Beginning

15 Tuesday May 2012

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I have a bad habit of mentally running through all the steps to and potential outcomes of a scenario and then psyching myself out of even beginning.

On Saturday, I went to the Malakowsky’s Apprenticeship to Jesus gathering where they described their journey to loving their neighbors.  Their story stopped me in my tracks (that well-worn track I just mentioned) in my own journey with loving my neighbors.  Though the Malakowsky’s didn’t have it all planned out from the start five years ago, when they moved into Brentwood Neighborhood, they kept talking to God about their neighborhood and their presence therein.

I heard it loud and clear, my beginning: I could pray. I could simply begin to prayer walk my apartment complex, my neighborhood.  I’ve done it before. I do it when I run through my neighborhood or walk back home on my cool-down.  But that was my agenda, my workout.  This was different, a beginning of being fully present in my neighborhood.  Sunday night I walked. And I simply repeated the reminder to myself “Just be here in God’s presence.”  I didn’t say anything else.  And when my mind started to wander I repeated that reminder:

Just be here in God’s presence.

It’s a beginning. Sometimes that’s all it takes.  What’s paralyzing you from taking that first step in being present with your neighbors?  Don’t over think it. Just begin. Trust the next steps and the results to God. I’m going to keep prayer walking in my neighborhood, being present and listening for the next step.

What if?

01 Tuesday May 2012

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After a first-time event people ask “would you do it again?” and “what would you do differently next time?” Those are the questions I’ve been considering after the Taste of Our Neighborhood Fair. It’s a challenge to separate those questions from an evaluation of the success of the just-past event, but these questions are about the future, not the past.
Even before the details of this, our first, neighborhood fair were in place, Dusty Parsons suggested that ‘next time’ we host a fair for the whole neighborhood. That resonates with me because it feels like it is an idea in sync with the pulse of our neighborhood. So I pose this question:What if next time we host a Celebration of Our Neighborhood Fair?

We started this journey 18 months ago, exploring our vision: living God’s love in the heart of our city, with a series of “what if” questions. Our future is bright as we continue to dream of “what if” and continue to explore.

What if over the next 12-18 months we indulge in the tastes of our neighborhood that we sampled on April 29 and more, spending much time in our neighborhood?
What if we deepened our investments in our neighborhood, cultivating healthy relationships with the residents here as we continue to serve the local schools, social services orgs, and the City?
What if our church became the neighborhood church for our area? Identified by the same kind of local community being created at Camelback & Central Ave, by those interested in walkability of a neighborhood and by the local-first patrons of our neighborhood.
What if 12-18 months from now half to 2/3 of our church family live in our neighborhood, joining the members already here.

So, what about this fair idea for next time?
What if 12-18 months from now we invite all our friends in our neighborhood, all of the local businesses, all of the residents to come celebrate the unique and wonderful attributes of our neighborhood community? So, our next neighborhood fair would have dozens of businesses present sampling and selling their wares to thousands of our neighbors.
What do you think? Can you picture it? Can you en-vision it?
Together bringing about our vision as a Christ-centered people living God’s love in the heart of our city, loving our neighbors in response to our deep worship of God, creator of all.

Taste of Our Neighborhood Fair

30 Monday Apr 2012

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On April 29 we had our first-ever “Taste of Our Neighborhood Fair” where we invited local businesses to come let us sample their goods as we introduced our church family more intimately to our church neighborhood.  Here is the synopsis of the challenge we shared as a church family during the fair:

For 18 months we’ve been discovering what it looks like to live God’s love in the heart of our city.  Each time we’ve served our neighbors we have also prayer-walked our neighborhood.  One exciting observation, among many discoveries, about our neighborhood is that it is in transition.  For years Phoenix has been driven by a commuter mindset.  In our neighborhood in particular people commute to work, school, or shop here.  Recently our neighborhood is changing, becoming a commuter AND resident destination.  The development of a local neighborhood community is changing this area.  You can see this local community riding their bikes to local shops and dining at local restaurants.

As a church family, and as Phoenicians in general, we know how to commute: drive to the places and people we like best.  So what’s different, or how do we reside?

  Being a resident is about loving the places and people we are with.

For our church family, that means loving this neighborhood and our neighbors around our church home at Bethany Home Rd & Central Ave.

So that’s our challenge, will we love the people who live here?  About 1/3 of our church members live in this neighborhood less than 2.5 miles from our church campus.  We want to connect with those who live here, investing in our neighborhood. We want to come prayer walk together, help host front yard bbqs, and connect with the families who live here.

