Circles: Reducing Poverty In Your Community

Today, one of the members of our church stopped into my office to let me know about an initiative that is coming to our community. It is called Circles. Some basic information:

Circles is a coalition already in place in several towns throughout the country, that aims to bring together members of the faith community, social service agencies and goverment groups with the goal of reducing poverty nationwide.

If you want to take a look at their website, you can find it here.

I am looking forward to this opportunity to meet with community leaders and see if we can make a HUGE IMPACT in our community. I want to give praise to the following organizations for making this meeting a reality:

St. James Episcopal in Wooster
Wooster Area Interfaith Peace
Justice Network
United Way of Wayne County

The meeting is on November 26th. After the meeting, I will give you a lot more information and updates. I believe that I will also include this under my WWJDWTC because this is a piece that will be tied in with me being connected to the community.

WWJDWTC: My Story: Part 4

It has been two weeks since the original post and I have made a few updates. I have enjoyed reading and seeing what others have been involved in and their strides. I am still trying to find my way through this process.

Let me give you some "progress" as I laid it out in my original post.

1. I am still going to be working with Meals on Wheels a few times a month and it looks like my wife and I may tag-team to do a route together. I have not done the route, yet. This past Friday was going to be my first day. However, I was over in Indy. My wife filled in for me in my absence and her serving in that area has prompted us talking about doing a route and covering it.

2. I went up to the clinic last week. I was in the room filing folders. It is not a tough job but a job that needs to be done. I enjoy the act of serving by placing folders into the correct med files and praying over each file as I put it away. NO, I DO NOT LOOK AT OR IN THE FILE. But, it is an act of prayer for me as I place it in the correct spot.

3. I spent sometime up at the Children Service Center this week. My heart really does break for all the kids who are in foster care. I also thank God for individuals who find it one their art to serve by doing foster care. While I was there, I talked and played (watch mostly) with a kid that is in a rough position. His case is backed up in the courts - soooo many cases. One of the cool things that we are going to be doing is "pen-palling" some of the kids in foster care.

4. The art of presence. In some ways, you would think that this would be the easiest one. But at times, it is the roughest. I am trying to be at events where the members of the church are and I am trying to "meet" people when I am out in the public. The one area where I wish I would do better would be outside the school when I am waiting for the boys. I have also taken up helping with Isaiah's basketball team. He is happy that I am the Assistant Coach. But, he makes sure to remind that I am not the "real coach". It was fun tonight cheering the boys on and encouraging them about their pass or shot (3&4 graders). We also as mentioned in the last post, hosted the dinner for 8 and we are hoping to invite and have more people over.

There are a couple of individuals that I need to be in touch with this week, so hopefully I will be able to practice the art of presence then.

WWJDWTC: My Story: Part 3

One of the areas that I have become connected with in the community is the Wayne County Children Services. We (myself and the church)are taking some steps in helping them out. My heart breaks for kids who are "in the system". The stories that they carry can be heart-breaking.

This post is going to be a little bit of national awareness and local awareness in my neighborhood. Most of these steps can apply to anyone. I am beginning to "adopt" them in my life and am encouraging my church community to adopt them as well.

Before I give the list of things that we can do (there are 10 of them), did you know that there are 500,000 children in foster care that need your help and that there are 115,000 children waiting to be adopted.

10 Ways You Can Help

1. Pray For Them. You can go on-line, see a pic of the children waiting for adoption, print that pic out; place it on your desk and pray that some one will adopt them.

2. Provide Them A Safe Place Consider becoming a foster parent. Attend an inquiry class to get first-hand look and information.

3. Give Them What They Need Organize a drive to collect close for children in foster care. In Wayne County, we have "Closet of Hope"

4. Support Those Who Support Them Minister to foster parents. Do yard work for them, organize a few days of food for the family.

5. Speak Up For Them Become a Court Appointed Special Advocate. They need to have a voice in their corner. Visit here for more details.

6. Cheer them On Mentor a child through your local children services office. Children with mentors get higher grades and improves relationships around them.

7. Raise Awareness About Them Wear a blue ribbon in May. When people ask about the ribbon - share with them about foster care. May is National Foster Care Month.

8. Give Them A Forever Family 115,000 kids are waiting for a family. There are many adoption sites. Start here. Also, call 1-800-FLTTODAY and order the book: Welcome Home: Eight Steps To Adoption

9. Give Them The "Extras" The goverment provides a lot for the families but the "extras" are not included. Help foster families by providing the "extras". In Wayne County, we have a program called "Foster Friends".

10. Mobilize Your Church For Them Launch ministries dedicated to the orphan and waiting child. Be a recruiter for Foster Families.

These are just a few ways that we can help.

WWJDWTC: My Story: Part 2

Today was step one for me.

I went up to the clinic and met with Cyndi. She is he Community Relations Coordinator. She was very personable, knowledgeable and her passion for the mission of the clinic oozed through every pore in her body.

The mission is the following: the Viola Startzman Free Clinic serves, in an atmosphere of dignity and respect, lower income and uninsured residence of Wayne County.

She introduced me to a variety of people. They included some of the paid nursing staff, some of the paid nurses and clerical staff. I also had the opportunity to meet some of the board of directors and volunteers. While there, I saw Nancy. She is the Dental Clinic Coordinator for the clinic and a member of the church that I serve.

I have to admit that I did not know what I was going to walk into when I stepped into the doors of the clinic. I was walking into the "unknown". I was completely blown away by the jewel that we have in this community.

