reading PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE & just started reading it! He loves it! Has not yet decided to go to church or accept Christ but its starting the calling!!! Praise God! They just celebrated their 7 year anniversary on Oct 19th. Every thing is going great! Very excited about her new relationship with Christ.

pastoral Staff Call
Vic: 2003-10-29: 1 This is her church home, hopefully this weekend she can get her husband to come. Kathy in the prayer group has called, and has been very helpful and got her through some rough days.

BELEN & JOHN - CONNECTING AND GROWING A FAMILY

Connection Partner's Completed Call Results:

Welcome Call
Alyssa: 2003-09-22: I spoke to Belen, John's wife. They attend together. She is really sweet and quite chatty. I told her about Celebrate Recovery considering her prayer request below but she said he doesn't like AA or groups, they make him feel more depressed. But as long as he is walking with God he doesn't drink. So when he drank they knew they needed to get back to church and that is what they did. They've been here for two years. They recently opened a business. They had a barber shop in San Jose for 28 years but their landlord sold their business and they could not afford to start over in CA, so sold the business and moved here. Hard transition for her b/c her kids and grandkids are still in CA so they visit often. They just opened a barber shop here 3 months ago. Husband working hard 6 days a week but the business is doing well. She knows their being here is God's will for them.

Connection Partner Call
Dar: 2003-09-29: I called Saturday afternoon. I prayed before calling as requested. When I finally did call I talked to Belen, John's wife. She had just finished praying that the Lord would encourage and give her hope when I called. We talked for about 20 minutes. She has been on the verge of leaving John and going back to California. She admits that her husband is a good man and that he loves her, but she has become intolerant to his drinking. I asked her to look into Celebrate Recovery for both of them. She talked at lenth about her family and how she misses her children. Sunday the 28th she came up and introduced herself to me and she introduced her hushand, John to me. Praise God for bringing them back, they stopped and picked up material on Celebrate Recovery.

Connection Partner Call
Cindy: 2003-10-07: TT Belen Johns wife Didn't talk long was going to meet family for lunch. Prayers are working fast! Doing good & staying strong! Got the book purpose driven life but was reading it in a few days....explained why to only read one day at a time....she understood & they will start over & do it in 40 days. Keep praying!

Connection Partner Call
Dar: 2003-10-17: I called and once again I talked to Belen. Since last talking to her, her & her husband have been attending church. I make it a point every Sunday to greet them both. They both love it here. When I call her she says everything is fine. She had concerns that she want prayer for. She is going to California for 2 weeks and she feels her husband wil start drinking again. He assures her he won't. She wants to to discuss other personal problems with me when she gets back. She wants to meet with me somewhere over coffee. After talking to her I am seeing that she is letting go and letting God when it comes to her husband. I really like this woman

Connection Partner Call
Cindy: 2003-10-21: Finally talked to John! he was very excited to be part of GVCC. Gave him info on celebrate recovery!

SOCORRO - LEADING TO CHRIST

Connection Partner's Completed Call Results:

Welcome Call
Cindy: 2003-10-12: Has only come once was not sure if she would be back.I felt she was really holding back.... she told me that she is struggling with the fact she wants to go to church but will have to give up her old life.....( think its a drinking problem)has a 6 month old baby girl. Her husband is fighting her to go to church . he is from a catholic back ground & she said he need other Mexican people to feel comfortable. I encouraged her to join a small gg she said great do you have a couples one ? I gave her Tim & Alyssa's number.

Connection Partner Call
Terry: 2003-10-21: 10/20/03 7:15pm - Spoke with Socorro. This was my 4th attempt. The 6th month old little girl is actually her granddaughter and she babysits for her everyday. Her daughter (her name is Socorro also!), son-in-law & baby live with her. She says she liked our church and also asked about the Burn Service. We talked for quite a while about her family situations and problems. She did ask for new prayer and asked if I would pray for her. I did. I gave her my number and told her to call me if she had any other questions. She thanked me for calling.

Connection Partner Call
Cathy: 2004-11-16: SOCORRO WAS VERY THANKFUL FOR THE CALL. SHE IS INTERESTED IN INTECESSORY PRAYER SO I INVITED HER TO COME WITH ME ON SUNDAY MORNIN GS. SHE HAD CONCERNS IF WE WERE A FULL GOSPEL CHURCH. I SSURRED HER WE WERE AND TOLD HER SHE COULD SPEAK TO A PASTOR. SHE'S GOING TO COME NEXT SUNDAY

GREG - REACHING AND CARING FOR A SEPARATED SINGLE-PARENT DAD

Connection Partner's Completed Call Results:

Welcome Call
Denise: 2004-02-06: I finally got a hold of Greg and I'm sure glad I did! He loves GVCC, and has been attending the 11:00 service every Sunday and joined the Bible for Blockheads Growth Group. He has a 14 yr. old son that likes the FastLane and an 8 year old son, Nathan who will not go into Kids Church. Nathan has been going into the regular serice with Greg. I am meeting Greg and Nathan in the Family Room this Sunday and I am going to make an attempt to get Nathan into Kids Church. Greg is currently going through a divorce and I told him about Divorce Recovery, which he said he may try this weekend.

Connection Partner Call
Edie: 2004-02-22: I have made 4 attempts to contact, 3 during the week morning, late afternoon, and evening & also early evening on Saturday. Answering machine every time has said that the mailbox is full and I was unable to leave a message.

Connection Partner Call
Edie: 2004-03-03: Spoke with Greg this afternoon. He is such a great person and a joy to talk to. I spoke to him about 24/7 to try to get his son plugged in so that he will have the chance to build some friendships in smaller group settings and will then feel more comfortable with going into Kids Church on the weekend because it won't be as overwhelming to him. Told Greg all that happens on Wednesday nights & let him know that it was a fun-filled night but the kids still walk away with greater understanding of God's Word and they want to come back/look forward to Wednesday nights. He is really looking forward to getting his son plugged in and is going to look for me tonight when he signs his son in. He is attending Bible for Blockheads on Tuesdays and said that he would like to attend another GG on Wednesdays while his son is at 24/7. I told him about Men of the Bible with James Ramirez and also about Men of All Ages with Pastor Vic. He is planning on attending one of these two groups as well on Wednesdays. He is loving Bible for Blockheads and enjoyed the fellowship that he has had at that group. I can not say enough about what a nice person Greg is and how enjoyable he is to talk with!

Connection Partner Call
Denise: 2004-03-18: Greg is doing well, working alot. He has been bringing Nathan his son to 24/7 and attending church regularly. He is separated from his wife, I thought they were actually going through a divorce. He told me their is still hope for he and his wife. I talked to him again about Divorce Recovery and possible counseling. He will call me if this is something he can get his wife to agree too.