"I met God at the Mission..."

At our recent staff breakfast, one of our staff men was telling that he had recently "run into" a former guest of the men's shelter. This guest had been a drug addict for many years, but when the staff member saw him, he hardly recognized him. He wouldn't have stopped but "John" (former guest) stopped him.

"I'm trying to keep away from the old lifestyle and the old friends," John told him. "I met God at the Mission," he continued. Though he was suffering from health issues as a result of his former choices, John was so grateful for the change in his life because of the Mission and the Message that he heard there.

Our guests, especially at the men's shelter, are "transient," meaning a person who stays only a brief time. They come and go, and while we are grateful for even limited opportunities to present to them the gospel, often times they don't return to tell us of the impact on their life (similar to Luke 17:11-19).

What a blessing when two ways meet again, and we can hear from men, like John, who were trapped in a lifestyle of sin and slavery and are now free. Because of you and your faithfulness to the Mission. Thank you for helping us help others. Thank you for being a rescuer!

"The victims of sin..."

I should be working on the video for the upcoming centennial... Instead I keep thinking of the words of Leon Kellogg. The video will actually be a recreation of a presentation done by Leon sometime in 1980. It really is fascinating to hear (although we don't know the exact "slides" that went along with his presentation) and discern what is the same and what is different in the ministry of rescue.

Without giving too much away, I can say that they were "lodging" about 24 men a night (no women and children's shelter then) and serving 55 meals a day. Compare that to the average from last month, July 2011, of sheltering 56 men and 84 women and children a night (for 140 people a day) and serving 334 meals a day.

What does remain the same is our goal of sharing the truth of Christ to those in need. One phrase that sticks in my memory is when Leon referred to the then-guests of the Mission, as "victims of sin." We recognize that today, especially with our current economy, circumstances play an increasing role in homelessness. However, there are still those whose choices bring them to a state where they have nowhere else to turn but the Mission. At the time Leon gave his presentation, over thirty years ago, the stereotype of homelessness was stronger than today, and the attitude was very often "they deserve to be where they are," or "why don't they just get a job."

Leon didn't offer criticisms; he offered compassion. He saw, with the eyes of Christ "the multitudes, [and] He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd" (Matthew 9:36). A lesson in compassion and humility from a man who gave many decades of his life in service of the Mission and these "victims of sin," not only those who are led away by their own desires but also those who truly are the victims of the sins of others.

Thank you for your support of the Mission and our efforts to meet the physical and spiritual needs of men, women, and children in Michigan's capital area. Thank you for being a rescuer!

Flexibility and Focus

Looking over the 100 year history of the Mission, there is one thing we've "always done": preaching the gospel. The many other services we've incorporated over the years--feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the needy--are results of our mission rather than the whole of it. There are other services, too, that have come and gone, depending on ability and need. And we are grateful that we can stay true to our core purpose of preaching the gospel while being flexible enough to adjust through the years.

Recently, an article in the paper featured a local agency's backpack giveaway and mentioned that this is a service no longer provided by the Mission. What they failed to explain was that the number of men, women, and children we are sheltering has more than doubled in the past few months. The need for food has also increased. As a result, we've utilized that flexibility to adjust the "results" of our mission, while holding fast to our original purpose. Instead of providing a child a backpack, we are providing a roof over his head, food for him and his family, a safe place to go during the day, a shower and the things necessary for cleanliness and health, and a measure of stability in a world that can seem increasingly hostile to a child unsettled due to poverty and homelessness.

Last night, there were 6 more men staying at the men's shelter than we had beds. They slept on mattresses on the floor of the chapel. There were 106 single women, mothers, and children at the women and children's shelter. One hundred and seventy two people, not counting men in our Life Transformation Program, were under our care and received help not only for their physical needs but also for their spiritual ones. This is an amazing opportunity, as each person represents a life, a living soul, that is being impacted by those who choose to support the City Rescue Mission. People who choose to "be a rescuer."

Rather than focusing on all the "could haves" and "what ifs," let us take some time to be grateful for what we do have. Times are difficult, for those we shelter and for the Mission, as funds are stretched more than at any time in our past. Friends, fellow rescuers, do not grow weary in well doing! You are making a difference. Thank you for your compassion and for helping us help others!

From Where I Sit...

This morning was our monthly staff meeting, and I felt somewhat "out of joint." Maybe it's working on the "centennial book" that has me feeling rather sentimental. Or the rather gray overcast that's been hovering over Michigan's capital city these past few days. Whatever the reason, I sat back in the corner, sunk into my folding chair, and smiled, somewhat benevolently, on the chatter going on around me. Sherri, shelter manager, was sharing information with Tiffany, our women and children's shelter director. Gina, administrative assistant, was chatting with Amanda, one of our intake coordinators. Dave, a coordinator at the men's shelter, was smiling and sharing a joke with Mike, our Biblical counselor. Tabby was talking animatedly to Abby (yes, Tabby to Abby). To the side, Mark, our executive director was speaking with Russ, our former director of volunteers, who's about to embark on a new ministry in Nicaragua. All around was talk and smiles, and the chairs in the classroom had filled well before the 8 a.m. meeting was scheduled to start.

