"Is there any way you could help me to get my prescriptions filled? I just got out of the hospital this morning after I was robbed," John* said handing me his hospital papers and prescriptions. He came to our church service for the first time after he flagged down our church van walking home from the hospital, and he spent the day with us. Not only did we get his prescriptions filled and share a hot meal with him, but we gave him something more - love. We welcomed him with open arms. He is one of the many who have found a family at Victory.
VICM means so much to so many.
To the people of our congregations, it means a place where they are spiritually fed and where there is a family to whom they can turn.
To the people of our neighborhood, VICM represents a Christian advocate, a neighbor who cares, and a voice for God's wisdom.
To people of every background, we represent a community of faith that is bringing people together - people of diverse interests, ethnicities, and economic backgrounds.
To the VICM team, it is a place to serve, a place to share, and a place to learn.
Making Christ Visible is our mission and our message.
During the past few years, God has touched hundreds of lives through the work of Victory Inner-city Ministries. We remain actively involved in compassionate ministry on the near east side of Indianapolis, reaching out to homeless neighbors and needy families. Everything rises and falls on relationships. Within the context of caring, informed relationships, we help in a variety of ways - food, housing, clothing, emergency assistance, jobs, and so much more.
When Dania* came stumbling in - homeless and scared, she found a lot more than she expected. Not only are she and her children housed now, but they found a home - a place to belong - at East 10th. The same is true of many more. Welcoming people into our homes and into our lives is what we do. But we are not just about short-term, feel-good solutions. We are making long-term steps too.
Victory Village Shoppe is an engine for economic development in our neighborhood. We are seeing businesses started that benefit our congregation and our neighborhood in significant and far-reaching ways. To quote Joe Bowling, a community leader, "Through the development of Victory Village Shoppe, VICM is helping to make an important neighborhood objective a reality. This kind of community-based development is what we envisioned? and what will ultimately make our neighborhood most healthy. This is an important missing piece in our neighborhood, and we applaud the good people at Victory Inner-city Ministries for their leadership and initiative."
Victory Acres, our 114 acre farm outside the city, is about more than just naturally-grown fruits and vegetables. It is about people. At Victory Acres, we envision a safe palce where people can experience farm life, appreciate God's creation, participate in good work, enjoy good food that they have helped to produce, and as a result, draw closer to God and live healthier, happier lives. We welcomed hundreds of people to the farm this past summer. Some came for the good food, some came for the good work, but all left with so much more. God has been good. A 3,000 sq. foot greenhouse, a new well, three new cabins, a walk-in cooler, and a bountiful harvest are just a few of the things that we are thankful for this season at the farm. CSA Manager, Dan Perkins, is a graduate of Taylor University with a Masters Degree in Environmental Science. His expertise is a huge asset to our overall farming operation, and we thank God for him, his wife and their new baby boy.
A lot has happened this past year. And while general giving is up from last year, we currently are receiving just 66% of what we actually needed to meet our budget. To be sure, the work has continued, thanks to the sacrificial labor of everyone on our team. We cannot quit, and we won't, but I wonder what more could be done if we would have had the support we really needed?Here are the numbers:
Annual General Fund Budget - $96,000
Annual Missionary Support Budge - $37,500
Annual General Fund Income (projected) - $67,500
Annual Missionary Support Income - $33,500
Total Budget shortfall - ($32,500)
We thank you for your continued partnership with us. We are excited about the future! We have a great team! Marcos and Melina, pastoring our Hispanic Congregation; Steve and Stephanie, pastoring Victory Chapel; My parents and Dan and Julie Perkins, working at Victory Acres; Jennifer King, managing Victory Village Shoppe; Rachelle and I, overseeing operations as Executive Director and representing the ministry abroad - we are just a few of the more visible parts of the VICM team. Behind the scenes are literally hundreds of people - volunteers, staff, supporters, board members, and friends like you who make VICM what it is today and every day.
Without partners like you, we could never do all that we are doing. How is this work possible? Because of churches like yours and people like you! As God touches your heart and you give, you are partnering with us in this work. The problems of poverty, crime, and homelessness plaguing the inner cities across our nation are complex. But the answer is not more government hand outs. The answer lies in the teachings of Jesus, ?To love God with all your heart, and to love your neighbor as yourself.? We are a group of people seeking to live out that message in the inner city. We are learning together what it truly means to be the church in this place.
