Renovo Ministries

Answering prayer

2007-04-11T23:09:00.000-07:00

So, I don't ever want to forget this date. Thursday morning at 2AM, we have found the two new directors of Renovo Bloomington. Praise God for His provision...and answering prayer during prayer. Lord, I pray that in the next year, you will be glorified even more beyond what we know today. You've taken this ministry and you've exalted yourself in it. I pray that you will continue to do so...may we look to you always for truth. Thank you for opening our eyes.

Here's to what He has...:) YAY!

New Blog Site

2007-02-25T21:47:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

Just wanted to inform you that you can find our new blogs at www.connexiononline.org. We update them every week with news from the week before-you'll have a chance to hear from a variety of perspectives since we now was our volunteers to contribute to the blog.

Be encouraged. Jesus is working!

Love,
Amy, Associate Director, Renovo Ministries

501cWHAT?!

2006-11-22T02:04:00.000-08:00

We found a name...Renovo Ministries...meaning to restore or renew God's creation back to Himself. We soon began making announcements in church about our Sunday lunches, inviting people to partake of the fellowship. Our volunteer base went from 6 to 90 in a matter of a month. We established an email account and began forming our leadership team.

Andrew and I kept looking for more opportunities to serve. We met with the director of the Shalom center, looking to see if we could help them in anyway. They needed $600,000 to purchase a building. I remember walking out of that meeting, determined to do something. I mentioned the idea of a black-tie event and we got excited. I called my mom, who gave me the phone number of one of her colleagues and I got to work. Not 6 hours later, after a conversation with my father, I found clarity. This organization was aimed at feeding people not only physically, but spiritually...so why was I about to pour my energy into an event that benefits something outside of that definition? I called Andrew, explained my reasoning, and he got even more excited than when we had had the conversation about planning the event. A huge weight had been lifted and a path began toward developing God's vision for this ministry.

Mike Hannigan, the colleague my mother connected me with, asked to meet with us one afternoon. We wanted to bring him at least a piece of paper explaining who we are and what our vision was. Andrew and I sat in the computer lab of Eigenmann one Sunday evening, hammering away at who we were. Once we had put together an extensive answer to that question, we printed it out and smiled at how amazing all of this was.

The next day, we took off for Martinsville and spent sometime at a bar table at Chili's with Mike as we explained everything that had been happening. He gave a bunch of contacts, advice on how to build an organization, and mentioned establishing ourselves as a non-profit by applying for a 501c3. I don't think I'll ever forget the rest of that afternoon. It was a beautiful day of 65 degrees in early October. As I was looking out my window, Andrew began talking about future plans to be made for the ministry. I looked at him and asked him if this was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. His face literally lit up as he affirmed the fact. "Of course!" he said. Regardless of the name of the ministry, we both had been called to radical living. And it was an ardorous call. We went to Lake Lemon for a time...most of which was spent in rest. I had a beautiful time with the Lord as He reminded me to keep Him as my vision..."Be thou my vision, oh Lord of my heart." And for the first time in my life, I could honestly say that He was.

Just as I'll never lose that memory, I will ALSO never lose the memory of our leadership meeting that Thursday night. Gosh...haha. I don't think I've ever entered a meeting so excited, and left one so humbled. Andrew and I had planned A LOT for that meeting. We outlined our international vision, the way "Big Renovo" would operate in January of 2008 as well as specific job requirements for leadership. It was intense, but we had a confidence. At the meeting, we passed out the pieces of paper to those present and began to talk about what we wanted to do. And people began to question. In retrospect, this was an amazing example of 2 Timothy 3:16-17 in which the Bible is used for teaching and correcting. But as I was sitting there, I felt the tension building up. It was mortifying to me. How did they not get this vision? Were we completely wrong? After prayer, I apologized to the group for my attitude and unwillingness to receive their comments. I felt defeated. That is...until I talked to Andrew and through him, God spoke truth. He reminded me that this ministry belonged to the Lord and therefore, He would provide the clarity as we labored on.

The very next day, I met with Ben. Originally, I went there to talk about some miscommunications he and I shared, but he had an idea for structure which set the stage for further development. He saw the ministry in 3 tiers. First, national/international Renovo. Second, Renovo within a college town and third, a ministry specific tier. For Bloomington, the third tier included the homeless ministry and jail ministry. From that vision, we found clarity.

We began investigating 501c3s. I had emailed my Uncle, one of the best tax lawyers in the nation, regarding the process. He sent me some literature and asked me to email him when I was done reading. Enjoying legal stuff, I found it somewhat easy to understand, but there was so much more for me to learn. Andrew and I got together one afternoon to investigate how to start a non-profit organization. I was overwhelmed. SO much work was involved. We needed to come up with $750 for a registration fee, an advisory board, a budget and so many other accounting files. It was here that I learned what it meant when your head swims. Ironically (and I say that with a smile), my Uncle called me as I was researching. He encouraged me in my work, but urged me to consider coming under an organization already established before going out on our own. After a decent conversation and a better understanding of where to go next, Andrew and I talked about who to come under. Both of us thought of our church, but for some reason, I could not find peace.

Later that night, I realized what it was. Renovo was not just meant for Bloomington. And another peace of our vision was formed. Over the next few weeks, through counsel from leadership and much prayer, we established the fact that we wanted to work WITH and THROUGH the church rather than as a parachurch organization. I found that I had a deep heart for His body. Working in the tier mindset, we found that each college town Renovo would be supported and a part of the local church.

After four drafts, multiple meetings, a lost microsoft word document, a couple arguments, and November 17th, we had our mission statement and vision for the next couple months. We were going to invest in a website, marketing literature, and we were going to act as a resource for students around the nation wishing to start outreach teams within their college ministries at theologically sound churches. (www.eccbloomington.org) We also became part of our church...an arm of the Connexion ministry. We purchased the domain for our website-www.renovoministries.org-and met with our pastor numerous times to solidify Renovo's role.

