Imagine being a child whose family has no place to go and Mom brings the family to Laura’s Home Women’s Crisis Center. Children are often scared, hurt, confused, and sometimes very angry. Our Mission Statement is “Providing help and hope to all people through the transforming power of God’s love.” Included in the word ‘people’ are the children.
We see that it is the children who most often first seem to sense God’s love here not too long after arriving. It’s evident in the safe and secure environment that they discover in the delicious meals, clean clothing, and warm beds to sleep in.
After breakfast each morning, moms drop off their non-school age children in the Childcare Department on their way to Morning Bible Study. Children are welcomed into either the nursery and toddler area or the pre-school area by loving staff and volunteers. The brightly decorated rooms are an open invitation to come and play, learn, sing, laugh and enjoy everything from Bible stories to outdoor activities to arts and crafts fun and birthday celebrations. They can finally just be kids again.
The routine of a daily schedule in Childcare allows the children to embrace God’s love. Children desire structure and predictability in their lives to feel safe. We provide it in a way that supports Mom’s role as parent and also introduces additional ideas for Mom to consider. Sometimes our ladies did not learn how to parent from their parents.
The smiles on the children’s faces and the hugs that they so willingly offer confirm that God is actively working here at Laura’s Home! And these are some of our greatest joys as staff and volunteers.
__________________________________
Added by moderator:
To learn more, watch the Laura’s Home video and hear a mother talking about what it was like for her and her children to come to Laura’s Home for the first time.
I’ve got to ask the question – Did I miss something? I’m reading the blogs, magazine articles, and twitter feeds. I’ve met the young pastors – excited and fired up to plant new churches sometimes within blocks of existing ministries, fueled by the battle cry – You can’t have too many churches! Sitting in my office I’m surrounded by new church plants as well as mature ministries that have been serving the city for generations. Somehow they’re discounted and viewed as ineffective and not relevant. The focus, the passion, the thing to do today – is to plant a church. Not in Africa, or Asia, not deep in the jungles of South America where the gospel has yet to be preached, but right here on main street in America. Now, I not opposed to starting new churches in America. There are some areas in this country that need a church, but whether a church is needed, whether there are adequate churches in a community or even a neighborhood doesn’t seem to make a difference. That bothers me. I’m concerned that the Great Commission which clearly dispatches us to the ends of the earth to proclaim the gospel to those who have never heard is being overlooked. I’m concerned that many of these church plants are being represented as having no association when they have a very definite denominational connection. I’m concerned that the energy, the passion seems to be all about planting churches! Did I miss something? I thought we were to be all about proclaiming Christ to the world. That the passion, the commitment, the driving motivation was to get the gospel to the regions beyond. I thought the local church was to be a means to the end of reaching the world with the gospel and not an end in and of itself. Did I miss something?
For ninety-nine years The City Mission has been faithfully ministering to the poor and needy in central city Cleveland. The needs are great and truly the laborers are few. It’s past time for the church to come together and collectively attack the oppressive and destructive problems of hunger, poverty, homelessness, and despair. It’s my prayer that we don’t allow good things to distract us from the primary thing.
The headline in this morning’s Metro Section reads: “United Way helpline ringing off the hook as people struggle with the economy”. The article goes on to state that August was the busiest month of the year with thousands of people calling to find help with food, shelter and other emergency services. At the same time, non-profit agencies throughout the city are all reporting significant income loss and are struggling to keep up with the increased demand for services. Even the suburbs aren’t safe as the number of suburbanites calling 211 for help has jumped 190 percent since 2006 reports Scott Wertheim, director of 2-1-1 First Call for Help.
Increasing demand – decreasing resources, desperate people (urban & suburban) struggling to preserve their families, feed their children and save their homes. There is a confluence of factors at this time that may well be the perfect storm of social disaster. In desperation people search for an answer, a way out of the problem and by default government becomes that crutch. In a perfect storm, even government can’t rescue all those caught in the grip – something more is needed.
This is an unprecedented and usual time, the normal won’t work. There was a time in our society when the Church was the champion of the poor, widow and orphan. If you think about it, the largest and most influential corporation in Cleveland is not Eaton, it’s not American Greetings, and it’s not even the Cleveland Clinic. It’s the Church! If the Body of Christ would live out its biblical responsibility of caring for the poor and destitute the need could be met. People would be fed, the desperate would be comforted, the naked would be clothed and the homeless would find shelter. The Church in Cleveland represents an army of tens of thousands of people. It has the manpower, resources and influence to march into the storm and rescue the perishing.
Ninety-nine years ago The City Mission was started by a partnership of civic, business and church leaders. It promptly became known as “the downtown arm of the church”. The Mission remains a vehicle through which the Church can minister to those in deepest need. Whether it’s through providing finances, volunteers, food or prayer support the Church can work through the Mission to meet the needs of the poor. We invite you to labor with us. Visit our web site (www.thecitymission.org) for information on how you and your local church can connect!
Posted (Moderator) in Staff Posts on September-21-2009
by Dale Matthias, manager of Crossroads Men’s Crisis Center at The City Mission
Know anyone who has grown up hearing: “You are a failure! You are good for nothing. You will never amount to anything.”
Many of the men I work with have. If you listen to these words enough times (and they come from many sources), you actually can believe that it is true. The words can become an unhealthy part of your character.
But the truth we teach as part of our 2-week transformation training that all the men and women in the beginning of the Mission’s long term program using the book 7 Keys to Spiritual Renewal by Steve Arterburn and David Stoop: Failure is an event in space and time. Failure is not a description of a person!
As an event, failure helps us to learn what works and what does not. We encourage the men that if the word “failure” has been directed to them as individuals, they need to remember they (and you) are not alone.