Because of churches like yours and people like you who have partnered with us in this vital work, we are able to do the work that we do. We are thankful for the real, partnering relationships that we have, and we appreciate each one of you and all you've done this past year to boost the work of the Kingdom here at Victory Inner-city Ministries. As fellow laborers, we will continue ministering to the needs here in the inner city of Indianapolis. Keep in touch. Pray for us, and visit when you can.
In Christian Love,
Eric Himelick, Executive Director
Victory Inner-city Ministries, Inc.
P.S. If you send a gift of more than $20 before December 31, 2008, we will send you our brand new Gospel Quartet CD entitled "Reconciled" as a gift. Just in time for Christmas! Thanks again for your support.
"Remember the Thanksgiving meal last year(click to see video) when we did the cooking together and then had people share what they were thankful for?" We recently took time to reflect as a group on our memories from Victory. "Remember the very first time when Victory Chapel met at the Care Center gym? We used pieces of plywood on top of overturned trash cans for tables... Remember the combined Spanish/English Christmas Eve service? We shared Christmas dinner with over 200 of our neighbors and church people and then had a candlelight Christmas service.... Remember the first team meeting, the sense of closeness and family that we all shared even though we were all from such different backgrounds... Remember the heart-breaking funeral for 3 month old little Annabelle Grace? Remember the day that Victory Village Shoppe opened for business... Remember that first planting day at Victory Acres... Remember Jack, Mary, Jeryl, Bill, Andre, Debbie, Daryl, Thomas, and a whole host of others who have been taken from us. Memories flooded over us.
I do remember. I'll never be the same. As a young kid, I came to change the city, but the city changed me. The people, the experiences, the stories, and the community have impacted me in profound ways. Watching, listening, helping, and loving have shaped me. Wrestling with real issues has kept me in constant reflection on the authentic Gospel and what it really means to be a Christian. For example, last week we arrived back at the church building a little after midnight, and were confronted with a modern day man (or in this case a woman) among the tombs. Mentally unstable, she had decided to take her chances sleeping on the church steps rather than stay in the shelter down the street. Her story is as long as it is confusing, but her problems were very real. What am I supposed to do about that? What would Jesus do? What should His Church be doing for the Renee-Marie's of this world? I believe I know what Jesus would do ? He would make her whole. He could transform the brokenness of her life in one powerful act of goodness. He would heal Renee-Marie. So why is the Church, the continuing manifestation of Christ in the world, seemingly so powerless? Are we truly following in footsteps of Jesus, or are we doing something else? Have we been sidetracked into doing the good that will ultimately be the enemy of the best?
Victory Chapel is not a social service organization, and we don?t want to be. Many churches are choosing to go down the road of social services, and I respect their reasons. "Becoming relevant" they call it. But there are some things to consider. How will becoming a "social service provider" fundamentally change the church? Money and power are seductive. How will the resources necessary to "do social service? change us? Is this just one more way in which we are "taken captive" by the world and its system?
At the heart of the faith-based approach to social services is the idea that the church will enter into the game that is already in progress, learn the rules and play fair. While we may kid ourselves into thinking that we can "change the system for the better," I think we have to understand that this is not our game. In an article published by the Polis Center entitled, "Ten Good Questions about Faith-based Partnerships and Welfare Reform," the author observes, "There is no way for congregations to build the administrative capacity necessary to write grants, administer programs, and evaluate services without changing some of their internal dynamics." One poignant question asked by a civic leader in the same article hit me like a ton of bricks: "If churches do social services, who will do what congregations used to do?"
Indeed. As the Church collective and as a local expression of the Body of Christ, who are we called to be? Our work must flow from the answer to that question, and we cannot allow the lure of grants, government funding, or resources of any kind to become a deterrent to that mission. We are a group of people in relationship with God and with each other who are walking down the road together in community. What we have are relationships ? that is all, and that is enough. A myriad of programs, goods, and services are offered to our urban neighbors, poor and otherwise. We appreciate the work that these "helping organizations" do, and many in our congregation have benefited from them. Without minimizing the work that they do, we believe that there is an important work for our community of faith ? being an expression of The Church on the Near-eastside of Indianapolis. In the midst of the depravity, brokenness, and emptiness that pervade our neighborhood, our life together as a community of Christ shines like a city set on a hill that cannot be hid. They will know we are Christians by our love.
