The State Budget Crunch - How Are We Affected?

Our good friend Minnie looks for a loaf of bread at South Side Mission's Benevolence Center, 2919 W. Garden Street.

South Side Mission does not accept nor do we desire government funding.

The Lord has done a great job over the years of seeing to it that He will meet all of our needs and some of our wants as well. Furthermore, government funding comes with strings that keep highly-Christian organizations from being assertive with the Gospel. As such, we want to keep being faithful to our Mission statement, which reads "to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ to the poor and in His name to love, feed, house, clothe, and teach all those He sends to us."

So, the budget crunch in the state of Illinois does not affect our funding.

However, it does affect the people that we serve. If there's less government assistance going to the poorest of the poor, the people we serve most often, we may have to step up and provide more assistance to them.

We are already serving record numbers of poor people this year. Our Benevolence Ministry, last year at this time, was helping 800 to 900 families a month with free food or housewares. Now we are serving 1,000 to 1,100. But the Lord has responded in kind. Our pantry shelves have not been empty all year. Thanks be to God.

As SSM Board Member Danny Schell says, "the Lord kept the doors open yesterday. We'll trust Him for today, too."

South Side Mission in the News - Ropes Course at Camp Kearney

South Side Mission Executive Director Phil Newton holds on for dear life, 40 feet up on the new High Elements Ropes Course at South Side Mission's Camp Kearney.

We held the official "rope cutting" to dedicate our new High Elements Ropes Course at Camp Kearney, yesterday. We invited many of our closest friends, namely the kids in the Mission's Sunday School and the ladies in our shelter (and their kids) to come out for the day. They enjoyed a picnic, swimming, and a chance to climb the "rock wall" portion of the ropes course. The Lord smiled upon us with beautiful weather.

The Peoria Journal Star covered the event, but we couldn't convince a reporter to try it!

South Side Mission in the News - Satellite Office

Another satisfied customer of our RiverWest housing project satellite office! Over her left shoulder, you can see Rev. Spencer Gibson's Integrity Gospel Choir performing at our outreach picnic in the housing project, held June 20th.

The local NBC station thought the event was newsworthy enough to merit coverage. Here's
WEEK-TV 25's story on our RiverWest housing project satellite office.

Great day on Adoptablock today

Volunteers from Northwoods Community Church complete a Hope Builders project on Malone Street.

The Word says "How good and pleasant it is when brethren dwell together in unity."

In our chapel this morning, we had representatives from 7 churches praising God together and then rolling up their sleeves and going out to their respective, adopted blocks.

- St. Mark's
- Richwoods Christian Church
- Woodland Baptist
- New Hope International Ministries
- New Testament Fellowship
- Bethany Baptist
- Northwoods Community Church

These warriors went out in 90 plus heat to prayer walk blocks, clean up garbage, pray with residents, find out who needs furniture or food, and to be The Church.

South Side Mission Board Member and Adoptablocker Harold Booze, from Woodland Baptist tells us that someone on their adopted blocks accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior today! Hallelujah!

On Malone Street, one of the residents got some free painting done on the back of her house. On Kettelle Street, another got some work done on her house, too.

Send us more workers Lord! This harvest is plentiful!

Your Generosity Extends a Long Way

Through our Benevolence Center, we are able to distribute free clothing to 500 families a month. Also, our three Mission Mart thrift stores sell clothing at low cost to help fund our programs. Even with these ways of providing clothing, we still are blessed to have left over good articles of clothing.

Because the Lord has blessed us, we, in turn, bless other ministries, sometimes in far away places. Over the years, we have sent many articles of clothing to countries in Africa and South America. Recently, we had a chance to partner with a ministry that works with the Navaho.

Missionaries Marvin & Chrisanne Burr sent us the photo you see above of kids who benefited from the clothing.

They write, "It would have warmed your hearts if you would have seen the ladies hurrying to get through and take the clothes. These economic times are hurting everyone. They are very grateful for the clothes and hope more will come in the future. Your generosity has helped us build a strong bridge with many Navaho people. We are there to encourage them. They, in turn, will minister to their own people in ways we cannot."

Thanks to the Burrs for their ministry and to you for supporting it through the Mission.

Are You Going Through a Desert?

A number of you know that my wife and I have been going through a long foster care odyssey. Close to four years ago, Jilleen and I were asked to adopt a child of someone we knew of. As of the time of this writing, the adoption is still not final. We have endured a great deal of turnover in the parties in court, an appeal which started the process all over, and multiple other twists and turns in what should have been an open and shut case.

So, though this trial, I have been trying to figure out what God is up to.

Early on in the process, one of our clergy on staff mentioned to me that I appeared to be in a Moses season. So I began studying the Exodus story. I also read Henry Blackaby's Experiencing God. Through the Word and this book, I was able to see many parallels to what was going on in Jill and I's life and in the life of our foster child. But there were still some holes in my understanding.

Recently, the church I attend challenged us to take 7 weeks to dive into the story of Joseph in Genesis 37-50. I took the challenge and the Lord led me to further understanding.

I realize now that it is impossible to truly understand the Exodus story without learning the story of Jacob (Israel) and his son Joseph. The stories are intertwined.

Here's what I mean...

God did His nation-building of Israel not just in Exodus, but in the story of Joseph (and indeed Jacob, Israel's namesake).

God's people at the time of Joseph are basically one family, that of Jacob. It's hard to call one family a nation. Further, a great famine is coming, threatening to wipe out this family that could eventually become a nation. So what does God do? He brings them into captivity, which accomplishes the following...

