Spero Blog

And We're Off!

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:41:00 GMT

The staff at The Spero Project believes in your ability to positively change our city. We believe in our ability to help you make that happen. We’d really like to know what you care about and give you an opportunity to hear about the things we care about. You can learn more about us here.

We’ve had our eyes fixed on September for months now. Realizing that we are growing and needing to expand our services and our staff, we spent some time planning and dreaming about the future. We then set a donation goal of $10,000 per month and set about planning a month of fundraising events. You guessed it - that month is upon us!

Saturday, September 4 - 5K Run/1 Mile Experience Walk

Saturday, September 11 - Cause+metology

Saturday, September 18 - Passport to the World International Children's Festival

Friday, September 24 - BRIGHT Night Denim & Diamonds Banquet

We would love it if you would participate in any (or all) of the events we have planned. Please follow the links for full details. We hope they’ll be fun for you, create a desire in you to be actively serving your community, allow us to get to know you better, and help us to raise 100% of our budget.

Thank you to the many of you who already support The Spero Project in a variety of ways. While we provide the framework to reach out to the marginalized in OKC, we know you deserve the credit for every accomplishment.

OKC Networking Intensive

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 22:32:00 GMT

How many times have you found yourself wanting to help someone who is obviously in need but not knowing how to go about it? Would it be helpful to you to find out what kinds of services are available in the city? Or be more aware of and informed about the biggest issues our city faces? Would you like to have a voice in how those issues are addressed and get involved in some way?

Well, the OKC Networking Intensive is back! This is a few days we set aside each year to say that we truly believe OKC can be changed when non-territorial, no agenda-holding, like-minded people converge in one space to work together to impact our city!

We welcome ministry leaders, nonprofit leaders, business leaders, and individuals to come together for a focused time of brainstorming, encouragement, and prayer as a community of people longing to meet the needs of individuals in Oklahoma City. There will be opportunity for you to both contribute and receive information, ideas, and resources. Through focused break-out sessions designed to create discussion among those in attendance, we invite you to dream big for Oklahoma City.

If you, like us, believe more can be accomplished for the Kingdom working together rather than separately, join us Wednesday, August 25 through Friday, August 27, 2010 at our Networking Intensive. We would love for you to attend all three days, but you are free to choose which days you feel are most applicable to your interests. The cost of the event will be $25 for the first day, and $10 for each additional day. This brings the three-day total conference cost to $45 per person. We will be hosted at Frontline Church, 714 N Broadway Ave, Oklahoma City

Full details, schedule, or registration can be found by clicking on these links.

Thank you Oklahoma!

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 23:15:00 GMT

Thank you Oklahoma!

The Spero Project was voted one of the Best of the Best Nonprofits in OKC by the readers of Oklahoma Magazine. We are truly honored to be mentioned among such good company as Infant Crisis Services, United Way, and the YMCA. All we can say is, we have the best volunteers and supporters anywhere. Thanks to all of you who have contributed and volunteered to help us thrive.

And while you're here, check out BRIGHT Campaign 2010 for all the events we have coming up in September. To sign up for any of our festivities and get all the details, click here.

While it's always fun to look back and celebrate what you've accomplished, we are definitely focused on the future and all the ways we can help you move Awareness into Action!! We invite you to come along with us. Make a contribution online or find an area of interest where you can become involved. We're here to help!

Speaking up for the fatherless

Tue, 11 May 2010 22:04:00 GMT

In Oklahoma, there are over 9500 children in foster care, but only 1300 homes approved to receive these children and young adults. In America, there are a shocking 120,000 kids in the foster care system waiting to be adopted.

May is National Foster Care Awareness Month, and we want to invite you to get involved in your city and state. How can you serve the fatherless, orphaned, and suffering in our nation?

Here are some suggestions to getting involved in Oklahoma City specifically:
- Attend an Avenue Class at Spero, where you can hear from individuals directly working with this issue in our city, and how you can join them. The next Avenue Class will be May 25, 2010 at 7pm at the Spero offices.
- Pray with us! On May 17 at 7pm, Spero is joining with Cornerstone to hold a prayer vigil for the foster care system, children, and parents in our state and nation. Join us at Skyline Church in the SandRidge Auditorium.
- Open up your open to a foster child, or considering volunteering with or donating to Christian Services of Oklahoma and their work in our community.

Other ways we can get involved around the nation:
- Pray. In Luke 18:7-8 the Lord says, "So don't you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly!" We can choose to be one of those praying day and night for the foster children around our nation. Pray for the children as they go to school, develop friendships, mature emotionally, and graduate into adulthood. Pray for their futures! Pray also for the foster care homes, individuals working in the system on behalf of the children, and the biological families.
- Raise awareness in your community. What work is already being done? Let other people know and encourage those around you to find their place in this fight for the fatherless and orphaned!

"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." Psalm 82:3-4

Marked 2010

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 18:05:00 GMT

We are proud to announce Marked 2010 a SUCCESS! It was a great event able to raise awareness about women worldwide and what we can do to fight on their behalf. We are also excited to announce that with ticket sales and donations from local businesses, we were able to donate generous amounts to our five organizations represented at Marked.
We would like to thank everyone involved, including the local businesses who donated items and services, staff and volunteers that put the event together, and the public who attended to support us! Marked could not have been done without you.
If you would like to continue to get involved in the fight against human trafficking, we would like to welcome you to our Aspire Avenue Class coming April 20, 2010. Check out our calendar for more information.
Thanks again to everyone who played a part in Marked 2010!