As we stand in this sea of need, we are conscious that we do not stand alone. Many of you have given. You are partners who have made this work possible. Victory Acres, Victory Village Shoppe, and the Stranger Project have been direct results of your investment of time, skill, and resources. We work hard to be sure that every penny is used wisely and well. We have come far, and we could never have done it alone.
This summer has been difficult, and we could really use your help right now. Because of the economy, giving this fiscal year was down 20%. Our team is committed to the work, and because of that, we continue to work even when we don't have funds to support the work that we do. However, it is not without sacrifice. Bills are due. Families need cared for. We are praying and trusting God, but we understand that God uses His people to provide for His work. The finances have become a very heavy load. Would you help us to carry this load? If just 300 people would plan to give regularly each month: 100 at $10, 100 at $25, and 100 at $50, all of the general ministry needs would be met. Many hands make light work. While the cost is great, the investment in lives is priceless. Thank you for giving to the Lord. Believe me, He will remember.
Your brother,
Eric Himelick BACK
Many things have changed at VICM in the last year:
- Our family has grown! Welcoming Steve and Stephanie Gibson to the team as the full-time pastor of Victory Chapel. Welcoming Dan and Julie Perkins as the full-time CSA Managers at Victory Acres. They are two key families that will be important in the future of VICM.
- Our work has expanded! We have gone from a small group of people meeting around picnic benches in a park to a growing, thriving, mission-minded, inner-city congregation. We have doubled the size of our CSA, making it possible for us to do more work at Victory Acres. We have changed the focus of the Stranger Project to make it more effective. We have honed the work of Victory Village Shoppe to provide more work and more opportunities than ever before.
- My role at Victory has changed. Stepping away for a period of time in 2007, praying and listening to God, and then refocusing my efforts within the organization was one of the best decisions that I have ever made. Many have not understood, "Are you still working with Victory?" they ask, or "What are you doing now that you are not working with Victory?" The reality is I am as involved as ever but in a different way. I am the Executive Director of the ministry, overseeing the operations of Victory Acres and Victory Village Shoppe, raising support for the ministry, and developing the work as a whole. Steve Gibson is focusing exclusively on Victory Chapel, our growing congregation.
- We are learning! Many lessons can only be learned by experience. As we have prayed, discerned, grown, and expanded, God has been teaching us along the way. He is working in us as He is working through us. As we are learning, others are coming to us to learn what God is teaching us. We will be offering a class in August called "Contemporary Approaches to Urban Ministry," welcoming students and interested individuals to share a week in the life of VICM and to receive college credit. (If you are interested in knowing more, give us a call.)
Yes, much has changed, but some things have remained the same...
- We have not changed our commitment to share the Gospel message in word and deed.
- We have not surrendered our mission of Making Christ Visible.
- With sound fiscal management, we are doing our best to be sure that every penny is used wisely and well.
- We are still depending on partners like you to see the work of VICM go forward.
We are truly blessed to have friends like you. With your help, we are able to offer a faithful witness in the inner-city of Indianapolis. Your gift is an investment in people. People like:
Earlene - A middle aged community lady needing to do some community service started helping out at Victory Village Shoppe. Now she has her own key and code to the Shoppe! She has become a trusted part of the family. While she has been a blessing to us, she is also a blessing to many others from our neighborhood as they come into the Shoppe each day.
Heidi - This elderly widow with no real family to care for her has been a part of our congregation ever since she ended up homeless on the streets of Indianapolis over seven years ago. Victory is her home, and we often hear her say, ?I don?t know what I would do if I couldn?t come to this church. You people are so good to me.? Because of her failing health, we are in the process of becoming Heidi?s legal guardian and will be there for her until God calls her home.
Jessica - A young, struggling, African American single mom with two children. In spite of her three moves in the last six months, she has found a stable home at Victory, and she is growing in her understanding of what it means to follow Christ.
Alone, none of us can do very much, but together, we can make a difference. Thanks for doing your part!
"He will be getting out of prison after spending most of the past eight years behind bars. He was just 16 when he went to prison and now he is 24..." He was an accomplice to the crime. The older perpetrators have long ago been released, but eight years later he is getting out of prison. The story in the letter asking us if we could potentially help Calvin* could have been many different people that we know. Young men filled with rage and hatred have done some horrific damage. Every once in a while a story will jump onto the national screen of attention, but we see it everyday. Some sink down into quiet rage and despair. Some slowly destroy themselves and others. Some end life in a hail of bullets.
