Monday, March 19, 2007
Unexpected
I just had a cool encounter in my front yard. It confirms that I should spend more time there instead of in my cubicle. Very convenient! Anyway, today I sat outside during the time when parents and kids are walking back from school to promote the photography class that's going to start in 2 weeks. A kid that I usually see on Wednesday nights when I'm riding the Blue Bus walked up to where I was sitting. I gave him a flyer and expected that to be the end of the conversation since he was with his friends and usually is "too cool" when they're around. To my surprise he asked if we could pray. The friend with him said that he didn't want to pray because he would get in trouble with his parents. (I guess they barely allow him to go on Wednesday night to Bethel's Kick It.) When I asked him what was going on he told me that he almost got in a fight a few minutes earlier and didn't want to get in another. He didn't offer any other details, but immediately bowed is head and put his hands together. So we prayed a short prayer in my front yard while some other kids walked by. It was a reminder that God is always at work in people... even pre-teen boys that act like they don't care about a thing. Good lesson.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Update of Photography Class
Good news! We received over $1000 from Caring Connections to put towards the cameras for our photography class. We also received word from Snapfish that they will cover the cost of printing up to 540 pictures.
We are still looking for volunteers that can hang out with the kids on a Monday or Thursday afternoon in April. Please call Chrissy @ 562.804.2189 if you are interested.
We are still looking for volunteers that can hang out with the kids on a Monday or Thursday afternoon in April. Please call Chrissy @ 562.804.2189 if you are interested.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Life Transformation
Jason Fanning talks with Eric Copeland of Kingdom Causes
Jason Fanning came off the streets of Bellflower in August 2006 and just celebrated his six month graduation from Bell Shelter. He spoke with his friend Eric about the process of recovery over the last six months.
What have you learned in the last six months?
People need to be aware of resources.
When I was on the street I was after what I could get. It was always gimme gimme gimme. Gimme Gimme Gimme has no future. But there was a point where I wanted to change. There is a difference between wanting help and just gimme gimme gimme. The help is people teaching you to help yourself.
What has it been like to interact with church people?
When I was on the streets and they would come week after week to where I stayed. I thought “these people are crazy”. I thought, “My life is done. Trashed.” They were persistent and made me understand that God is there and God is real. It’s like they would say that they are His workers.
When I was finally ready to help myself, it was good that I had someone to call. Without it [interaction with Christians] I would be a wreck. Because when I get stressed, I call them and they help me see that it is going to work out and be alright. It helps me see that the dope man doesn’t have to be the next stop.
The healing process is about being reconciled to God, yourself and to others, how does that relate to your last six months at Bell Shelter and your new relationships?
WOW, like with my mom. I think for a while my mom was really freaked by how I turned out. I went wild. It broke my mom’s heart. I, for the first time want to make her proud. We had this talk the other night. We talked for hours and we took terns. We listed to each other. No one interrupted. She told me stuff about our childhood that I never knew. She said how she had all these expectations of like it being all happy and then us kids went all wild. I really see that maybe I abandoned my mom and, now, I see how we are both survivors of some real heavy hard times.
What have you learned from your discipleship partner (Ryan VerWys)?
Ryan helped me understand that things that happen really are like things that happen in the bible. I will tell him something that happened and he will show me how something like that happened in the Bible. I certainly never have thought of things like that.
Remember we talked about the miracle question: If God did a miracle in your life what would it be? Now that it is playing itself out, what does it look like?
Well, one day having a family. I mean. Getting up, locking the front door and going to work.
But at the same time I get scared that I will snap if someone yells at me. The first thing out of my mouth used to be you know. Bleepity Bleep. Consequences meant nothing. Now, when I get angry I take a twenty minute break and work it out. I just look at one piece at a time. I think about what is important. One day at a time. One foot in front of the other and then my friends help me see that it is going to work. I mean I just got back from court and I probably would have just said forget it all. But now I can see it all still working out.
Do you want to say anything else?
I am grateful. I am a recovering alcoholic. This time it was all easy and I just know that it isn’t me. Its faith. One day at a time.
Jason Fanning came off the streets of Bellflower in August 2006 and just celebrated his six month graduation from Bell Shelter. He spoke with his friend Eric about the process of recovery over the last six months.
What have you learned in the last six months?
People need to be aware of resources.
When I was on the street I was after what I could get. It was always gimme gimme gimme. Gimme Gimme Gimme has no future. But there was a point where I wanted to change. There is a difference between wanting help and just gimme gimme gimme. The help is people teaching you to help yourself.
What has it been like to interact with church people?
When I was on the streets and they would come week after week to where I stayed. I thought “these people are crazy”. I thought, “My life is done. Trashed.” They were persistent and made me understand that God is there and God is real. It’s like they would say that they are His workers.
When I was finally ready to help myself, it was good that I had someone to call. Without it [interaction with Christians] I would be a wreck. Because when I get stressed, I call them and they help me see that it is going to work out and be alright. It helps me see that the dope man doesn’t have to be the next stop.