Additionally, we established a leadership structure and role definitions. First, we would have the leadership team, consisting of a small number of students devoted to taking discipleship roles in the ministry. Second, within each specific ministry, we would have core teams of people dedicated to participating in that ministry on a consistent basis, discipled by the leader of that ministry. Third, within each ministry, a steady flow of volunteers coming sporadically throughout the year would be discipled by those in the core group. Andrew and I met and defined our roles as directors, clarifying any confusion of responsibilities and we handed the homeless ministry off to Ben and Leslie. The director (one male, one female) is responsible for leading weekly leadership meetings, representing the organization at meetings with the Pastor or other individuals, checking in with leadership regarding discipleship of core groups and ministry development, meeting with each leader to discuss their personal walk with the Lord, consistent attendance to ministry events, consistent Bible study and prayer, and the male and female director must meet once a week to discuss future planning.

And that is where we are as far as organizational information. Our official launch is January 2007. Praise be to God!

Behind Bars

2006-11-20T13:36:00.000-08:00

During the lunch, Hal had mentioned his work within the Monroe County Jail. Andrew and I saw it as a sweet opportunity to get further involved with this culture. Earlier, Chuck, the man we took out to dinner, had been arrested for violating parole. Carl had told us about it, so we had gone down to the jail to see if we could visit him. We went on a Sunday afternoon, but were unable to get in due to scheduling. God had closed that door, but perhaps was opening another. You see, many of the men and women out on the street have been arrested at least once. We, along with Kelly, a girl Ben had met earlier in the week, decided to go see what it was all about.

I remember it as a cold, rainy Tuesday in late September. I picked up Andrew from class and we headed over to the jail. We ran inside, told the security our names and he let us in. I must admit, having clearance at local jail is kind of...well, cool. The average age of the "volunteers", if that is what you would call them, was about 75. We rode an elevator up to the 3rd floor and followed the guard to a room filled with men in orange suits and sea blue plastic sandals. The age range here seemed to be between 16 and 50. I sat down next to Hal and Andrew headed toward the back and a woman in a white lab coat began to speak. She gave a lecture on the importance of the brain and its functions in our everyday life. Honestly, I couldn't recite half of what she said to you because I found myself looking around, attempting to write the stories of these men in my mind. The woman, later identified to me as Hal's daughter, pulled out an actual human brain to display as entertainment. It was interesting, of course, but lacked something. All of this talk about the amazing brain and no mention of the Creator.

Andrew and I both left with a feeling of dissatisfaction. We set up a meal that Wednesday with Hal to talk about starting a Bible study with some of the men in the jail. "Something's a little off with him, Amy," Andrew mentioned when we saw him at the Shalom center later that week. He was wearing the same blue suit we saw him in both times before.

Tuesday before our meeting with Hal (we scheduled it for that Thursday, I believe), I was walking to class, praying. Austin, a guy very dear to my heart came to mind and I gave him a call. He had left a note on my car on Monday telling me how God has broken him. He called me back later, leaving a message asking if I could come talk and pray with him at the church. After class, I walked back and met him there. We talked a little about how God had humbled him, leaving him in a place he had never known before...emptiness without Christ. But he soon asked me about Renovo. As I began to talk to him, I saw his face light up with joy! I told him about our jail ministry opportunity and it was almost as if he jumped out of the chair (which would not suprise most people who know him). He told me he would come to the lunch with Hal that week as well as the leadership meeting that Thursday night. My heart was dancing!

Thursday rolled around. I met Austin and Andrew at the Sample Gates. We headed over to the Shalom center to meet Hal. We sat down and began talking with him about how to get further involved with the jail ministry. This normally would be a good conversation, phone numbers would be exchanged and dates would be set. It was like prying open a cedar chest which had been cemented shut. Andrew saw my frustration, kindly reminding me to be patient. I finally got a number out of him and the conversation somehow shifted to religion. A man at the table spoke of a recent visit of Ann Coulter to our campus. He mentioned how Hal had stood up and proclaimed "Who would Jesus bomb?" I asked him about his faith and he went on some schpiel about ego-centric yada yada. I tried to clarify, but again, prying open a cemented shut door. He did, however, say some strange things about Jesus. I expected Hal to confront him, being a priest and everything, but he said nothing. The man excused himself, which left the opportunity for me to probe Hal's beliefs. I asked him a simple question, "Hal, who is Jesus?" And THAT is when we discovered what was "off". Hal did not believe that Jesus was the only way.

God sealed the deal for us on that one. We'd have to find another way into the jail. There was no way in the world we were going to pursue something under someone who had a skewed idea of who our Savior is. Austin engaged in some debate and we found out that after nearly 40 years of theological study, this man had no idea. We left the meal praising God for His clarity in the situation. I was humbled by the fact that our faith, which is so complex and deep, contemplated by some of the greatest thinkers of all time, is sung also by a young child, understanding that "Jesus loves me, this I know". I wondered what it would be like if we tried to make songs out of some of the philosophies of this culture. "Ego-centric energy, this is what I think of me." Doesn't really have the same beauty, does it?

