Spring 2008

Ministry Luncheons  1^st Saturday of each month  Call 432-9175  to make reservation

Dear Friends,

Greetings From Spiritual Renewal Ministries

                Much has happened since our last newsletter that I want to share with you. 

COUNSELING

                The major counseling topic continues to be marital issues.  Because the need is so great for this kind of counseling, I finally developed the Marriage Preservation Workshop(c) that enables couples to learn,  in a one-day seminar, the basic concepts essential to preserving their marriage, and has even served to restore marriages that already ended in divorce.  More information on this seminar is on page 3.

                I continue to counsel on all life-interfering difficulties, including anxiety, depression, fear, phobias, grief, chronic illness, strife, anger, interpersonal relationships, etc.

                To schedule an appointment, please call 609-646-6786. 

OVERCOMERS

                There continues to be five Overcomers groups meeting in the Atlantic County NJ area.

Tuesday at 10:00 AM at the ministry office 1333 New Road Northfield, NJ. 

Wednesday 9:00 AM at the office for ministry employees, but everyone is welcome. 

Thursday at 10:00 AM at the home of Donna Friend in Egg Harbor Township.

Friday at 7:00 PM at the ministry office.

Sunday at 9:30 AM at Seaview Baptist Church Linwood, NJ.

OVERCOMERS ONLINE   Great News!

                 We are now set up so that anyone who wants to remotely join in online on the Tuesday or Friday meeting can do so, by just purchasing a Web cam and signing up for Skype and letting us know that you want to join in on the meeting.  You can purchase the Overcomers workbook on our website spiritualrenewal.com, which includes 100 Bible study forms, and the schedules of the discussion topics and Bible study that will be covered at each specific meeting, or log onto the Overcomers website for the information. If you desire you can also make a small donation to the Overcomers Fellowship program on line, in lieu of participating in the “passing of the basket” that tales place in the live meetings to offset expenses for the program. 

                 Call 609-646-6786 for more information, or to let us know that you will be joining in on the meeting, so we have the computer and camera turned on at our location.   Please let us know if you would like to start an Overcomers group in your area.  We are working on making a training video for people who want to learn how to facilitate a meeting, but in-person training is available until that video is prepared.  

WORKSHOPS

                I continue to conduct Spiritual Growth workshops, as requested by churches, and workshops on Anger Management, having resumed having them on the third Saturday of each month.  I also now conduct Marriage Preservation Workshops(c) when requested by churches, but also will conduct one when a sufficient number of people sign up to attend one at my office.  Please call 609-646-6786 to attend a workshop, or to arrange for a workshop for your church or Christian organization. 

FURNITURE DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM

                Because of the move to the new Northfield location, we now have the furniture distribution program handled through Doc’s Furniture store in Pleasantville.  We ask people to take their donations of furniture to Doc’s, who then gives them a receipt that they bring to us to get a tax-exemption receipt for their donation.  When we need furniture for a furniture package, we then send the people to Doc’s for the furniture they need, and we provide the household items from our Northfield location.  We have also been referring some clients to the Atlantic City Rescue Mission now that they have resumed their furniture distribution program for their clients when they find a place to live.  Doc’s Furniture will pick up furniture, but they, of course, have to charge a fee to do this.  Please call Doc’s furniture, 641-5079, if you have furniture that you want to donate to this ministry, or simply take the furniture to them at 881 Black Horse Pike in Pleasantville, across from Kmart, and tell them the furniture is a donation to South Shore Ministries.

THRIFT STORES

                As you may know, in the past year, we moved both of our thrift stores to new locations.  Two months after the Grand Opening of our new Northfield store location, the landlord asked if I would consider moving the store across the parking lot to another location.  Right now we have three storefront units, with my office in the middle unit.  If we moved, we would have one big unit which would make it much easier to monitor what is going on in the stores.  Of course, the move for me right now seems ominous, but many people have offered to help.  So now, I am just asking for prayer, that if the move is God’s Will for me, and for the overall ministry, that it would be made abundantly clear to me, and that we get the move scheduled soon, and make it a fun moving day for all involved.  Your prayers about this are much appreciated. 

COUNSELOR TRAINING

                The first scripture-based counselor trainees are rapidly coming to the end of their 3-year training.  As it stands right now, we are planning to have a graduation ceremony in August, 2008.  We now have it set up so if there is anyone who wants to participate in this training but cannot make it to the session on Monday morning, they can join in by purchasing a webcam and signing up for Skype.  Please call 609-646-6786 for additional information.

MINISTRY LUNCHEONS (Wish we had taken a picture)

                A long-time dream of mine has been to start having monthly ministry luncheons.  We had our first one on March 1, 2008, and plan to have a luncheon each month on the first Saturday of the month, at 11:30 AM at Stumpo’s Restaurant in Somers Point, New Jersey.  The cost right now is $15.00 per person which includes tax and gratuity.  The luncheons are planned so there is much group interaction at each table, a brief seven-minute testimony by someone, and a mini (five-minute)-spiritual growth concept presentation with a challenge to put it into practice during the month and then to come back the next month to hear mini reports from people who experienced a significant change in their life from applying the concept.  We all had a wonderful time at the first luncheon, and are looking forward to the next luncheon on April 5th.  Please call 609-432-9175 if you would like to attend the April luncheon. If you cannot attend that luncheon but can attend in subsequent months, call that number at least one week prior to the first Saturday of the month to make your reservation.   