The healing process is about being reconciled to God, yourself and to others, how does that relate to your last six months at Bell Shelter and your new relationships?
WOW, like with my mom. I think for a while my mom was really freaked by how I turned out. I went wild. It broke my mom’s heart. I, for the first time want to make her proud. We had this talk the other night. We talked for hours and we took terns. We listed to each other. No one interrupted. She told me stuff about our childhood that I never knew. She said how she had all these expectations of like it being all happy and then us kids went all wild. I really see that maybe I abandoned my mom and, now, I see how we are both survivors of some real heavy hard times.
What have you learned from your discipleship partner (Ryan VerWys)?
Ryan helped me understand that things that happen really are like things that happen in the bible. I will tell him something that happened and he will show me how something like that happened in the Bible. I certainly never have thought of things like that.
Remember we talked about the miracle question: If God did a miracle in your life what would it be? Now that it is playing itself out, what does it look like?
Well, one day having a family. I mean. Getting up, locking the front door and going to work.
But at the same time I get scared that I will snap if someone yells at me. The first thing out of my mouth used to be you know. Bleepity Bleep. Consequences meant nothing. Now, when I get angry I take a twenty minute break and work it out. I just look at one piece at a time. I think about what is important. One day at a time. One foot in front of the other and then my friends help me see that it is going to work. I mean I just got back from court and I probably would have just said forget it all. But now I can see it all still working out.
Do you want to say anything else?
I am grateful. I am a recovering alcoholic. This time it was all easy and I just know that it isn’t me. Its faith. One day at a time.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Churches are part of Denvers 10-year plan to end homelessness
A couple quotes...
Hickenlooper (Denver Mayor) told the crowd that he wants area churches to play a major role in the city's 10-year program to end homelessness. Already 122 congregations have signed on, each pledging to raise $1,200 to help pay first month's rent and deposit on an apartment and establishing a "mentor team" of two to six people who agree to work with the family or senior to help them leave homelessness behind.
'Denver's Road Home' showing progress
In the past year, Denver's 10-year plan to end homelessness, known as "Denver's Road Home," has met several benchmarks:
423 new units of housing
701 homeless people placed in jobs
156 families receiving assistance for eviction
122 congregations sponsoring homeless families
677 homeless people receiving treatment for substance abuse or mental illness
Meters to support homeless, not habits
The city of Denver plans to install recycled parking meters near the 16th Street Mall next month in an effort to allow passers-by to donate spare change to support programs for the homeless, rather than just give it directly to panhandlers who sometimes use it to support habits. While city officials haven't decided how to decorate those meters, the Rocky asked readers to send us ideas about what they would do.
Check out the rest of the story: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5348146,00.html
Hickenlooper (Denver Mayor) told the crowd that he wants area churches to play a major role in the city's 10-year program to end homelessness. Already 122 congregations have signed on, each pledging to raise $1,200 to help pay first month's rent and deposit on an apartment and establishing a "mentor team" of two to six people who agree to work with the family or senior to help them leave homelessness behind.
'Denver's Road Home' showing progress
In the past year, Denver's 10-year plan to end homelessness, known as "Denver's Road Home," has met several benchmarks:
423 new units of housing
701 homeless people placed in jobs
156 families receiving assistance for eviction
122 congregations sponsoring homeless families
677 homeless people receiving treatment for substance abuse or mental illness
Meters to support homeless, not habits
The city of Denver plans to install recycled parking meters near the 16th Street Mall next month in an effort to allow passers-by to donate spare change to support programs for the homeless, rather than just give it directly to panhandlers who sometimes use it to support habits. While city officials haven't decided how to decorate those meters, the Rocky asked readers to send us ideas about what they would do.
Check out the rest of the story: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5348146,00.html
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Photography Class
After working with the neighbors and doing some research on the gaps of services offered for our neighborhood, we've decided to start a photography class for kids. The neighbors explained that there's a lack of opportunity for their kids to express themselves in the arts. Classes are offered around here, but the cost is too high for most families and the locations are not within walking distance. A group of us started discussing different ideas after our neighbor prayer time of Friday mornings. We thought about music classes, painting, dance, and so on. In the end, we decided that a photography class would be a good starting point. Our goal is to start the six-week trial class in April. We're offering the class to 15 fourth, fifth and sixth graders in our neighborhood. We've already made connections with the owner of Phillight Studio (the new photo studio on Bellflower that is awesome) who has offered to teach a class and bring the kids in to use the studio for free. If you are interested in volunteering or teaching a class, please contact Chrissy at (562) 266-7938. We've proposed a funding partnership with a local non-profit and we're asking for businesses to donate new digital cameras and supplies. Pray that both proposals come through.
Our desire is to expand the photography class in the future to different age groups, and eventually offer some other art classes. In the meantime we're going ahead with plans for this class and listening to the neighbors for other great ideas.
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