Investing In This Place

Liberation....

2006-08-11T22:01:00.000-04:00

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"If you have come to help us, you are wasting your time. But, if you have come because your liberation is bound up with our liberation, let us work together."
-Lili Watson, aborigonal Australian Woman

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Old People, Etna Ave, and Diversity

2006-06-14T17:36:00.000-04:00

Today Jeremy and I went to the Council on Aging to get some more footage for a video Jeremy is making for them. It was good to see more about what they do. They basically just try to help elderly people in all aspects of life. Good stuff.

The house on Etna is good. We haven't done much to be intentional about this area yet. Hopefully we will. We prayed briefly over the house the other day. I really hope this will be a place of hospitality and community.

I remember a few months ago I was playing volleyball at the university and a car went by with a black guy in it. It was such a rare occurance to see a non-students of a race other than white that everybody acknowledged it in their own way. There is so little diversity here that we get surprised everytime we see it. But, I realized today that it is merely the north side of Huntington that lacks diversity. There are people from a lot of different races here on the south side. They are not in large numbers but they are here. I wish that I had done more to experience the little diversity Huntington offers while I was in college. Hopefully I can make up for it this year.

For the Huntington Project we did the senior expo but we haven't met in a while. Heritage Days are comming up and that is a prime opportunity to get into the community and see what we can do. Hopefully soon we can tie up loose ends with the senior expo and all.

Prayer is key. This community seems so nice and alive in the summer but there are so many secrets here, so many dark allies where people hurt one another, so many homes where children don't feel safe. Prayer is key.

Larry James' Urban Daily

2006-05-13T17:12:00.000-04:00

I just ran across this blog. Check it out.

Larry James' Urban Daily

Communities First

2006-03-07T23:03:00.000-05:00

Christians and churches bring unique gifts to their neighborhoods and communities. Communities First, a new book from CRWRC, will help you engage with your community, influencing it in ways that make life better for everyone here and now. As a result, you will see your community respond and change in surprising and redemptive ways. The Church and God's Kingdom will grow.

Communities First was written by a team of people who share a common concern for the church of Jesus Christ. It is designed to teach Christians how to love their neighbors and transform their communities.

Churches today sponsor service projects, dispense benevolence funds, go on mission trips, give aid to relief organizations, begin social justice committees, and provide funding to social service agencies. These are signs that Christians want to love their neighbors. The purpose of Communities First is to provide both a framework and a set of tools to help Christians and churches mature in their knowledge and practice of loving their neighbors as themselves so that entire communities can be transformed.

The title for this project was chosen deliberately. These materials are meant to redirect a portion of a church’s time and resources from congregational self-service to effective engagement with a community.

Communities First will challenge you and your church to:

Discover what the Bible says about the church's responsibility to people who are poor and hungry.
See your community as Jesus does.
Move beyond giving handouts to helping people improve their lives.
Develop a common vision between the church, the community, and others for the future possibilities of your community.
Mentor and disciple people in poverty who want to make a life change.
Encourage neighborliness and a sense of community togetherness.
Help people work together for common goals.
Discover unfair laws and work to change them.

To order Communities First and the accompanying workbooks, click here

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CRWRC has offered to give us a free set of their Communities First resources. If anybody has any idea how to promote it to local churches or wants to promote it to their own church let me know!

The Huntington Project Flyer

2006-02-27T22:15:00.000-05:00

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I have the flyer for the convocation done. If you want the file so you can print some out to hang up around your sphere of influence email me. Peace.......

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s216464@huntington.edu

Economic Renewal

2006-02-23T23:13:00.000-05:00

There was a good article in the Herald Press today (Thursday, Feb 23, 2006) that said exactly what I had been telling a friend on Monday about what would need to happen to revitalization the economy here in Huntington: "Author Jack Shultz said a shift in economic development strategies will prompt communities to stop 'hunting elephants'- major companies to move to their areas- in favor of nurturing existing and start-up businesses" (the photo caption for "Explaining 'Boomtown"). It's a good article dealing with economic renewal and development. Check it out.

Jesus Land

2006-02-20T23:03:00.000-05:00

These are the lyrics to a pretty powerful song. I had heard it plenty of times before but I guess I never really listened until Jeff brought it to my attention.

You can download the video on the Ben Folds website.....it's also pretty powerful.....

Jesusland
by Ben Folds

Take a walk
out the gate you go and never stop
past dollar stores and wig shops
quarter in a cup for every block
and watch the buildings grow
smaller as you go

Down the tracks
beautiful McMansions on a hill
that overlook a highway
with riverboat casinos and you still
have yet to see a soul

Jesusland
Jesusland

Town to town
broadcast to each house, they drop your name
but no one knows your face
Billboards quoting things you'd never say
you hang your head and pray

for Jesusland
Jesusland

Miles and miles
and the sun's goin' down
Pulses glow
from their homes
You're not alone
Lights come on
as you lay your weary head on their lawn

Parking lots
cracked and growing grass you see it all
from offices to farms
crosses flying high above the malls
A longer walk

through Jesusland
Jesusland

my email

2006-02-20T09:27:00.000-05:00

jeremy@megiddoplains.net

Handy Website to check out

2006-02-14T14:26:00.000-05:00

Here's a link to a site that is advocating a Universal Living Wage formula instead of our current flat rate minimum wage nationally. It'd be interesting to crunch the numbers and see what a living wage would be for Huntington, IN and how most jobs in the area stack up.
http://universallivingwage.org/

There's also a lot of great information on that page including an interesting article about Costco, a new rival to Wal-Mart and Sam's Club in some areas of the country. Go to their page and click on the sidebar for "Reports and Stats." The article is under the title, "A Corporation that Breaks the Greed Mold." Enjoy.

