Cliff Temple Baptist Church

As we approach our church anniversary this fall, we want to share with you the work God has done through Cliff Temple. Every week, we will use letters that were put together in 2018 to celebrate our 120th anniversary, starting today with George and Mary Neel Green.

"For over seventy years, Cliff Temple Baptist Church has been our church. As young children, teens, young marrieds, parents of small and adult children, and now ancient adults.

All this time, it has been a force for good in our lives, and a time for guidance and love. There is no way to tell all the church has meant to us. We can only thank God for leading us here at such a young age and introducing us to such loving people who touched our lives.

Thank you, Lord, for the influence of the people of Cliff Temple."

If you’d like to give to what God is doing through Cliff Temple, go to clifftemple.org/give.

As we approach our church anniversary this fall, we want to share with you the work God has done through Cliff Temple. Every week, we will use letters that were put together in 2018 to celebrate our 120th anniversary, starting today with George and Mary Neel Green.

"For over seventy years, Cliff Temple Baptist Church has been our church. As young children, teens, young marrieds, parents of small and adult children, and now ancient adults.

All this time, it has been a force for good in our lives, and a time for guidance and love. There is no way to tell all the church has meant to us. We can only thank God for leading us here at such a young age and introducing us to such loving people who touched our lives.

Thank you, Lord, for the influence of the people of Cliff Temple."

If you’d like to give to what God is doing through Cliff Temple, go to clifftemple.org/give.

Fall Thank Offering 2021 — Cliff Temple Baptist Church

On November 7, 2021, our church will continue the tradition of our Fall Thank Offering.

Thank Offerings have a rich history in the life of our church. What started as Cliff Temple members putting money and personal belongings into wash tubs to build our sanctuary during the Great Depression has continued to this very day. Over the years, we have also helped so many near and dear to our heart, and we are continuing that with this year’s Fall Thank Offering of Home and Heart — giving of our resources to take care of our home here at Cliff Temple and the ministries we have partnered with for years that are close to our heart.

To learn more, and to help us reach the goal of $30,000, please go to:
https://www.clifftemple.org/thank

Fall Thank Offering 2021 — Cliff Temple Baptist Church On November 7, our church will continue the tradition of our Fall Thank Offering. Thank Offerings have a rich history in the life of our church. What started as Cliff Temple members putting money and personal belongings into wash tubs to build our sanctuary during the Great Depression has continued....

Thank you all for the help you gave to Mission Oak Cliff during North Texas Giving Day.

Mission Oak Cliff surpassed its goal to raise $35,000 to expand its food program and support its Counseling Center.

As you may know, there has been a 75% increase in demand for food assistance in 2020, and this has not slowed down. Your help was needed to reach more people and end hunger in Dallas.

MOC clients have experienced heavy loss in the past 18 months - loss of jobs, income, and loved ones. The counseling center is there for them to grieve, process, and heal, with no financial barriers.

Your support benefits our community by helping MOC add at least two zip codes to their service area, increasing food security, and breaking down barriers to mental health resources.

We are so grateful for your support!

Thank you all for the help you gave to Mission Oak Cliff during North Texas Giving Day.

Mission Oak Cliff surpassed its goal to raise $35,000 to expand its food program and support its Counseling Center.

As you may know, there has been a 75% increase in demand for food assistance in 2020, and this has not slowed down. Your help was needed to reach more people and end hunger in Dallas.

MOC clients have experienced heavy loss in the past 18 months - loss of jobs, income, and loved ones. The counseling center is there for them to grieve, process, and heal, with no financial barriers.

Your support benefits our community by helping MOC add at least two zip codes to their service area, increasing food security, and breaking down barriers to mental health resources.

We are so grateful for your support!

If you forgot to sign up for this week's church dinner, go now to clifftemple.org/dinner and register. We would be happy to enjoy a meal with you.

If you forgot to sign up for this week's church dinner, go now to clifftemple.org/dinner and register. We would be happy to enjoy a meal with you.

Evelyn Simmons contacted us about helping Dr. Samira Page and Gateway of Grace with donations towards Afghanistan refugee families. We want them to know they are in our prayers and they are loved and welcome here. May God bless the families in their new lives. We want to thank everyone who has donated, including Esther Ginocchio and Pauline Laws. Also many thanks to Evelyn Simmons and the Journey Sunday school class.

-Rita

Evelyn Simmons contacted us about helping Dr. Samira Page and Gateway of Grace with donations towards Afghanistan refugee families. We want them to know they are in our prayers and they are loved and welcome here. May God bless the families in their new lives. We want to thank everyone who has donated, including Esther Ginocchio and Pauline Laws. Also many thanks to Evelyn Simmons and the Journey Sunday school class.