Later on that week, I found the number of the Chaplain of the jail. I called him and to my delight I discovered he was on staff as a counselor at Sherwood Oaks Christian church-one that is theologically grounded in the Gospel. And after weeks and weeks of calling him (I am pretty sure I called about 28 times), we set up a meeting and in it took strides forward in planning the development of this ministry. Before we went, I stopped at Starbucks to pick up some coffee/cider for the boys (Andrew and Paul). I put the cups on the top of my car as I loaded them in one by one. I was about to reach for the last one when the entire thing dumped all over me! A woman passed me by and said sarcastically, "What a great start to the day, huh?" Haha! And believe it or not, I emphatically agreed. It really didn't matter that I had a peppermint mocha on my pants. With His grace, I walked back into Starbucks, calmly explaining my situation. I walked out with a large version of the drink and a coupon for a free one. (smile)

We arrived at Sherwood Oaks and walked into Pastor Edwards' office. As we began talking I noticed that he seemed tired and worn down. He had seen so much and experienced so many unfaithful volunteers. Some of them would traffic drugs to the inmates, others would run special errands for them. And he knew Hal all too well. He explained that Hal had started this program, advertised as a life-building program, but really entailed old men talking about their war experience with the inmates. It was not a counseling, but a chance "for old guys to talk", he said. He tried to dissuade us with horror stories, but Paul along with Andrew and I were set in God's hope. We resolved to pursue this, if it was God's wil. And through HIS faithfulness, bring a new life to this man who was dedicated to a ministry, but had lost sight of Christ's joy.

Mission Statement

2006-11-17T12:36:00.000-08:00

Mission Statement
Christian students under the local church, serving the community in the power of the Gospel of Christ.

Renovo is an outreach ministry within the Church, working in the power of the Gospel. It is aimed at Biblically equipping young adults, encouraging them to pursue their relationship in Christ through Christian fellowship and Christ-centered service within their local, national and global community.

We adhere to the local church’s statement of faith.

We come under and submit to a Pastor within the church who, in turn, is accountable to a board of elders, just as outlined in Scripture. Everything we do must be authorized by this Pastor including announcements, mission trips, outreach events and discipleship efforts. We will do nothing outside of the authority of the church. Our ultimate goal is to glorify God and preach the gospel through word and action.

All those on the leadership team recognize the mission statement and submit to the authority of God's word. They believe the affirmed theology and demonstrate a Christ-like lifestyle in thought, word and deed.

We are called to unity in Christ. Romans 15:5-6 says, “Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

His Continual Provision

2006-11-15T10:01:00.000-08:00

I want to apologize for not keeping up on the stories here. Thanksgiving break is coming up and I plan to spend some significant time writing about the weeks prior. Hold me accountable to this!

Stories to come:

Behind Bars
Jail encounter-learning about the brain
Austin-seeing a man ignite for Christ
Meeting with Hal-so who is Jesus?
Steve Edwards-phone calls and a coffee spill

501cwhat??
Learning who we are as a ministry
Talking with Uncle Fred
Buying a domain
Meetings with the Board of Elders
Mission statement formation
Meeting with Dan

Renovo Sunday-Jesus Changing lives
$100 donation from student
Vicki-a Connecticut woman meets a Connecticut Girl
Abe
Gary
Carl
Organizations getting involved
Moving inside
Ben and Leslie

New Opportunities
Mexico Mission trip-God changing hearts
Women's Conference- Come away with Me
Jail/Men Ministry

Be blessed and I look forward to sharing the amazing works of God with you.

Luke 12:38-Clothe yourselves in service, awaiting His coming in glory!

Change of Plans

2006-10-26T11:22:00.000-07:00

So we decided on two weeks from Sunday, the 3rd. I knew that People's Park was not going to be an option, so my next endeavor was to find a place. I kept praying and knew that God would provide. That Monday, on my way to class, Paula from parks and rec gave me a call. She told me that there would be no way that they could grant us permission to use the park. She emphasized the fact that they had made an effort to "clean it up", hoping to bring more families to that area as opposed to the usual bums. She gave me two options: the Library and Trinity Episcopal Church. Immediately, I started making phone calls.

I first called Trinity to see if they would be able to provide a place. They had this beautiful courtyard which would be perfect for the "picnic" atmosphere we were trying to create. Father Don was unavailable at the time, but I left a message. Between classes and the next few days, we kept missing each other. By the time Thursday rolled around, Father Don had left for St. Louis, and wouldn't be back until that Monday. So in my mind, I closed the door, knowing God had ordained this vision and went for the Library.

That weekend, following a small group leadership training meeting, I went and got a membership to the library. I filled out the forms, requesting an area outside of the library and prayed that God would provide. That Sunday at Connexion, we made the announcement, with sign ups in the back. We left that day with 20 more people on our list for volunteers. We didn't have a place to serve the lunch, but we had the hearts. Sunday, we had a C-group lunch. Andrew came up to me in the middle of it all telling me about this man, Hal, which one of the guys had told him about. Apparently 4 years ago, Hal had talked to this guy and given him his number. Rob had been carrying it in his wallet for that length of time and now he knew why. Hal was extremely involved with the homeless culture downtown. I smiled as another door seemed to be opening.

Tuesday morning welcomed a call from Father Don. He initially expressed concern of conflicting with a church that served breakfast on Sunday mornings. I told him our main aim was lunch, looking to add to, not detract from the mission. Once understood, he not only welcomed us to use the facility, but offered to provide me with a key to the iron gates, so that we could not only do it this coming week, but as often as we so desired. My heart lept for joy! I made quick call to Andrew on my way to class and prepared myself for a blessing of the day.

I was scheduled on Tuesday to meet with Leslie for lunch. For some reason, God had put her on my heart to talk to about becoming involved in the ministry leadership. Andrew and I knew we needed to form some sort of core group to do the "behind the scenes" work. So far, we had the two of us, Paul, Jonathan, Ali, and most recently Ben. I met with her and I just knew that God wanted her on that team. I had a class at 2:30, we were done with lunch at 1, so I asked her to come with me to find Carl. We hadn't seen him much, so I figured I would try the usual places.

