Posts Tagged ‘Christian’
Hot Dinner Wednesdays
July 10, 2011 | 
Author Sydney:
Each Wednesday, the Christ Mission Possible ministry attends a church local to their area to feed the disadvantaged, hand out food parcels, and generally bring some light to the lives of those who live in a society that is seemingly indifferent to their position. This 
passed Wednesday (6-7-11) however was a little different from most with the arrival and assistance to St James Anglican church, of the Compadres CMC, a Christian motorcycle club from Western Sydney.
Club members, Rob and Mark donned the hairnets and rubber gloves then placed themselves behind the tables to help dish out various food stuffs, whilst other members spoke to the many people who had attended for what could (for some), have been the only decent hot meal they’d had that day or possibly days.
Compadres members made themselves open and often overly talkative with the assembled masses, but it was all brought in to perspective as Carl, the Compadres president was heard to say to a fellow member, “this is what it’s all about.”
The club also put their bikes on display, fielding many a question from the elderly through to youngsters.
Motorcycle Rally for Labor Day weekend
Granite city, IL
We plan on having many bands a bike show and contest, bike blessings and to preach the gospel. I have been involved in many Bike rallies in the past as a vendor (Christian t-shirts) And have also been involved in music festivals both as vendor and musician. We are trying to attract as many bikers as possible but know the real influence will come from Christian bikers like yourself being around them. If you would please talk to your Biker friends and the rest of your chapter and attend this rally. It will be fun but its main purpose is to win the lost. The festivities will begin around 10:00am Sat. sept. 3rd Behind City Temple Church and the Elks lodge at 4751 Maryville Rd. Granite City, IL 62040 and will be lasting till late in the evening. There will be free camping for the people who wish to stay. Plenty of vendors of all sorts and several bands.
Hope to here from you soon In Christ. Terry
Details sent by Terry Perrin
Bike Blessings Bring 170 Bikers
Prayers are offered to the many people who make a pilgrimage to Our Lady of La Salette Shrine in Attleboro. Some come via bus or by car and others walk. On Saturday morning, however, more than 100 people made pilgrimage to the Shrine, but they came on motorcycles.
Hundreds attended the Shrine’s 3rd annual “Blessing of the Bikes.”
The day began with the registration of 170 bikers who then got on their ride and headed out on a four-town ride.
The bikers, some of which were from Attleboro and others who traveled from as far as New Hampshire, rode as 
singles, couples and entire families. In fact, even a dog came along for the ride. They arrived back at the grounds of La Salette for the drive-through blessing, which was conducted by Brother Ronald Taylor and Father Greg Viens. Greg Russo of the Christian Motorcyclist Associations and Don Grassey and Jay Lawrence of the Loyal Sons also offered private blessing to those who desired it.
Once their bikes were blessed, the bikers gathered for music by Widow McDaniels Band, food and to chat it up with motorcycle-related vendors.
In its first year, the Blessing of the Bikes was sponsored by the Attleboro Area Council of Churches and coordinated by Pam Bliss. There were 25 bikes to bless.
Not long after the first, annual event, Bliss started her own organization “On Common Ground” to continue working in people in the community to provide one on one mentoring. On Common Ground now sponsors the Blessing of the Bikes.
The organization’s mission is to improve the lives of individuals who are experiencing economic, social and/or familial poverty in the Attleboro area by encouraging the involvement of the local community in one-on-one relationships.
On Common Ground holds the event each year as a way to tap into the “wonderful community of generous folks who come out to help so many people through their love of riding,” according to Bliss.
By collaborating with the Shrine, On Common Ground is able to provide an opportunity to bless the bikes and their riders for a safe riding season. The event is always held the weekend after Mother’s Day to stay as close to the blesed mother having her hand over the biker (s) in prayer.
“We were so happy to see the number of riders that showed up this year as the weather was questionable, so we thank them for their commitment and generosity to this effort on behalf of those in need,” Bliss said. “We were at almost the same number of participants as last year, which may increase next year if the weather is more cooperative. But for now, we are very thankful to have had such a nice day!”
