Advent Conspiracy

At Brooklife on November 29, we will be starting a series called Advent Conspiracy.  You can read more about this movement at www.adventconspiracy.org. 

Christmas can still change the world

The story of Christ's birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love.

So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists.

And when it's all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas?

What if Christmas became a world-changing event again?

Welcome to Advent Conspiracy.

The Giving Tree

We are partnering with the Waukesha County Jail to provide Christmas gifts for the children of prisoners who enter the prison too late to qualify for the official Angel Tree program through Prison Fellowship.  This will also be part of our Advent Conspiracy series at Brooklife which starts on November 29.  Here's how you can get involved with our team:

• Administrative Support (weekdays)
• Phone Calls
• Setup - November 29 and December 6
• Gift Bagging - December 15
• Gift Delivery - December 17-24

The Giving Tree will be setup on November 29 and December 6.  The names of children with their gift requests  can be picked up at this time.  For more information or to sign up, contact Heather at hwebb@brooklife.org

Thanksgiving for the Food Pantry

For Thanksgiving this year, we are excited to work with the Mukwonago Food Pantry to collect needed items for the Thanksgiving food boxes that will be given to local families.  Brooklife Church has agreed to provide the following:

• 50 Milk (Gallon)
  
• 50 Cool Whip (8oz.)
• 50 Butter (1lb, stick or tub)

Club 56 will also be collecting desserts for the boxes.

• Jell-o
• Cake mixes and canned frosting
• Pie crusts
• Pie crust filling

Drop off items items on Sundays, November 1 & 8 in the bins or coolers at Brooklife. 
**If you would like to provide milk, please DO NOT bring milk to Brooklife.  Milk must be dropped off directly at the Food Pantry by Saturday, November 18.  Email Heather at hwebb@brooklife.org if you plan on supplying milk for our record keeping.

Halloween Neighborhood Outreach

Consider reaching out to your neighbors this Halloween by serving hot chocolate or roasting s'mores or hot dogs in your driveway for Trick-or-Treaters and their parents.  This is a great way to start building more relationships with people in our community.  Do it on your own, with your family or with your house group.  Check the date for Trick-or-Treating in your neighborhood.

• Town of Mukwonago - Saturday October 31
  
• Village of Mukwonago - Sunday October 25

A Matthew Party

Luke 5: 27-31
 ²⁷ After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, ²⁸ and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
    ²⁹ Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"
    ³¹ Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

In this passage, Matthew (or Levi) meets Jesus and his life is radically transformed.  He was a tax-collector, probably a hated man since most tax-collectors at the time were known for taking money illegally from their fellow citizens.  But when Jesus comes on the scene, he leaves everything to follow him.  Once Matthew is a follower of Christ, he realizes that he needs to tell his friends about the radical transformation that has happened in his life.  So he throws a party....a Matthew Party.  He invites all his old friends, people far away from God.  And he invites Jesus.  He sets up an encounter where his friends who he desperately wants to meet Jesus have a chance to rub shoulders with Jesus himself. 

We can do the same thing today.  There's really nothing special about throwing a party and inviting some of our Christian friends and our friends who still need to know God.  Everybody loves a party, but this is a party with a heavenly purpose.  We can set the stage where people that we love will have the chance to learn more about our faith though natural interactions with other Christians.  All of us who have experienced Jesus in our lives would love to see our friends changed in the same way.  This is a simple idea for making that happen.  So take a chance and host a Matthew Party for Halloween this year.  (Ideas taken from Just Walk Across the Room by Bill Hybels)

Kiva.org

Check out Kiva.org. Kiva is the world's first peer-to-peer online micro-lending website which allows individuals to lend as little as $25 to specific entrepreneurs, providing capital to help them start or expand a small business. Kiva's mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty. Kiva's entrepreneurs are from impoverished countries around the world. These small loans which you can provide, may be the first step in helping someone gain finanical independence. It may also provide an opportunity for their whole family to escape poverty. Could you consider giving a small loan? Check out the website to browse the many different people featured.

Fall Fest September 19

This year at Fall Fest we will have an inflatable obstacle course for children and a bungee run for adults. Our worship band will also be playing during the day. This will be a great opportunity for us to build relationships with people in the community and let people know about Brooklife Church. If you would like to serve we have 2 hour time slots available from 8am-8pm. Email Heather at hwebb@brooklife.org to sign up. For more information about Fall Fest, check out the Mukwonago Chamber of Commerce website at www.mukwonagochamber.com.

Waukesha County Backpack Coalition

Who We Are
The Waukesha County Backpack Coalition consists of several local social service agencies that have united to help provide financially challenged children and families in Waukesha County with school supplies & backpacks.