As expected, he was nowhere to be found, but along the way, we told people about the upcoming lunch. On our way back towards campus, we saw a man tucked away in the doorway of Trinity. I asked if she wanted to speak with him. We went together to talk to this man, hiding in the door from the wet weather. Everything he had on him was soaked. He was upset, but began talking with us. Clearly intoxicated, his speech was slurred. He told us stories of being the best dancer in high school, how his wife had left him with nothing, and how his $2000 social security check was coming that night and he would soon make his way to Florida to chase a love. We asked him if he could come to the lunch to help. "I'm not going to make it that long," he replied. He told us of how for the past 20 years, he tried to drink himself to death. "I just want to die. There's not point in this any more," he would say. Brent knew a lot of trivial facts, he told us about music and Elvis-especially a dinner he had had with him in Las Vegas. He recited the helping verbs without flaw, and above all of this expressed a lack of desire to know or even talk about God. Leslie and I explained the hope found at the cross, but he was blinded by the Jack Daniels, Beer, and years of apathy which plagued his life.

The rest of the week, Andrew and I posted flyers, letting everyone know about our meal. I was excited to see what He would do in the midst of everything. He had provided the people to serve, the place, now all that was needed were those who needed a warm meal on Sunday, and a taste of His mercy. We stopped by the church on Wednesday to pick up the key and talked with Father Don. I asked Don about Hal. Hal had been an Episcopal priest and I figured Don would at least know about him. Not only did he know about him, he was friends with him. Hal was still alive and kickin at age 88.

We had a meeting set for Thursday night following the Campus Crusade meeting. Nathanael happened to be there that week and I invited him over to hang out. I had no idea why I felt the need, but God made it clear as time went on. Paul presented us with a menu of Chicken soup, caesar salad, fruit salad and iced tea. Leslie, Jon, Ali, Andrew, Ben, Paul, and soon Nathanael showed up at the meeting. I looked around as we prayed, marvelling at the beauty of what God was doing. God had placed certain areas of the ministry on our hearts-for Leslie it was prayer, for Andrew it was leadership, for Ben it was volunteers, and for Paul it was food.

Friday night, we went grocery shopping. Saturday, we all got together to make the food for 25 people. It was a blessed time of fellowship. Andrew and I got together later and prayed for the coming day-for weather and everything. We were ready for what He had for us.

Sunday came and Paul was prepping the food in the church kitchen. We thought to purchase coolers instead of always borrowing the church's. So we filled up the soup cooler, filled up the iced tea, packed up the car, and made our way downtown. As we were setting up, an old man hobbled over to the courtyard. He was dressed in a blue suit and tie, equipped with a cane. It was Hal. I was elated! I went to Andrew, pulling him away from a conversation and he began talking with Hal. We prayed, opened the gates and began our lunch. We served about 50 people that day with the food we had made. People had the chance to sit, eat and talk with one another. God had blessed it.

Its funny to look back nearly three months later to see how far God has brought us. And I will continue to write the stories, because I do know it is important to remember the intricacies of God's hand. As of now, we have had four events, about to have our fifth lunch. Our volunteer base has grown from 9 to 85. Our leadership team has grown from 5 to 11 and at least 3 of the 11 feel a call to take this to a global level.

God's showing us His plan, providing clarity. Renovo is more than just us getting together to make food, but rather this amazing opportunity for our generation to rise up and proclaim His gospel. To know Him and make Him known by loving His people. Not to us, but to His name be all glory, honor and praise. Jehovah Jireh, God our Provider, has begun to pave a way of radical ministry...something to which a handful of us feel called for the remainder of our time on this Earth.

And all God's people sing out "Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! He reigns!" He reigns!

~Amy

Saturday in the Park

2006-10-16T19:57:00.000-07:00

September 2nd rolled around...the launch of our first outreach event. We had set it up to meet in People's Park. You've heard me mention this place in the past. Downtown, there's this open area with picnic tables and wide open space. Its perfect for a picnic. We had spent the night before making turkey sandwiches, homemade hummus and granola and a special mix of limeade and lemonade.

Earlier that week, Andrew and I had met with Carl to ensure that everyone knew about the lunch. We told Abe and Gary and Axel and every one we saw. The response was quite positive. I had called downtown to make sure we could use the space at the park. Brenda, with the Parks and Rec department had asked me to submit an application. We had gone grocery shopping on Friday and prepared the food that day. All seemed to be going according to plan.

Brenda called me on Saturday morning, telling me that she could not permit the use of the park. She claimed that it put the department under too much liability. I prayed hard. I explained to her we had already purchased and made the food. I was not going to relent. Especially after God had provided so much up until that point. Even the night prior to the event, while we were preparing the food, Paul and I went to the church in search of a cooler for the drinks. Had we gotten there five minutes later and on a different day, we would not have gained access to the storage room.

Later that night, Andrew and I had spent a while talking about what God was doing, lifting it up in prayer to the Lord. We both were just excited...amazed that God had brought us this far. We had about 7 people committed to helping out the next day. I smiled at the thought that I barely knew this guy 2 months ago.

I sat on my bed around 10am waiting for Brenda to call me back. I prayed that God would soften her heart. Ten minutes passed with the beating of my heart as the second-counter. My phone rang and she told me that she would permit for this one time...and one time only. I thanked her profusely and got ready for everything.

12:15pm came around pretty soon. We were planning to meet at Paul's at 12:30 to bring all the food over. Right before I left, I caught Andrew online. He told me he would be late...he was in the middle of something. My heart began to tense up. I got to Paul's only to be greeted by a guy who had committed to helping, now saying he wouldn't be able to. I'm pretty sure that there is nothing that frustrates me more than when people do not honor their words. But I expected Satan to try to destroy this. I prayed and headed downtown with the utensils and plates.

