This month we are honored to be a part of the GiveBIG campaign. This is our second year of involvement. Your financial participation this month has an even bigger return on your investment in The C4 Group. All proceeds given through our page on The Seattle Foundation website from midnight to midnight (Pacific Time) on May 15, 2013, will result in matched funding from the GiveBIG sponsors. This year we will focus our GiveBIG campaign on two efforts.

BridgeTown is an amazing organization impacting thousands of people in the heart of downtown Portland, Oregon. We are thrilled to implement The Care Strategy there because we see great work being accomplished, and we want to help them achieve even greater impact. Your giving this month to The C4 Group through the GiveBIG campaign will go toward the implementation of The Care Strategy at BridgeTown. Second, we seek to help The C4 Group gain much needed traction on the development of a training video for new locations seeking to implement The Care Strategy. These two projects will have a big impact on so many people. I hope you will join with me and make your contribution increase its impact. Like the little boy, I feel like I am writing to all my stars who willingly and sacrificially give to our efforts at The C4 Group. This is one of those times that it is “big enough to matter.” Let’s make a difference together.

In October 2012, Bethlehem Chapel partnered with The C4 Group to implement The Care Strategy in their community.

One of the first steps in their community engagement game plan was to connect with other leaders in the community and advocate for shared ownership in meeting community needs. Bill Best, Senior Pastor at Bethlehem Chapel, shares his journey in rallying leaders for community good. He begins by connecting with other local pastors in the area:

 I have had tremendous buy-in with the local Pastors in Ephrata. My approach has been to initially connect with each of them on a one-on-one basis. Previous attempts to rally leaders in the faith community had failed in the past. So, I took an intentional approach in contacting each leader and utilized The Care Strategy as our common ground.

I found different connection points with each Pastor as we met. Each leader resonated with The Care Strategy: The Methodist pastor’s connection centered on his heart for practical community engagement. He understands and embraces The Virtue Model as the way to collaborate around shared principles of respect, honor, and compassion. The Community pastor’s connection centered on sustainable church health initiatives.  The Nazarene pastor fully embraces community engagement, The Virtue Model, and personally embraces the desire for partnership and collaborative efforts. The Baptist pastor believes this approach will enable partnerships with the Mormon church and other organizations who do not share the same theological understanding. The Four Square pastor’s connection centered on the relational partnership aspect and the desire to be part of something bigger than any one congregation.

This has been an exciting journey! The power of a written plan has been phenomenal. It truly has made the difference in enabling effective conversation to occur.

Bethlehem Chapel has already appointed a community engagement Director and received their first donation toward their Care Strategy efforts. Josh Julian, Care Strategy Director for Bethlehem Chapel, shares about the business owner who made the $16,000 donation and how they are beginning to implement their Community Engagement Plan:

Through my work, I am able to connect with business owners and get to know them pretty well. One business owner who grew up in Ephrata asked me how things were going. I was able to share our Care Strategy plan and how we are striving to utilize it to increase collaboration to meet community needs. When he heard about our efforts to be a healthy and effective contributor in helping our community, he was encouraged and moved. He said that his business had established an account with $16,000 for the purpose of helping the community. He shared that he wants to help have a sustainable and real difference in the lives of those in need in our community. So, he gave us a check for $16,000 to use towards our community engagement efforts!

I am writing this article on my first day serving in the role of The Care Strategy Director. My thoughts are geared toward establishing our community engagement internal council so that we can begin implementing The R.A.T.E. Model for all future efforts – to Research, Assess, Train, and Evaluate all that we do. This will establish a clear and consistent process for all departments. I loved how Monty shared the difference between the quick bazooka shot with tons of action that usually leads to a non-sustainable long term effort, and the sometimes painful and slow but “less is more” mentality of moving forward to establish the proper foundations for a long lasting work.

Our aim is to create systems that enable us to be at the center of solution in our community and help make the community better through collaborating with the four key solution providers – government, corporate, faith community, and givers (philanthropic and volunteer). There are many things to flesh out in our community engagement journey and I look forward to sharing where we are a few months down the road concerning our internal stamina and systems, as well as funding for our community efforts.

Bethlehem Chapel is rallying leaders to bring hope and positive change in their rural community.