Most Needed Supplies

• Backpacks
• Supply Boxes
• Markers (Wide Tip)
• Sharpies (Fine Point)
• Sissors (Metal Blades)
• Glue Sticks (Large Size)
• Protractors
• Compasses
• 3x5 Index Cards
• Dictionaries
• 3 Subject Notebooks
• 5 Subject Notebooks
• Loose Leaf Paper
• 3 Ring Binders
• Pencils

How You Can Help

• Donate new backpacks and school supplies. Supplies may be dropped off at Brooklife on Sunday July 19 and 26
• Make a monetary donation. A donation of $25 will provide one Waukesha county student with a backpack filled with their grade specific school supply needs. Make all checks out to the Waukesha County Backpack Coalition

www.backpackcoalition.org

One Prayer Service Day

Who: We are joining with RiverGlen Christian Church and The Ridge Community Church
Why: To serve our community and join together in unity with other believers in our area
When: June 27
Time: 8:15am - 1pm
Where: 5 locations across Waukesha and Milwuakee

• Ronald McDonald House - Summer Clean Up Projects
• Nursing Homes
• Community Warehouse
• Glory House

Meet: Park N Ride at Hwy 164 and I-43

To sign up, fill out a registration form in the brochure on Sunday morning at Brooklife or email me at hwebb@brooklife.org.

Disaster Relief Teams

Fredricksburg, Missouri

• Monday June 1 to Friday June 5 or Saturday June 6
• People experienced with chainsaws needed to clear trees after a tornado and flash flooding.
• The trip is in partnership with Samaritan's Purse and Elmbrook Church. Contact Mary Ann Lee at mlee@elmbrook.org or 262-796-5758.

New Orleans

• 4 trips: July 22 - August 2, September 13 - 20, October 11 - 18, November 8 - 15
• 16 and older
• Help rebuid, dry wall, paint, plumb, electric, yard-work, clear debris and more in 8th Ward
• Help 50 families rebuild their neighborhood almost 4 years after Katrina
• Cost is approximately $225 per person and covers transportation by car and hotels. Meals and housing in New Orleans provided by Samaritans Purse at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church
• The trip is in partnership with Samaritan's Purse and Elmbrook Church. Contact Mary Ann Lee at mlee@elmbrook.org or 262-796-5758.
• Elmbrook Send Team Training required

Resources at Brooklife

• Registered nurse available for limited, in-home, respite care
  
• Licensed cosmetologist willing to give free haircuts to those in need
  
• Carpenter willing to help the elderly or others in need
• Mother in North Prairie available to babysit one to two days a week during the summer for a fee

For more information contact Heather Webb at hwebb@brooklife.org or 262-378-4470.

Current Needs

• Linden Grove Nursing Home in Mukwonago needs bingo gifts such as stuffed animals, knick knacks, and costume jewelry
  
• Metrobrook Church needs skilled trades people to assist with renovations in their new building.
  

To help, contact Heather Webb at hwebb@brooklife.org or 262-378-4470.

Post on our blog!

There are several types of information that we would like to post on our blog, and we need your help!

1. House Group Service Projects - Is your house group involved in community service? Send me a short paragraph about your experience and we will post it on the blog.

2. Needs - Are you or someone you know in our community in need? Send me the information and we will post it on the blog so that others might see the need and respond.

3. Skills and Resources - Do you have certain skills or resources that you want to make available to others in our congregation who are in need? Send me your information to post on the blog.

Local Organizations

Here is a current list of the organizations in the Mukwonago area that Brooklife has connected with in the last year. Have you or your house group served at an organization that's not on our list? Email me at hwebb@brooklife.org to let me know.

Mukwonago Food Pantry	Mukwonago	Food Pantry
Milwaukee Rescue Mission	Milwaukee	Homeless Shelter in Milwaukee
Hebron House	Waukesha	Homeless Shelter in Waukesha
Linden Grove	Mukwonago	Nursing Home
Clarendon Elementary School	Mukwonago	Elementary School
Timber-lee Christian Camp	East Troy	Youth Bible Camp
Salvation Army	Waukesha
Care Net Pregnancy Center	Milwaukee	Crisis Pregnancy Center
Phantom Ranch Bible Camp	Mukwonago	Youth Bible Camp
Repairers of the Breach	Milwaukee	Homeless Shelter in Milwaukee
Hope Street Ministries	Milwaukee	Ministry to men and women in recovery
Intercession Ministries	Milwaukee	Home for young, pregnant girls
Community Warehouse	Milwaukee	Provides construction materials to ministries and the poor
Jesus Loves the Little Children	Milwaukee	Home-based children's ministry
Glory House Ministry	Milwaukee	Housing for homeless
All For Him Ministry	Milwaukee	Group homes for men and women in recovery
Inspiration Ministries	Walworth	Disabled
City on a Hill	Milwaukee	Serving the poor