COFFEE SHOP

                Another long time dream of mine has been to have a mini-coffee shop in the book area of our thrift store.  We are a bit closer to this dream becoming a reality, but are not moving too fast on it because of the potential move.  Anthony Carfagno purchased seven square tables that can be moved together when we need a longer table for meetings.  He also purchased candelabras that can be hung on the walls which will be a very nice touch. 

MARRRIAGE PRESERVATION SEMINAR

                We are planning a day-long Marriage Preservation Seminar on Saturday, May 10 starting at 9:30 AM until 4:00 PM.  This seminar will benefit anyone who wants to bring joy into their marriage, and/or overcome marital strife, stop divorce proceedings if marital difficulty has progressed that far, and even restore first marriages that have been broken by divorce.    The cost is $75 per person, or $140.00 for a couple which includes the workbook.  It takes two to get entangled in marital discord, but just one to get disentangled, and change the atmosphere of the marriage, so please feel free to attend this seminar even if your spouse does not want to attend.  Please call 609-646-6786 to register for this seminar.

DONATIONS

          We continue to accept donations of household items and clothing at both of our thrift store locations, with the request that the clothing not be torn or threadbare, and the household items not be dirty, broken or rusty. We endeavor to provide a FRESH START for people in need, giving them used, but nice clothing and household items to give them a boost during a difficult time in their life.  Often people donate items that are in such poor condition that we just have to put right in the dumpster, which, of course, costs us money.   We are grateful for the donations and for those who are careful not to burden us with items that are torn, worn, dirty, broken, or rusty.

PERSONAL

                Now for the not-so-good news.  On December 6, 2007 I was diagnosed as having breast cancer.  This, of course, dramatically changed my life. That night my husband, son, and I watched a video by a medical doctor who dealt with breast cancer herself, where she went into detail about the natural treatment method she opted to follow.  We all unanimously agreed that this was the path for me to take.  The three of us immediately began to do some research to make certain the information we gleaned from the video was proven to be valid from other sources as well. Because cancer is a life-threatening and scary disease, I know not to recommend this path for everyone, but it is the path I have chosen.

                The medical doctor who made the video, started out as an agnostic, and came to know the Lord in the process of her recovery.  She outlines a ten-step plan for recovery that includes not just changes in eating habits, but also getting sufficient rest, plenty of fresh air and sunshine, reducing stress, resolving interpersonal conflicts, developing an attitude of gratitude, drinking plenty of  water, developing benevolence, and strengthening belief in the healing promises of God’s Word.

                I have been making dramatic changes in my life that certainly have proved to be beneficial, especially the changes in eating habits, which led to me losing 25 pounds so far, getting exercise by walking one half hour each day, drinking lots of water, and getting plenty of rest.  I am also applying the concepts of addressing issues with others rapidly, before the sun goes down, as instructed in Ephesians 4:26.  It truly has been a wonderful, life-changing journey for me, that is bringing much love and peace and joy into my heart.  My husband keeps me on the exercise part of the regime by going for the walk with me each day, and my son, when he is in the area, takes care of developing recipes and preparing the food to incorporate all the essential nutrients needed. My other son, when he is in the area,  makes wonderful salads for me and gives me a “look” if I even begin to think about eating anything that is not part of the program.    I have been keeping people informed of my progress through an email update.  If anyone receiving this newsletter wants to be added to that list, simply send a blank email to cleary4@aol.com and put in the subject line ADD TO UPDATE LIST.

                So many people have responded to the updates and told me about changes they are making in their eating and exercise, habits, etc., that I have been encouraged to put the step by step process we have worked out, into the form of a book.  The book is already started because my assistant, Kathy Thompson, printed out and saved all of the updates in a binder, which is now about five inches thick.  

                Receiving a diagnosis of cancer, of course, at first seems to be a death sentence.  That thought propelled me into making sure I have accomplished on this earth what I hope to accomplish before my time on this earth is over.  Many of you know that this is not the first time in my life that my very life has been in jeopardy.  As I reflected on that reality it occurred to me that, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all”.  I do endeavor to live a righteous life, but often fall far short of the glory of God.  As I have reviewed every facet of my life in the last few months, I came into the understanding that the Lord does not want me, or anyone else, to be dealing with interpersonal issues, or any other kind of life-interfering issues alone, but rather to take them to Him in prayer, and to ask others to help me get them resolved.  As one whose life is devoted to helping others get their life-interfering difficulties resolved, I have found it to be a blessing to let others help me get my life-interfering difficulties resolved, and especially to learn why it never occurred to me to do this sooner in my life.   Now that I have taken this wonderful step in my life, of asking others to help me, I encourage anyone who is reading this letter to do the same.  You will be amazed at the results. Your prayers, as I continue through this process, are MUCH APPRECIATED.

SUPPORT

                This ministry is supported by the financial donations of churches, the revenue from our thrift stores and by individuals who recognize the value of, and the tremendous need for, this kind of ministry.  If you would like to help support this ministry, please fee free to use the enclosed self-addressed envelope, or to make a donation through our website spiritualrenewal.com   All donations, both financially, and items donated to our thrift stores are very much needed and appreciated. 

                Thank you for your prayers, support and encouragement. My prayer for you is that the Lord will continue to bless you richly and abundantly and pour out His Richest Blessings upon you and your family.  Please remember to pray for this ministry on the day that you read this newsletter.

With LOVE from,

Sandi Cleary

“O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever.” Psalm 136:1 KJV