What is Realtime Church?

Realtime Church isn't a church. There is no building. There is no congregation. There are no elders... so go ahead and say it. It's not a church.

Beyond that, we are not pushing doctrine. You're not going to find pages filled with us trying to convince you of our point of view.

No building, no congregation, no weekly meetings, and no doctrine. Hmmmm. So it's just a website?

The bottom line is this. Many religious organizations say they want to help hurting people. Almost as many struggle to help hurting people's immediate physical needs. That's what Realtime Church is here to do, network people, organizations, churches... whatever... to help people's immediate needs. Its social networking that actually does something... "Social Networking for Social Justice" if you will. That is the doctrine that we are pushing here, the doctrine of help-people-in-critical-circumstances.

So Realtime Church uses whatever technology is available to keep people aware of what critical needs/situations are occurring in realtime-- a steady feed of ways that we can help. And Web 2.0 is making it possible. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Digg, mobile apps... people are more plugged in and sharing more about themselves than ever before. And this trend will only continue to grow. Let's use that connectedness to make our world a little bit better. Now that's ambitious.

The things that we all failed to do in the past don't matter. All of our grand schemes for the future aren't really the most important. What are you doing right now? In the next minutes -- in the next few hours, what simple little things are you doing to make a difference? That's what Realtime Church wants to do, help you be available right now.

Matthew-

I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.

Acts-

All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.

James-

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress...

It's Getting Hot!

It's not even officially summer yet and we've already had a couple hot ones. It's a lot easier for some of us to stay cool than it is for others. Sometimes you'll even hear of older or sicker people dying from not being able to keep cool in the extreme heat.

We've already heard several people needing a way to stay cool. Providing someone with a way to beat the heat is such an easy, tangible way to improve their life. If you live in the Grand Rapids area and you have an extra fan or window unit, e-mail us at help@realtimechurch.org.

You can mail or drop the item off at:
2951 Coppergrove Dr. NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525

If you're dropping it off, make sure to arrange a time. Let's do this!




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We Need Cribs In Phoenix

There is a small crisis pregnancy center in Phoenix called " With Child." They are in desperate need of cribs. This is an exciting project to work on, because there's nothing hypothetical about it. Babies need cribs... 10 cribs to be exact. They also need bassinets, high chairs, and baby wipes.

This is an amazing opportunity to help a mother and a child with something as basic as a place to sleep.

If you live in or near Phoenix, or if you are interested in the project e-mail us at help@realtimechurch.com

Or to check their website out, go to... http://withchildphx.org







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>>> New Venture

There are several reasons for the lull in communication from Realtime Church. The biggest reason is that we have been working on a whole new venture.

What would Realtime Church look like if it was based in a local church? The answer is Realtime Crossroads. Crossroads Bible Church in Grand Rapids, MI has a team that has slowly been changing its benevolence fund into something more grassroots, open, and proactive. Having the ability to respond in such a realtime, impactful, and local way is a whole new angle.

This doesn't change anything about Realtime Church. We are still ready to punch someone in the face if they get in the way of us taking care of critical needs. But it will be amazing to see what God does using some of the same stuff that RTC does, but on a local church level. Awesome!







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Coming out of the Closet

Why are people so afraid to talk about them? They're not naughty. Are you supposed to be embarrassed to have them? Is it because they have to do with butts? Let's be blunt. Hemorrhoids have been ruining my life.

It is something that people in wheelchairs have to worry about. In the very beginning of January, I started hurting so bad that I couldn’t even sit in my wheelchair. I had to lay flat bed. Two doctors visits and five surgeon visits later, I finally had surgery on March 10. It's been a long recovery, but I'm finally getting to the point that I can stay out of bed for most of the day.

By far it has been the most difficult time in my life other than when I broke my neck in January of 2007. I am a 33-year-old man. I have responsibilities. I have goals. I have a family that needs me. To be stuck in bed, lying flat on my back day after day for almost 3 months has been defeating. It's been exhausting. Many times, it has left me crying out to God, wondering if I will spend the rest of my life on my back.

It has been so much work for my wife. It has taken a toll on my kids. And it has made it impossible to do Realtime Church.

That has been the reason for the lack communication from Realtime. Many many needs have gone unanswered, I'm so sorry. The reality is, most of the time, I didn't even read the e-mails or messages for weeks or months.

We did have a hugely productive Christmas, and now we're gearing back up for a spring and summer.

So the lines are open. Let's keep turning social networking and technology on its ear to help people in crisis! Are you or someone you know experiencing a significant need? ! What’s going on?

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Sweet Saraiah

Saraiah is the baby daughter of Jeremiah and Veronica. She was born January 4 with Down's Syndrome and severe heart defects. After much prayer and consultation with medical professionals, Saraiah's parents decided to take her home, expecting her to live anywhere from a few hours to a week. Four months later, Saraiah is doing well.