This Fair was about the fun discovery of treasures in our neighborhood like New Orleans Sno-Ball, Lady Diana’s Bakery, Citizens Coffee, Koko Fitclub, Arrogant Puppy Mobile Grooming Services, Pepes Taco Villa, El Bravo, Urban Cookies & Ollie Cakes, and Roadrunner Florist.  As in our mission statement (challenging people to discover and live a Christ-centered life) it’s time now to embrace the challenge.  Will we invest in our neighborhood?

For 18 months we’ve served this neighborhood.  We’ve introduced ourselves to the schools, businesses, the City, and social service organizations here.  It’s time to introduce ourselves to the families in our neighborhood, to the residents.  It’s time to claim our status as both commuters AND residents of this neighborhood.

There is change happening in our neighborhood but there is an even greater opportunity for eternal life transformation.  Let’s get involved in cultivating our neighborhood community and live God’s love in the heart of our city!

Are you in?

Simply be a neighbor, guest post

20 Tuesday Mar 2012

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In this section of my blog I hope to share perspectives of living in Phoenix from many different voices.  Today I am glad to introduce to you Evelynn Malakowsky. She and her family serve at NPHX and with a ministry called Apprenticeship to Jesus in downtown Phoenix.  She and her family are taking seriously Jesus’ command to love your neighbor as yourself.  May you find yourself inspired as I was as you read on. …

Simply be a neighbor,
                      Thoughts from Evelynn

We have been strongly reminded in these last several months of our love for our neighborhood Brentwood, and how we moved here 5 years ago to see the Lord’s kingdom come. We have always been overwhelmed with the dreams of seeing miracles in the lives of our neighbors.  As we believe that the Lord asked us about 2 years ago to use our gifts, service and more to really pour into the Woodland neighborhood Downtown through the ministry Apprenticeship to Jesus, we have come to a place to pray more about what does it look like in our small capacity to still “love our neighbors here in Brentwood.”

With these strong and recent reflections, and a deep desire to include our children more in our walk with Jesus and in the ministry of outreach, we really have started to focus to “simply be neighbors in Brentwood” in our family’s capacity and in natural ways. We have been engaging playing in the front yard, prayer walking almost daily, connecting with any neighbor we come in close quarters to, making gifts and giving gifts and so forth. The fruit from such a simple act of obedience has been convicting and incredibly exciting for us. Convicting because we have chosen so many times to isolate our family indoors missing many opportunities to connect with any neighbor and exciting because our neighbors have responded profoundly.

Highlights:

Prayers bring answered to connect and get to know neighbors:

• Some of the neighborhood children have started coming back to play with Isaiah and Ariel giving us an opportunity to love on them, make crafts and hear about their life

• We have gotten to reconnect with a family and have been invited weekly to come over to learn Spanish and also learn how to cook Spanish dishes as I teach English

• The kids made cards for neighbors on valentines and our neighbor who is a widow called us deeply moved, weeping and thankful

• Evelynn and the kids have been invited on walks around the neighborhood with another mother to get to know one another more and share passions

• Through strange dog situations and dead car batteries we are getting to have deeper conversations with our neighbors right next door

Prayers being answered to connect with our Christian neighbors

One minute after we prayed this on our prayer walk we ran into a man who has lived in the neighborhood for over 20 years. We found out that his wife is a christian. We shared boldly that Danny was a minister and how we desired to serve our neighborhood. In our conversation we noticed that he was clearly on his way to know Jesus. As we were leaving he leaned over the fence and looked Danny straight in the eye and said, “Brother, whatever is in your heart, Preach it, jut PREACH IT.” Shocked at the entire way that God worked, we said OK and walked away, pondering this in our heart.

A week later, we were contacted through facebook by a neighbor who we had never met who is also a Christian. We can’t wait to get to know him and his family as the Lord leads.

Celebrating

We haven’t been able to let go with this resounding theme in our heart that our actual neighbors are LITERALLY asking us to be involved in their life and share the good news! Amazed at the mighty and wonderful works of God in this small little community we are celebrating and praying for more vision, capacity, and love for our neighbors.

RISK for God’s Kingdom come

I’m burning with so much passion to see this neighborhood be transformed by the work and miracles of Gods’ hands. I imagine the very real reality of God healing wounds of divorce, hate, abuse, loneliness, discontentment, poverty, fatherless children and everything else that this community is going through. I want to see that happen! I believe it can happen and I am committed to be all in, to throw everything in the basket and risk it all to have his kingdom come to this neighborhood.