I sat with Wallace* a few weeks ago. His wife and children had left him. He was contemplating suicide, and his mother called to see if we would talk with him. The rage that has filled this man's heart is no excuse for all of the wrong that he has done, but it is the reason. His mother was sexually assaulted by her mother's husband (not her father), and that is how he came into the world. Because of the circumstances surrounding his birth, there was a love-hate relationship from the very beginning between him and his mother. At one point, she tried to kill him and spent time in prison for attempted murder. While he did not die, the rage, rejection and bitterness run like a deep, angry current in a rushing river. His name has come up at numerous crime scenes. As Steve and I sat with him at his grandmother's kitchen table, he opened his heart to us, "I'm just tired of being a bad person, but I just don't know what to do." The list of crimes that he has committed is long. "I'm just tired of hurting and hurting people." The talents that could be used to support a family and to make the world a better place have instead been used to support habits and to make the world a more dangerous place.
We prayed with him that day, and we are still praying for him today. While he has not yet chosen to turn fully from the darkness and to walk in the light, he is close. I have talked with him several times since that Sunday we first prayed with him, and he remains open and receptive. I still believe in the power of the Gospel to transform, and I know that even Wallace is not beyond the reach of God's grace.
"How can you help someone like that?" I am often asked. (What they really mean to say is that it seems hopeless.) I don't blame them for asking, I asked the question myself this past week. I was at a meeting of social service providers talking to a man who works with hundreds of ex-offenders helping them to get employment. He had just finished saying that finding employment for convicted sex offenders was very difficult. "How can you help someone like that?" I asked. "I don't help them," he responded, "I just help them to help themselves". He was right. The only way that anyone can be helped is if they decide to take the skills and abilities that God has put into their hands and to use them constructively. We can nurture; we can train; we can encourage, but they must choose to allow God and others to help them.
We have an opportunity for you to help us in our effort to help others. While we cannot go back and change the past, we can nurture, train, and encourage progress in the lives of young men in the future. Some of them could use some time away from the city to learn to do good work. Victory Acres could be that place. However, we need your help in building capacity. We are currently trying to raise $10,000 to build and equip three cabins. We can purchase a 10X16 cabin for just $2,100. With money to insulate and finish it, the total cost is about $3,500 per cabin. We could help more people if we had more housing space, and we could do more at Victory Acres if we had more help. Adequate housing space at Victory Acres is a constant need, but it is also an opportunity. A summer of work at Victory Acres could be the turning point for some young man and help to keep him from a path of destruction.
Would you consider giving to help us with this project? $10, $20, $100, or $1000 - it all adds up. These cabins, the greenhouse, the new walkin cooler, and many other projects will continue to build our capacity for the future. You can check out what is going on and how you can volunteer or help at our Brand New website: www.victoryacres.org. Thanks again for your continued prayers and support.
*names changed
Your brother,
Eric Himelick, Executive Director
Victory Inner-city Ministries, Inc.
2327 E. 10th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46201
(317) 506-3373 - eric@vicm.org
It is hard to believe that we have really come this far! 2008 marks the beginning of my tenth year in ministry and seven years for the work of VICM. As we look back on this past year, we realize again that it is God who has sustained us. Thanks to each one of you who have partnered with us over the years to make this work possible.
This past year we served nearly 6,000 hot meals and helped countless families with clothing and other basic needs. We blessed over fifty people with temporary shelter, and we helped three families with permanent housing. Victory Acres, our non-profit farm, supplied 73 families with up to f 300lbs. of quality, naturally-grown produce for the year as well as offering agricultural, hands-on educational tours to a variety of school and youth groups. In 2007, we had over 120 elementary, high school and college students, visit, learn, and work at Victory Acres. Three formerly homeless individuals have benefited from transitional employment at Victory Village Shoppe. An average of 95 diverse congregants each week calls Victory Chapel their church home. And we do all of this and much more with an income of less than $200,000 per year.