Interview with Katelyn Williams: Catalyst Intern

We recently asked our newest addition to the Catalyst Internship Experience team, Katelyn Williams, a few questions to gain perspective on our efforts from the vantage point of an emerging leader:

What is it like to be part of an organization that believes so strongly in the development of young leaders?

It’s an incredible and rare opportunity to participate in an internship where the leaders celebrate and invest in your individuality. The C4 Group immediately welcomed me onto the team and catered my experience to my personal interests and passions because they want to help me grow as a leader. It’s extremely encouraging to be part of an organization that believes in the capabilities, dreams, and future of young adults.

What is your take on why The Care Strategy is a smart path for this culture?

The Care Strategy is a smart path for this culture because it addresses both the needs of the community and the organization. It’s common for organizations to focus so much on the community that they ignore the necessary changes and present obstacles they face. But the reality is that they must work on themselves before they can effectively help others. The Care Strategy allows these organizations to see their own needs, respond, and then continue onto the community needs.

We are thrilled for Katelyn to be a part of our team, and look forward to seeing all that is accomplished as a result of her efforts!

For more information on our Catalyst Internship Experience CLICK HERE.

By: Ashley McCuistion, Marketing Director

As we move along into the new year, we are excited to be expanding our efforts. As the Marketing Director and a member of the Executive Leadership Team, it is my duty to ensure the message of what we do is clear to everyone we come in contact with. I have developed a new marketing strategy that explains distinctly what we do in a way that everyone will be able to understand and relate to, regardless of their level of engagement with our team.

The question we are often asked is, “So, what do you do…exactly?” As many of you know, we have initiatives and tools in which we have great confidence in. When we believe in each wholeheartedly, it may become difficult to outline “what we do” in a concise, consistent, and clear way.

Every individual we engage with has a heart for reaching their community in many different capacities. Some support our efforts and partner organizations, many adopt The Care Strategy or Caring 4 Foster Youth initiatives, and others choose to give to our organization monetarily or in partnership. The answer to the question posed above can be simplified down to an analogy that may, at first glance, seem juvenile or even silly, but it symbolizes every aspect of what we do to a tee. The analogy is: “A Treasure Hunt.”

Allow me to demonstrate the connection between this analogy and what we do:

First, community engagement and helping people is the “treasure” and each organization, supporter, and team member we engage with is on the journey to discover how this can be done. The C4 Group comes alongside each of these organizations and provides them with the map and tools to help navigate their journey to effectively engage community. The beauty in this is that each person may set out on a different journey than the rest, yet our efforts and tools are customized and framed in a way that works well in any scenario. Sounds pretty simple, right? We come alongside organizations, provide a map, and ensure that they have the right navigational tools and structure within their organization to find the treasure that they’re searching for—reaching their community and helping people.

As we incorporate this simple analogy into our efforts, we are making some simple additions to our materials to help those involved better understand what, why, and how we do what we do. We are on a journey to help as many communities as possible through our efforts, and are continually expanding, diversifying, and improving our communication with all those involved so that people and communities can be effectively engaged. We look forward to the months ahead and the exciting new opportunities we have to share what we do and why we do it.

Last Friday, we were able to present to the students of Northwest University on the opportunities to serve as a Catalyst Intern at The C4 Group. Katelyn Williams began her internship experience in mid-February and we are thrilled to have an emerging leader working alongside the team this semester. We are also thrilled about the others joining the team in the coming months. This week, The Care Strategy team traveled to Southern California to meet with various leaders and organizations about expanding The Care Strategy to California. In the coming weeks, Monty will be speaking at the Northwest Ministry Conference in Redmond, WA; a conference that engages pastors from the Northwest region. In March, our Care Strategy team is also heading to Oregon to meet with leaders about further expanding our efforts to a few new organizations in the Portland area. We are excited about the momentum that comes with a new year, and we are dedicated to unmatched effort and innovation this year.

We thank you for supporting what we do, and enhancing our journey to help people. Your support for our team and organization is much appreciated. Your support, both this month and on an ongoing basis, allows our efforts to grow and expand as these new opportunities are rolled out. Thank you in advance for all you do in supporting our organization financially, or simply through sharing what we do with others.

