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this pic was taken by a news journal photographer (our local newspaper) at the national day of prayer service downtown.  it landed leo on the front page the following day.  the significance in this photo for me is his apparent bliss in the presence of God in a public place.  its one thing to feel the Spirit in church while surrounded by others feeling the same thing.  its another thing entirely to do it in the town square.

it shows me the kind of work we do here at agc.  it inspires me to see how what we do spills out beyond our little storefront into lives of everyday people.

leo and his family are on fire for wanting to help serve God.  they have committed to working hard and keeping their kids at home.  it is still going to be a long journey for them, but they have taken the correct first steps…surrendering to God.

whenever people come to me and say “pjeffy, i’m really struggling with drugs,” or “i’m really struggling with my spouse,” or “i’m really struggling with these urges,”  i tell them they have already done 2 things right.  first they have identified they have a problem and are seeking help.  second, they have come to the sacred space we call church.  in that place, they are surrounded by people who love them and care about them and are committed to journey with them as we all move on to perfection together.

it always feels good for a pastor to see people from your flock taking what they experience inside the walls of the church to the outside, helping to create an even larger sacred space.  wtg leo!

i’m probably the only non-retired fully ordained elder in the denomination with sunday mornings free. our main worship is on tuesday evenings and we have a bible study on sunday afternoons. this gives me the opportunity to go around to different churches during their worship to cast the vision and enlist their help at all God’s

children. this past sunday i was in mt. gilead, about a half hour from mansfield. i was to preach 2 services (it was umw sunday.)

when we (i took a contingent from AGC to represent) arrived, i was introduced to the staff person running the show, the pastor was on vacation. she said “let me introduce you to the young man who is introducing you to the congregation. he was at youth jam back in december.” up strode a young man of about 14, shy, quiet and even maybe a little awkward but poised. i asked what he thought of youth jam, he responded “it was cool.” that would have made my day right there but probably would not have warranted a post after months of silence on God Don’t Make Junk. I went to my seat and awaited my turn to go and preach, and got my game face on.

the young man walked to the pulpit and said “the man who is preaching for us today is the sixth most important person in my life next to Jesus, my parents and my brother and sister.” he went on to explain his experience at youth jam and how it changed his life. he said the commitment service that i preached was the single most important experience he has ever had because it truly introduced him to Jesus. i was absolutely dumbstruck and without words. i’ve never felt as humble as i did in that moment.

it can be so easy for us preacher types to think of preaching moments as gigs. we go, do our thing and go home. this particular “gig” was extra special for me because there were so many people there. all of my reflection on the event surrounded how honored i was to be asked and what it meant to the kids i took. i never really stopped to reflect on the impact it had on all the others gathered. God uses us to transform lives. i’m just a fat white guy from pennsylvania working in inner city ohio. what positive things can come from that? the young man from mt. gilead reminded me how important all of our actions are to one another. we never know when God is working miracles through us.

Photo originally uploaded by Kenny Maths.

we literally full of needy families in our church.  everyone that comes to all God’s children would benefit greatly from this.  very few have the ability to purchase any kind of gifts on their own.  i basically left it open to where God led.  i told the woman that she could come to worship and we will choose then.  during worship, a man who has been very involved with agc along with his family got up to testify, something that was not planned.  he said that things have been getting worse for his family. he described several situations that were bringing his family down.  he closed by saying how faithful he was in God and how thankful he was for what he had.  also during worship, his daughter got up to read a scripture.  he and his wife have five children and struggle everyday.  they often live without heat or lights, but they stick together with themselves and God to get through it.

needless to say, the decision was made clear.  this was the family that we would choose.  i went and spoke with them to see if it would be ok with them and they literally exploded with joy.  that one moment makes it worth all the other junk that goes on in this ministry.  to know that we were able to connect people with resources together with people who do not have resources goes a long way in helping us see what the church is for.  we find ways to work together and help one another through love.

it’s good to just be able to see this happen.  to watch God work in the midst of darkness, shining light for all to see makes me explode with joy.  our job is to keep connecting and keep watching God transform this world, one family at a time.

the house we purchased is just outside the city limits, 10 minutes from the church. it sits on 2 acres with woods. even though it is close, it feels like its a world away. exactly what the doctor ordered. one of the downsides to being an inner-city pastor and living in the neighborhood is that you are never away from it. even when you go home, you are still in the midst of everything.