Here are some numbers on volunteers and the clinic. Medical volunteers volunteered over 1200 hours and support volunteers volunteered 3000 hours (the first 5 months). These individuals have given up their time to make this clinic work. The clinic has helped over 20,000 different patients.

I will begin volunteering next week. I am only going to be serving there for about 5 hours a month at the present time. I am going to be filing charts for their patients. I am looking forward to doing a very small part to help in the background so the clinic can run smoothly.

One of the great things to hear about and to see (from my perspective) that Dr. Startzman was a great physician and influencer in the community. Because of her work and dedication, the clinic is strong and doing great work. Her passion is so great that the clinic has retired professors doing janitorial work in the clinic.

The clinic continues to see more and more patients each month; so their need continues to grow. I received the Clinic Wish List and I will make sure that when we are at the store, we will buy some of the items so I can take it up to them when I volunteer next Tuesday. I will also be passing the list to individuals that I know.

WWJDWTC: My Story: Part 1

What Would Jesus Do With The Church .....

A few of my new blogging friends are doing a synchroblog. After reading Erin's heart and passion on numerous subjects and her invite to join this "cause"; I have decided that I am DEFINITELY going to take part in this event.

This is the challenge or cause that has been laid out for us:

In this synchroblog, not only do we ask you to address what you believe Jesus would do with the church; we also ask you to examine the implications for your own life and ACT on it. It is easy to sit at our computers and rail against the church; it is much more challenging to assume personal responsibility for change.

Therefore, we would invite to this synchroblog anyone who is willing to put "shoe leather" to a complaint, correction or change you would like to see for the church, whatever your interpretation of 'church' happens to be. It doesn't have to be huge…simply anything you're willing to commit to for a period of 30 days.

Please write an initial post for October 15th. Then, post periodically over the following 30 days (October 15-November 15) with any additional thoughts and reports on your progress.

I have been wrestling with this for the last 5 days (ever since I saw the challenge).

I come at this issue from a little different slant than the others (most of them) who will be participating (I encourage you to read the others who are part of this - when the list is compiled, I will link it at the bottom of the post). The difference is that I am on staff at a local church.

The church has failed GREATLY in numerous areas. I think that Jesus is very frustrated with what we are calling church. The one area where I think we have made a huge mistake is that we are more concerned about bringing them to us (a building) than us going out to where the hurting are locate. You can read more of my thoughts on that subject here.

I am becoming a very big cheerleader for us being out there and making a difference. We NEED to transform our community. To me, that is more important. I know that alot of people disagree or say that I am compromising my beliefs because I am not "pushing" the gospel.

Anyhow, it is time for me to be more than a cheerleader and I need to lead by example. Thus, this synchroblog is "forcing" me to put my faith & words into action. So, how am I going to change my community ??? Here are a few things that I am going to do starting this month (I will update the process throughout the 30 days and beyond).

1. I am going to be volunteering with Meals on Wheels of Wayne & Stark County. I will be delivering meals to approx. 15 homes a week. At the present time, I am going to be volunteering 2x a month with the hopes in a few months for me to be having it a regular route (same homes)every Friday. I will make a separate post on them later.

2. I am going to be volunteering with the Viola Startzman Free Clinic. I have a heart and passion for those who are uninsured and are trying to stay healthy and are doing everything in their power to get the treatment that they need. I am meeting tomorrow with the coordinator to see where I will fit it. Most likely, I will be filing their charts and placing re-fills for them (prescriptions). When I know more about the clinic, I will make a separate post on them as well.

3. I am going to be be working with Wayne County Children Services. I started communication with them about 6 weeks ago. My heart breaks when I am in contact with them. There are so many children in our county who are hurting. I am going to be very active with them in promoting their services and we as a church are going to be "spiritually adopting" some of the kids and foster parents. In the very near future, I am going to have a long write-up on them and what we are doing. I will then pass along 10 Things that YOU can possibly do for them or one in your area. The big thing that I will be doing for/with them pertains to one specific child. I can not release any info yet because he is not in their permanent custody (court is back-logged). My heart bleeds for this kid. I am going to get to meet him in a few weeks; we are working things out with the case worker. I am going to help this kid. He needs a break and a good turn of events. What is happening and what will be happening - should not be happening to any kid.

4. I am going to practice the art of presence. I have been working on this, but I need to step it up a notch. I am wanting to be where our "church" is and I want to have individuals with us, so we can begin to truly know them. I want to live life with them. We need to do life with them. Community occurs in circles not rows.

So, I think that if Jesus was walking on the earth in the 21st century; he would be pretty angry. He would be treating us as he treated the pharisees. He would say to us, " you think you are doing great things and you are so proud, but you really are not doing what you should be doing ". We as churches would be shocked and stunned. He would continue, " You are ignoring the marginalized. You are forgetting those who are hurting in your community. You are not making a difference to those who have nothing and are clinging on to life. "

I am going to take time to step out of the office. I am going to spend more time in the community. I am going to spend time helping those who are in despair and alone. I am going to make attempts to begin to "making community" with those connected to our church. I am going to try to do what I believe God wants His church to be doing.

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WWJDWTC Participants:

Glenn Hager
Gary Means
Alan Knox
The Refuge
Nate Peres
Sally Coleman
Barb
Rick Stillwell
Jeff Greathouse
Dan
Barbara Legere
Jonathan Brink
Jason Ellis
Rainer
Cynthia Clack

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Update # 1

Update # 2

Update # 3