-Rita

Our youth group had a double-event weekend on September 17-18 at Fan Expo Dallas and Mt. Lebanon. Twenty youth went to Fan Expo, a pop culture and comic book convention at the Dallas Convention Center, and the next day was where fifteen from our group hung out at our group’s favorite spot, Mt. Lebanon in Cedar Hill. Here is what two students had to say about the weekend :

"Fan Expo was so fun! We walked around and saw so many cool things. Kenny bought our group a picture with David Koechner, an actor from “The Office” TV show. (Despite his character on the show, he was really nice in real life.) Overall, it was a great night." —Abby

"What I enjoyed at Mt. Lebanon is that I got to hang out with some friends, going on the hay ride, playing gaga ball and 9 square." — Emmanuel

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"Fan Expo, and Mt. Lebanon the following day, was a time where our students got a chance to fellowship, laugh, and get to know one another more. On a Wednesday night recently, the youth asked “do you pay for this?”. It gave me an opportunity to explain how giving works. I told them that they have food, experiences, and spaces where we meet, due to the fact that everyone gives to our church with the purpose to further the kingdom of God. After I said this, the students took up an offering for the church. While it may not have been a lot, it was a sweet moment to see students giving as well. Thank you for what you provide to our students and people of all ages here at Cliff Temple. We wouldn’t be able to do this ministry without your faithful giving!" — Kenny

To give to what God is doing here at Cliff Temple, go to clifftemple.org/give

Donate — Mission Oak Cliff

One thing that I love about Mission Oak Cliff is how community-focused our ministry is. The other day, I overheard one of our clients saying to her friend, "It's not just about you. It's about the community and looking out for one another." She was saying this in the context of her friend's decisions, urging him not to waste food. The food he doesn't want or need can be a blessing to another person who is experiencing hunger and need.

Seeing their interaction made an impression on me. When you are in survival mode, you don't always think about the greater good. There is a temptation to narrow your focus onto yourself, but our clients taught me that even in uncertain times, you can always choose the common good. You can still choose generosity for the sake of others.

On September 23rd the Dallas community will be celebrating North Texas Giving Day, a day of philanthropy to support local nonprofits and their great work in the community. I ask that you would consider donating to us at Mission Oak Cliff as we continue our mission of improving food security, encouraging meaningful relationships, and teaching life skills. As a smaller, but growing, organization, we rely solely on community support. We need your help to reach our budget goals to continue providing the resources for the increase in the number of people seeking services from us. You can give today by visiting https://www.missionoakcliff.org/donate-

-Kevin
Executive Director of Mission Oak Cliff

Donate — Mission Oak Cliff Direct program support for Mission Oak Cliff is dependent on the generosity of individuals, corporations, foundations, churches, and civic groups. Mission Oak Cliff is a tax-exempt organization operating under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) of Cliff Temple Baptist Church. All contributions....

[09/15/21]   We are so grateful for the work Charlie is doing with our youth. We also pray and invite you to be a part of this important work. Pray for our youth, for those who are serving them, and come join Kenny, Charlie, and all of those who are already a part of this formative work.

"Why do I work with the youth? By the standards of my own generational cohort, I'm a bit of square. With the kids, it must be doubly so. My cultural touchpoints are at least two generations behind the times. We barely speak the same lingo. Musical tastes? We're miles apart. I don't know Reggaeton, and they don't know Texas Swing.

"I'm out of touch. They deserve better. Why am I doing it? As an old Anglican priest put it to me once, any job worth doing is worth doing poorly.

"I think back to my own days in high school--very formative, crucial years. In high school, the student is developing an identity apart from mom, dad, and family. The world is getting to be a bigger place. He is integrating his knowledge of things into a world view that will likely remain with him into adulthood.

"I think back to my own formative days in the eighties at Calvary Baptist Church. My own approach to the Christian life was taking shape. There was a parade of youth ministers and one constant: Mrs. Barbara Jackson. May light perpetual shine upon her. She was not hip to our fashions. She knew nothing of New Wave, Hip Hop, or Glam Rock. What she did possess was a sincere interest in each one of us, an open home, and a warm, inviting presence at Sunday School, as big as the heart of God.

"These kids deserve much better. I'm not particularly effective. Pray for another Barbara Jackson. Until then, I'm doing what I can, 'til God or Kenny say otherwise." - Charlie Mercado

Julio Cesar Tapullima, a missionary in Peru we supported through Texas Baptist's Missionary Adoption Program, sent an update of the work he has been a part of this year.