We all parked and eventually met up. I was in my mode. I'm sure everyone who knows me knows this mode. Its the "I'm focused, don't bug me" mode. We all got together and prayed quickly and set up the food. There were a few people in the park, but none of the guys we had seen. It was absolutely not what we expected at all. The town was hosting an arts festival, so it was buzzing, just not with the people we had hoped to serve.

Andrew and I took the opportunity to walk around town to look for any familiar faces. No one was around. We walked through the art show, talking about how this wasn't what we expected, but accepted God had a plan.

Shortly after we arrived back at the site, Carl showed up. My heart jumped when I saw him. We talked to him for a while, soon to find out that when he had told us Saturday...he had meant Sunday. I laughed a bit and he advised us to change the date to Sundays. I kept reminding myself to breathe. Ben Wories, a very tall individual with shaggy blonde hair, joined us that day. He brought with him his guitar. Ben and I had gone to New Orleans in the Spring. He started to play and I started to sing. Soon I noticed a guy, biker-looking, but had a soft spirit standing and talking with Andrew. I introduced myself. His name was Carl, but I only remember that now because of what has happened since then. I have this habit of not internalizing names upon first hearing them. He talked with us for a while, thanking me for singing.

The afternoon came to a close. Most of the food was gone, but we had some left over lime-lemon tart stuff. A guy, seemingly a bit off, began to explain the ways of nature. How we just have to make an effort to understand it. He used the wasp populating around the drink cooler as an example. Andrew had had an encounter with bees earlier that summer...some decided it would be fun to fly up his shorts. So he had none of this "understanding" business. He just accepted the insight of the gentleman, but waived it in his mind. Bees sting...stinging hurts...bees hurt. Yeah...logic.

So that afternoon began a switch. We had a couple weeks to figure everything out, but we began to change our outlook. We were going to make an announcement in church that Sunday, work to find a place to serve the following Sunday, and begin to pray for a leadership team to rise up and serve. And in our finite minds, we thought that that was big. Haha...silly us.

Beyond Tatoos and Piercings

2006-10-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

Matthew 11:28-"Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest."

Funny how things start. I was just thinking today how God uses our weaknesses to show His power and strength. Andrew and I established a friendship through human weakness, but God knew His plans and had shook the holds of evil selfishness, birthing a new, lovely heart for the "nameless" of Bloomington.

August days vanished like vapors, but we remainded faithful in maintaining and developing relationships with those on Kirkwood. We saw Carl a few times that week. At one such time, Carl told us about a church not too far from town which he had attended a few times earlier in the year. He mentioned how welcome he felt there and invited us to go one Wednesday night. We agreed to meet at 5:30 outside of the library. I stopped by Alcazar to meet Andrew. I must admit I was nervous. We were going to allow this total stranger in a car with us...what if he tried to kill us? Silly, perhaps. I had to trust God's provision. Andrew told me that I could take him. Haha...yeah.

We pulled up to the library and sure enough, there sat Carl. He was slightly cleaner than usual. He had moved into an apartment with a friend of his. We got into the car and started off. I kept praying as we listened to the Christian radio. Carl kept on talking...I think silence made him nervous at times. He called Andrew cute. "Is strange for me to call you that," he said in his southern twang. Andrew accepted the compliment and we soon arrived at the church.

The House of Prayer was tucked away on this street off the main road. The gravel crunched underneath the tires as we pulled into our parking spot. It was beautiful to me. The building was much like that of a newer church, nothing rustic about it, but the climbing wall at the bottom of the hill coupled with the landscaping and welcoming faces was nothing short of stunning. Carl kept talking...made me think he was nervous. He said he hadn't been back in a while, but directed us to the main room. We were clearly early, but we found a seat and looked through our Bibles for a little while.

The main sanctuary was decorated with ministry opportunities, Bible verses and symbols of our faith. At the front of the room, which was to our left as we walked in, was a stage decorated with road signs. Signs like "No sin" or "Caution: Christian biker crossing" and my personal favorite "Body Piercing saved my life". The worship band was practicing their music. The lead singer was a bald guy, tight jeans and a couple earrings. The lead guitarist had a long pony tail, a matching long beard/mustache combination, and biking leathers.

Needless to say, this was not your average all-American church-going crowd...or was it? Perhaps not picture perfect, but since when did pictures determine standards? The congregation was an eclectic mix of individuals. Some looked exactly like your typical midwestern individual-nicely dressed and calm. While others donned biker gear, soiled shirts and pants with accidental holes, still others in suits and dresses. All I could do was smile...how Jesus must be dancing for this place.

Anyway, we looked around the church for a little bit and found a seat near the front. Carl stepped out for a few minutes to smoke while Andrew and I got acquainted with a couple ladies sitting nearby. One was just visiting her son, the worship pastor and another was a frequent attender. Both older, but both on fire for Jesus! They were so welcoming.

The service started with worship. People were excited! I thought about how difficult it had been to start the clapping at church back in Bloomington, but you had people clapping on all kinds of beats here! I looked over at Andrew and saw him smiling. My heart echoed the joy portrayed by his smile's size. Following worship, they had a time of prayer for healing and then testimonies. People told stories of healing of cancer, pain in limbs, peace of the heart. The Pastor asked if anyone was blessed this week and Andrew leaned over shortly after saying, "I've got something to tell you later...its really encouraging." One man, while sharing his healing ran around the church a couple times in joy. What freedom!!

