What an amazing response to our second Love Out LOUDER Day!
The body of Christ at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale mobilized to make a difference in our community in a single day. The response was overwhelming!
The excitement started building well before 8am, as many hundreds streamed into the Sanctuary for final instructions from Pastor Bob and Pastor Chet. Then it was out into the streets, communities, and homes of Broward County to make a difference. You touched thousands of lives in a single day, and we want to share those stories!
Were you a servant? Were you served? Did you witness the love of Christ in action from those around you? Tell us about it!
December 13, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Refuge Broward was blessed with lots of smiling faces. Check out the pictures on flickr
December 13, 2008 at 5:44 pm
I was there tooo… God is good….
December 13, 2008 at 5:46 pm
I love our church!!! What a great day of ministry.
December 13, 2008 at 5:54 pm
When I heard on the radio about the young boy at the house who had hurt his arm and needed some physical therapy, I was thinking about how their are probably alot of people who wonder if God can use them maybe even someone who knows about physical therapy. i think that its good to hear about days like this so that we can know that God can use us. Thanks for reminding us that God can use us.
December 13, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Wow!
What an incredible day and ReachFM was so glad to be a small part by telling people around the state what God is able to do through some willing hearts! I loved hearing so many people say that this might have been the first time that they went to the Refuge or to the Juvenile Detention Center or to the Convalescent home but it wouldn’t be the last.
That’s what this was all about, reminding ourselves that we can love out louder every day. I know that I’ve been inspired to look at the people and the circumstances around me in a little different way because of the people that I had a chance to meet and talk to today.
Thanks to everyone who went out and especially to everyone who called into the station. You will never know how incredibly blessed we were by your experiences.
December 13, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Today I participated in the Inmate Correspondence Outreach. Between listening to Pastors Bob and Chet and Anitra this morning, and then to Pat, Mendell and Liz during the outreach, I was so excited to be doing the Lord’s work today. When doing inmate correspondence, it’s not as easy to make the connection about how w’ere changing peoples’ lives since we were not face-to-face with anyone. The testimonies of inmates who receive these letters were true God stories. Many of the inmates leave prison and become pastors, ministers and volunteers for the Body of Christ. I was also so encouraged when Pastor Chet said that we can continue this work on our own and don’t have to wait for church outreaches. I had the opportunity to speak to a Vietnamese gentleman at the store today and we got on the topic of Christmas. I asked him if he celebrates Christmas as a Christian and he said yes but he had some questions because he didn’t know alot. He also told me a Jehovah’s witness had been in earler and was talking to him about religion. The lady bought him a bible but he said he opened it and felt weird about reading it. I explained to him what true Christianity is and what the Word of God says. I also had the opportunity to run to Calvary’s bookstore and get him a Bible and brought it back to him. It is always such a blessing to serve our Lord!
December 13, 2008 at 10:46 pm
This past Wednesday night I was serving at Grace Community Church in Greensboro, NC. As I was mingling around with about 200 homeless that we feed every Wednesday night I saw a lady that I just KNEW that I recognized. As I kept looking at her, all of the sudden the name “Deborah” just popped into my head. I approached her and asked “Isn’t your name Deborah?” She looked at me, then my name tag and then came the tears. Back in 2005 I met her for the first time with Love Out Load with a group doing homeless outreach down by the riverwalk in Fort Lauderdale. It was a wonderful reunion.
Tonight I saw her again and she just kept saying “I know him from Fort Lauderdale and Calvary Chapel”. She must have told 15-20 people here in Greensboro about us loving on her from Love Out Loud and Calvary Chapel. The work of Love Out Loud is heard of from the homeless even here in Greensboro, NC!
