2023: The Year of Jubilee

In 2023, Purity + Peace is on Sabattical. It is a year of Jubilee and the Lord has called us to rest.

Discover more about our sabbatical year here: It's break time

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 P + P  W O R K B O O K: 

Purchase the P+P workbook here

 P + M  W O R K B O O K: 

Purchase the P+M workbook here

P U R E / / M E D I A:

The Pure Love Podcast

P+P Healing Blog

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We look forward to what God will do through our rest. A few things we encourage you to do in rest:

• Continue to put God first in all things
• Find small (Biblical) groups in your community to connect with
• Go to therapy 
• Stay connected to a local church community
• Continually check in with your accountability partner
• Use your gift to bless others
• Be okay with being still

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RESTING IN PURPOSE

By Victoria Rosa-Garcia, Founder of PLH

It's been six years since this journey began. Our church started rolling out the small group model, a framework that enables a large church congregation to provide relational intimacy with other church members by splitting us into focus groups categorized by theme/interests/topics/location.

I never wanted to be a small group leader. I entered Cornerstone Christian Center in Milford, CT in the Fall of 2013. I was looking for a nice big church where I could hide in the back and not be noticed. That strategy worked for a good while.

Isn't it funny how we like to hide when we are hurt?

So I hid. I hid my past accomplishments and gifts, and kept things very surface-level, until of course, I joined a small group. My first small group was led by sister Judy. She lived only a few blocks from me. Our first roll-out of small groups was done by location, so we were split up into a group closest to our homes. It was perfect and exactly what I needed. That group allowed me to be transparent and they loved me back to life. I also attended a pre-marital class with my husband, a 6-week study led by Pastor Alfred Watts, and that group course allowed me to shed even more layers of hurt.
Read more here...

Fall Purity + Peace Sessions

Hello beautiful ladies. I hope you had an amazing and blessed summer! I am so excited for our upcoming Fall Purity + Peace Sessions. So many of you have been asking about upcoming sessions and they are approaching quickly.

We have two fall sessions coming up; one of them is at a NEW location! Yay! Please welcome Iglesia Bautista Emanuel of Bridgeport, Conn., to the Purity + Peace family. If you live in Bridgeport and want to join this awesome group of women meeting each Tuesday, please sign up! This group will be lead by the beautiful Zaibel Torres. Zaibel has been in training to be a P+P leader for the past year, and we are entirely excited to have her leading this season.

PURITY + PEACE FALL SESSION I lead by Zaibel Torres

Location: Iglesia Bautista Emanuel, 258 Harriet St, Bridgeport, CT 06608
Start Date: Tuesday, September 25 (runs every Tuesday for six weeks)
Time: 7PM to 10PM

SIGN UP HERE: http://bit.ly/PurityandPeaceSignUp

RSVP on Facebook: Fall Session I

Purchase workbook here: Purity + Peace Workbook

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PURITY + PEACE FALL SESSION II lead by Kimani Sioux Williams

Location: Cornerstone Christian Center, 192 Meadow Street, Milford, CT 06461
Start Date: Tuesday, October 2 (runs every Tuesday for six weeks)
Time: 7PM to 10PM

SIGN UP HERE: http://bit.ly/PurityandPeaceSignUp

RSVP on Facebook: Fall Session II

Purchase workbook here: Purity + Peace Workbook

We can't wait to see what this season brings! Let me know if you have any questions. It's your turn to heal!

Xoxo,

Victoria 

April/May 2018 | Purity + Peace events

Hello beautiful ladies!

We pray you are having a fantastic week! We just celebrated the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It's a great week! This is a friendly note to let you know all of the awesome events happening in our area. Stay plugged in! It's so important that we remain connected with each other. Take a look at the events below and make an effort to attend. I promise, you will NOT regret it!

Purity + Peace Small Group Sessions

The next Purity + Peace Small group sessions are: 

May 20 - June 30: Cornerstone Christian Center, Milford, CT

June 12 - July 17: City Wide Church, Bridgeport, CT

You can sign up for these sessions here: Purity + Peace Sign Up

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Priscilla Shirer Simulcast

Saturday, April 28 at Cornerstone Christian Center, Milford, CT

$15: includes ticket and Panera boxed Lunch. 

Purchase Tickets here: Priscilla Shirer Simulcast Tickets

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Chat 'n Chew + Meet Up!

Saturday, May 5 at 

pin	BPT Creates / Magnacon 7 1001 Main St Ste 14, Bridgeport, Connecticut 06604

Join To Be Praised Ministries for a two-hour chat + chew to engage the creative, intrepid, and brave woman of God. "the Hive” is a place where women nurture their power and create meaningful connections with other women.

RSVP Here: Chat 'n Chew RSVP

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Love + Lunch Fellowship

Sunday, May 6 at Iglesia Bautista Emanuel in Bridgeport, CT

We are getting together with another Love + Lunch Fellowship. This time we will have speaker, singer and author Diasha Johnson with us. You do not want to miss it!

Remember: Bring a yummy dish/dessert to share with everyone. 

RSVP here:  Love + Lunch Fellowship RSVP

For more information about Purity + Peace, please visit our website at www.purityandpeace.com 

- Testimonial Videos

- To purchase the NEW and improved Purity + Peace workbook (click on the boutique tab at the top of the menu)

- To order your Purity + Peace T-shirt (in the boutique tab)

Looking forward to seeing you all!

2018 | Upcoming Purity + Peace Sessions & Events

Hello Beautiful Ladies!

We have exciting news! We have dates for the upcoming 2018 Purity + Peace small group sessions! For those of you who have been waiting patiently, here is your chance to sign up for a session taking place this year!

SIGN UP FOR A 2018 SESSION HERE

DO YOU MISS US? We miss you! So we have planned a Love + Lunch Fellowship to catch up with everyone. Come and mingle with us to reconnect with your friends from Purity + Peace or discover what our small groups are all about. Event details are below. RSVP today!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Friday, February 23: ARM YOURSELF WITH PURITY + PEACE YOUTH EVENT

Time: 7 PM      Location: CCRN, 129 Bull Hill Lane, West Haven, CT 06516

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Friday, March 9: ARM YOURSELF WITH PURITY + PEACE YOUTH EVENT

Time: 7:30 PM  Location: Iglesia Bautista Emanuel, 250 Harriet St, Bridgeport, CT 06608

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Saturday, March 10: Ladies of Virtue Conference

Meet time: 7 AM     Location: Webster Bank Arena, Bridgeport, CT

Reserve LOV Tickets with Purity + Peace

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Tuesday, March 20: Purity + Peace Spring Session 

Time: 7 PM    Location: City Wide Church, Howard Avenue Campus

Sign up for this session here: http://bit.ly/PurityandPeaceSignUp

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Sunday, March 25: Love + Lunch Fellowship

Time: 3-5 PM     Location: Iglesia Bautista Emanuel, 250 Harriet St,
Bridgeport, CT 06608

RSVP to the Love + Lunch HERE

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What is Purity + Peace?

Purity + Peace is a small group for any women (married or single) seeking healing and reconciliation from past hurts and “failures” (whether from romantic relationships, family, friendships, poor choices, bad habits, etc.) and are seeking accountability in remaining mentally and physically pure. If you feel strained with life, stress, anxiety/depression and want to commit to purity, this group will help you get on track toward purity and peace. Topics include, “What is Purity?,” “Your body is the temple,” “The importance of covenants” and “How to get accountability.” Additionally, the ministry offers a purity ceremony for all women who want to dedicate themselves to a lifetime of purity and vow to remain sexually pure until their marriage day. 

WATCH INFORMATIONAL VIDEO

Note: Unfortunately, there is no childcare during these sessions.

Mission Puerto Rico

"If you have an opportunity to accomplish something that will make things better for someone coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." 

— Roberto Clemente

 The last time I visited Puerto Rico was when I was 12 years old. It was with my grandmother and my parents and we explored the radius of the island, circulating it two times during our vacation. I remember so many beautiful things about the island and sadly I have not returned; until now.

The two hurricanes that swept through the Caribbean this late summer left the island in devastation. Actually, hurricane Maria hit while we were doing 10 Days of Prayer here in Bridgeport and all I could do was interceded in prayer for the people and the island. I felt God tugging at me about visiting PR, so when I saw the missions coordinator from Cornerstone Christian Center post about a possibility in coordinating a PR mission relief trip, my husband and I knew the Lord wanted us to go.

Although this is under sad circumstances, we are excited for the opportunity to bring a bit of relief to our beloved island and specifically to our loved ones. We will be visiting two towns while we are there: Arecibo and Maunabo. A sister from my church's family is in Arecibo and my husband's family is Maunabo. 

We are asking that our friends and family please consider contributing to our trip. There are two ways you can contribute:

— THE FIRST WAY YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE —

Supplies. The basis of our trip is to provide a good amount of aid and relief to the two towns we are visiting. Many organizations are collecting different kinds of supplies, but we specifically are requesting certain kinds of supplies that include: collapsible bucks, water filters, solar powered items such as headlamps, fans, lightbulbs, phone chargers, etc., batteries, bug spray, suntan lotion, small/travel-size hygiene items.

****Please take a look at this PUERTO RICO SUPPLY LIST on Pinterest that we created.**** 

When browsing the Pinterest list, you can click on an item and it will take you to a landing page where you can purchase the item online. Should you decide to purchase the items online, please have the items shipped to: Cornerstone Christian Center, 192 Meadow Street Milford, CT. You may also hand deliver these items to this address as well.

— THE SECOND WAY YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE —

Directly support our trip. DJ and I need to raise funds to support our trip. These funds will cover the cost for food, lodging, airfare, missions supplies, etc. The cost of our trip is $1,600 for each of us. Please consider making a financial contribution toward the cost of our trip. 

You can do so right online: SUPPORT DJ AND VIKKI'S MISSION TRIP. 

— THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS! —

Please pray for us. We want to THANK YOU in advance for your contributions to our trip. We are lastly asking for the most IMPORTANT aspect of our trip, and that is YOUR PRAYERS. Due to the devastation of the island, the people of PR are feeling desperate and many desperate situations are taking place. Please pray for our safety, protection and for traveling mercies. It would really mean a lot to us if you partnered with us in prayer. 

If you have any questions about this trip, please feel free to email missions@cornerstonemilford.org. Someone will be in contact with you. 

Blessings! xoxo

10 Days of Prayer — Bridgeport

It's an exciting week here in Bridgeport as we anticipate the 10 Days of Prayer event that starts Wednesday, September 20 and runs through Saturday, September 30. During the 10 Days, it will be 24/7 nonstop worship and prayer; at any given time of the day, you can find a worship service at New Vision International Church at 130 Gregory Street, Bridgeport, CT.

My husband and I have put together a band to lead the 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. worship set. We will be ministering with musicians that we have ministered with since we were young, and this is a really unique and exciting experience.

If you would like to be a part of this event, definitely do not hesitate to attend the round-the-clock worship services. It is going to be something special!

Pastor Luis Burgos of City Wide Church, Bridgeport, has mobilized numerous worship leaders in the area to take time slots throughout the week. In an effort to do so, he opened up his home to us in the weeks leading up to this event. At the first brainstorming session, we ended up in his backyard sitting around a fire pit, worshiping God with spontaneous songs. This ignited something within us all! Pastor Burgos decided to hold a few more of these events in his backyard to bring all of the local worship leaders together for nights of worship and praise. It has been a life-changing experience.

Below are the live video streams of these bonfire worship sets. I pray they bless your life entirely. The amount of talent and anointing that is over the worship leaders in Bridgeport is incredible. My husband and I are blessed beyond measure to be a part of something so special that is happening in our hometown. We pray for revival in Bridgeport and hope that these 10 Days of Prayer will bring heaven down to earth. We know God has something special for our city and we are believing that God is using this generation to do a mighty work in the lives of the people of Bridgeport. It is an honor to be a part of it.

If you would like to listen to the worship songs we will be singing during the 10 Days of Prayer, feel free to follow our worship playlist here:

To listen to the live bonfire worship sets, check out the videos below:

Many blessings to you!

xoxo,

V

Week Four: Becoming Esther June Prayer Challenge

Today is day one of week four of the Becoming Esther June Prayer Challenge. If you are joining us, feel free to join the accountability group discussion on Facebook >> HERE <<

Also, you can download your FREE personal prayer guide >> HERE <<

Here is our week four prompt:

Week 4: Risk Taker

On the road to becoming Esther, you must be willing to risk it all for “such a time as this.” What areas of your life is God calling you to take risks/leaps of faith?

Esther 4:12-14 shows us a dramatic climax in the story of Esther. Mordecai challenges Esther to take a huge step of faith. According to the story, no one could enter the King’s inner court without first being summoned. If the King did not hold out his golden scepter to the individual who came in his presence without being summoned, that person could be put to death. According to the accounts in Esther chapter four, we see that Esther had not been summoned for the past 30 days. She would have to go in uninvited with hope/faith that the King would pardon her presence and show her favor by raising his golden scepter toward her.

It is easy to obey God when we are protected and secure. It’s much more difficult to be obedient when:

-We could lose our job

-It could ruin our reputation

-We are risking our life

-We have to come out of our comfort zone

-We have to talk to someone we much rather cut off forever

You only need a little

Leaps of faith stir the heart of God. Matthew 17:20 tells us that faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. Jesus was responding to the disciples questions of “Why couldn’t we drive out a demon? --- from a boy who had been possessed and his father was seeking healing for him. Jesus’ answer was clear: Because you have little faith; but his answer was surprising. Your faith doesn’t need to look very big! That means the disciples’ faith was smaller than a mustard seed. I wonder if the disciples had faith at all in that moment, but I can relate. When mountains do not move in our lives it may be because of our little faith; but the truth is, we don’t need much faith to move the mountain, we just need a little: “As small as a mustard seed.”

Faith requires action

In order to move the mountains in your life or to accomplish your God-given assignment, it is going to take faith and faith many times includes action and those actions can be risky! This week, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to bring to our mind the areas where we need to be risk takers. You were born for this very task:

• To write the book
• To be the one who bring the message of salvation to your family
• To go across the world to pray for broken women in a third-world country
• To be the light at a job full of darkness
• To raise up that child in the ways of the Lord
• To take in that family member who has no one
• To face the kings and rulers of this world and share God’s truth with them

Whatever it is that God is calling you to do, it’s going to take some risk. It’s going to take some faith, but my dear, greater is the God that lives in you than he who lives in the world.

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

This is our last and final week. What areas of your life is God calling you to take risks/leaps of faith?

Pray your way through it

Then use the prayer on your personal guide to pray over each area.

xoxo, Let's Heal!

Week Three: Becoming Esther June Prayer Challenge

Today is day one of week three of the Becoming Esther June Prayer Challenge. If you are joining us, feel free to join the accountability group discussion on Facebook >> HERE <<

Also, you can download your FREE personal prayer guide >> HERE <<

Here is our week three prompt:

Week 3: Share Our Beauty

Every Esther has a beauty to share. God has given women qualities of beauty that no other creature on earth has: nurturing, vulnerable, compassionate, etc.

What is your beauty?

What are characteristics that make you, YOU? God created you uniquely beautiful and you carry a beauty that only you can share. What is it?

In Esther 2:9-15 we see that Esther went through a beautification process. Six months of oil and six months of perfumes and cosmetics; one whole year of preparation. She ate specific food (she was on a special diet perhaps to detox impurities) and was isolated for this time to help her focus mentally to meet King Xerxes. Her beauty was set apart during this time.

We see that in her preparation, she was favored by the overseer of the women preparing to meet the king — Hegai, and he gave her the best treatment and preparation; Heggai was another person God sent Esther to guide her and offer her good counsel.

The point is, your beauty needs preparation. While Esther was outwardly beautiful, there was still some things she needed to learn and work on. There were still some things she needed to detox from.

What preparation does your beauty need in order to be set apart?

As women, we are given specific qualities that no other creature on earth has, for example:

- the ability to give birth

- the ability to nurse a baby at our breast

- to care deeply about someone

- to nurse a human being back to health with our whole heart

- to be vulnerable and open

Someone hates our beauty

When God said he created “man” in his own image, there were the characteristics of God that he placed in women. That is part of our breathtaking beauty; and someone hates it. He too was beautiful. Lucifer was a beautiful angel, so beautiful he fell in love with himself. He was filled with pride. Once cast out of heaven, God created another beautiful being named Eve -- it’s no wonder he came for her first! Since then, beauty has been attacked by the evil one.

Your beauty is under attack

This might make your wounded-heart more understandable now. Satan longs to discourage you from getting to your purpose, so he attempts to wound your beauty to a point where you refuse to share it! BUT GOD!

This week:

Think about your beauty.

What special traits in your appearance and character make you uniquely you?

How does God want you to use your beauty to influence others?

What makes you a beautiful, unique woman of God?

Are you sharing your beauty with the world?

If not, begin processing why.

Pray your way through it

Then pray the prayer found on your personal prayer guide over each beauty you acknowledge. It’s time for you to share your beauty with the world!

xoxo, Let's Heal!