Since January, Iglesia Bautista Antioquia has baptized and is currently discipling two women. In a community seven hours away from the church, two other women have decided to follow Christ. Some of the work Julio Cesar has been doing with the community in Nauta include literacy classes, sharing stories from the Bible with children, and offering breakfast to the children.

Along with his report, he sends this word of encouragement:
"For three years I [prayed] to spread the gospel to other peoples, especially to the communities of the rivers. The vision is to reach or plant new works, both in Nauta as well as in the communities of the rivers—many of which are days away from here—and I believe that the help we receive from Texas is a response [to that prayer]."

All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children. — Isaiah 54:13

Michelle, our interim children's minister, recently gave Bibles to the first graders of our church. And just yesterday, we had the chance to celebrate Cliff Temple en Español's ministry assistant, Talye, for the baby she will have in about a month! Thank God our church gets the chance to witness the work God does in these children and in their families. Let that be our prayer today, that God will speak to these children, and that Cliff Temple be a faithful home for their families.

It has been close to a year since Cliff Temple collaborated in the clean-up of Oak Cliff Cemetery. Thankfully, that work has been maintained by community volunteers, and these are photos of how that looks right now. Along with the Tenth Street Residential Association, as well as other organizations and volunteers, we helped clean up the African American section at the southern end of the cemetery.

Once covered by shrubbery and invasive plants, the oldest community cemetery in Dallas County looks a lot better now. We are thankful Cliff Temple has been a part of this important work.

Did you know that our church has a partnership with Fellowship of Christian Athletes? Over the years the FCA area representative, Danny Noah, has connected our youth pastor, Kenny Cheshier, to the coaching staff at Adamson High school. The purpose of FCA is to make disciples through engaging, equipping and empowering coaches and athletes to know and grow in Christ and lead others to do the same. Please be in prayer for coaches and athletes in all of our schools.

Did you know that our church has a partnership with Fellowship of Christian Athletes? Over the years the FCA area representative, Danny Noah, has connected our youth pastor, Kenny Cheshier, to the coaching staff at Adamson High school. The purpose of FCA is to make disciples through engaging, equipping and empowering coaches and athletes to know and grow in Christ and lead others to do the same. Please be in prayer for coaches and athletes in all of our schools.

Amazon Custom Gift List

One of the organizations Cliff Temple has supported in the past is Gateway of Grace. As you can imagine, they have been busier these past weeks since more refugees from the Middle East have been coming in. Families and livelihoods have been torn apart. As a church, we plan to continue seeking the will of God for us, which includes welcoming and advocating for refugees.

If you want to individually support the efforts of Gateway of Grace, here's a list of items you can help buy.
https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/15CBH87PA7I8H/guest-view

We also want to connect you to a ministry in Fort Worth that is also working with refugees. Karen Morrow serves as field personnel of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and she works with internationals and refugees. Among many other things, she has a heart for the children of these families, and for their education. You can also support her ministry through the link below.
https://www.classy.org/campaign/karen-morrow/c104508

Amazon Custom Gift List

Here's a sneak peak at Cliff Temple's fall activities. Visit clifftemple.org for additional details on individual events.

Here's a sneak peak at Cliff Temple's fall activities. Visit clifftemple.org for additional details on individual events.

Cliff Temple's executive director of Mission Oak Cliff, Kevin Pranoto, and our pastoral resident/pastor of Cliff Temple en Español, Isa Torres, have been selected to assist and offer leadership to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in both state and national levels.

Kevin will come in as member of CBF Texas' governing board. He will serve in this capacity for three years. He will assist in continuing helping churches participate in advocacy initiatives around the state, as well as matters of governance like finances, personnel, etc.

Also, though he has already been serving in this capacity, Kevin will continue participating with Clergy Sexual Misconduct Task Force. This task force is a joint effort by CBF and Baptist Women in Ministry. With the goal of helping CBF churches, the task force offers resources for Baptist churches, seminary students, and professors in regards to prevention of clergy sexual abuse against minors and adults. Kevin has the task of helping create educational resources for congregational use and helping with a subgroup to create survivor resources.

Isa will start a three-year role as a member of CBF's Nominating Committee. The committee is tasked with finding and suggesting individuals to serve in the three governance bodies of CBF—Ministries Council, Missions Council, and Governing Board. Because of his past experiences and background, Isa has been tasked to focus on two state and regional organizations of CBF—Oklahoma and West, the last one which includes churches in thirteen states. He has also been assigned the network of CBF missional leaders.

Congratulations to both of them for the tasks they have been given. Keep them in prayer as they serve in these capacities. We trust God will use them as they continue serving at Cliff Temple and in these new roles.