It was our monthly staff meeting. A chance to share not only our concerns and prayer requests but also to reconnect as a group of people united for the single purpose of "rescuing" men, women, and children in need.

For just a few moments, I was out of time and place, as I looked at the gathering around me and compared it to 100 years ago, when the Mission was just born. Today, there were roughly forty pairs of hands clasped in prayer. That day so long ago, there were two. For some reason, I can picture them very clearly. Thomas was about forty seven, just recently saved, Emily only a year or so younger, had been praying for her his salvation for a decade. Everything was all so new. And they were not, by any means, wealthy people, with the goal of sharing their wealth with those in need. They were people who had very little, but what they did have, they gave. From such humble roots, the Mission has grown to serve hundreds of men, women, and children every day.

Sometimes, we'll get letters from donors, who lament that they have not more to give. Who apologize for not being able to give more. The very fact that they give anything at all, whether it be money, food, or prayers, is a blessing; it is all needed. Every gift, no matter how "humble" in the eyes of the giver, makes a difference, just as it did that first day nearly 100 years ago.

Thank you for your compassion and faithfulness. Thank you for being a rescuer.

The "Mission" of our Mission

At a recent staff meeting, our executive director stressed something important: that we, as Mission employees, are not doing a "job" or even meeting the "physical" needs of people. Our purpose is to serve souls. Souls in need of rescue. And this has been the purpose of the Mission for its entire 100 year history.

As we've often said, the easy answer to the "problem" of homelessness would be to put people in an apartment, turn the key, and let them continue in the problems that caused their homelessness in the first place. Social ills, addiction, loneliness, anger, lack of job skills, mental issues, all still existent. However, the person is no longer "homeless" and, therefore, homelessness is over.

But we were created for something more than just to exist or to struggle along as best we know how. God has in mind for us something better. Something greater. But far too often we settle for "good enough." It's easier.

So we ask for your prayer for Mission staff and the volunteers who work alongside of us. It's never easy and it isn't even always "rewarding." After all, we're not "rescuing" used furniture that simply needs some sanding and a new coat of paint to make it serviceable. We're rescuing souls.

Time Goes By...

So much has happened since I last entered anything (it's almost shaming if the reason weren't because we were so busy :) The Maplewood Center is fully renovated and almost fully operational. I say almost because we're still in the development stages of our women's Life Transformation Program, which will be similar to our current men's program at Michigan Avenue.

At Michigan Avenue, the kitchen has undergone a complete rebuilding of the floor, a necessary renovation which couldn't wait for (hopefully) the full renovations coming in the next few years. As our meals have increased, the need has outgrown our current kitchen. Also, the need for shelter for men has outgrown our men's dorm. We hope to expand both.

This is only to say that, while much has been accomplished in the past few months, there is so much more coming, so much more that needs to be done, so many more opportunities to reach a hand of rescue to those in need in our community.

But as we remain busy and looking forward to these changes, we also recognize that the foundation for our plans rest firmly in the Lord and in the faithful compassion of our supporters. As we celebrate 100 years of service, we look back with humility and gratitude at the legacy of generosity that has allowed the Mission to grow from a rented portion of a building to a ministry able to provide support and shelter to hundreds of men, women, and children every day. Because of you. Thank you for being a rescuer. Thank you for helping us help others.

Yum and Yummier

If I had the time, I would create a blog dedicated to making the entire capital city area aware of the fact that our public dining room provides more than just food...it provides good food. Our cooks work very hard to use the variety of donations that come in the door, and sometimes that requires some creativity.

Tuesday, Abby made mention of an overabundance of jello that had been donated. "I think I'll make up some jello." Wednesday dessert was jello, with angel food cake, whipped topping, and maraschino cherries. Tuesday afternoon, a young man came to the door hefting grocery bags fulls of apples and bananas left over from an event. The gift was thoughtful but the bananas were past their prime. The answer: banana pudding topped with real bananas.

There are meatball dishes, chicken dishes, rice or pasta cooked one million and one ways... I could go on but nothing I could ever write could fully describe the effort, creativity, and compassion that goes into a meal at the Mission. From the base ingredients (donations all), to the hard work of our cooks, to the hands of volunteers who serve the meal (cafeteria style) to our guests, love truly is in every bite.

Even after the meal is finished, labor goes into keeping the facility one of the cleanest restaurants in Lansing (as we are required to meet the same health codes as a restaurant). All of this is because of the generosity of our supporters. It is their efforts that helped put over 95,000 meals on the table for men, women, and children in need in Michigan's capital area.