Bob

One of the great things about working with people is, if you're observant, you will see them transform right before your eyes. Now, I know that sounds like it's an instantaneous thing, but in fact the 'right before your eyes' statement is in fact a process. Which is why you need to be observant.

I'm always amazed when occasionally I'll encounter, within the service community, a provider who can't tell a recent good story about someone they saw transform. Honestly, I don't know what the motivation would be to even go into work if the transformation of people being served wasn't visual. But maybe that's the problem - it's not visual in some organizations because it's not visualized.

Anyway, what about Bob?

Bob is one of our guests, as he's been in the Ready for Life program for most of this year. Bob's a good hearted individual with a ready smile and a decent attitude towards others. He's helpful to our staff, and usually has a ready word of encouragement for the men in the program.

The other day he stopped me in the parking lot - smiling ear to ear he told me that Matt Clapp, our Lead Case Manager, helped him get a job at a local meat store. Happy? That wouldn't quite describe or capture Bob's outlook or attitude. No - I would say, deeply optimistic about his life and future.

Even as I write this, I'm full of joy for Bob. It's more than 'It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy' thing - it's AMAZING! It is the ultimate in; "once I was lost and now I'm found." Bob has a job - but Bob also has Jesus ... he's allowed God to be bigger and smaller than anything he had experienced before hand. I'm so glad he received Christ before receiving a job - life will make much more sense now because of that order.

There are many more Bob's in our program; searching, waiting, hoping. There are also many more potential Bob's who don't know, or haven't accepted hope yet. Pray for them ... won't you?

Next week ... The Sparrow's Nest.

Dan Rogers

The Invisible Bridge

As you know, on Wednesday August 1st the 35W bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis Minnesota collapsed. As of this date, there are still people missing. The subsequent news reports on the many bridges across America in trouble, has caused many of us to consider or be suspicious of the bridges we cross to and from work or school. A new anxiety is creeping into everyday life.

We all know about the other bridges in our lives - the ones we cross everyday. The bridge of relationship to family, friends and coworkers. Relationships like bridges need to be looked at and inspected constantly and when we don't, when we travel heavily across them without regard to sustainability - they too collapse eventually under the weight of it all.

The fact is, even with the best care and inspection of our relationship bridges they collapse anyway. Because they're supported by fragile material - people.

So. If we can't truly trust the steel and concrete bridges and we can't truly trust the relational bridges - where's the hope? Where's the security? What's the barrier that keeps anxiety from creeping into our heart and paralyzing our lives?

Good question.

What about the Invisible Bridge? Art Erickson, also of Minneapolis, calls the Invisible Bridge the; "Ultimate bridge not made by human hands." That's it isn't it? We can only trust the bridge that is Christ Jesus. He is the only one who can bear the weight of our 'travels'.

When Jesus is the only bridge we travel, He ends up being the only bridge we trust. But when we build a relationship bridge to anyone or anything else and we've not built it on Christ - it won't matter how careful we are or how often we inspect it. A bridge made by you or me is under a constant state of deterioration.

Conversely, a bridge that is Christ isn't subject to such environmental erosion and will not collapse. That's the message of the Gospel and it's the message to the hundreds of men, women and families who are served each day at Cherry Street Mission Ministries.

Dan Rogers

Last Night

This is my son Caleb. He is entering his second year at Mount Zion in Harrisburg Pennsylvania. Mount Zion was started by David Wilkerson and is a school of ministry that equips young people to be Missionaries, then sends them to the far reaches of the world.

This summer Caleb has been interning at Family Christian Center in Sylvania where he has been assisting Pastor Mark Mylek in an outreach to Woodside Terrace in Holland on Monday nights.

He's also been an intern at Cherry Street Mission Ministries this summer on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. He's been assisting Chaplain Ernest Jackson, learning how to serve and minister at the same time.

Last night Caleb was scheduled to speak at the Ministry Hour at our Madison Street facility and asked if I would be there - I'm thinking wild horses couldn't keep me from going. What a wonderful message he presented! One of the cool things he said to the one hundred or so men and women assembled that night was; "When I come back here next summer, I don't want to see any of you still here." WOW! What a powerful statement of faith.

I'll tell you what else that statement does - it inspires faith to the rest of us. What must we do to complete his statement of faith? Can we see what this young man sees as possible? What attitude does this level of faith foster in our work and service towards others?

Thanks Caleb!

Dan Rogers

All In A Week's Service

At the beginning of each week, the Departments of Cherry Street Mission Ministries report their previous weeks statistics. We then publish an internal memo to all the staff called; "The Hot Sheet".

Cherry Street Mission Ministries humbly stands behind it's 60 year record of being the only service to the Least, Last and Lost of our communities that NEVER closes it's doors. Thanks to God, and to you, the Light of Jesus Christ burns bright in the darkness for so many of your fellow citizens.

THANK YOU!

