by Dale Matthis, Crossoads Men’s Crisis Center Manager at The City Mission

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One of the key components of the Crisis Services Programs is the true inner transformation of an individual verses the outward appearance of change that so many are used to or that has been so ingrained in them. What a wonderful sight it is to see an individual transform from when they first walked thru our doors! These men and women are seeking, but seeking includes surrendering and submitting. This process has its own challenges and choices to be made, but it comes with a more positive outlook.  The countenance of their character changes.  Their view of relationships changes from unhealthy to healthy and as they are filled with the love of God thru Jesus Christ the Bible becomes personal to them. The person moves from dependency to independence and entitlement is replaced by gratitude and contentment.

For many years now The City Mission has celebrated the ongoing journey of these individuals that have fulfilled the basic requirements of the Crisis Services Program by recognizing them at their own Commencement Ceremony. This is a time set aside for them, their family and friends, to come together and rejoice and fellowship. Not only will they receive a diploma and special gift, but they will hear guest speakers and special music all geared to reflect the journey they have been thru and encouragement them to stay on the narrow road for the rest of the journey. It is truly a wonderful time for all.

 “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously , and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33 NLT. 

By Pam Glicker, Laura’s Home Women’s Crisis Center Manager at The City Mission

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It all began with a voice message in March from Terry Grahl of Enchanted Makeovers. She said she was from Michigan and was on a national outreach tour of women’s shelters doing ‘makeovers’ and would like to come to Cleveland in May, would Laura’s Home be interested. 

My first thought was that she was referring to hair, makeup and manicure services for the women, which would definitely be appropriate for Mother’s Day weekend.  But as I viewed Terry’s website and then talked with her on the phone, I was wonderfully surprised as to the type of ‘beauty’ she was referring to!  The goal of Enchanted Makeovers is to recognize all women as beautiful and to especially celebrate each one’s inner beauty as God sees it!

The two day event was set up to further inspire each woman who has found herself at a point in her life where a crisis has brought her to a shelter such as Laura’s Home, and to see that situation as an opportunity, not a difficulty, and to then allow God to work through them as they continue to focus on their God-given abilities and talents.

The event was ‘all that and then some’! Everyone had a blast creating their own two-dimensional works of art that captured their own personal ‘inner beauty’ for all to see!

This quote found at the bottom of one of the Enchanted Makeovers webpage’s sums up a message that we can all take with us: “Weave in faith and God will find the thread.”

by Joshua Foote, Social Media Manager at The City Mission

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What is the average age of a homeless person in the United States?  As the Social Media Manager at The City Mission, I’m constantly looking at the online discussion that is happening regarding homelessness.  From YouTube videos to organizational websites there’s a number you see over and over again.  9 years old.

It’s been tweeted and retweeted and quoted in blog posts by almost anyone who has anything to say about homelessness and why not?  It’s a shocking statistic.  That’s why I posted the question on facebook and twitter. Homelessness is hard to ignore when you change the face of it from a strung-out middle age man to a 3^rd grader just learning to write cursive.  Doesn’t it motivate you to act, to make a difference before it’s too late?  It should.  I have three little boys and they are precious.  Not just precious to me because I’m their dad, precious because they are unique and full of potential.  I would do anything for them.  Will that change when they are older?  If they grow up to be strung-out middle age men living on the street will I care any less for them?  I ask because the startling 9 year average statistic is almost certainly wrong.

It’s hard to say where exactly the rumor started, but the fact is no one really knows the average age of a homeless person.  It’s hard enough to agree on exactly how to make the classification of homeless and often the definition changes for children.  With so many different organizations and perspectives trying to track a group in a constant state of flux accurate information is hard to find.  The face of homelessness is hard to capture.

Discovering the truth has made me think a lot and I’ve chosen a new question.  Does it really matter what the average age of a homeless person is?  Of course if you’re deciding how to help someone, then their age changes how you do so.  But, that’s not what I’m doing at the moment.  I’m just picturing a face and deciding whether or not I’m motivated to take action.  Yes.  Children are precious, but more so than the shoeless, dirty, drunken vagrant?  Is the panhandler less than the playground pirate?  Jesus didn’t seem to think so.  Neither should we. 

