I Promise

Advent is like living in anticipation of a promise that has already been fulfilled, while learning to hope in another that is yet come to fruition.

We live in a world full of promises. 

You can't turn the television on, drive down the road, or walk into a coffee shop without adds blaring at you promising you a "better life." You can get smooth skin, a skinny belly, and hair where you want it and no hair in places you don't if you try their product or worship their god.
From political campaigns to pinky swears our world is full of promises. 

But the problem is these promises hardly ever pan out, do they? 

Why is that? 

I mean, do we even really know what a real promise looks like anymore? 

Actually, we are mere mortals, who instead of controlling the world around us, are tossed around by it. Tossed around by our desires, by disasters, by the domino effect our world has upon us.
We can't control the world, we barely control ourselves.

So who are we, humanity, to make promises? 

Truth is, God is the only One who is able to make real promises.
He is the only One who can rightly keep His word... who has the authority, the position, the power to do so. He is the only One who is truly faithful. 

God comes through on His promises.

So, when He says in Jeremiah 33:14-16, “I will cause a Righteous Branch to sprout up for David,”

“He will administer justice and righteousness in the land.”

^“Judah will be saved,”
“Jerusalem will dwell securely”  
… When He promises, Justice, Salvation, and Deliverance…
Do You Trust Him?

This season of Advent, as you wait for the coming of our Lord. May you experience true hope in the promises of our God. The God who always does what He says.
May you learn to trust in Him and may you hope extravagantly!

2012 Fall Festival! - Saturday!

The Action begins at 3:30 on Saturday 10/6 with a Moonbounce, Games for the kids, and Food! (Chili to be exact, provided by many lovely ladies of our community!) 

Around 5pm there will be a Pie Contest held for all you closet-bakers out there! This will be the X-Factor of Pie Contests as our elite panel of judges will choose this year’s Pie Champion :) 

Stick around after the Pie Contest because that's when the live music begins, as we listen to the sound of some of our local sensations! 

A fire will be going to warm your toes and smores to warm the rest of you.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

[The Woodycrest Community Garden is across the street from 2015 Hutton Dr. 37210]

You don't need to bring a thing! Unless you just want to! :)

The Kingdom of God

A good reminder of what we are about as Kaleo Nashville and the church in the world!

World Impact: Still Giving Plumpy Nut!

Right now, millions of suffering children are at risk of starvation, and as worldwide food prices soar, the hope of getting even one meal a day is fading fast. It is an unnecessary tragedy that more than half of all childhood deaths are linked to hunger. The devastating truth is that more than 13,000 hungry children die every day.

But there is good news. Plumpy'nut is one of a variety of nutrient-rich, high-protein pastes that resemble peanut butter — but act in a miraculous ways to save children's lives. One small packet helps in three profound ways. Fast-acting, easy to distribute, and easy to use, makes these peanut based therapies rich in essential nutrients and work faster than other treatments. Doctors call it 'revolutionary' and the most important advance ever to prevent malnutrition.

Today, our gifts, combined with government grants, will multiply 5 times to provide lifesaving food and care to children and families in 28 countries around the world.

This Impact is through World Vision!


Kaleo World Impact

The Intentional Church

Since Pentecost we've been dialoguing about what it means to be the church.
It seems the longer I follow Christ the more I realize the intentionality that is required to follow Jesus.
We are called to be His hands and feet in the world, to bear fruit in His name through His Spirit, yet none of it comes by just the decision to follow Him. It happens as we actually stand up and walk with Him.

So what does it look like to be the church in a world that tends to only do what comes natural to us?
It looks very odd. It looks very different. It stands out.
Being the hands and feet of Jesus requires us to reach out and touch, to step out and walk.

I believe most of us have good intentions about following Jesus but we just kind of assume following Him and bearing good fruit will just sort of happen along the way. While this may at some point actually occur, I think that truly existing as the messengers of the Good News in the world will require of us going out of our way.
It means stepping into the conversations we don't necessarily feel like being in. Reaching out to the person that is on the other side of the street. Moving in intentional direct loving ways and so giving hope.
Existing as the church is not simply saying "no" to so many natural inclinations and selfish pleasures, but even more it is saying "yes" to the inclinations of the Spirit and to the loving pleasures that follow.

If you find yourself leaving your witness of the Good News to the people and places that you might "bump into", you are already missing it. Because when you have News this Good to tell it can't simply be left up to the random happenings of your life... it must be acted upon, on every street corner of your day.

In Christ,
Caleb



Check out the "Crippled Jesus" movement that is happening and has begun with Kaleo's sister church's in Germany.

Sewing together a better world

Current World Impact: A sewing machine lifts a woman out of poverty. To a poverty-stricken woman or girl in a country like Zambia, Ghana, or Ecuador, the sewing machine you provide can be a doorway to a better life. You'll show a single mother, orphaned teen, or HIV-positive widow how she can make a decent living as a seamstress to support herself and her family.

Christus resurrexit! Resurrexit vere!