I get so excited at the idea of what if ALL of us who put our hope and faith in Jesus threw everything that we had, our future, our work, our dreams, passions, our personal life plans and our security and followed Jesus in the individual way he is calling us. I can imagine now what would happen if we weren’t so afraid to risk, so that even just one person would be transformed by the God of the universe!

I grew up where there were gun shots often, gangs, violence and abuse of all kinds,  where brokenness was not hidden but visible. I often think about the reality that there weren’t believers knocking on my door or reaching out to my neighborhood to share such good news. With strong memories of the darkest season of my life behind me and the hope of Christ in me now, I desperately desire for the body of Christ to not be so afraid to follow Jesus to the darkest neighborhoods so that children and families like mine could get a taste of the beauty of our great God.

We have so much to give, a precious jewel. People are in despair and longing for hope. I want to share that hope and am praying for ALL Of Us to have the courage to do whatever it takes and do whatever God asks of us in order to follow him! What he can do is so amazing if only we allowed ourselves to be fully used by him.

WeServe Spring Final Update

04 Sunday Mar 2012

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As I began these daily updates it was under the premise that I was able to check out each of the daily projects during this week of serving our city.  Yesterday over 280 people served at five schools, three non-profits including our church, six neighbors homes, and in multiple alleyways painting over graffiti.

That means there are over 280 stories to hear! And I would like to hear yours!

Please use the comment form below to share your story from this week of serving and loving our neighbors.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

WeServe Thursday Update

01 Thursday Mar 2012

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Appreciation Breakfast for Madison School District Bus Drivers and Maintenance Department

This morning I arrived at 8:30 am with the coffee and found half of our volunteers already serving!  I breathed a sigh of peace as I walked in and made my contribution.  Then I quietly left, leaving this project in very capable hands.

This afternoon I asked Ruth Lewis, who was one of the early volunteers this morning, if she would share her experience for your update.  Here are her words:

Breakfast of egg chorizo casserole, bagels and Starbucks coffee is always a good thing. Shared with the bus drivers and some office and maintenance staff of the Madison School District, it was also encouraging and fun.

As they returned from the morning bus runs, it was great to see the drivers and bus aids peruse the food table with enthusiasm. When they realized we listened, they warmed up and shared stories of children on the buses, what their day looked like and even humorous tales of their own cooking misadventures.

They expressed much gratefulness and appreciation for interest and investment. So worth the time and energy!!

Ruth

We gave each of the bus drivers a card with this quote from Victor Hugo:

He who opens a school door closes a prison.

This was our second opportunity to hang out with this group of civil servants and it is exciting to continue to cultivate healthy relationships with our neighbors!

WeServe Wednesday Update

29 Wednesday Feb 2012

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As I had hoped, the students were a little more comfortable with us this morning.  Yesterday as we distributed apples and granola bars to the students arriving for their AIMS test we encountered a lot of shy students!  Makes sense. We’re strangers. Stranger danger. Especially considering we were handing out red apples. Snow White, anyone?

This morning though, the students walked right up, grabbed a bag of pretzels and an apple, said thank you and continued on their way.

Dr. Schavon Waggoner, Assistant Principal for Instruction, told us this morning that some students were testing until 6:00 pm yesterday!  She thanked us because she was able to give those students snacks multiple times throughout the day.

Another teacher told me that Monday he had gone to the grocery store to buy apples for his students but quickly realized how expensive that would be and changed his plans. He was so grateful when he arrived at school the next morning seeing boxes of apples for his students!

One freshman had arrived early to school on Tuesday even though he didn’t have to be there until noon (testing begins with sophomores).  This student serves on the Student Government team and helped our volunteers distribute snacks to teachers after the test began yesterday.  He arrived even earlier this morning just to help distribute snacks!

I don’t remember it being cloudy this morning like yesterday, but it was colder!  We all left with frozen fingers and toes but warm hearts.

If you’ve never volunteered you might not believe me, but it is truly a joy to serve.  To share a smile first thing in the morning. To encourage a student on test-day. To laugh with a teacher who will be in a silent classroom the rest of the day. To serve with fellow followers of Jesus Christ.

You’ve got to try it!  Sign up for our workday this Saturday, March 3. We’ll meet at the church at 7:30, work until Noon, and enjoy a bbq lunch together after.  I hope to see you there, to share my joy! (1 John 1:3-4)

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.