Hot Sheet For July 15-21, 2007

Men’s Ministries
Total number of overnight stays for the week: 764
Nightly census averages
Bunk Room – 67
3rd Floor/Ready for Life – 16
Mats – 18
Foyer – 9
Average nightly census: 110

Women’s Ministries
Total number of overnight stays for the week: 277
Nightly census averages
Emergency Shelter – 28
Ready for Life – 12
Average nightly census: 40

Food Services
Total number of meals served for the week: 5286
Madison (includes Sparrow’s Nest)
Breakfast – 1152
Lunch – 1262
Dinner – 1469
Good Samaritan
Breakfast – 663
Dinner – 740
Daily meal averages
Breakfast – 259
Lunch – 180
Dinner – 316
Average daily meals served: 755

Community Services
Total pounds of donated clothing: 2809
Volunteers oriented: 4
Total volunteer hours (community service dept): 299
Number of families who received furniture/household items: 9
Number of people served with clothing: 66

Walking on the Other Side of The Road [part two]

Last week I posted the parable of the Good Samaritan found in Luke chapter 10. [you may want to read last week's post first]

I wrote;

Why are we prone to be selective when it comes to deciding who we will help and when? Is it fear? Is it lack of concern, or compassion? Is it spiritual or social blindness? Is it a blatant or subtle prejudice? Is it a lack of justice, or mercy? Is it a clear disregard for anyone other than yourself .. selfishness?

Actually, while many of these traits or tendencies are present in many people, for those of you who 'get' this parable - you already know it's none of these things. But .. there is something, isn't there? There is something inside you that makes you walk on the other side of people's problems just like the Levite and Priest in Jesus' parable.

If it's not lack of love, compassion, justice or mercy - then what is it?

Skill and competence!

The fact is, we're found walking on the other side of the road because we have concluded we don't know what else to do. Oh we want to help, and in the past we've tried to help but we've also consistently failed or felt like a failure because what we tried either wasn't enough or didn't work.

If this is a reality - and for far too many it is - then your only other recourse is to keep walking.

The Good Samaritan had both skill and competence. He had a donkey, wine, oil and cash resources and he was prepared to use them because he knew how to use them.

At Cherry Street Mission Ministries we call this Rescue Competence and Biblical Skill.

Rescue Competence causes you to walk on the side of trouble. For too long we've been told as a church to stay out of trouble. Concerned with purity, wholeness and sanctification we no longer know how to demonstrate in tangible ways these very attributes of God in us. We've become and sadly remain, 'temple dwellers' - unable to effect change and insert Christ into the trouble of the battered and broken people living all around us.

Regarding the battered and broken, if you continue to think it's the lack of love, mercy or compassion that keeps you walking on the other side of the road - then you are doomed to it. Because God's work in you is complete - He didn't give you a little bit of anything. So if you continue to pursue more, you'll never find it.

Add to your love, mercy and compassion Rescue Competence and Biblical Skill and you'll quickly see just how powerful God really is when you and He walk on the side of trouble.

If you're interested in being equipped in Rescue Competence a Rescue Class is available as an eight week course or as a three day Rescue Intensive. Call my assistant Maren Kurtz for more details at 419-242-5141 ex. 225.

Dan Rogers

Walking on the Other Side of The Road

Luke 10:29-37
But he, willing to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor?
And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said to him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor to him that fell among the thieves?
And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus to him, Go, and do thou likewise.

In this parable and in an attempt to explain what 'neighbor' meant, Jesus uses the Priest and the Levite as an example of what a 'neighbor' is not - clearly a neighbor, which is defined as; "The one who is the nearest" does NOT walk around the problems of others.

Ever wonder about this?

Why??

Why are we prone to be selective when it comes to deciding who we will help and when? Is it fear? Is it lack of concern, or compassion? Is it spiritual or social blindness? Is it a blatant or subtle prejudice? Is it a lack of justice, or mercy? Is it a clear disregard for anyone other than yourself .. selfishness?

Unfortunately, many people I talk to about this parable believe that their selectivity is because they don't love God enough, or don't love their fellow man enough.

Experience tells me it's none of these things!

Oh, don't get me wrong, ALL of these things may be present in different measure and forms. But I'm talking to those of you who 'get' this parable. You understand what Jesus is talking about, and you know what's required of you as a follower of Him. And yet your frustration is realized in the fact that you do not consistently do what you believe.

Next week - I'll share with you why.

Dan Rogers

The Obvious

Recently while teaching a Rescue Class at New Life Church of God in Christ on Oakwood in Toledo's urban core, I drew a box on the flip chart and inside the box wrote the letters BS and said to the class, "Everyone is full of this".

Belief System!

Our Belief System is created by three predominant components; History, Experience and Environment. Our Belief System is our paradigm - it's not a 'seeing is believing' thing as much as it's a 'seeing what I believe' thing. Our Belief System determines how we see life. For example if you believe all homeless men are alcoholics and lazy that's the way you see homeless men. However, when you come to Cherry Street Mission Ministries and have a tour of one or all of our ministry sites and interact with actual homeless men you realize that not all homeless men are drunk and lazy.

What happened? Your Belief System was challenged and you begin to experience a Paradigm Shift in the way you think.

It is in fact our Belief System that creates our Culture. For example, if you grew up in a home where both parents were alcoholics, you grew up in a culture of drinking. That Culture of drinking in your home was there because a Belief System not only created it, but supported it. If you grew up and became an alcoholic, it is largely because the presence of a hidden Belief System created a very visible Culture of drinking.

It is our Culture that becomes the obvious of our lives. Our Culture always creates the 'obvious'. Unfortunately for many who desire to effect change in the lives of those we care for, it is only the 'Obvious' that we end up caring about. If someone is an alcoholic we want them to stop drinking [the obvious]. We then become frustrated because they remain unresponsive to our logic and ultimately we begin to give up on them all together.

If you want to effect change in the culture of a person or a community, you must first deal with their Belief System. You must care more for the person [Belief System], than what the person is doing [Culture].

What do you think?

Dan Rogers