Recently a good friend came up to me and asked, "Do you know why we say 'He is risen' as opposed to the better English of 'He has been raised' or 'He was raised'?"

Honestly, it caught me off guard because I had never really given it that much thought before.
"He is risen, He is risen indeed!" This is what we proclaim... but why? Why this way?

Yet another note on the mysterious melody of our faith.

Throughout history the church has gathered together to weekly proclaim "He is risen."

Doing so we proclaim everything that is relevant about our faith...
We proclaim this present verb "is" because this is something that's currently going on...

Yes the Rising has taken place in history... Christ has won out over death... He has Risen!
Death has been defeated...

Yet we miss all of this if we do not recognize that we are called participants in this resurrection. That not only has this act of defiance against the tyranny of death been over-thrown by an empty tomb... this holy rebellion has a part to play in our lives at this very moment!

Not only has Jesus Christ been raised from the dead but we at this moment in time, wherever you are - right now - are being affected by the grace that is blasting forth from the power of that moment two-thousand years ago.

Resurrection is still happening everywhere in every way.

Suddenly this Resurrection that took place so long ago is somehow pulling us into our future by transforming our present.

Together we humbly and gratefully gather each week and affirm "He is risen" and so respond joyfully expressing the resurrection reality in our lives even now, "He is risen indeed!"

- Caleb

This Friday evening at 6:30 Kaleo will be viewing the Kony 2012 video and having an open discussion afterward. Anyone is welcome to come, the video is about 30 minutes long, and there should be plenty of time for dialogue.

There has been a lot of chatter over the issue, good and bad; and we believe that the church should not only be able to address these sorts of topics and responses, but also provide a safe environment to do so.

Kony 2012 - Video and Open Discussion - Friday Evening (Mar. 23) at 6:30pm
@ 2015 Hutton Dr. Nashville 37210

Craft, Cookout, Conspire... This Sunday

This Sunday...

Kicking off the 2012 garden season is a party! All are invited to come out Sunday afternoon, March 4th to: Craft: Get creative! Make a mosaic design of your own to be a part of the community garden stepping stone pathway! Cookout: Arrive early to enjoy the cookout, meet some neighbors around the fire pit and enjoy some community spirit! Conspire: See the plan for the community garden this year, help plant and foster seedlings, and dig in the dirt to prepare the space for planting. It will simply be a good day to participate in creating good food and good community! Begins at 12:30 on Sunday, March 4th with lunch at the Woodycrest Community Garden, located across from 2015 Hutton Dr. 37210. Just bring yourself!

Family Meeting

Leave your shoes by the door and come on in!

This January 31st Kaleo Nashville will be holding a Family Meeting! This is a time for anyone who would like to get together with us, those who are a part of Kaleo and also those who would like to find out a little bit more about us... This is a time to come and find out exactly who we are, what we believe, and why we do the things that we do... This is a time to simply ask questions... This is a Family Meeting. This gathering is not about anyone making commitments to anything... It's simply sharing about Christ's ministry through Kaleo in our lives, city, and world. And having some fun alone the way :) We will begin at 7pm with eating dinner together! So come hungry! Come on out! 7pm on Tuesday the 31st of January! 2015 Hutton Dr. Nashville 37210 Everyone and anyone is encouraged to come and hang out, eat, ask questions, and engage about Kaleo's ministry... Hope to see you there! questions? Call Caleb @ 931-698-6605 www.kaleonashville.com

New World Impacts and Kiva Loans!

Kaleo's current World Impact - Giving Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies

Every day, thousands of children die because they do not have access to basic medicines that could save their lives. This gift will multiply 11 times to help ship and distribute essential pharmaceuticals and medical supplies like: antibiotics, antifungals, anti-parasitic drugs, deworming medications, disposable syringes, gastrointestinal drugs, painkillers and surgical supplies.

This World Impact is through World Vision.

Kaleo's current Kiva Loans - Gevorg & Yomaira

Gevorg rents a booth in the city market, where he sews and sells clothing. Due to the high quality of his work, Gevorg has attracted a large number of clients. In order to maintain the high quality of his clothing, Gevorg needs to purchase a new sewing machine, as the old one doesn't sew properly anymore. With the loan, Gevorg also plans to purchase some new clothing to sell. He will develop his business and increase his working capital, allowing him to pay for his children's education and

ensure a sustainable future for his family. Gevorg lives with his wife, school-age son, and two student daughters.

Yomaira is an enterprising young woman who is 23 years old. Although she only completed her primary education, she has owned her own business for four years. She lives together with her younger sister in Río Verde parish, in Santo Domingo. This is one of the newest cities in Ecuador.

This young lady owns a grocery store in the city center. She

works 10 hours a day and her younger sister helps her out. She would like to grow her business and will take out a loan so that she can achieve her goal.

In common with all young women, Yomaira's dream is to own her own home and a car. We know that she will achieve this, perhaps in the not-so-distant future, as a result of her hard work.

Learn more at www.kiva.org

More info about Kaleo and impacting our world visit KaleoNashville.com