With much appreciation,

Ashley McCuistion

A Plan of Action

By: Monty L. Hipp, President & Founder

Recently our Care Strategy location, Horizon Community Church in Tualatin, Oregon, launched a new vision for their church called 2.10 The New Horizon. One of the specific focuses of their vision is to implement a new community effort and to launch The Care Strategy™. The C4 Group has been working with Stan Russell and his leadership to prepare for this “new day.” It is exciting to see our partners move forward from discussion and assessment to putting the plan into action. This is one of the many benefits of The Care Strategy; it is a plan that can be acted upon. Often leaders discuss what may need to be done, but many times conversations lie dormant due to various roadblocks. The tools that The Care Strategy provides will assist you in moving forward.

Stan Russell recently stated, “I do feel a great sense of responsibility to pastor this new wave of excitement and momentum into the future. I know it was just one day, but I also believe it is the beginning of the New Day at Horizon!” Horizon saw an increase of 37% in attendance; almost 300 people beyond their normal attendance on their launch Sunday.

Across the nation, many people are in need of an action plan for helping those in their community; and this requires a plan. I am anxious to see ongoing positive results of the work at Horizon Community Church as a result of a strategic plan being implemented for their community. If you and your community can benefit from a personalized Community Engagement Plan that can be put into action, we would love to connect with you and help you.

For our partners, your faithful support allows The C4 Group to help communities like Tualatin, Oregon. We cannot act without your support, so visit our website today to see how you can participate with us.

Because People Matter,

Monty L. Hipp

By: Brandi Dorsett, National Care Strategy Director

By: Lisette Murrell

The Care Strategy, Research & Implementation Coordinator

Martin Luther King Day has been set aside as the National Day of Service and as such, is the perfect opportunity to volunteer in your community. By serving as a volunteer, you help people in need. Mobilizing people to serve helps solve some of our community’s toughest challenges, and it’s also an opportunity to show that we care. Getting involved in a service project in your local community, whether it’s with other volunteer partners, non-profit organizations or schools, promotes new ideas and innovation as we collaborate together. It also develops a greater sense of connection, concern, and compassion for the needs represented in our communities.

During my work with Eastridge Church in Issaquah, WA and The C4 Group, I’ve seen the benefits of people’s lives changing through various acts of kindness and community events. This is such an effective way to demonstrate compassion to our communities, with no strings attached. On January 21st, as the nation turns its attention to the importance of serving, let’s make sure we say “count us in” on these efforts as a tangible way to communicate that we care.

Check out these websites to find opportunities within your community to serve and volunteer:

• mlkday.gov
• handsonnetwork.org
• unitedway.org
• serve.gov
• action.2012pic.org/service

“Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Care Strategy Launches in 3 New Cities: We are thrilled to announce the launch of three new Care Strategy locations. We will be working in Ephrata, Washington with Pastor Bill Best at Bethlehem Community Church, in Mendon, Massachusetts with Pastor Phil McCutchen at Bethany Community Church, and in Tualatin, Oregon with Pastor Stan Russell at Horizon Community. We look forward to the days ahead!

Operation Military Family Moving Forward: We recently completed The Care Strategy with Operation Military Family (OMF), whose organization is strategically impacting service members, veterans, and their families. OMF has a personalized approach of providing resources, support, and services leading to the ongoing health and wellbeing of these individuals. OMF also aims to connect servicemembers, veterans, and their families to vital services in times of transition, and focuses on the reintegration of service members into their communities. The C4 Group is helping broaden OMF’s connection with key solution providers in order to further impact these individuals. For more information on OMF’s good work, go to www.operationmilitaryfamily.com.

The Care Strategy Continues to Grow: We recently returned from our Executive Team Getaway. It was a powerful time that provided our team with an opportunity to focus on the next season for The C4 Group and The Care Strategy™. Significant changes were birthed out of our time. One example is the launch of a three-step engagement strategy for organizations implementing The Care Strategy. There will be an orientation phase, an assessment phase, and an implementation and training phase. This change allows us to impact more communities, strengthen our efforts with our partners, and provide greater support.

We are also implementing a National Advisory Council to strengthen our resolve of staying engaged with the work at hand across the country. This council consists of people receiving support, and brings together leaders for further collaboration amongst communities. They convene multiple times each year to bring ideas to the table and help us determine necessary changes for The Care Strategy. We look forward to updating you on this council’s work.

Because people matter, 

The C4 Group Team