The Pastor introduced the speaker for the evening. The head pastor was out on a biking trip to Georgia with some of the congregation. That night, the man speaking was a missionary from India. I would butcher his name if I tried to spell it, but it really isn't his name that matters. This man was radiant. He spoke of how God transformed His life and used him to share the gospel in a nation where Christianity was punishable by death. God had healed his hand, provided finances, and allowed him to see Indian men and women come to know the Lord. He spoke for about an hour-long, yes, but I couldn't get over how excited this man was about Jesus. I silently prayed for God's provision for me. I asked him to give us a plan and a structure for our Saturday lunch endeavors. It still amazes me at how completely clueless I was to what He had...but He was preparing Andrew and me for something far greater than we could have ever dreamed.

The service ended and we made our way back to the car. The sky was magnificent. It was golden...seriously. The clouds seemed to have a metallic glow. Magenta, orange and gold. Breath-taking.

As we got back into Bloomington, Carl was talking about how he needed to "get better". He had apparently wasted this half of his life. I was quick to encourage him...he had the rest of his life to live for Christ. I asked him if he had a Bible at home. He first said yes, but soon changed his answer to no. Almost instinctively, I offered him mine. I had another one at home...and though this one was one of my favorite Bibles I did have the luxury to purchase another. We found his apartment, dropped him off, and drove away.

One of the things I've learned throughout all of this is to never forget where you've come from...and worship God for where He's brought you in the midst of it. Harold Myra, in his book "Living by God's Surprises" says, ""God appears in the most illogical connections and when we least expect Him. And sometimes His surprises come right out of the heart of our weaknesses. If we have eyes to see."

God began paving a way for His work in us. And as we sat down for a quick Subway lunch, just days before the summer ended, we offered up the future to Him, knowing He would work, of course...but not having a clue as to how far, deep, wide, and long. God had written a masterpiece, choosing us as His instruments.

An Angel in Disguise

2006-10-08T20:43:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 13:2- "Do not neglect to entertain strangers for by so doing, some have entertained angels without knowing it."

I thought he was nuts. Seriously, he was taking things a little too far. An inside guy? Andrew wanted to find someone who knew all the inside stuff about homeless culture. I laughed at him, thinking how "detective" he was sounding.

Two weeks went by. I met Andrew at Paul's place, lovingly named "Alcazar". All residents are deemed "knights" and appropriately so-they are incredible knights of the cross.

I didn't feel up to serving someone that day. I was perplexed over some emotional stuff, but I went regardless. I likened it to a spiritual "going to the gym". If you've got an accountability partner, you go regardless of whether or not you're feeling pumped.

We went together to what we deemed "the prayer spot" downtown. As we approached, I saw Barry. I always love seeing this man. He heads up the United Way in town. Andrew said he knew him. Once Andrew realized he'd seen him at a panel, we started up some small talk on non-profit business. He asked us where we were going to dinner. I remember it being a bit strange trying to describe what we were doing. I mean, "we're taking a homeless guy out to dinner." Then he would say, "who?" And we would say, "Whomever God ordains." Not your typical conversation. Barry bid us farewell and Andrew pulled out his wallet to reveal Barry's business card. I smiled...maybe he had been there for a reason.

We sat down on two separate benches. Both us felt heavy that day. We talked for a while, then began praying. Throughout this time, Andrew was being attacked my a fly. Regardless of his swatting attempts, the fly would not relent. We prayed for a little bit, praising God and asking Him for guidance. Then we headed downtown. Andrew said, "I know God wants us to be here tonight. I prayed for Him to make that place comfortable if He didn't want us to do anything. And that dang FLY would NOT give UP!" I smiled again.

On our way down to People's Park, we passed a couple people. First, we saw an old lady with a grocery cart who Andrew pointed out. I asked him if we should ask her. He kept walking...I took that as a no. Secondly, we passed a guy sitting outside by the library. Something inside me tugged. He said hi...we returned the greetings and walked on. I mentioned him to Andrew and kept walking.

We sat on the outskirts of the park watching a few boys do some crazy tricks with their skateboards. I was anxious. I had an agenda. Who would we feed tonight? We sat there for a little while longer and headed back toward the library. We passed the man again. This time he was rolling a cigarette. He jokingly said "Don't worry, its not the bad stuff!" I chuckled, but felt the tug again. I stopped Andrew from walking. "I really think we're supposed to ask that guy." He hesitated. "What if he's not homeless??"

He went to sit down on a cement pillar. I sat with him, frustrated to no end. I kept thinking that I knew what we had to do! Why couldn't he see it?? Andrew began talking about how he didn't feel like he was where he was supposed to be. That there was something bigger to be done. I sighed in frustration. "Andrew, sometimes we have to take action in order to get to the bigger things. God is working...we have to act in Him." We sat there for a while longer...and then, just as I was opening my mouth to say "Maybe we should just go home." Andrew got up..."Let's go!"

Andrew approached the man and asked if he would like to join us for dinner. The man was shocked. He declined the invitation, but we sat down and began talking to him. His name was Carl. We asked if we could pray for him instead. He eagerly accepted that. I remember feeling at peace knowing God was working. After we said "Amen" we began talking to him.

Initially we spoke of where he was from, how he got here. He was so open with us! I noticed it right away, asking him questions about his past. His father had been killed by a jealous lover, he had gotten deep into drugs and alcohol. The story went on and on. He would ask questions throughout our conversation including whether or not Andrew and I planned to get married. We both laughed, saying we were leaving any future stuff up to God. Carl reminded Andrew that he could do much worse. He agreed. I was honored once again. We moved on.

Eventually the conversation shifted to Carl's faith. He loved Jesus and read the Bible and went to this church in a nearby town. Apparently it was a bunch of biker guys praising Jesus. I chuckled at the picture. We then moved to politics. This led to a local government conversation...which led to God taking my breath away. As I sat and listened to Andrew and Carl speak...I realized...this was the man...the inside guy! He spoke of ideas to change the culture and help his brothers. He spoke of the need for a Saturday meal. Only 2 places served and they were on opposite ends of the town. And the meal they did serve was insufficient. I poked Andrew in the side...I couldn't believe this was happening. After about an hour, we wrapped up the conversation and prayed for him once more.