While there was no fee for the blessing, some bikers purchased candles and calendars as a way to support On Common Ground. The money will help pay for the organization’s office space and small staff.
Bliss’s organization will also be sponsoring a folk festival in August.
Source: AttleboroPatch
Full Story: http://attleboro.patch.com/articles/blessings-for-a-safe-riding-season-brings-170-bikers-to-attleboro
Posted in Nth America | 
Tags: America, Biker, Bikie, Blessing, Christian, Church, Ride, Service | 
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Run For The Son
Doug and Sue Ritter waited patiently in the parking lot of Price Chopper on Saturday morning to spread awareness about their organization and their belief in Jesus Christ — with motorcycles.
There was once a time when Doug did not believe in God, after years of living in the tough Rosedale neighborhood of Kansas City, Kan. Before he found Christ, he was in trouble with the law.
“He died for all our sins and that’s hard for me to choke,” he said. “He shed his blood.”
As a group of fellow bikers from Leavenworth traveled down Baptiste Drive, the Ritters happily waved their hands to attract their attention. The Freedom Riders, a chapter of the Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA), were one of several chapters from the CMA that joined Paola’s Christ’s Crusaders for 2011 Run for the Son Event.
“We got a new chapter forming (Paola) and we wanted to come and show support,” said Stew Frederick, Chaplain of the Freedom Riders.
Motorcyclists from the United States and Canada participated in the 23rd annual event. The purpose of the event is to spread awareness about Jesus Christ. Members raise money by seeking individuals to sponsor them on a ride, with proceeds going toward projects such as The JESUS Film Project and Open Doors, a program that supports persecuted Christians around the world.
The Ritters have spread the word of God through prison ministry. Doug is the chaplain for his chapter, a title he proudly wears on his vest.
There are more than five members in the Paola chapter. Sue, the chapter’s president, said she hopes to gain more members in the future to become an official chartered organization.
Source: KC Community News
Full Story: http://www.kccommunitynews.com/miami-county-republic-news/27842690/detail.html
Biker on a Mission to Spread the Word of God
WHEN HE was a younger man, Oliver Hamilton was caught up with motorcycles, sound systems, all-night parties and letting his fists sort out his arguments. Then one night, as he got ready for an all night rave, he had a vision.
“A vision just came to me one Saturday night when I should have been going out. It was of me; of how my life would end up unless I change my life,” Hamilton, from Leeds, told The Voice.
“A calming influence is what being a Christian has been for me. I used to be a troublemaker; a bit of a hot head. I was always fighting,” said Hamilton, who is now an operations director in the engineering industry. “It’s changed my life.”
Hamilton’s vision was more than 20 years ago, and the 49-year-old has long stopped using his fists to deal with disagreements. He gradually stopped attending all-night parties and developed a strong faith in God.
But one passion from his old life is motorcycles.
Hamilton does not see being a biker as something apart from serving God, despite a perception by some people that bikers are mostly rough and tumble troublemakers, as seen in hit US TV show Sons of Anarchy.
In fact, Hamilton has combined being a motorcyclist with his Christianity, and is actively trying to bring more bikers to God.
“I don’t think it should be exclusive. I think there should be a lot more Christian bikers,” said Hamilton, who is also chairman of the West Yorkshire branch of the Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA).
“I think it is okay to jump on your bike and ride, but it is good to ride with a purpose. I wear my white cross with pride on my back.
“What we [CMA] do as a ministry (is)… we go to all the biking haunts and biking alleys and we witness and evangelise to non-Christians, and give them free Bibles,” said Hamilton. “There is a big need for that and I enjoy doing it.”
British-born Hamilton, who is of Caribbean heritage, said while it is unusual to see black men riding motorbikes in Leeds, “I don’t see myself as a novelty. I see myself as going out there and doing the Lord’s work. I don’t see myself as that much different. I know people look at me different but I am just a Christian biker.”
He said some people walk away when he and his Christian brothers come to minister but, “the curious ones come and talk to us.” He and others have helped change some perceptions.