i have to admit that after the break-in, i was ready to call the bishop and say “get me out.” but upon further reflection and prayer, we decided buying a house was the best option for all. i’m really not ready to get out. in a sense, we are just beginning to do the work we’ve been called here to do. this decision keeps me in the appointment and it gives my family an escape. actually, there has been alot of spiritual warfare going on here in the past few months. since oct.1, the three buildings we operate have been broken into 5 times. this says to me that what we are doing here is making a difference. the forces of evil are trying to scare us out.

united methodist polity says that any proceeds from the sale of a parsonage must be held for the use of purchasing future parsonage. i guess i see the point of such a rule. it helps prevent churches from getting stuck having to buy a house if it is needed in the future. so selling the parsonage would not benefit us. our plan is to use what is currently the parsonage for our children’s ministry and after-school program and stop renting the house we currently use for that program. in the long run, this will help the church financially. it’s one of those things that just makes sense in a real practical way.

anytime you move into a time of change there is always going to be anxiety. we are not sure how long we’ll be here, i have no clue how to take care of a house, financially things will change, we might need to buy a riding lawnmower (maybe my mother-in law can help us with a deal)…but we know this is the right thing to do right now. Pray for us!

we arrived shortly before the big crowds gathered and watched as people poured in. there were 3,000 in total. needless to say everyone was getting nervous, including myself. i’ve never spoken to that many people at once. my kids were a little bored during the kutlass concert (christian rock not rap,) but they endured it. our section came shortly afterwards.

when it came time to take the stage, the nerves were really jumping. my plan was to have the girl who wanted to talk the least go first. she wanted to get it out of the way and done. in hindsight…maybe not such a good idea. i did a little intro then gave the mic to lexi, and she froze. it wasn’t a panic, she just couldn’t do anything, including talk. then the most amazing thing happened. i started to hear her name being chanted by the 3,000 total strangers encouraging her. a couple of more awkward moments passed of me trying to help her, then a few girls from the audience jumped up on stage, put their arms around her and said “just talk to us, we’re just hanging out.” she still wasn’t able to get anything out except “i love God” and handed me back the mic. for many this may seem like a disaster, but for me it was one of the greatest moments i’ve had in ministry. lexi is a girl who won’t ever get up in front of anyone but wanted to come to this event to share her story. the fact that she got up on stage at all was huge for her. the fact that all of those strangers showed their love gave her a good picture of what the church is called to be.

the other two kids did an outstanding job of sharing what life in da ‘hood is like, but more importantly how God walks with them. i preached a little on what having Jesus in you can mean then brought “dramz” (that’s him above) out to share one of his raps. this kid does for rap what charles wesley did for hymns. deeply theological and moving. the place rocked.

i continued on into a time of commitment and asked for those willing to make the commitment to come forward. the coordinators had other youth planted there to lead those who came forward in prayer. i can’t be sure but it seemed like at least half the room came forward and overwhelmed those trying to pray for everyone.

before we went out i told my three that if, during the time when people came forward, they wanted to go down and pray with them, they could. each said “no way…that’s not how we roll.” lo and behold, when all those kids responded to the call, my three went off the stage and prayed with them, even lexi. i was still on stage continuing the call just about in tears watching these teenagers show what church is about.

after it was over, i saw dozens of people come up and hug lexi. while that was going on, “dramz” and “scoot” were busy signing autographs. these three are certified superstars. even as we were driving out of akron in the car, people would pull up beside us, roll down the window and yell “you guys rock.”

i’ve been going to youth jam for awhile, and yes i’m biased, but i’ve never seen that kind of reaction to other youth before. there were national names at this thing, but those kids are going to remember the three from mansfield who faced their fear, showcased their talent and came off the stage to pray with them.

for those three from mansfield, they’ll remember that love that was showed to them from complete strangers, acknowledging them and affirming them.

for this one from mansfield, it was just great to be asked to come and be able to watch it all.

this marks the second break-in in a couple of years. the first time it happened while we were at church. someone had broken the glass on the side door, entered the house, and stole our playstation with several games. yes, we felt violated, betrayed, and all of that, but we did not witness the event. this time, the intruder came into the house while my wife was home alone with the kids. needless to say, she was terrified. she heard a loud crashing noise, went into the kitchen to investigate and saw a stranger in our kitchen. they got away with her purse, but that is the least of our concern. the police were called, and they discovered that the motion detector flood lights in the backyard had been unscrewed, and other lights unplugged. whoever it was that broke in cased out the situation and took some action beforehand to prevent detection.

i was crossing into another state when i got the frantic call. i never felt so helpless. my wife and family were suffering immensely, and there was nothing i could do to help. all because i am called to work in the inner city. needless to say, since that time, we have been house-hunting. it’s time to move my family out of the city. i still feel called to work in the inner city, but it is time to protect my family and give us some separation.