Marked

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:44:00 GMT

We are so excited about Marked, an upcoming event presented on behalf of women worldwide. On March 27, we will have a day full of activities to raise funds and awareness for organizations working for women's issues. It's an all-day event at Bridgeway Church, and for just $10 (kids under 12 are free) you can come and go as you please all day, enjoying these activities:

2:00-7:00 pm

Authentic Ethnic food samples/meals
Special deals from local businesses
Local Art show and sale
Educational (and fun!) Kids Area
Fairly-traded items supporting MicroEnterprise Programs Internationally
Boutique Items hand-made by International Refugees living in OKC
Specialty coffee from Café Evoke Catering
Optional Social Justice Classes on women’s issues (including a men’s only class!)

7:00 pm

Celebration of HOPE! Music featured by local artist Marcy Priest, plus stories of hope and inspiration from local and global organizations working on behalf of women.

8:30 pm

Waterdeep CD Release!! Featured Guests Waterdeep will be performing with a full band for the first time in five years! The concert is free with admission to Marked or $10 at the door.

If you would like to come to Marked, you can buy tickets online. We are also looking for volunteers for Marked, and we'd love to have your help!

There are five key organizations coming together for Marked. You can learn more about these organizations below:

- All Things New Campaign, an Oklahoma City-based organization providing shelter, protection, restoration and rehabilitation to women and children

- Compasio, working with at-risk women and children in migrant communities and tribal groups on the Thai-Burma border

- Maisha International Orphanage, working with orphans in the Nyanza Province of Kenya

- Spero:Voice (a division of The Spero Project), serving international refugees that have resettled in Oklahoma City from war-torn regions across the globe

- The Well, offering help, hope and healing to the forgotten people of the Democratic Republic of Congo

For any additional information about Marked, you can check out the blog. We hope to see you there!

Thank you, Deer Creek!

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:59:00 GMT

The students at Deer Creek are pros at the Wonderful Week of Fundraising, while truly serious about contributing to their local community! Not only did they organize an onslaught of activities to raise funds and awareness on behalf of Spero:Voice, but they actually made a point to be present with the youth of the refugee community. They’ve come to their homes to play and get to know the children and have dually welcomed them into their own activities this week, with the faves being the dodge ball and rave! Deer Creekers - You’ve brought an incredible amount of joy to the local refugee youth, and we’d like to say thank you on their behalf. And a huge THANK YOU from us also!!!

a photo of the thankful Spero staff & volunteers

with Deer Creek Stuco at the closing assembly

Deer Creek!!!!

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:25:00 GMT

The Spero:Voice staff just spent the most exciting day we've had in a VERY long time with some local high school students. Deer Creek High School chose Spero:Voice as the charity to receive funds from their week-long fundraising project. WWF (Wonderful Week of Fundraising) is tradition celebrating its tenth year at Deer Creek and we're so excited and humbled to be involved.

Drum circles, hilarious skits, and the promise for lots of people to shave their heads kept us laughing and inspired all day. We can't wait to update you on the events and activities as they happen. Stay tuned to our blog to hear more!

Spero:Prayer

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:46:00 GMT

The scriptures provide countless examples of answered prayer, and if we’re willing to look deep enough and admit it, I’m sure our lives do as well. At the Spero Project, we want prayer to be a part of who we are and what we do in every way, and for that to be an expression of our hope.

We also want to invite you to join us in that. We want to provide you with the opportunity to pray and topics to pray for. This week we are focusing on our Spero:Aspire program, which seeks to help marginalized women both locally and globally.

What is a marginalized woman? We define it as “a woman who has been pushed to the edges, viewed as less than human,” which we see throughout the world today when women are owned as property, forced to deny themselves of education, and victimized by violence and assault. Some of the countries most involved in this issue include Thailand, India, China, Holland, and the United States. Each country plays a role as a source, transit, and destination country for human trafficking.

How can we best pray for these countries and women in distress?
- Pray for exposure and awareness of women’s issues, on the national, local, and individual level.

- Pray for the women individually. Pray for protection, healing, confidence, joy, and hope. Pray that they would find Christ through this situation. Pray for their futures: jobs, health, and relationships. Pray thaat God would use horrible situations for good beyond what we could imagine or ask for.

- Pray for the leaders, government, and law enforcement of the countries involved. Pray for changes in regulations, as well as wisdom in how to fight these issues.
- Pray for the perpetrators in the situation. Pray for their acceptance of God’s love and grace. Pray for their futures, for their lives to be turned around and for their power and knowledge to be used for good rather than evil.

We also welcome you to Spero:Prayer this Friday, February 19, at 7pm at the Spero offices. We'll be focusing this Friday on women's issues both locally and abroad. We’d love for you to join us!

“And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.” Luke 18:7-8

Welcome!

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 06:29:00 GMT

Welcome to our new site! We're glad you joined us!

As you can tell, our new home is more informative about our program areas and will allow you to see the scope of work that The Spero Project does. But, don't worry! If you've used our blog posts in the past to spark new ideas about how to serve, simple changes in your life that make a big difference to those in need, or to discover the latest and greatest book--you'll still be able to come to us for an answer. We wouldn't leave you hanging...and we still really love to share about the great things going on in OKC and beyond.

So, you'll find new blog posts often by both staff members and volunteers. Stop by and say "hi" to us, if you will. We'd love it!