As time goes by we will have more information about people who are homeless.  We will say how many million there are, how long they’ve been in crisis and how old they really are.  That will be a good thing.  But it is our understanding of the value of a single person, “the least of these,” whatever their age that motivates us to rise up and take the action that is needed.

by Rahim Nichols, Victory Program Supervisor at The City Mission

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Are you ready? This simple question has so many people holding back from fulfilling the call of God on their lives. Are you ready to pursue God wholeheartedly? Are you ready to run after God? Are you ready to die? Are you ready to lay everything down that you have been holding onto year after year? Are you ready to trust God? Are you ready to give God your life? Most people would say no, our sin nature is not ever ready to lay it all down, to die, but this is not the time nor the season to hold on. God is calling out His soldiers and will continue to raise up an army with or without you. Are you ready?

God has a habit of calling people who are not ready, but once they decided to give God their life, He is able to use them in ways they could never imagine. Was Gideon ready? Was David ready? Was Jeremiah or Peter or Paul? In the flesh no, but God saw a spirit that was ready and that’s why He chose them.  When they said yes, He equipped them with every tool, every weapon they would need to go to war for the kingdom of God. Are you ready?

So why wouldn’t God do the same for you. Just say yes and with that YES comes the grace and power of God over your life. Are you ready? When will we learn that this walk is not a game or a fairy tale, but life or death? That we have been called to reach the world, to reach the city of Cleveland?

A good friend of mine wrote a song that says “Giant Killers, Sword Wielders, and Spirit Fillers.” Body of Christ, this is the call to set the captives free. Are you ready? If so, stand up warriors and aggressively pursue God. To live is Christ and to die is gain. God has positioned us in a place in this city where people are hopeless, desperate, and need change, but in order for us to reach the city; we must say yes.  Be encouraged, Body of Christ, for God is with us. 

Jeremiah 1:9 “Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” 

All it takes is our obedience, our yes.

**You can also listen to Rahim share about the life-changing work of the Victory Program in this short podcast.

By Brent Richards, Inmate Outreach Services Manager at The City Mission 

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You hear the blare of the ambulance’s siren as it races down the road to get the injured or sick the care they desperately need.  You don’t know the person’s circumstances or condition, but you’re glad they’re going to the emergency room to get help.  After all, that could be you someday.  That’s what jail and prison ministry is like.  We can’t be focused on how someone got there; we have to stay focused on the answer, the best help available for all sinners: It’s Jesus.

Some folks think they’re not sinners even if the Bible says they are.  Sin, in Greek, is a bow and arrow term meaning, “to miss the mark”.  It’s aiming for the bull’s eye but being off by a little or a lot.  Some shoot more accurately at righteousness than others, but no one can reach God’s mark of righteousness.  God explains to us that absolutely all our attempts fall “short of the glory of God”.  Their best shot falls short of the mark. 

To help us understand, God reasons with us through the words of Job. “Truly I know it is so, but how can a man be righteous before God?  If one wishes to contend with Him, He could not answer God one time out of a thousand.”  (Job 9:2-3)  It would not matter if the man questioned is the professor with ten degrees of higher learning the burnout lying in the prison bed; neither can answer even one of God’s questions.  That puts man’s wisdom in perspective.  Man’s wisdom may be distinguishable from our perspective, but when compared to God’s wisdom the wisest of men is indistinguishable from the most foolish. (1 Cor. 1:18-25).

This also helps us realize how incredible God’s righteousness is. The greatest sinner is indistinguishable from the least when compared to the righteousness of God.  No matter how bad a sinner we are, we can receive the gift of righteousness from God (Rom. 3:20-23, 6:23, 10:1-13, 2 Cor. 5:21), and no matter how good a person we are, it’s not good enough.  We still need a Savior, and fortunately, God has provided One (John 3:16).  It’s Jesus.

That’s the message of Inmate Outreach Services in or out of prison walls.

*title taken from Isaiah 61:1:

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,”