CCC Capital Stewardship Campaign 2001

Habitat—Answering the Call

Our mission statement calls the members of Christ Church to embody Christ’s life by Proclaiming the Gospel, Welcoming Others, Forming Ourselves and Others, and by Sending and Being Sent in the power of the Holy Spirit in mission to the world. In keeping with the mission of our church, once again, we are being sent. The Holy Spirit has led us to build another Habitat house. Not only has the Holy Spirit led us, but as part of the Capital Campaign, this is a commitment that we made. Every Sunday in our prayer petitions, we pray for those who seek to serve the poor, the friendless, and needy—that they will hear the call and answer the call. The call has been heard, the time has arrived, and we are ready to answer. We are going to build another house, and we do hope that everyone will join us in answering this call.

Michael Willis and Steve Smith from our congregation have agreed to be the House Leaders and are hard at work already. Another ministry that is so important is that of the Family Partner. David Campbell and Liz Bell have answered that call and will act as partners with our Habitat family.

Here are answers to some of the questions that you might have about our mission:

How did we decide on Habitat?
Everyone deserves a decent place to live.

How much money was pledged for this outreach?
$100,000 funded two houses in Covington, one of which was paid for and completed by CCC in September 2002.

What are we called to do beyond our contribution?
To build the house and support the family in prayer.

How is the family receiving the house identified?
There are 1900 families in “worst case” need in St. Tammany West. These families earn between $10,000-$20,000/year. More than half of their income is spent on living in substandard housing.

What kind of support does the family receive other than monetary?
The families must work 500 hours in sweat equity, some of which is spent on the work site, either their own or someone else’s. More importantly, a portion of the sweat equity time is spent in educational programs such as financial literacy courses and homeowner maintenance classes, all of which help the family to become successful homeowners.

Because the family is making payments on the house, how are our contributions used?
The family pays a mortgage for twenty years. Habitat uses this mortgage money to build additional houses. The money we pledge affords the building materials, the contractors, and supervisors for the build.

When did we start building?
In September 2004, with completion in February 2005.

Where is the site located?
The address is 1214 West 33rd Street, Covington. Directions: at the corner of 33rd and Buchanan, turn right, and you will see a Habitat and CCC sign on the left.

How can I help?
In order to be on the work site doing construction, you must be 16 years old (that’s a Habitat rule). Work is needed at the site any Tuesday through Saturday and begins @ 8:30 a.m. There are other opportunities if your interest lies in something other than construction:

Be on the Publicity Team.
Be on the Photography Team.
Be on the Food and Refreshment Team.
Be on the Prayer Team
Be on the Phone Tree Team.

Please contact Barbara Sears (845-1542), email stiresears@yahoo.com or Michael Willis (875-1991), email mjwillis@ix.netcom.com for more information.