WeServe Tuesday Update

28 Tuesday Feb 2012

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Serve Snacks to Students arriving for Testing at Central High School

The day started early again, for me it was at 6:30, loading apples and granola bars into the church truck.  Even while I was serving I found myself the recipient of another’s service.  I easily loaded the 25 boxes of granola bars and then stared at the large boxes of apples. They looked heavy and I was already tired.  Just standing there looking at the cart, summoning the strength to continue, a Family Life Center patron walked up on her way to exercise and asked if she could help!  I asked her if she was coming for an upper-body workout!  After we lifted one box together from the cart to the truck she grabs a box on her own and tells me,

you can do it!

And I could!  I really didn’t think I could lift a whole crate of apples by myself, but her simple comment gave me the courage to try.  We loaded the 10 boxes of apples in no time and I was on my way to Central right on schedule!

I met up with 7 other volunteers at Central High School and coordinated with security to set up two distribution stations.  One of the requirements for volunteering for this job was to be a “morning person” with a cheerful disposition (honest – it was in the job description!).  And I was blessed by the smiles and joy exuded by our church family as they greeted students and teachers for an hour and a half as they arrived for school.

One blessing I didn’t anticipate was meeting so many teachers.  It was a real joy to shake hands with a lot of the staff at CHS and to join them in something they really care about.  I talked to one teacher who had personally purchased snacks for her classroom and was so encouraged to see us multiplying her effort.

God’s love shined brightly through the cloudy morning at Central High School.  What a great way to start a day!  Think I’ll do it again tomorrow!

WeServe Spring Daily Update

27 Monday Feb 2012

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This week our church family is serving our neighborhood schools, non-profit organizations, businesses, the City of Phoenix, and neighbors in need.  Over 300 volunteers are serving at various projects Monday through Saturday.  While most people are serving at only one or maybe two projects I have the privilege of seeing God’s love in action at every project.  These daily updates will give you insight into the height, breadth, and depth of God’ love expressed to our city through our church family this week.

Ephesians 3:17–21 (NIV84)
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Monday, February 27 – Serving Park Middle School Staff

This morning about a dozen volunteers brought breakfast goodies (many home baked casseroles and biscuits) for the staff at Park Middle School.  The church contributed fresh-brewed coffee.  We gave each staff member a hand-written note of appreciation for their service influencing the future of our city, our children, and a gift card for coffee at a local shop.

We heard many expressions of appreciation and compliments on the tasty food, many returned for seconds and we saved leftovers for lunch.  We know of two members of our church family who work at Park and it was a joy to see their faces light up as they came in for breakfast!

In this simple act of providing a potluck breakfast we were able to demonstrate that God knows them and cares about them to over 50 employees.  We strengthened relationships that we have been cultivating for over 18 months. And we introduced ourselves, as a local church family that cares about them, to many new people.

While I was at Park this morning I took a look at the Peace Garden where we grouted the student’s art work on the wall surrounding the garden last year.  This year the school has added three raised garden beds for vegetables!  Dozens of our church family members contributed to the finishing touches on that garden last year and it continues to be a place of respite and now learning for students.

May the seeds that the students plant in that garden and the lessons that the teachers present about planting and growth be like the seed planted in the good soil in Jesus’ Parable of the Sower and may the Father draw them to Himself as Savior and LORD as they observe the life and love in the garden.

Fresh Baked Bread

31 Tuesday Jan 2012

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Do you know how long it takes to bake a loaf of bread from scratch? I don’t know really, but I think it’s a long time. It takes patience, waiting for the bread to rise and then baking it.

The question comes to me as I read the story of Jesus visiting Abraham, found in Genesis 18.  When Abraham recognizes the LORD he worships Him and asks Him to stay for dinner.  He then runs to his wife and tells her to bake some bread, runs to his servant and tells him to kill and cook their best calf.  He then returns to his guests and washes their feet.  Finally, after hours I imagine, they share a meal together.

Later Jesus tells his disciples, in Matthew 25:31-46:

Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me

He is referring to their acts of service: feeding the hungry, quenching the thirsty, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, being with the oppressed/imprisoned.

As followers of Jesus we are taught in the scriptures to do whatever we are doing as if we’re doing it for God, (Colossians 3:23-25).

Since I haven’t actually ever seen Jesus face-to-face, I look for examples from those who have.  If we take Abraham’s example, we see a patient and generous response.  He bakes fresh bread! (Okay, his wife does, but you get the idea.)

So, next time you meet a stranger or engage someone in need consider Abraham and bake fresh bread. Take time to be with them, look them in the eye, show them their worth, and demonstrate God’s love for them.

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