So what can Realtime Church do for this family? PRAY! This sweet little girl needs our prayers. Very specifically, pray that the left side of her heart grows so that surgery will be possible. Pray for Saraiah's mommy and daddy. They are going through an extremely difficult situation and need to continue to have the emotional stamina to face each day.

We will keep you updated, but for now- PRAY!

Facebook -click here to get more detailed info about Saraiah

How Are We Doing?

Your response to families over the Christmas season was amazing. The Realtime church community has proven that we can band together quickly to make a difference in peoples lives using Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, and the Internet in general.

Here are two pictures of the gifts that you donated to families this Christmas. The first picture went to Eric and Amy whose family was not going to have much of a Christmas because of Amy's recent accident.

The gifts in the second picture went to Janine, whose daughter with Down's syndrome had her gifts stolen two days before Christmas.

Amazingly, you helped raise over $3200 for a swing set for Kate McRae.










Realtime church has been going for a couple months now, and you have already done amazing things. Beyond the situations above, we have helped in a renovation project and we have been a place for people to post their critical health needs. But there is so much more to do.

What can we do better?

The biggest problem that we encounter is that we have to seek out projects to work on. Not that we mind the work, but it seems that out of the thousands of hits on our site, people are afraid to post critical situations. While we are not an organization that pays bills or mows lawns, you never know how influential we can be when we all band together.

We need to develop a Realtime Church culture where people are constantly scanning their surroundings for critical situations to post?

What needs are out there?

help@realtimechurch.com





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joshbuck.org

After Josh's accident on January 18, 2007, he never started blogging. Shelly did all the blogging at first, and she did an amazing job. Even after they bought the domain joshbuck.org it was just a link to their family blog that Shelly wrote. This past August, they moved Shelly's blog to ourbigmess.com and now, for the first time since his accident he is blogging at

www.joshbuck.org

He may or may not have anything good to say, but it will probably be entertaining and slightly inappropriate.







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Heather...

Heather is 27 and she lives in Colorado Springs, CO where she teaches theater and dance. Several years ago she began to get pinched nerves which led to back surgery and she has now been diagnosed with Neuropathy, which is a degenerative nerve disease that attacks the nerve's ability to control the muscles.

She experiences intense pain and things that were once simple like climbing a few stairs, now take a momentous amount of work. She has to get injections every week, see numerous doctors, have blood work done, and do physical therapy to manipulate her muscles and nerves.

This young woman is facing such a world of struggle.

Please be in prayer for her. Pray that the everyday tasks in life aren't too difficult. Pray for peace. Pray that the right people come around her to support her.

If you live in the Colorado Springs area and want to know more about how you might help Heather, e-mail
help@realtimechurch.com
stating that you'd like to know more about Heather.







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Thieves Try to Seal Christmas

Janine is from grand rapids. She works really hard to make ends meet, and has done a good job of providing Christmas for her family. She has a sweet Downs syndrome daughter who is 17, and has a tight knit loving family.

On the night of December 20, 2009, her house was broken into. The thieves stole all her daughter's Christmas presents. They destroyed her Christmas tree. They stole her computer that she saved up for a year to buy, and they smashed her furnace as well. No one knows who broke in, and it seems like there's not going to be much of a Christmas for them.

Can you help this family? The items that were stolen were things like educational toys for her daughter, movies on DVD, and size 8 clothes for her daughter. Matching fleece outfits and sweatsuits are things that her daughter really likes.

We are only a few days away from Christmas, but we need to try to help Janine and her family. You can send these items or other Christmas presents to:

Realtime Church
2951 Coppergrove Dr.
Grand Rapids, MI 49525

You can also drop the presents off. Call 616-322-2498 to set up a drop-off time.

E-mail help@realtimechurch.com for more information.

Eric, Amy, and Fam

A simple ankle issue turned into multiple blood clots in the lungs and hospitalization for Amy, wife of Eric and mother of five young kids. Eric has missed weeks of work, and in this economy that means disaster. Normal daily activities for Amy have turned into tons of time in a walker and lifelong daily blood thinning shots.

Like so many others this Christmas season, this Hudsonville family isn't going to have much of a Christmas. But we can do something about it.

• One of their biggest needs in this cold weather is simple... blankets, sheets, and pillows. All five kids sleep in twin beds.

• The family also needs several Rubbermaid-like laundry baskets, and towels of any kind.

• Small gift ideas for the girls -- Twilight movie on DVD, arts and crafts supplies, simple earrings, girly blankets and pillows

• Small gift ideas for the boys -- Spiderman stuff, cars, trucks, guns, new or used video games of any kind

We can't make Christmas better for everybody this December, but we can sure do a lot for this one family.