“…One guy I was witnessing to… used to be a skin head, and he was saying ‘No mate’, because I was a black person. (There was a time when) he’d rather ram a knife down me than talk to me. He didn’t like black people back in the earlier days, and that’s what he was into. But after witnessing to him, he then gave his life to the Lord.”
Last month, Hamilton and nine other Christian bikers helped launch the Viral Bible project in Skegness, Lincolnshire.
People who receive a Viral Bible are encouraged to underline the verses they find most meaningful before passing the same copy on to another person, who will then continue the process.
Hamilton and the bikers rode out on from Skegness on April 14, starting the first of 200 Viral Bibles on a year-long journey. They later handed some out to people from different parts of the UK at their annual general meeting in Stafford.
“We saw the Viral Bibles as an extension to what we do anyway as a ministry,” said Hamilton, who is also involved in prison ministry.
Over the next 12 months, more than 200 Viral Bibles will be given away to random people at major Christian festivals and events to show how much the Bible is still relevant today. Organisers hope each copy of the Viral Bible will travel all over Britain before returning to the Evangelical Alliance’s London head office in Easter 2012.
Hamilton said: “For me, the Bible is a way of life. It’s our standards and guidelines to live by. People don’t read enough of the Bible and I think the Viral Bible will get people back into reading the Bible.”
Source: Voice Online
Full Story: http://www.voice-online.co.uk/content.php?show=19576
Ride – A Radio Show
What’s the next best thing to having some motorcycle fun? Listening to others who are having it as well!
And you can do that on Thursdays for two hours from 10pm on 2CCR FM 90.5 when national motorcycling identity
Greg Hirst will entertain you with;
* Humorous stories of a motorcycle nature
* Interviews with well known motorcycle riders
* Stories from Aussie motorcycle clubs about their positive activities
* Update of key some motorcycling issues
* News on local and national motorcycle events (especially for those listening online)
* Studio guests to talk about their personal motorcycling experiences
* And lots of great Aussie rock, blues and alternate music, plus a little overseas stuff.
So listen in every Thursday for some motorcycle radio fun: on radio in Sydney or online on the 2CCR website around Australia. For more information contact Greg on www.greghirstenterprises.com.au
Church brings Jesus to bikers
‘RIDING for the son’ are a group of petrolheads who have combined religion with their passion for motorbikes.
The Bikers Church, Rixton, was formed in September last year and has grown from strength to strength attracting Christian bikers who ‘love motorbikes, but also love Jesus too’.
Colin Pownall, who performed biker pair Terry and Marion’s wedding ceremony, said: “We were introduced to the couple about six months ago after they wanted a dedication for their child at the church.
“I am just one of many at the church and it was a privilege to perform the service for Terry and Marion.”
The Bikers Church meets on Sunday evenings with around 80 to 90 people regularly attending as part of the Christian Motorcyclists’ Association.
Colin added: “We take the good news of Jesus to motorcyclists where ever they may be and set up the Bikers Church so we have got a place of our own to invite bikers back after shows and rallies.”
There are a number of churches for bikers in South Africa but when the bikers made Rixton Methodist Church, Chapel Lane, their home, it was the first one in England drawing in people from Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire.
Colin added: “We got a great reaction from the motorcycle community and have a fantastic working relationship with the methodist church that meets in the morning before us.
“They even helped decorate the church for the wedding.
“The Bikers Church meets the needs of motorcyclists and family and friends who would not feel comfortable in other churches dressed in their leathers or arriving on their motorbike with long hair and a beard.”
Source: Warrington Guardian
Full Story: http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/whereilive/8971663.Church_brings_Jesus_to_bikers/
Hope For The Road
Leather and Levis replace lace and the loathsome tie. Fellowship involves a hot meal before worship, not doughnuts and coffee afterward. Classic rock music warms up the crowd before the pastor takes the stage. No pulpit here.
The fellowship, worship and meal all take place every Thursday evening in a recreation center equipped with basketball hoops, a stage and a big-screen TV.