we have been generally strong about living in the city, but this one spooked us. this time we were in the house when someone came in. it’s not just an issue of having something stolen, it’s a matter of safety. my role of husband and father is to protect my family. just because i am called to work in the inner city does not mean that my family has to be in jeopardy. the houses we have been looking at are outside the city limits, but still very close to where we serve. most people in our church don’t even know where we live, they just see us as people who care about them.

at the tune-up, the first thing out of jim griffith’s (the presenter) mouth was “you need to take care of yourself and your family.” it was a re-assurance to me that in order to continue to do the work i do, i need to move my family away from the ‘hood. i have to admit, part of me feels like i am bailing on the people i work with, but my number one concern needs to be the health and welfare of my family. without that, i have no work. if we continue to live in fear, we cannot serve where we do. i truly believe that what we do is making a difference. i truly believe that we are helping to transform the city of mansfield, and are working to build the kingdom of God. i also believe that in order for me to continue to serve God here, we need to move out of the ‘hood. any thoughts?

i planted ferns in the flower beds next to both the front and back porches. we also bought a couple of potted plants that we set next to the stairs on each porch. i actually spent some time taking care of these plants. i often watered them and was amazed that they stayed alive throughout the summer. seeing how i have no green thumb, i was filled with a little pride watching these plants grow. until last night.

we spent the evening playing games as a family and just as we were getting ready to go upstairs to bed, i glanced out the front door window and noticed one of the plants was gone. i thought that maybe the wind caught it and it fell down the stairs, so i went outside to look for it. it was nowhere to be found. someone stole our plant!

since living in the inner-city, we’ve had our cars broken into several times, well, they just opened the doors on the nights we forgot to lock them…our fault. someone once broke into the house when we were at church and stole our playstation2 and several games. that one hurt our son quite a bit. but this one bothers me most of all. the plant was helping the block look a little better, not just our house. the one time in my life i spent a little effort trying to make the yard look nice, someone comes along and walks off with a plant. i guess it just goes with the territory. since our house was broken into, we have been leaving the lights on in both the front and back porches, hoping to deter someone from trying to get in. the only problem with that is, with the light on, if you are going down the street, you can see everything on the porch.

maybe someone going down the street needed a nice birthday present for their mother and saw the plant as an easy way to get it. i just hope they enjoy it and love it and water it… if you get a nice green plant in a plastic terra cota pot, say goodbye for me.

the east ohio conference has a natiionally recognized youth program. every year our conference youth host two major events. one is youth annual conference in june, immediately preceeding annual conference in which the youth hammer out issues concerning them. the other is youth jam. this is a wekend focused on spiritual growth with workshops, worship and a major concert. the focus of the entire weekend is the culminating concert that is focused on a time of committment. each youth jam is attended by youth from across the conference, usually some 3,000-4,000 strong.

this time is the culmination of all the work that ccym does all year long. helping youth find the presence of God in their lives. for those of us involved with youth ministry, we know the statistics. roughly 5% of all youth have a working relationship with God. of them, if personal commitments are not made by the age of 18, 80% will never make commitments to live as children of God. our youth are a vast harvest field. in the years that they are discovering themnselves, the church needs to find a way to be a relevant influence in their lives. youth jam is the east ohio way of trying to be involved.

i have been asked by the conference director of youth ministries to lead this commitment time along with some of my youth. this is a huge honor. there is a long tradition in this conference of putting our best foot forward during this time, and they have recognized the importance of voices from the inner city. they want to follow the concert by kutless with a time of commitment led by some of the testimony of our youth. it’s encouraging to know that our leadership wants to give voice to what God is doing here in the ‘hood. they simply want a couple of our kids to take the stagew following the concert and tell the story of how God is at work in their lives. they recognize the struggle these kids have daily, and see how transformational God’s touch can be. they recognize that if God can work here in the inner city, God can work anywhere.

the plan is to have our kids share their stories and then have me as their pastor tie it all together and call all the youth gathered forward for an ‘altar call’ or time of commitment. i am honored to be chosen to be the ministry entrusted with such an important challenge. i know the focus that our conference places on such an event and the importance of voices from youth who live in the midst of spiritual warfare. i have chosen a few of our kids that tend to be more expressive in their walk with God. these are kids who walk the tough life, living on the street, but know that God is in them. they have seen and experienced some pretty tough things, have lived the ‘thug’ life, and know that God calls them to something different. their stories are inspiring to me and hopfully to the thousands gathered in akron on dec. 2.

pray for us as we prepare for this task of providing testimony to how God is at work not only in mansfield