Even if you feel like the items might not get here by Christmas, send them anyway. We will make sure the family gets everything.

You can mail or deliver any of these items to:

Realtime Church
2931 Copperrove Dr.
Grand Rapids, MI 49525

Please call 616-322-2498 to set up delivery.
E-mail help@realtimechurch.com with questions








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Furiniture Needed In Kalamazoo

There are several families that Realtime Church is working with that have been hit with unemployment this Christmas season. This is a common story in West Michigan this year. One of these families doesn't have enough furniture to fill their house. We need your help.

Do you have a spare dresser sitting around? Do you have a small dining room table and or chairs? Do you live in the Kalamazoo area? If you want to donate one or some of these items, e-mail us at help@realtimechurch.com and tell us what you want to donate.




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Christmas Soapbox

Ah winter is in the air... and along with it gluttonous consumerism and excessive political correctness. This year, not only do we have to hide baby Jesus and the camels, we really don't see candy canes or Santa Claus as much. Forget Christmas songs, we're not even teaching our kids holiday songs. I think that this Christmas season correct thing to say is, "happy winter." Lame.

But at the same time, if December 25 is just a day for giving our kids an XBOX 360 in addition to their Playstation 3, Wii, Gamecube, American Girl Doll, and 3 bushels of Legos, maybe Christmas isn't such a good idea after all. Go to any Kohls or Bed Bath and Beyond and you will see mountains of merchandise -- 87 different kinds of single cup coffee makers -- all expertly marketed so that we feel inadequate without them.

Even with all the baggage, Christmas is pure magic for most of us.

But Christmas can be a time of pain for so many. If you have the Internet and are able to read this, chances are you have at least a roof over your head and food to eat. But this Christmas there are millions and millions of people that don't have very basic necessities. Who is taking care of them? Who should be taking care of them?

Big nonprofit organizations, missions boards, sad little pink and blue flyers, and burnt church coffee all play their role in helping the less fortunate. But can we get a little more grassroots than that? Can we get a little more aggressive than that? Can we mount up and imagine for a second that we are going to punch hunger in the face?

You think that's intense, but in Isaiah when people are whining because they don't feel God has noticed them fasting, God describes what he wants like this,

to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Loose, Untie, Set Free, Break, those are all pretty intense words. And they are proactive. We are not supposed to make the poor and the broken come to us. We need to go to them.

This Christmas season, do something. Get a simple gift for someone you don't have to. Make a meal for someone. Find a low-key way to help a hurting person or family you know. Volunteer at a mission. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Get intense.

Bridget Albert

Bridget Albert is a 20 year old junior at DePaul University in Chicago. On Sept. 15 She was walking down the sidewalk on the way to an internship when she and another girl were struck by a car. Bridget suffered severe head trauma and was taken to Northwest hospital in downtown Chicago. After head surgery to remove a bone flap, she was in ICU for more than 3 weeks, and has since been in RIC (rehabilitation institute of Chicago). She continues to progress but has to learn to use her arms and legs all over again. She has a feeding tube and has begun talking again. Her memory is not fully back together, but she seems to have a deepening understanding and her personality is flourishing.

Please keep Bridget in your prayers. She may be headed away from home for further rehabilitation. Stay tuned for ways you might be able to help

Kate Gets Her Swingset!

Kate got her swingset!

Thank you all for your encouragement, effort, contacts, and donations! Where there was no playset, there is now a simple joy for a girl going through so much. This is the reality of what Realtime Church can do when we try to be Christ's hands and feet! Without all of you, this never would have happened.

Here is a description in Holly's (mom's) words-

"...her mouth dropped open when she opened them and saw the swing set. Immediately she asked 'who in the world bought this for me?' She was ecstatic and said she would only play on it for a few hours that night, even though it was already dark... Thank you to those of you who helped make this possible- our friends who wanted Kate to smile and enjoy the days she does get at home. Thank you for making Kate your first recipient through Realtime Church.. and to those of you who funded this endeavor!! All 3 kids enjoyed it immensely today... and Kate was even able to swing in the special swing it has for her (she doesn't have to hold on with both hands).... again thank you! She says that now 2 of her dreams have come true." [a dog being the other]



The picture to the right is Kate in the playset on the first night.

There is still a little bit of work to be done. In order to maximize Kate's time on the playset before her next round of chemo, we put the playset in before the yard was prepped for it. Some teams still have to do some work before the playset is put in its permanent place. Please keep the remainder of this project in your prayers, and let us know if you have an idea on how you can help. And of course, keep this sweet little girl in your prayers as she still has some fighting left to do.





This is the playset the day before Kate got home. The kids are Kate's brother and sister.





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Other Projects

There are several different projects in different parts of the country that Realtime Church is working on (as of 12-18-09).

Due to people's privacy, we can't reveal some of these projects untill the timing is right.

