October 25 - Make a Difference Day is an opportunity for us to reach out to the surrounding community and serve our schools. This year we will be serving several schools in the Sunnyside School District by fulfilling their specific needs. Please join your family with ours on October 25 to make a difference in our schools. To join a team and get involved contact tim@vailchristian.com or 520.722.1220.

Rose Canyon Picnic: Change of Location!! The Rose Canyon Picnic will not be held at Rose Canyon this year due to construction at Rose Canyon campsite. Instead we will be moving a couple of miles up the mountain to Whitetail Campground. It will still be a great time to escape the heat and hang out with the whole family. Join us at 2:00 p.m. on September 14. We will provide the meat and drinks. Please bring a picnic side dish or a dessert of your choice. Load up the family and some chairs, and meet us up there. We look forward to seeing you!

Parenting Presentation Event: This event is an opportunity for parents to share the joy of their child with the church family and commit to raising their child to know and love Jesus Christ. It will be on Sunday, September 21. To sign up for the event, please contact Julie Biagi at julie@vailchristian.com.

Community Groups: If you are interested in starting or joining a Community Group, or if you just want some more information, contact Tim Sheaffer at tim@vailchristian.com or Trent Schlecht at tanks@cox.net. You can also visit the Community Group page on our website at
www.vailchristian.com.

Strategic Service Teams: SST’s are volunteers gathered together to serve within and outside the church. Volunteers are vital to Vail Christian and we look to them to facilitate environments and potentially lead people in a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Contact tim@vailchristian.com for more information. View our list of service teams and contact information at www.vailchristian.com/
serviceteams.html.

Young elephants cool themselves off in the Limpopo River.

As a child I dreamed of Zimbabwe. They were the idealistic dreams of a little girl who read stories about the Elephant Child who searched out the Crocodile on the banks of the Limpopo River - my imaginations generally involved people living in grass huts with talking animals. As I have grown older (and marginally wiser) I have come to appreciate the naïveté of these childhood dreams. Nevertheless, my view of Zimbabwe (and of Africa as a whole) remained influenced by those early fantasies; I still saw people living in villages in the bush, only now they were accompanied by the specters of hunger and sickness and death rather than the friendly talking animals.

President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace at a state function.

Only recently has my image of Zimbabwe been colored by an understanding of its modern history. Africa is a continent that has been plagued by failed attempts at colonialism, many of which have left in their wake either Marxist states or guerrilla regimes. Until the mid-1960's Zimbabwe was a colony of the British Crown known as Rhodesia. This colony was governed almost entirely by the white elite class. The black majority, eager have more of a role in government, revolted against minority rule, leading to a 15-year civil war between government forces and independent military factions.

Due to extreme inflation, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has dropped three zeros on all of its printed bills.

Robert Mugabe was the leader of one of these military factions, known as ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union.) Upon the establishment of the Republic of Zimbabwe in 1980, he became the first elected black president, and his inauguration was hailed by the international community as a turning point for the war-weary land. However, Mugabe soon showed he was not what Zimbabwe had hoped for. In the early years of his regime, he forced the elimination of his political opposition, killing upwards of 20,000 people in the process. Now his government controls the media, ensuring that no one speaks out against him or his cohorts. Under this regime, the average life expectancy has dropped from 60 years to 33 years; inflation is at 11 million percent and rising, and an estimated 80% of the population is unemployed.

A Zimbabwean police officer prepares to beat a fleeing man at an anti-poverty protest.

Mugabe's government has not gone unchallenged; in fact, it finds itself in crisis as we speak. This March, Mugabe's party lost its majority in Parliament for the first time in 28 years, and Mugabe himself lost a preliminary election. He only won the run-off election in June after his challenger, Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC (Movement for Democratic Change), dropped out on the grounds that a free election was not possible when the existing government was perpetrating violent attacks on his supporters. In July, the South African president stepped in to mediate reconciliation between the two leaders; these talks continue today in hopes of bringing change and balance to the political system.

These Zimbabwean youths participate in a political rally in hope of a better future.

Zimbabwe is more than a collection of grass huts by the lazy Limpopo River; it is more than people suffering from disease and poverty. Zimbabwe is a nation of people struggling against tyranny - struggling for justice, for freedom, for the basic human rights that many of us, myself included, take for granted every day. As Christ followers, we have a role to play in this crisis - we can give, and we can pray. God calls us to do at least this much in the pursuit of His justice for the world. And the next time you lift up Zimbabwe in prayer, pray not only for the starving children in the bushlands and the people dying of AIDS but also for change in government and for justice and freedom for a people who have been long oppressed.

:: Meghan James

World Vision: Zimbwawe - Update

On June 4, 2008, Zimbabwe issued an edict that suspended all activities by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the country, on the grounds that the NGOs were sponsoring anti-government activities. This order effectively shut down World Vision Zimbabwe for several weeks. However, in the past few weeks the government has issued a partial lift of the NGO suspension order, and World Vision has been able to resume certain activities. WV Zimbabwe is currently able to assist children in emergency feeding centers, people on HIV and AIDS treatment and those in registered social welfare institutions such as orphanages and elderly homes. WV is also coordinating with development facilitators that live within the affected communities to begin child monitoring. Child monitoring includes checking on the child’s health, food status and presence in the community, as many families fled their homes to escape pre/post election violence. Development facilitators began reporting back to World Vision two weeks ago, and these results will be relayed to sponsors as soon as possible. So far 53% of all registered children are accounted for. New sponsorships are not being accepted until WV Zimbabwe is fully operational.