We walked away. There was that insane smile again. I felt it inside. I was so excited! God spoke through Andrew that night he talked about "the inside guy". I hugged him as we walked up the street. Man, it was sweet!

We both were pretty hungry...it was 9pm. I listed off 4 places. We chose Coaches Bar and Grill. We hugged again...praising God for His guidance!

We sat down. The hostess informed us that our server's name was Amy. I armed myself with a witty remark about the similarities of our names. She approached the table and before I could say anything...she asked me if I went to Campus Crusade. Then asked if I went to New Orleans! I smiled even bigger. She took our order and walked away. Andrew told me to invite her to my Bible study which would be on Tuesday nights. She came back and I did.

We PRAISED God for the food that night. On one of the TVs, it showed the first woman to be in the basketball hall of fame. Andrew said..."That's pretty exciting...but Amy, that's about one millionth of what we're feeling right now!"

We now had a next step...serving meals on Saturdays. God also gave us a man who knew about those whom we wanted to serve. And all Andrew and I could manage to say that night amidst the smiles and exultations to Jesus was..."Somethin!" Indeed...Jesus was moving...creating something...restoring something back to Himself...Renovo.

Dinner with Chuck

2006-10-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

"Do you love me? Feed my sheep."-Jesus

The week progressed. I was excited about the upcoming dinner, but life often clouds the excitement. One such night, working as cashier at my job, a usual customer came in ordering the same food as always. She walked up to the register as I greeted her with my cheerful "Hey! How was your day?!" Her response was honest. "It was pretty awful." I gently inquired as to why and she said, "Basically, I've come to the realization that I've waisted a year of my life this town. I can't find a job and life seems pretty worthless right now." People were waiting to pay, so the conversation ended with me complimenting her hat and her chuckling at my attempt to be kind. Later on, as she ate in the dining room, I attempted to find out more. I wiped down some tables, talking to her and it seemed to be as she discovered my plan she closed up. She said "Sweetie, I know you're trying to be sweet, but I don't want to talk about it." Her voice was cold. I calmly received her dismissal and continued my job.

Thursday came quick as always during the summer time. I had class that afternoon, but had to go early to complete the assignment for that day. I was sitting in one of the lobbys and I looked up and saw my customer from the previous day. I was on the phone and she was busy, but I waved to her and she greeted me with a smile. Later on, while taking a break from the multi-hour discussion of stats, I saw her again and again greeted. I just knew that I had to tell her I was praying for her. But the opportunity passed as soon as it came.

I remember driving to the chiropractor before the set time...I believe it was 5:45 and Andrew called to confirm plans. We decided to meet at the square at the place we had talked on the previous Monday.

On my way to dinner, I was listening to a CD Andrew had made and this song came on..."Be still and know that He is God. Be still and know that He is holy. Be still, oh restless soul of mine. Bow before the Prince of peace. Let the noise and clammer cease. Be still." And my heart obeyed. I walked up the steps, absorbing the sights and smells of the evening. I rounded the corner and saw Andrew there. We both admitted to our nervousness and began to pray. Andrew started and once he had completed, I just listened to God for a while. I think Andrew thought I did not want to pray and he began to conclude, but I gently stopped him and told him I wanted to pray. "I'm just resting in Him." I uttered my prayers asking God for guidance and we got up and proceeded on our way.

"The first who asks." That was the message God gave to both of us as we walked down Kirkwood. We headed towards People's park. No one was out yet. And I mean no one. So we both walked toward a bench and sat down in this place in which we stuck out. Two of us: clean cut, neatly dressed, well-put together. The rest: disshevled, stained clothes, cigarettes and white foam soda cups and the occasional loaf of bread. I noticed this one boy. Red shirt, looked as if he was balding, but I soon noticed his hair, once jet black was giving way to the natural brown it once knew. Something about him...I was supposed to interact with him...I just didn't know how.

Andrew and I continued to wait, praying and occasionally singing a verse of "Amazing Grace." I was at peace. Then, I looked across the street as a black man seemed to take station outside of the local sandwich shop. He carried a large black duffle bag and a white bandage adorned his head. Something inside me stirred. A man passed him buy and there was an interaction...a request and denial. The passerby went to the ATM which was about 15 feet away from the other man. As he performed the usual task, my friend approached him again. I couldn't imagine how the man at the ATM felt, denying him a second time. Perhaps he felt threatened. I knew I would be scared.

I looked at Andrew and pointed toward the man as he restationed himself with his bag. He looked at me, smiled, and we got up and made our way across the street. Sure enough, as we "passed him" the man asked if we had any spare change. Andrew approached him and said, "Actually, we were wondering if you would like to join us for dinner." He accepted and we soon learned this Alabama native's name was Chuck.

The place of choice was just across the street equipped with outdoor seating. Chuck made it clear that we would be enjoying the humidity with dinner as Andrew and I went to inform a server of our arrival. We found our seats and began our conversation. Chuck had been in a bad car accident: hence the head wrap. His speech was muddled, hard to understand, but soon we were able to interpret his words.

Conversation began slowly. He kept on repeating the phrase "You know what I'm sayin?" in a drunken slur. We looked at the menus for a little while and continued talking. "So where do you stay at night," I asked. I knew as soon as I asked, I had tread on forbidden soil. He reprimanded me for my tactless inquiry and I felt it in my stomach. Andrew attempted to salvage the conversation by attributing my question to curiosity. Then, taking a lighter approach, I asked him about sports.