Welcome to Steel City Biker Church, where 40 to 70 people gather weekly to hear Pastor Curtis Hubbell relate stories from the road, or from his daily struggles and joys, to Scripture — and to trying to live the way Jesus encouraged his early followers to live.
As he moved back and forth across a stage where Pueblo Christian Center hosts concerts and other events, the bearded, hulking Hubbell during a recent service talked about how he loves to get on his bike and take off with no particular destination — and how infrequently that happens when he’s stressed or has too many obligations on his plate. And how stress impinges on his ability to enjoy the rare ride to nowhere in particular.
“Stress is necessary. It causes us to take action,” he told members of his congregation, seated around tables where they’d just finished a meal of roasted chicken, rice and salad.
Life requires balance
“But stress can take the fun out of happy times, too,” he said, alluding to how his wife’s expectations for perfection for a brief time interfered with the joy involved in planning their son’s upcoming wedding.
“As a guitar player, I know that with careful tuning — by applying just the right pressure with the right balance — beautiful music is possible. But put too much stress into it and a string can snap loose. The sound is muddy, or there’s no sound at all. You have to stop and restring the thing. The key is to find the perfect balance” — in music, on the road, and in life, he said.
“We can’t control the stress in our lives, but God’s word is full of help,” he added, before reading from Proverbs 17:13-22 and reminding his listeners that laughter is one of God’s cures for physical as well as spiritual fatigue.
From Luke 6:21, he shared the message that all those who hunger will be fed, and all who weep will once again laugh. But happiness comes from within, he said. Peace and security are rooted in the heart.
Zac’s Place
God’s Squad is riding into town to set up a place where those living on the fringes of our society can find themselves at home.
The old St Clement’s community hall/tennis clubhouse is being transformed into Zac’s Place, an outreach centre which is unashamedly Christian in ethos and completely committed to extending a hand to local people in need.
The initiative is derived from a model in Swansea, Wales, where a church for ragamuffins was founded by the European president of the God’s Squad Christian Motorcycle Club, Sean Stillman.
Glenn Stewart, president of the Southern NSW chapter of God’s Squad, and his wife Ros have spent some time in the UK learning the tricks of the trade and growing their passion.
They have applied this experience to establish Zac’s Place in Yass, which they define as being all about community.
God’s Squad, which primarily exists to minister among the biker fraternity as a relevant and accepted expression of the Christian Church, has been working in the Yass Valley for about eight years. Mr Stewart said the nondenominational group has identified a need here but is also willing to be flexible in the service it will offer the 
community.
The doors of Zac’s Place will be open to everyone – men, women, young adults and the elderly. You don’t have to be a member of a motorcycle club or a church to find solace at the facility, which will act as a ‘drop-in centre’.
We want to offer whatever is needed. There is a lot of great work being done here and a lot of support already being offered so we don’t want to double up, Mr Stewart said.
Zac’s Place is for everyone and everyone is welcome come as you are is our motto. Mr Stewart has bent over backwards to overcome the negative stereotype often associated with motorcycle clubs.
We’ve gone out of our way to be a positive part of Yass, he said.
A few in our group live here and we’ve gone out to meet the neighbours and explain what we’re doing and they have all been very happy.
The message we want to portray is that God’s Squad is here to help; not just bikers but all marginalised people. We’re not here to take over, we are here to support.
God’s Squad has reached an in-kind agreement with St Clement’s Church over the use of the old clubhouse: God’s Squad will put time and resources into giving the tired old premises a makeover and the Anglican Church will donate the building back to God’s Squad to use as its base.
Reverend Genieve Blackwell said the partnership presents an exciting opportunity to work with a group that has been doing good things in the community for many years.
Source: Yass Tribune
Full Story: http://www.yasstribune.com.au/news/local/news/general/gods-squad-at-zacs-place/2100711.aspx?storypage=0
Additional info posted by the Editor from a comment received by gazroly:
There is now a website for Zac’s Place, please feel free to take a look. http://www.zacsplaceinc.org