At this time of year, many people are looking over their stock portfolio and calculating their returns for the tax season. Can I suggest an investment for next year? One that will bring a much return than Wall Street. We could really use your help on some very tangible projects that will benefit many people in our Indianapolis community and beyond. Because offerings cannot support the needs of our congregation, which primarily serves the poor, we have learned to be innovative. Victory Acres and Victory Village Shoppe in the long run will be a means of support for our congregation as well as a great blessing to our community. They are engines for community and economic development. While our Farm and Shoppe are supported by the crops that we raise and the donated items that we sell, we often do not have the money left to invest in capacity building for the future. That is where you come in. Would you help us? Our request is for a few very important capacity-building projects that could help us to build on our track record of the past and blossom for years to come. Here are a few key investment opportunities for you to consider:
Guest worker housing at Victory Acres (just $3,500 per cabin)
We could help more people if we had more space. We could do more at Victory Acres if we had more help. We could have more help if we had the space to keep more people. Adequate housing space for guest workers at Victory Acres is a constant need. From college interns to needy homeless neighbors, we could serve and educate more people if we had more space. We can build a basic cabin for just $3,500. We could even put your name by the door or dedicate it in memory or honor of a loved one. Your cabin will continue to give back for years to come. What an investment!
Development of our transitional employment program for homeless women (just $4,000 per person)
How do you get a job when you're living in a homeless shelter? Our transitional employment program is not just employment training; it is employment. Armed with a job, a work history, references, and a some skills, these ladies now have a much better chance of finding quality future employment. Because they now have an income, more housing doors are opened. (The irony is that if you have no income then you do not qualify for low-income housing.) Many homeless women could move from homelessness to housing with even limited part-time employment. Through our strategic partnership with Wheeler Mission Ministries Care Center, we are helping women to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty. As they become equipped, they will give back, helping others. Your investment will continue growing for years to come.
Capital Campaign for Victory Acres (total $175,000)
While we are making all payments on time, there is so much more that could be done if we could retire the debt on the property at Victory Acres. Would you consider investing in this endeavor? A farm that is providing good work and good food has tremendous potential. Building on six generations of loving care for this land by the Himelick Family, Victory Acres will continue to make a difference for generations to come.
We are thankful for everyone who gives - $5, $10, or $20 - no gift is too small. It is gifts like these that sustain this work. Rarely do we receive gifts larger than $100. Anything that you do is significant and important. We are being faithful stewards of these gifts, and we thank God for them.
However, we also know that there are a whole different group of resources. There are people like you (and perhaps you) who are looking to invest significant quantities of personal resources in Kingdom work. They want to make a difference. They realize that life is too short to live for stuff. But you are careful. You want your investment to make a difference. Where would God have you to give?
Could I make a suggestion? By God's grace and help, we are doing significant Kingdom work and (Lord willing) we will continue to do so for years to come. We have a solid team of leaders. We have a quality Board of Directors. We have good fiscal policy and management. We have a vision that we continue to pursue. Why not invest in the work of Victory Inner-city Ministries?
We at VICM will do our utmost to be sure that your investment is used prayerfully and carefully. If I can ever be of service to you, please don't hesitate to contact me directly. May God bless you in this bright new year.
Dawn and Camile fleeing an abusive situation came to stay with us that week before Christmas. While they came with only the clothes on their back, both Dawn and little, one year old Camile came with a lot of baggage. Dawn, a former prostitute from the streets of Detroit, is now HIV positive. After living through twenty plus years of depravity and destruction, she has come into the grip of grace. Though we cannot "fix" her, we are walking with her.
The church was packed for our very first Christmas Eve Service. It was electric! The smell of the tree, the candles, the lights, the sound of the organ, and the story of Christmas. Dawn slowly stepped to the microphone and sang in her powerful soprano voice, "Long lay the world in sin and error pining, 'til He appeared and the soul felt it's worth?." As the strains of "O Holy Night" died out, I caught a glimpse of the incredible paradox that is Christmas in Urban America. Incredible pain meeting incredible love. Tragedy meeting hope. The darkness meeting the light. It is the story of the resurrection, and it's why we're here. What sin kills; grace restores. No one is beyond His reach. Whatever may have happened on those city streets, Christmas is our reminder ? Emmanuel, Our God, is with us.
During the past seven years, God has touched hundreds of lives through the work of Victory Inner-city Ministries. We remain actively involved in compassionate ministry on the near east side of Indianapolis, reaching out to homeless neighbors and needy families. For us, everthing rises and falls on relationships. Inside of those relationships we help in a variety of ways - food, housing, clothing, emergency assistance, and jobs, but it is all within the context of caring, informed relationships.