Please check back often to see what's up in the RTC world.












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Ellie Orosz

Ellie is headed home!!!

>>7:40pm- 11/12/09- Amazing news! Ellie is headed home! She was released today, and is headed home for some normal life. The family has relayed thanks to the Realtime Church community for all the prayers. The doctors will do some tests in a couple months to see how she is developing.

Ellie is a little girl born to Nate and Annie Orosz on Friday the 2nd of October in Columbus, OH. After a normal pregnancy, the umbilical cord ruptured when Annie's water broke. There was significant blood loss and a shortage of blood to Ellie's brain.

>>1:38pm- 11/10/09- Good news! Ellie is off all her feeding tubes and breathing tubes. She should be going home in a week or two! >>5:19pm- 11/1/09- It may be weeks before we know if there has or hasn't been any negative impact on sweet Ellie's brain. Stay tuned and we will post any info we get as soon as we get it.

>>9:00am- 10/20/09-
Ellie is off the vent!!! She is only on oxygen. She is back down to 9 lbs so that means she is definitely ridding her body of extra fluid. Some of her kidney function is still in question so that still needs lots of prayer. The biggest concern right now is little Ellie's brain. We are unsure of the details but know that her medical team is trying to establish how her little brain is functioning. So good news, and still more to pray about...

>>7:45 pm- 10/13/09-
Ellie's mommy and daddy got to hold her for the first time. See the pic!


>>4:45pm- 10/10/09-
Ellie will be seeing a kidney specialist today. We'll update you as we get more information.

>>1:45pm- 10/9/09-
Ellie just had a very wet diaper!! Your prayers are working. Please keep on praying for more pee and also for her brain. More info to come.

>>7:30pm - 10/8/09 -
The doctors are still waiting for Ellie to pee. They need her to do this to get rid of the extra swelling. If they cannot get this under control, they may have to look at other options. So, pray for PEE!!! Also, Ellie's parents have family in town who are staying in hotels. They are in the Columbus, Ohio area. Anyone have any connections in this area? E-mail/FB/Twitter RTC.

>>5:00am - 10/8/09 -
No news yet.

>>8:20pm - 10/7/09 -
They really need her to pee.

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Playset for Kate McRae

Most of the play set project is in place. There is some work left, so we still need your help! Sod has been donated. In ground sprinkling is going in soon. Companies are donating their time. In the next couple weeks, we should see an amazing finished project where there used to be empty space.

The company that has designed Kate's playset also designed the

one here. Kate's will look similar.

Many of you have already read about Kate McRae. If not, click >>RTC<< or caringbridge. This sweet, five-year-old girl from Phoenix was just recently diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor and is currently finishing her fourth round of chemo. She has recently expressed how much she wants a play set, and we would like to surprise her with one when she gets home.

We have been in close contact with Kate's parents, and this is something that they would love to see happen. There is even a specific kind of swing that she likes to use. There is so little that we can do for her other than pray. This doesn't change everything, but it might make life at home a little more enjoyable.

Here is a picture of the space that we have to use. We can use the whole dirt area. The area is 20' x 30', and in addition to the playset, we need to cover it with sod and sprinkling.

• We need sprinkling materials. If you have sprinkling material contacts in the Phoenix area, please get in touch with us.help@realtimechurch.com

• We need donations. We are working with a 501(c)3 organization in Grand Rapids called Word Investments Inc. Donations are tax-deductible, and you will get a receipt at the end of the year. 100% of every donation goes directly to the McRaes. We need your help!

Make checks out to:

Word Investments Inc.

Mail to:

2951 Coppergrove Dr. NE

Grand Rapids, MI 49525

Lets make this happen right now! This is the least we can do for this amazing family going through such terrible heartache.

Keona Shearer

Little 5 year old Keona Shearer has chronic kidney failure. She is in need of a transplant soon. Fortunately, her father, Justin, is going to donate. They just need to do some final testing and schedule the surgery. Jessica, Keona's mom who works two jobs currently, will have to take time off of both to be with Keona after the surgery.

Some of their close friends are organizing a benefit dinner/concert and garage sale to help raise money for Jessica to help support her during Keona's recovery.

If anyone in the Fort Wayne, IN area would like to attend the Benefit, check the flyer or Facebook page

Complaints Welcome (Wed. 11-4)

We need your help, and it's not what you might think.

We are all about projects. Most of the projects that we are working on right now are from people that we here at RTC already know. We want more projects! We want projects from people we don't know!

Do you know someone in a critical situation - serious health issue, house fire, or other tragedy? We might not be able to solve every problem, but when we join forces, we can help a lot of people.

What are the crises going on around you? Let us know! When else does somebody want to hear you complain?

Twitter

Facebook (make a wall post at the Realtime Church page or send a message)

E-mail--- help@realtimechurch.com