Our Purpose

I was skeptical this week when I realized with Evangel University's Spring Break, Mission Trips, National Guard, etc that several would not be available. In fact, 16 people told me they could not be at the oil change. I counted 14 who could be there. Praise the Lord the 14 volunteers pulled it off! Thank you!

We served 11 ladies. I was struck with the thought "These ladies trust what's going on at Central - because so many of them come back." Yes, we would often like to engage more with them, but today many single moms sat in the cafe area doing homework, reading, and just enjoying the Atmosphere you've been able to create. From a warm reception when they first walked in our doors to receiving their final car inspection - you've helped create a very safe place. I've studied Starbucks business plan to some degree. Their intention has always been to create a "third place" for their customers to congregate; Home - Work - Starbucks.

At the very least your ministry has created another place; a trusting atmosphere where single moms can relax for a few minutes with coffee and something good to eat, talk with friendly people, and sit to read a good book. Wow, I say that's fantastic ministry!

Some return to their home church for Sunday morning worship; some have starting coming to Central and are plugged in to small groups and worship with us. Some are still pondering what we’re all about. That’s ok. God loves them and wants us to reach out to them. He also loves us and wants to grow His love for people (from all walks of life) in our lives.

Church Family

I am a privileged man, i.e. "not subject to the usual rules or penalties because of some special circumstance". What's the special circumstance? I'm talking about being a family member of an extravagant, caring church. Yes, I'm talking about Central Assembly. I love being in a family. Families accept, love, embrace, care, listen, dialogue, teach, sympathize, and congratulate. I've been the lucky recipient of all the above at Central Assembly.

But my main reason for making this claim does not hinge on what I've received, although I consider myself extremely blessed; it's what the family does for others who have not made up the life at Central in the past. That's how I'm privileged. Actually, it's incredible. Every week there are tens, if not hundreds of people living outside the physical walls of their church building who are given food, encouraged in their battle against life-controlling hang-ups, personally mentored, helped with chores around their neighborhood home, given a free oil-change as a single mom, prayed with, and hugged!

In Steve Sjogren's book, Conspiracy of Kindness, (1993, 2003) he writes that "God is looking for people who are willing to participate in acts of love and kindness to those outside of their present circle. He is looking for people who believe that a humble demonstration of love plants seeds of eternity in the hearts of others that will blossom into faith in Christ. The strategy of this conspiracy operates on the premise that God is passionately in love with unbelievers. As dynamic seeds of kindness are planted in their hearts, the Holy Spirit will pursue them. We are the sowers of those seeds of love. God is the farmer who oversees the entire process."

So is this a "special circumstance" as initially claimed? Fortunately, in the life of American churches, it's becoming the norm. I want to be part of this great wake-up Christian movement.

Life Connections

Imagine a lady walking down a quiet neighborhood street with a toddler in hand. She walks ever so slowly as the toddler takes small steps, talking gently with the child as she walks. This is the picture I witnessed as I drove away from a single mom’s home last week. The lady walking was a volunteer with Beyond the Walls. I met the volunteer at the single mom’s house to look at a flooring project. She needs linoleum (which is already purchased) installed in her kitchen. It was unlike any floor I have ever seen in a long time. Worn wood-flooring from many years of use and patched with pieces of plywood, this home would look unlivable to most American families. But to a mom living in poverty, it offers a roof over her family’s head and security vs living in a shelter.

This, however, is the picture I hope we will grasp for the coming year: Christ followers walking hand-in-hand through life difficulties with a single mom and her kids; ladies as mentors with single moms, and men and women of all ages mentoring the children of single moms. How do we pull this off? I invite you to join me in this discussion in months to come. I desire and need your advice. I’ll be talking to other mentoring ministries to compare best-practices. All I know right now is that with dads absent in the single-mom-home, the children could use a mentoring relationship from a stable Christian adult – young or old.

I love a quote by Ed Stetzer, preacher/church planter/husband/father, “At Christmas, Jesus does not just want you to remember what he did; he wants you to join him in what he is doing.” Let's join Jesus in walking with these single-mom families!