December 14, 2008 at 2:30 pm
What a blessing to be a small part of this amazing day! We had 1,000+ people that were able to hear from some of the industry’s top pro skaters about how Christ’s love them for them has changed their lives. Legends in skate hung with local skaters and personally invested in them, teaching them tricks and sharing love in a Christ-like way. I was able to see you kids be encouraged by their heros. But, more importantly, these guys shared scripture, testimonies and more to so many skaters that were willing to hear. We had 100s of kids raise there hands to begin or recommit their lives to Christ after Josh shared his testimony. The skaters also went out into the community visiting local shops like IWS & Surf World were many others were impacted. To see these men glorify the Lord in all they do, handle the mobs of skaters with grace and love and to humbly serve the Lord was a great witness in itself. (People came from as far as San Jose, California to meet these guys!)
Later, I was blessed to see a 2nd grade class share the story of Christmas with a retirement community in Boca. The residents left with large smiles and full hearts. I have never heard so many thank-yous but it was each of the kids and parents that were truly blessed. My daughter was able to share her favorite verse John 14:6 who believed that there were many paths to heaven. You could see the impact a child’s faith had on this women. What a divine appointment!
As we left, I received a text from a group of 14 skaters that drove from Northern Florida saying thank you and letting me know that 2 had accepted Christ. We hope to hear many more amazing stories about how the Lord continues to use ordinary people for extraordinary things….I can wait to see and be encouraged by the stories. May they inspire us each to Love Out Louder EVERY DAY.
December 15, 2008 at 1:31 pm
This was truly a blessing to me being a part of this outreach. I was a part of the team that went to a nursing home. There, we were able to share God’s love in a tangible way. God was able to use me to lead someone to Christ and it was the most amazing experience in the world. Praise God for all the joint efforts made for this day come together like only the Master could. Honored to be a part of HiStory!!!
December 18, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Love Out Louder was an amazing day! Even after the event that my husband and I participated in, the feeling of love and God in our hearts continued to shine through us through out the day. Everywhere we went people would ask us where we came from and we would share w/ them what the day meant to us. Thank you Lord for creating such blessings and opportunity for us to serve you through Calvary Chapel!!! We praise you forever!!!
December 20, 2008 at 10:29 pm
Last Saturday, I participated in the Love Out Louder, and met so many incredible people. This being an unfortunate time in my life, made me realize how fortunate I really am to have found a church like Calvary. I love it! I’m thankful for God allowing me to come to a place in my life where I am finally focused on the truly important things in life, #1 being to serve the Lord!! Thank you Calvary and Pastor Bob for your real approach to the world we live in today!
December 23, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Myself and a few Eskatos girls went to His Caring Place and did manicures, pedicures and facials for girls who are pregnant or new mothers. We brought tons of homemade treats and spa potions, and it was so great to spend time with the girls. They are so young, and even though they are living in a great Christian environment, so many of them do not know Jesus. It was completely different then I expected it would be, the opportunities for ministry are overwhelming. So many girls struggle with unsupportive families and the prospect of raising their children all alone. It was a great time to learn more about the program, how they lovingly serve these girls despite their faults and circumstances. We were able to give these girls a well deserved day of fun in the middle of some very trying times. When they asked what brought us to see them, our answer was of course Jesus! What a blessing to serve a God who asks us above all things, just to love. Love truly does cover over everything
January 5, 2009 at 11:30 am
I just wanted to share my experience when I volunteered for the inmate correspondence outreach on the love out louder day.
I missed the prior love out louder day & I made sure that I did not miss it again. Now the church went out & ministered to many & I heard many God stories on the radio. I stayed in the building & helped mail out around two thousand gospel letters to inmates. At first I thought that I really should have been out with the rest of the church but my attitude changed when I realized the enormity of what I was doing. These were love letters from God with the most important message that will ever be read. The group stuffed & addressed envelopes for several hours, then we prayed over them. I know that the impact & response will be huge!
I left church on fire for God. But listen, I was only stuffing envelopes. Our leader reminded us that this was no small thing that was taking place & God reminded me that there are no small things in His kingdom.
So this experience got my fire ignited for our God. I now realize the importance of outreach more than ever. If you need your fire lit do outreach. God will multiply any deed, even if it seems small to us.