- The family grows over the next 400 years into a nation of more than 1 million.
- The nation is fed consistently and has all its basic needs met.
- Their culture and faith has a chance to flourish.
- They eventually gain a homeland to call their own
- They emerge with a heritage and a story to tell
- They plunder Egypt on the way out

God did it in His timing, His way. While yes, the captivity was what we would consider awful, God used it as a means to an end. It's also a macro of the Joseph story. He was in captivity, but emerged with great favor, just like the Exodus story.

So as I look at Jill and I's story with our foster care odyssey, I believe the Lord is showing us something similar...

- This trial is building your family
- This trial is building your faith
- This trial is building a heritage and a story to tell in your family
- The Israelites' journey to the promised land was delayed by complaining. Don't delay your journey by doing the same.

And yes, God is doing it in His timing, His way. Yes the trial has been excruciating, but it is a means to an end. This is meaningful to me. God is showing Jilleen and I Romans 8:28 in action. All things work together for good.

I hope this helps you as well, in whatever desert your find yourself.

Ministry By the Numbers, May 2009

South Side Mission Board members Reverend James Taylor (with microphone) and Reverend Bill Williams
(inred) fire up the crowd at an outreach picnic held outside the Mission's Harrison Homes Satellite Office.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM MAY 2009

Decisions to follow Christ for the month
388

Average number of homeless women & children housed nightly
48

Families served with free clothing, furniture, appliances & housewares
461

Attendance in our Sunday School, weekly
42

Attendance at our RiverWest Bible Study
12

Elderly Services home, hospital or nursing home visits
57

Formerly homeless women moving out successfully
4

Food baskets given away at our RiverWest Satellite Office
21

Average attendance at the Lighthouse Diner
16

Food baskets given away through our Garden Street Benevolence Center
467

College Club kids enrolled at ICC
14

Food baskets given away at our Harrison Homes Satellite Office
38

Attendance at our Harrison Homes Bible Study
10

Attendance in our Chapel services, Laramie Street, weekly
47

Attendance in our Chapel services, Garden Street, weekly
232

Number of churches involved with our Adoptablock program
15

Pastoral care visits & counsels (non-elderly)
29

Kids enrolled in after-school tutoring
75

Attendance at our South Side Manor Bible Study
10

Hot meals to the poor
6,507

FINANCIALS FROM MAY 2009

Monthly revenue vs. budgeted
$215,096/$243,851

Monthly expenses vs. budgeted
$234,596/$248,667

Positive or Negative on the Month
-$19,500

Yearly revenue vs. budgeted
$993,083/$1,104,255

Yearly expenses vs. budgeted
$1,093,634/$1,174,382

Positive or Negative on the Year
- $100,551

Over or under budget on the year
- $30,424

The year 2009 is an odd one, financially, though not too terribly bad, praise God. We are off budget by $30,424 on the year so far, about 1%. Although revenues this year are down significantly, thankfully, Crystal and her team have done an excellent job on keeping expenses down this year as well.
Chef Chris was thrilled to see a massive donation from Dixon’s Seafood—420 pounds of Sashimi-grade Yellowfin Tuna. We’ve been enjoying Sushi here at the Lighthouse on Laramie!

Ward Chapel AME is our newest and 15th Adoptablock church!

In our New Promise Center shelter for homeless women and children this month we had 6 different ladies expecting babies. People sometimes forget that we are most certainly a crisis pregnancy shelter, too.

[from Associate Executive Director, Youth, Sheree Lyles’ monthly report]

“Marcus” was a troubled young man who attended our Older Boys Club at the Mission. At times, he would try to live his life the right way. But at other times, he would stray and get into sex and drugs. Sadly, Marcus’ dark side began winning. He recently hooked up with a gang and became a “mule” for them. A mule is someone who traffics drugs from one city to another. His friends who also attend our Older Boys Club let us know what was going on. One Thursday night last month, at Older Boys Club, Marcus let it be known that the next day he was going to be heading up to Chicago, but kept his business to himself. SSM Breakout Youth Center Director Larry Thomas knew what was going on and tried to convince Marcus not to go. Tragically, Marcus did go. He did not return from Chicago as he lost control of his vehicle on the interstate and perished. Marcus’ death, while engineered by Satan, has borne some fruit from the Lord. Life is fleeting and death is certain. Marcus’s passing got the attention of the boys in our Older Boys Club. Four young people in the Youth Department gave their hearts to Christ in May.

Jeanette moved out successfully from our shelter about a year ago and then was hit by the tragic death of her sister who was her rock. She was not able to maintain her job and her roommate situation fell through. She is one of the very positive role models for the ladies in the shelter. Jeanette just completed some training to become a lead and asbestos inspector and got licensed by the state. The Lord continues to grow her and she sees God sustaining her and giving her new blessings. Her contacts in the state office told her that she would be placed in the supervisor track for further training. She thought she would be simply working as a tech, but God had other ideas. He elevates those who are His. We are so proud of Jeanette.

Pray for Paula

Paula Berry, second from left, doing what she does best, ministering to hurting people.

Please pray for Paula Berry. She is a longtime volunteer for the Mission. In fact, the Berry family have been volunteering at the Mission since the late 1920s.

Paula teaches Sunday School at the Mission and also leads a Girls Club during the week in our Breakout Youth Center. One of my favorite Paula Berry stories...one of the girls in Paula's Girls Club made a very bad decision and ended up pregnant. Paula and her ministry partner Karen Johnson were faced with a decision. Should the girl continue to be allowed to come after making such a bad decision? What if other girls in the club got the same bad idea. But if she allowed the girl to continue to come, Paula and Karen could love on the girl and give her the support she needed. After all, she chose to keep the baby and that's a good decision. Paula and Karen decided to allow the girl to keep coming and supported her to the hilt. Paula has a huge heart for people.

Cancer is attacking our friend Paula. Please attack it back with prayer. Thanks.