A Witness

There are many single moms who come to us from desperate situations. We do not take this trust lightly. I challenge us to listen to their life cries. Some of them have been emotionally traumatized, facing unbearable burdens that few of us have experienced. Why are you on this outreach team? Many of you have sisters or moms or aunts who have lived the life of a single mom. You share their burden. Thank you seems so simple; but this team would not be as effective without you. Thank you!

A children's worker at our Saturday outreach reported to me what one single mom commented. She confided that she had been abused by a man and said it was great to see men who cared enough about her to change the oil in her car. Wow! That comment gets to the heart of our service. What an incredible thing it is to share in this ministry.

Most of the men who serve on our outreach team never see the single moms who bring their cars. But the single moms see what the men do. Sometimes it’s unbearably hot; sometimes there are snow flurries and numbing cold temperatures. But the single moms see how people are sacrificing their time to help them.

As Thanksgiving approaches, we thank our Eternal God for the awesome opportunity to lend a helping hand.

Love Knows the Way!

I'm feeling a myriad of emotions from today's outreach. Returning home I'm struck with how difficult life can be! Like the mom who broke into tears when we told her tire needed fixed. She had no money to fix the flat; she's homeless, living in a local shelter. But we got her to a local tire shop and had the tire fixed. She came back to express extreme gratitude!

With 27 vehicles to change, we needed all the help who came. At one point Wayne Yost, (who does a fantastic job leading the guys outside in the oil change area), told me he could use one more person to help. I walked back into the building to look for someone and there was a man we had never met, who just walked into the building. He was holding a copy of the flyer that was sent out last week and said he came to help. Yes! He came to help, yet he himself was homeless, living in his van. Amazing!

There were two more homeless ladies who had windows in their vehicles completely broke out. One had a blanket over the entire back window; the other one had a garbage bag over the window. Neither one had the money to fix their window.

AND YET... from these precious ladies came smiles, laughter, and huge "thank-you" for the oil change and car inspections. Great work everyone! Karla gave out free haircut coupons from a local cosmetology school. She also brought a stack of ladies' magazines from home and the ladies quickly took one to take home. Central Bible College students and Evangel students came and helped with the children inside as well as with the oil team outside. I'm so proud of everyone! Wow, what a day!

Gratitude to All Who Serve

We've experienced a great summer. A couple special situations come to mind. It's great that we're a multi-generational church, but it's even more significant when generations are working together. We see that in our outreach team. Wow, I can't believe the teenagers that have come with their parents to help over the past couple of years. I can count at least 8 different parent-teenager combinations who have come on a Saturday morning and worked together. What an amazing way for a teenager to spend a Saturday morning! I'm also reminded of the Saturdays when our numbers of serving volunteers were thin but they stepped up to the plate and got the job done or Get-R-Done (that's Ozark talk). Like the Saturday when Craig changed 8 vehicles with a teenager's help plus the teen's dad (who had never helped before). You might not appreciate that feat, but believe me Craig deserves our congratulations! And, just as remarkable, the conversations that take place in our Fusion Youth Center as these single moms wait for their oil to be changed. I’m so humbled by their gratitude! Those who serve in the entire Beyond the Wall outreach ministry - THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU! This ministry is not about any one person, including myself; it's about giving of our time in worship to Christ so that others may know the value and love of God.

Outcome from Serving

Some people ask me about the connection between the oil change outreach and the death of my two sisters. I wouldn't say that the death of my two sisters was the only motivating factor in starting the oil change outreach. Helping me deal with grief from their deaths was certainly an unintended outcome, and I’m grateful to God for that. But I do think that anytime we're able to lift our attention to people and situations outside ourselves - that this is often one of the results of an outward focus. What the death of my sisters did prompt me (and my wife) to do was to start looking at the difficulties and trying circumstances often forced upon single moms. We empathized with single moms to a greater degree after the death of my sisters. When I think of these single moms, meet them on outreach day, and learn of their hardships; I'm often drawn to think of these single moms in light of my two sisters, Sandra & Casey, and wonder, "What would I do, if they were my sister?" Of course I would want to help them... I would want to change their oil...I would want to change out a faulty light fixture in their home, or mow their lawn, etc. So yes, I believe the deaths of my sisters have put a more compassionate face on the oil change outreach.