Victory Village Shoppe, our thrift shop and home furnishings store, helps by employing people from our congregation and community, as an engine for economic development in our neighborhood, and as a capacity builder for the future of our ministry.
The Stranger Project, from Jesus' words "I was a stranger and you took me in," is providing two families in our congregation with supportive housing and the ability to provide temporary shelter to others.
Victory Acres, our 114 acre farm outside the city, provides a place for people who need to rebuild away from the pressures of the city, to do good work and to produce good food. A new 3,000 sq. foot greenhouse, a new well, a new walk-in cooler, a drip-feed irrigation system, and a bountiful harvest are just a few of the things that we are thankful for this season at the farm. We are looking to build several cabins and a camping area this coming spring.
A lot has happened this past year. And while overall giving is down, the work has continued to grow and expand! We are excited about the future. While we have bitten off a lot, we are chewing it together. We have a great team! Marcos, Melina, Steve, Stephanie, Rachelle, and I are just a few of the more visible parts of the VICM team. Behind the scenes are literally hundreds of people - volunteers, staff, supporters, board members, and friends like you who make VICM what it is.
Without partners like you, we could never do all that we do. How is this work possible? Because of churches like yours and people like you! As God touches your heart and you give, you are partnering with us in this work.
The problems of poverty, crime, and homelessness plaguing the inner city are complex. But the answer is not more hand outs. Giving a hand out is not the same as giving a hand up. There are answers to the social problems facing our city, but the answer is not more government programs or even more charity. The answer lies in the teachings of Jesus, "To love God with all your heart, and to love your neighbor as yourself." We are a group of people seeking to live out that message. We are learning together what it means to be the church in this place.
Because of churches like yours and people like you who have partnered with us in this vital work, we are able to do the work that we do. We are thankful for the real, partnering relationships that we have, and we appreciate each one of you and all you've done this past year to boost the work of Victory Inner-city Ministries. As fellow laborers in the Kingdom, we will continue ministering to the needs within our fellowship and beyond here in the inner city of Indianapolis. Keep in touch. Pray for us, and feel free to visit us anytime you can.
I recently spent ten days in the Turks and Caicos Islands ministering with the Lighthouse churches in the area of outreach and evangelism. God helped me, and I thank Him for the opportunity to be a blessing in that place. A British colony, it is a beautiful stretch of islands less than a 100 miles from both Haiti and Cuba. Because of the newly thriving economy based on tourism, there are people coming here from all over the world to live and to work. The population is growing fast. The churches here will soon find themselves in the middle of a very diverse cultural scene and have more financial resources than they've ever had before. They are standing at a crossroads. Ministry in the next ten years will look radically different from all that they have known before. Reaching out to this new diverse community will challenge them to their very core.
The training and talks that we had had that week centered on a fundamental question, "What does it mean for them to BE the church in this place?" Without a clear understanding of what they are, they can never adequately answer the question of what they should be doing.
My hope and prayer is that I have been a help to them in their journey. It has certainly been an adventure for me to come along side of them, to hear them share, and to try to impart my limited knowledge and resources.
Thanks to all who have given and supported so that I could go. I would be glad to share some pictures and my report of the trip with you if you are interested. Just drop me a note mentioning that you would like to know more, and I will be glad to send it to you.
While it was difficult being apart, Rachelle and the girls enjoyed some extra time with her mother and "Grandma Martha" respectively. Perhaps the most memorable moment for me was arriving in Indianapolis. Rachelle was to have made arrangements for one of the guys in the ministry to pick me up at the airport (since it was nearly midnight.) I called her to be sure that she had talked to someone, and while I was still on the phone with her, I rounded the last corner and saw them. She and the three girls had come to the airport to welcome me home! I couldn't believe it! It was a wonderful experience, and it was so good to be home.
We have a missions team in our home right now from Kansas, and we are getting ready for our next trip that will include Cincinnati and the City Summit as well as a missions convention in Virginia. Thank you for your support and prayers. Without friends like you standing behind us and together with us, we could never do all that we do. While our lives are busy, we are managing to take time to stop and smell a few roses.