We remind them that God and others will walk with you. God has promised to work everything out for those who love Him. God built into each one of us a need for Himself and others. God uses weaknesses to accomplish great things. God uses our foolishness to puzzle the experts. God, in pure love, desires for you to have an intimate relationship with Him, not with things of this world. That intimate relationship can only be found in and through JESUS CHRIST.
Two important things happen in the month of September – the Mission’s fiscal year ends and the budget for the coming fiscal year (which begins Oct 1) is approved. As you can imagine, this has been a challenging year for The City Mission. The need for our services remained steady and constant while our income declined sharply. As I watched the other non-profits in town it was easy to see that we weren’t alone in this scenario. So, as we began work on the next year’s budget we knew it was in the best interest of the Mission to reduce expenses as much as we could. To do this we evaluated our services, eliminated redundant services and strengthened and preserved vital, necessary, ministry components. In addition, we also renewed our commitment to finding, training, and deploying high level volunteers.
This process has resulted in the transformation of several City Mission ministries. A renewed commitment to serving our clients and strengthening and deepening relationships with existing clients has been affirmed. In our outreach to children – Pathways, programs have been revised so that connections and opportunities to meet and minister to parents and family units will more readily occur. A deliberate effort to identify services that are available in the community by other providers and yet also offered by the Mission is underway and those redundant services are being reduced or eliminated. In the process the City Mission is becoming more strategic, more focused, and I’m convinced, more effective in providing help and hope to all people through the transforming power of God’s love!
Posted (Moderator) in Staff Posts on September-9-2009
by Jon Van Oss, staff member of The City Mission
One of the best things about my job is interviewing the men and women we feature in our newsletters and other printed materials. On purpose we pick clients who are well along in their recovery process. Often times they are facing the immediate challenge of leaving The City Mission and re-entering society. It is wonderful to hear their stories of life transformation. They never fail to impress and humble me.
A young man comes to mind. John came to the Mission from the streets where he was a master of scheming and deception. John would often look through the paper to find funerals that he could attend, pretending to be a cousin or someone else in the family, just so he could receive the free food at the end of the service.
One day, John tried to end his life by jumping off of the I-480 bridge. Fortunately, he was not able to carry out his suicide and the police brought him to the Mission. Once here, the Holy Spirit got hold of his life and completely turned him around. When I interviewed him last year, John was now pouring his attention into others who had recently come to the Mission, encouraging them to face their own sins and accept the grace that can only come from God.
It is a great privilege to tell these stories. In future posts I will bring you additional stories of changed lives.
Michael Fry & T Lewis, the authors of the Over the Hedge comic strip wrote this: “The more things change, the more they remain…insane”. That’s exactly how it feels when the circumstances of life are turned upside down – insane. At least that’s how things feel to me. And if the insanity isn’t enough I find I also battle fear, anger, and a growing sense of resentment. All in all a pretty miserable place to be! What makes it even worse is that the road out of this morose can be long and very troubling. Fortunately for the child of God there is an alternative response and a better, healthier way to proceed. It all starts with understanding the cycle of change.
The book of Exodus is a book of change. Radical, unsettling, teeth jarring change. God in His grace prepares a leader, one man to lead a nation through uncharted territory. The experience of Moses is fascinating and very instructive. And from a personal perspective, has helped me keep my feet firmly fixed on the Rock. This is what happened:
In Exodus 3, God appears to Moses in the Wilderness while he was tending his father-in-law’s sheep. From within the burning bush God declares “I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt…so I have come down to rescue them…” He then says to Moses, “go, I am sending you to Pharaoh…” Moses responds not with excitement or joy – He complains, “Who am I that I should go…” God then concludes by assuring Moses, “I will be with you”. This same pattern or cycle is repeated with the Nation of Israel when God delivers them from Egypt. A close examination reveals a cycle with 4 movements:
God Intervenes – (“I have come down to rescue them”)
Circumstances Change - ( “I am sending you”)
We Complain - ( “Who Am I”)
God Directs - ( “I will be with you”)
The challenge for the child of God is to move from point 2 in the cycle to point 4 and avoid the trap of point 3. Moses eventually got there – he chose to believe the promise of God in Exodus 23:20 “See, I am sending my angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.”
One thing I know for certain – regardless of how perplexing your circumstances might be God is committed to bringing you to the place He has prepared. Will you trust Him?
I was only at the Mission for a few hours last week. I went in Monday morning as usual, but left quickly when my youngest daughter called to tell me her sister was being admitted to the hospital to give birth to our third grandson. Rita and I were on deck to watch her two little boys while their brother was being born. What an exciting day – first my two favorite little guys were coming to my house for an extended visit and second, a third little guy was about to break on the scene. If you haven’t experienced this yet – this whole grandparent thing is terrific. So far I can only see an upside. Rita and I get all the fun, joy and pleasure watching precious lives grow and develop, basking in their affection for us and radiating our love for them. All the while watching our daughter and son-in-law raise them to love God and follow Him. As I anticipated becoming a grandparent, I heard much about the joys of the job and was ready and eager to start. What I didn’t expect was the pleasure I would receive watching my daughter parent. Rita and I have commented to each other many times – “they’re really doing a good job raising those guys”. There is tremendous joy and satisfaction in watching your children live well. John’s heart must have been full when he penned “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth” 3 John 4. All the work and sacrifice that went into the “rearing” process fades away. The joy of the present reality eclipses everything.
At The City Mission we’re in the life transformation business. Our focus is discipleship and our confidence is in the ability of the Spirit of God to change lives. The process can be long, it’s often painful and it requires sacrifice and persistence. The result is miraculous, glorifying to God and exceedingly joyful to me!