We ordered a round of waters, a cheeseburger for me and two Thanksgiving sandwiches for the gentlemen. Chuck continued with his ramblings. He spoke of how money spun the world and how he was just trying to get where he was goin. I don't think we ever specified where...but I knew. Chuck was tryin to find peace...and had been for years.

As we waited for the food, I watched as passerby's examined the situation, wondering what two young kids were doing with a man they saw on the streets. Chuck greeted a couple of his friends and one stopped to chat. With him was a large black dog. We later learned his new name was "Mr. Beep". The man was disoriented and antsy. I think he was shaking. He knelt down and talked with us for a little bit. He never made eye contact, but was loud and abrasive. His language was that of a sailor. I felt the hurt.

I offered him the seat next to me and put in an order for another burger. He declined, but asked for a couple dollars for his beer for the night. I shook my head and offered him the food again. "No honey, I'm alright." He fed Mr. Beep the left overs from another table and left mumbling something about how he had to kill someone that night. I had an extra burger on the table.

Just as he left, as if on cue, the boy from the park...the one with the red shirt came toward us on his bike. I shouted after him. He stopped and looked. I knew what I had to do. "I'm supposed to give you this," I said as I handed him the extra burger and fries. He looked at me, bewildered and confused. "Thank you." Chuck motioned toward him and said "This girl here...she's an angel. You'll never meet a nicer girl." The boy smiled at Chuck and nodded. "Be careful tonight," I cautioned. His eyes opened wide as if I had salted an open wound. He acknowledged it and rode away.

Chuck was soon finished. He asked if he could leave. I smiled at him. "What ya smilin for?" he asked me. "Jesus loves you, Chuck. That's why."

I hadn't been that hungry, so I placed the remaining half of my sandwich in a styrofoam container. We paid and began walking back to the car. We had church that night. As we walked by the library...we saw him. Merl...sitting there. Andrew lit up and exclaimed "Yes!" So, I hadn't been hungry...but Merl was. I handed him the box...quickly noticing that he had no recollection of our previous interaction. It did not seem to matter. God fed three people that night.

We continued up the road and as I looked ahead...I saw her. For the third time that day. I threw up my arms with joy and exclaimed "It must be God!" I asked for her name...Stephanie. I told her I was praying for her and she looked at me and pulled me in for a hug. Imagine!

Andrew and I listened to the song, "Be still" and we basked in the glory of the moment for a while. Be still and know that He is God. And to think...this was only the beginning.

A Man Named Merl

2006-10-08T20:33:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 3:5-6-"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

I was stressed out a month ago. I had had a long day and was overwhelmed with the work my 4-week class demanded of me in the upcoming month. I needed some time away from life, so I called a friend and we decided to meet on Kirkwood. We began walking, greeted by a beggar on the street asking for spare change for the night's buzz. I had nothing on me and neither did my friend, but we greeted him with a hello and went on our way. We spent some time talking at my favorite place up on the square, bouncing back and forth ideas on the typical topic...God. Nature began calling, and we headed back to heed it. We were greeted by the same beggar with the same question, and again we greeted him in return. I think Andrew said "God bless."

After my bathroom break at Soma, we walked back out to the street and I asked him if he wanted to go back and pray for the man. He agreed and we soon found ourselves at his side, Andrew asking him if we could offer him prayer. His name was Merl...I should be asleep right now. I have to wake up at 7:30 tomorrow morning, but I really feel as if I should write this before I go...perhaps as an act of worship. So, I praise God for what He is doing in me right now and how He is moving in those around me.

God has placed people in my life...even in my ugly past...who are helping to grow me into a beautiful woman of God. Talk about Proverbs 31! Every single day, I have an opportunity to minister to someone. Whether it be the man on the bus, the kid with the lip ring or a close friend needing prayer. The fact of the matter is, I have this insanely AMAZING opportunity to serve others...in everything I do. Why do I say this? Because I think we all have this chance.

So I pray this:Jesus, you are so awesome, holy and sovereign! I worship you for being my Savior, Lover, and King. You have opened my eyes, lifted my earthly and fleshly veil and have allowed me to really see how you place people in my life for a reason. Tonight, before I rest my head, I ask that you would stir the hearts of all I know to move and be aware as I am and have been recently. Allow them to see this amazing opportunity to serve you in every thought, every word, and every deed. Continue to let me be ever aware of these people you have placed in my life that I might be You to them. Lord, I pray for all of those tonight who feel lost, scared, unloved, and worthless. I pray for Merl, Tony, Chuck, Carl, Abraham, Evan, Jessica, John-Mark, Colin and every other person I know who is searching for peace. I know You are the only place in which we find rest. I pray that You pour over them the peace "which surpasses all understanding" that they might taste the beauty of Your love and know Your power. You are the God of miracles and the impossible. I rest in that truth, claiming each of those souls in the name of Jesus Christ...the name which moves mountains and stirs hearts. Adonai, the Great I Am, Jehovah Jireh, Jesus, Father, Holy Spirit, Helper, Keeper, Lover, Shepherd, Elohim...be praised and glorified here. You are eternal and we worship You! Be the fire in my heart,Be the wind in these sails,Be the reason that I live,Jesus, oh Jesus. In your precious name with a chorus of "Alleluia, He reigns!"~ Amen

That night, after praying for Merl, and after Andrew and I had went our separate paths, Andrew called me. "I know how we both feel about street evangelism and stuff, but I was wondering if you would like to take a homeless person out to dinner a couple times a month." My heart jumped for joy, "Yes! That'd be incredible!" We decided on that coming Thursday. This story is one of two individuals tasting, for perhaps the first time in their lives, the true Joy of following the will of God in the small and large decisions in life. We both have come...and are continuing to...understand the depth of His immaculate and unsurpassing joy. This is praise to God for His guidance and handiwork. As it unfolds...be blessed.~Amy