What should we be doing?

VCC remains committed to its partnership with the Limpopo ADP. Please continue to pray for your sponsored child and for the World Vision Zimbabwe workers. Also continue to give faithfully to your sponsored child; all monies that are given while WV Zimbabwe is operating in a reduced capacity will be banked and utilized in the ADPs as soon as it is possible to do so.

This Month’s Passage:
Isaiah 58:1-12

Scripture meditation is an important act of communion with God. Psalm 1:2 tells us "But [the blessed man's] delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night." To meditate means to contemplate, to reflect upon, or to think on - when we contemplate God's word, we draw closer to His heart and His understanding. We challenge you to commit yourself to reading this month’s passage of Scripture once a day. As you read, pray for God to give you understanding and wisdom regarding the text, and ask Him to reveal to you how these verses apply in your life. Join with us in this meditation, and prepare for God to challenge your heart.

Rocky Point Mission Trip - November 6-9: We will be gathering our families and heading to Rocky Point, Mexico over Veteran's Day weekend to build houses with Amor Ministries. We will be camping out and serving families in need of shelter by building them a house from the ground up. Put the date on your calendar, prepare your family, and sign up online. For more information, check out our website at www.vailchristian.com or contact Ron Andler at 520.440.2239.

Men's 4x4 Trip: This fall the men of VCC are invited to join the 4-wheeling community group on another camping and 4-wheeling adventure. On October 10-11 we are going to breakout the 4x4¹s, tents and sleeping bags, a bunch of camp chairs, and start a big campfire by the river near Aravaipa Canyon. Aravaipa Canyon is located about 50 air-miles northeast of Tucson, is noted for its desert stream, majestic cliffs, and bighorn sheep. If you are interested in going on this trip contact tim@vailchristian.com.

Adult Classes:  At VCC we offer classes for adults on Sunday mornings and also during the week. These classes address the areas of finances, faith, marriage and parenting. Be checking our website at www.vailchristian.com for detailed class offerings and upcoming start dates.

Fall Events for Children:

Movie Madness
September 24 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Meet at Purple Heart Park · K - 5th grade
Cost is $15 · Register by September 14

Wacky Wildlife
September 26 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Meet at Purple Heart Park · K - 5th grade
Cost is $8 · Register by September 14

Not-So-Secret Service
October 8 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Meet at Purple Heart Park · K - 5th grade
Cost is $5 · Register by September 28

Apple Annie's
October 10 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Meet at Purple Heart Park · K - 5th grade
Cost is $8 (Families welcome)
Register by September 28

Kids Night Out
December 12 from 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Cottonwood Elementary Gymnasium
Ages 3 - 12 · Cost: $5 per child

Register for these events online or stop by the children's information table.

Fall Events for Students:

Arizona Reservation Ministries Mission Trip September 25 - 27 · Cost: $60
Join us as serve families in need!

High School Service Projects
December 4 and 6
Join us as we visit sick children at UMC and bring them Christmas gifts!

Middle School Service Projects
December 11 and 13
Join us as we visit sick children at UMC and bring them Christmas gifts!

For more information, contact Julie Biagi at julie@vailchristian.com.

Trailhead...Begin the Journey October 19 during the 10:45 service (BBQ October 26). This class will walk you through our core values, our vision, our mission, and perhaps most importantly: opportunities for you to join the journey. Visit the kiosk in the courtyard or email tim@vailchristian.com for more information.

Income and Expense Summary

July 2007 - July 2008

*Ministry expenses include local and global outreach, community groups, marriage and family, care and concern, support staff, etc.

Vail Christian Church strives to maximize the impact of every dollar received. There is a annual budgeting process in place, which includes complete transparency among the Elder Council as well as a review and auditing system. If you would like a more detailed copy of the year end statement, please contact Jennifer Jones, Accountant, at jennifer@vailchristian.com or 520.722.1220.

30 Hour Famine: We had 47 students participate in this year's 30 Hour Famine. Because of their sacrifice and generosity, $5,112 was raised. This money will be donated to World Vision's Starve Hunger Program. $5,112 feeds 170 children for a whole month! We also collected over 600 cans of non- perishable food items, which we donated to the local community food bank. Through this project we were reminded of how blessed we are and became even more motivated to live out Scripture as it commands us to love mercy and seek justice. I pray that our youth group moves forward from this event with a daily conviction to show God's grace and generosity.

VCC Community Rewards: Coordinator: Donita Vogt ­ 731-0734 or donitavogt@aol.com.

Many grocery stores offer fundraising programs to churches, schools, and other youth organizations. When using gift cards or "club cards" stores will contribute a percentage of your purchases to your organization. VCC has registered to participate in these programs. Funds raised will be allocated for use by the children and student ministries. Please visit the table in the courtyard or contact Donita Vogt for more information.

“Those who accepted his message were baptized.” - Acts 2:41a

August 24th was an awesome day because we baptized 8 people.

Congratulations to: