and even family fun nights to provide an alternative for whole families to enjoy.

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2 MAKE THEM MATTER COUNTYSIDE CHRISTIAN CENTER 1850 N. McMullen Booth Rd. Clearwater, FL Jenna Taylor Volunteer Director of Development Cell: The average young person today doesn t believe that anyone truly believes in them. As any parent knows we live in a culture that breeds improper morals, devoid of the values so many of us were raised with. You hear it in the music, you see it in the movies It s become an accepted way of life for our youth. As members of our community it s our responsibility to fight for our future generations and to not back down to a culture that makes them feel like they don t matter. It s our responsibility to Make Them Matter. On March 15 th Clearwater Mayor George Cretekos visited Countryside Christian Center to endorse the Make Them Matter project Countryside s ambitious effort to renovate our existing building into a youth and community center to benefit the entire Tampa Bay area. The $3 million renovation of the existing facility will allow Countryside to reach into the community like never before and provide a place where we can do life together all while mentoring our youth. The new facility will provide benefits such as: MTM A safe environment for after-school programs for any youth (not just those at our school). MTM A venue to host events such as sports leagues, life-skills classes for adults, and even family fun nights to provide an alternative for whole families to enjoy. MTM A gymnasium for our on-site school, CCA. MTM A safe place for youth to come on Wednesday nights to make friends and to be loved, mentored and given hope. As not only a business leader but a resident of Tampa Bay you know the importance of investing in our community. Whether it s taking advantage of a naming opportunity, providing in-kind donations for auction, or sponsoring a matching gift to help our fundraising efforts will you invest in our community and

3 youth? The enclosed information will help you find the right options that fit your philanthropic goals. My sincerest gratitude for taking time to learn how you can be a part of this crucial project! To learn more about the initiative or to see Mayor Cretekos message of support please visit us at Best Regards, Jenna Taylor Volunteer Director of Development P.S. All contributions to the Make Them Matter project are fully tax-deductible!

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5 My name is Dylan, I m 16 years old and I ve been coming to Reach since 6th grade. This is a story about how God really impacted my life and really showed me what true love is. I was invited to church one day by my cousin Hannah There was a youth conference called Acquire the Fire and that s where I gave my life to Jesus completely. Middle school was a lot of ups and downs. I thought that because I was saved and because I had Jesus in my life everything was going to be perfect, nothing was going to go wrong everything s going to go right for me. But that was really not the case, life was still really tough. To compensate for those tough things I turned to cutting myself, I turned to self-harm, anorexia and a lot of different things. I really just hit this time in my life where I was completely depressed and insecure and I felt I wasn t good enough for anyone. I felt very rejected and I felt very alone, like no one really cared about me so I felt like I deserved those things I felt like I deserved to feel pain I deserved to suffer that s what I really thought about myself. Even though I knew who Jesus was, even though I considered myself a true Christian, I was saved but I didn t really know that God loved me. I didn t even know what love was. I thought that was what was going on in movies and what was around me with people dating I didn t know that God actually loved me, cared about me and felt I was worthy. I dated one girl and it had its up and downs like every relationship. We did things that I m not proud of. After that relationship it left me really bitter towards all girls in general. I thought I could never have a girlfriend again I thought I was just a lost cause. That really led me towards thinking that I was gay and thinking that I should be chasing after other guys and it was just an awkward phase and the emotional abuse kept on happening. After a while I decided to turn to God and He really showed me what His true love is. He showed me how much He cares about me, how merciful He is, how graceful He is. What the world told me is my feelings were okay, my feelings were natural, it was okay to chase after whoever I wanted and that

6 included guys too. The world tells us that we don t have to wait until marriage the world tells us that we can mess around with whoever we want but from my experiences it didn t fulfill me like the world told me it would. It turned out to be all lies. When you really turn to God, when you really experience His true love, you feel a joy that can t be compared to anything in this world it s a supernatural love, it s a supernatural joy it s an amazing feeling and it s available to anybody that s the great thing. After I realized how God really feels about me how much he loves me, how much he cares about me I realized that I don t have to chase around anybody I want and try to find love that way because He already loves me. If you re there and you think that you re not worthy of God s love you don t have to feel that way. I ve been there, I ve done that and I m still loved by Him and I still know Him I feel His presence every day. I wake up and I know I m loved by God and that s really what gets me through this life, and gets me through what used to cause me so much depression. God has shown me a better way to live; He s shown me amazing things his glory, His presence, His love and joy and peace. I wouldn t trade it for anything.

7 Recognition Opportunities Countryside is recognizing the generosity of those who support the Make them Matter project in several exciting ways. From naming rights to the building and other major areas, to a leaf on our Giving Tree, find the opportunity that s right for you or your business to show your dedication and support to the community of Tampa Bay. Both one-time and cumulative gifts are credited towards recognition*. Building Naming This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is available for $500,000. Your family or business name will be displayed prominently on the outside of the renovated youth center as a lasting reminder of your generosity. Auditorium Naming The auditorium is the heart of the Make them Matter project. This room will serve as the meeting center for youth, Countryside Christian Academy s gymnasium, and the central location for special events. This opportunity is available for $250,000. Café Naming There s no better way to share life than to share a meal. Available for $250,000 is naming rights to the café, the gathering place for those looking to break bread and to fellowship with others. Faith Wall The Faith Wall is a special recognition for those looking to support the campaign with a gift of $2,500 or $5,000. $5,000: recognized with 4 bricks overlaid with a glass covering. The covering can be inscribed to memorialize a loved one or to give a special message for permanent display. $2,500: recognized with 2 bricks overlaid with a glass covering. Also available for a short subscription. Reach Walkway Gifts of $1,000 or more will be recognized with a single brick on the Reach Walkway named in honor of Countryside s Youth program. Limited inscription is available. The Giving Tree Displayed prominently in the inner foyer of the building, the Giving Tree will feature individual gold ($750) and silver ($500) leafs that signify the growth happening in the lives of those benefited by the Make them Matter project. Limited inscription is available.

8 HALEY I started coming to youth group about two years ago. My life was a mess before I started coming. My mom had been sick growing up and she passed away when I was in sixth grade. When I started coming to the youth group I didn t know anybody there it was just my sister and I and we just kept coming and then people started reaching out to us. Then we started making friendships and started to feel so loved and accepted. And now the youth group has become like a family to me. I just really appreciate this youth group and this church so much because my life has changed completely. I don t have the same thought processes now; I view myself differently, I just know what God says about me. It s impacted me so much. EMILY I started coming to Countryside four years ago but I didn t get involved in the youth group until two years ago, the summer of my Junior year. I was very broken when I came My mom was very sick and my parents put me in dance because it was an escape from what was going on. And then my mom started getting worse and she ended up passing away when I was in sixth grade. My dad got a brain tumor when I was a freshman and everything started to fall apart. I realized the people I thought were there for me weren t there for me and that I wasn t being fulfilled the way I thought I was. I didn t talk, I didn t know what to do with my life, I didn t see any point. At first when I started coming I was just so against it I had such a negative mindset like I just

9 remember praying God if you re real then show me tonight, show me that you re actually there. I wasn t expecting anything to happen. It was in worship that I just felt so loved and so accepted and even through everything that I d gone through I just felt like God forgave me and loved me so much. It blew my mind that God was there in the moment and that God actually did something. That wouldn t have happened without this youth group. TODD We came to Countryside Christian Center after a long bout with my wife s Crohn s disease. She passed away six years ago and Countryside Christian Center and all of the pastors and all of the leadership that we ve experienced in the church itself has been beyond what we would have ever dreamed it to be. We really feel that we are part of the church now. Unlike what we felt before with where we were at before where we were just a number; we weren t part of the body, part of the family. With anything we ve come across whether it s been my brain surgery or the health problems that my daughter currently has we always reflect back and we know who s in control. And we believe that firmly with all of our hearts. Countryside has changed our lives in ways I would have never even dreamed.

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