Yesterday, I was reminded again why we are here. "Can I speak to someone here at the church?" said a very tired-looking, middle-aged white lady with a 4 year old little boy.
"Sure!" I said, "Come on in and we'll talk."
She began pouring out the story before we could even sit down. "See I'm homeless right now. For the last two nights we have been out on the street. All of the shelters are full, and I can't get anybody to help me, and I don't know what to do."
As we talked through her story, I hurt for her. She was fleeing a violent, abusive situation in Michigan, took a bus to Indy to meet her aunt who never showed up. After spending a month in the Julian Center, she decided to try other options. She left the shelter and lost her place in the long line of women and children waiting for help here in Indianapolis. With all the shelters full, she had been out on the streets for the last two nights with her four year old son.
"What we have here are relationships," I told Donna.* "The fact that we are having this conversation tells me that you don't have those kind of relationships."
"You're right. I don't," she admitted.
"I want you to know if that is what you are looking for, then you've come to the right place," I said with a smile, "Welcome home."
Her tired face broke into a big smile that said it all.
She spent the day with us. We ate together, talked together, and introduced her to our friends at the Care Center. While we don't know much about Donna yet, we committed to walking down the road with her. We are calling her and the many others like her that God leads into our path into real relationships.
"As much as you've done it unto the least of these my brethren, you've done it unto me," Jesus said. When we welcome Donna, we welcome Him. When we walk down the road with her, we are walking down the road with Him.
Why are we here? We are here because He is here. We're walking with Him.
We are back from sabbatical much refreshed and inspired. God taught us many lessons
during this past month. The decision to get away was one of the best decisions that I
have ever made, and I thank God for the help that He has given us. The good news is that
everything went right on without us. Bro. Gibson did a wonderful job pastoring at
Victory Chapel.
One of the lessons that we learned while away is that we are not indispensable.
While the work that we do is important, the work is not about us. It is all about Him. We
may be used to do God's work, but that is separate from who we are. I am not just what I
do. My function within the church might be as a pastor, but my primary identity is
member. While I have functioned as pastor at Victory Chapel for nearly the past six
years, the time has come for me to step aside as pastor so that the work of God here can
grow. The Board confirmed Dr. Stephen Gibson as the next pastor of Victory Chapel.
While I am remaining here in Indianapolis, my role within the ministry is
changing. I am going to be freed up to develop the ministry as a whole. My gifts as a
communicator are needed to tell the story and to develop the work of Victory Inner-city
Ministries. If that is what is needed, then that is what I am willing to do, and the great
thing is that I am really excited about it!
When I think not only about the tremendous opportunities in the cities across our
nation, I am both challenged and saddened. With the increasing trend of urbanization,
our cities should be teeming with churches that are making an impact for the Kingdom.
Instead, the silence is deafening. The rebellion against God that is so evident in our cities
offers a golden opportunity for us to demonstrate the reconciliation of God in Christ to a
watching world. But what are we bringing to the table? Too often, the answer is nothing
or at least far too little. The time has come for us to get serious about reaching urban
places with the Gospel.
We are planning a one-day City Summit Friday, November 2, 2007 on the
campus of God's Bible School and College in Cincinnati, OH to begin a discussion
and to think strategically about our urban places. We hope that you can join us for
this event. If you are interested in city ministry or are involved in city ministry, you will
want to plan to attend. While we will not solve all of the problems in one day, our goal is
to start a discussion regarding urban ministry in the USA that will continue for years to
come. Will you join us?
The City Summit is free and open to everyone. To register or for more
information, contact us:
Victory Inner-city Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 11151
Indianapolis, IN 46201 info@vicm.org
(317) 506-3373
Preliminary Schedule of Events
9:00-9:45 A Historical perspective: Why city ministry (and ministry to the urban poor in
particular) is so important to our theological heritage.
9:45-10:30 Discussion
10:30-11:15 A Current Perspective: What is currently being done in urban ministry within our
movement? What are the most pressing opportunities available?
11:15-12:00 Discussion
12:00-1:30 Lunch
1:30-2:15 A Visionary Perspective: What could be? What might the future of urban ministry and
evangelism here in the USA look like?
2:15-3:00 Discussion
3:00-3:45 A Strategic Perspective: What are the next steps? Where do we go from here? What can
we begin to do together to reach our cities with the Gospel?
Copyright © 2007 Victory Inner-City Ministries, Inc.