When ministry gets messy
From my church’s director of outreach:
“How do you make the best decision when the way seems unclear? For example, there has been a group of homeless people sleeping on our church grounds for months and months, and the decision of what to do about this situation has been confusing. On the one hand, it is good that many see our church as a place where they can sleep safely, a place to call home. On the other hand, our church has many more things going on during the week than simply being a place where folks can sleep, and there is no way to monitor or know who is staying on our grounds, what their background is. As a church leader, I have a responsibility for the big picture of our church, but sometimes two halves of the picture don’t line up. On the one hand, wouldn’t Jesus let the homeless people stay on church property (or let them sleep inside the building for that matter)? On the other hand, a few bad apples have stolen some things, peed on the doors, left excrement on the sidewalk, which reflects poorly on the whole bunch. On the other hand, where else do you “do your business” when you are outside? Many who slept at our church would say that Grace is their church home, and when we put up No Trespassing signs, indicating that they are not welcome to stay there anymore, they felt as thought their church were turning on them….”
» Read all of “Ministry to the Poor Can Be Messy” at Joy in the Margins
Marshall echoes my own thoughts. Sometimes it’s a lot easier just to stay in your own world. But that’s not what Jesus would do. Not what He did, actually.
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Sue rocks
In non-homeless news, I phoned Sue after hours on a Friday to ask a couple of web design questions, which she promptly, graciously and skillfully answered, despite the admittedly lame timing of the call. Problems solved. Her expertise is much appreciated. Sue and I met through the Greensboro blogosphere. Just one of the many benefits of being part of a community of bloggers. Join us. 
(And yes, I really am going to get my new business site up soon. For reals.)
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The culture of discontent
From Pastor Joel:
“…back to contentment. There is a joy that comes with living within one’s means, a great sense of satisfaction. We’ve lost that joy. We need to reclaim it.
We’re not lab rats and Pavlovian dogs. We don’t have to say ‘how high’ when the merchants of discontent say ‘jump.’ We need to tell them to go to hell…”
Amen.
I have affluent friends who’re living their lives chasing the dollar, and I have poor friends who’re doing it, too. It’s an equal opportunity affliction in this country. It seems that no matter who you are or what you have, our culture teaches you to want more. But enough is never enough — even if you already have what you need. And how do you define what you really need? Ask someone who has nothing. You might be surprised by what you hear.
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Bike cops’ efforts with the homeless to be recognized during National Police Week
May 15th is Peace Officers’ Memorial Day and May 10-17 is National Police Week. A number of community events during the week will honor the lives and memories of the 10 members of the Greensboro Police Department who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty, as well as recognize the achievements of the dedicated officers who protect and serve us every day.
Members of the Center City Resource Team (the “bike cops”) will be recognized at the Police and Citizens Appreciation Dinner and Memorial Ceremony on Thursday evening for their efforts to assist the homeless in downtown Greensboro. These officers contact me and local homeless service providers about homeless people who need housing, medical care, mental health and substance abuse treatment. Some officers provide blankets for homeless people who sleep outside. They participate in the annual homeless count. Some carry printed lists of services available to homeless people to hand out to those who need them. An officer went with us after his shift ended to deliver furniture to a chronically homeless man who had received a housing voucher and moved into an apartment. The man cried as he talked about how the officer had taken care of him while he lived on the street downtown. These are just some of the many things these officers have done to show kindness and compassion to our homeless friends.
There are definitely times when enforcement is unavoidable in dealing with homeless people (substance abuse and mental illness can produce some pretty uncool behavior at times, and these officers understand where the behavior comes from), but I cannot say enough about how much I appreciate and how grateful I am for the concern, the wisdom, the common sense and the compassion of the downtown bike cops. (And Sgt. Blaylock, too!) They deserve commendation. God bless ‘em all.
A list of all the GPD awards is below. Read more
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Tuesday, May 6th: Eat more, feed more
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for emily, audrie and lv
“Friends”
Elton JohnI hope the day will be a lighter highway
For friends are found on every road
Can you ever think of any better way
For the lost and weary travellers to goMaking friends for the world to see
Let the people know you got what you need
With a friend at hand you will see the light
If your friends are there then everything’s all rightIt seems to me a crime that we should age
These fragile times should never slip us by
A time you never can or shall erase
As friends together watch their childhood fly
Thanks for being there. Love, me
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