Richard

On Faith and Social Justice

2006-02-12T23:32:00.000-05:00

So I got to go to this conference on "Faith and International Development" at Calvin College this weekend. I have to say I really enjoyed it. I thought I would share a few notes that I took about development and social justice.

Notes from Aba Mpesha (Tanzanian prof. at Calvin)

Christian Development

increasing the quality of lives of people
people doing it themselves
can not be done without the Almighty

He gave a very good analogy about our role in development
- Push starting a manual car. Development is pushing the car, not driving and offering a ride.

He also talked very passionate about getting rid of segregation. He believes that until segregation is greatly eliminated development will not be fruitful.

Jose Ramon Alcantar on transformation

"Transformation may begin by addressing the basic needs of a community, but the aim is to integrate all the dimensions of human life, so that they process the spiritual reality and from their move towards the celebration of a new life and a new creation."

"Transformation is a process that proposes the construction of alternatives to the destructive ways of the world."

Rather than responding to evils with violence transformation promotes redemption and reconciliation between people and their natural and social environment
Does not depend on the acheivement of goals but on the continual involvment of people in the transformation of others
This requires constant reflection on experience and on Biblical truths

Kent Hill on Mother Teresa

"The integrity of her life allowed her to have convictions."

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"If you have come to help us, you are wasting your time. But, if you have come because your liberation is bound up with our liberation, let us work together."
-Lili Watson, aborigonal Australian Woman

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Those are just a few notes I took. It really helpes me to reflect on these things. If anybody else who was at the conference has something to share please do.

Newspaper Articles

2006-02-10T01:44:00.000-05:00

here's some newspaper article links. this should make finding articles in the library easier. feel free to add to the list.

Andrews Dana plant losing jobs

http://www.h-ponline.com/articles/2005/12/06/news/01dana.txt

Eviction notices to tenants of Cox properties only a warning

http://www.h-ponline.com/articles/2006/02/06/news/001cox.txt

Hayes to lose GM wheel business

http://www.h-ponline.com/articles/2006/02/06/news/005hayes.txt

Convicted thief may lose probation

http://www.h-ponline.com/articles/2006/01/30/news/009court.txt

HU raises 2006-07 tuition 2 percent

http://www.h-ponline.com/articles/2006/01/30/news/006hutuition.txt

Dad jailed after sons' crying alerts cops

http://www.h-ponline.com/articles/2006/01/27/news/03dadarrest.txt

Woman gets 3 years after girl injured in van

http://www.h-ponline.com/articles/2006/02/06/news/002court1.txt

Program offers kids free lunch at park and school

http://www.h-ponline.com/articles/2003/06/13/lunch.txt

Free lunch requirements listed for children and adults care program

http://www.h-ponline.com/articles/2001/08/20/free.txt

No risk of Wells County woes here, United Way official says

http://www.h-ponline.com/articles/2004/11/29/news/006unitedway.txt

Social service database seeking new listings

http://www.h-ponline.com/articles/2002/03/27/data.txt

Local church outreaches are under Love INC's new roof

http://www.h-ponline.com/articles/2002/12/23/love.txt

Love INC to move into former Bechstein's store

http://www.h-ponline.com/articles/2001/12/04/love.txt

The Huntington Project - part I

2006-02-08T18:33:00.000-05:00

Julia mentioned a few posts ago about something called "the Huntington Project". So a few people met up on Monday night and started discussing a video that they are in the process of making. Here are some of the notes and ideas from that discussion about what the video might be.....

15 min. final
~1200 kids eligible for free lunch
Lincoln elem. - 70% free/reduced meals
Check Herald Press archives

working together
awareness of the need
poverty
the homes
the red tape
impact on kids
channels to meet the need
pro resources
how many folks apply->looking for work

overview of youth org. in huntington
how much $ is spent on Spring Break trips
Day in the life
paperwork/red tape
homes they live in (eviction notices)
job opportunities
kids - clothes, hygene, reduced lunch menu
Mission statements from organizations split screen (churches vs. poverty)
Owens S. vs. Owens N.

What does this mean to you?
most people throw money at the problem
some people volunteer a couple times a year
few people connect with the community and help

read this....

Isaiah 58
1 "Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Tell my people Israel of their sins!
2 Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to hear my laws. You would almost think this was a righteous nation that would never abandon its God. They love to make a show of coming to me and asking me to take action on their behalf.
3 'We have fasted before you!' they say. 'Why aren't you impressed? We have done much penance, and you don't even notice it!' "I will tell you why! It's because you are living for yourselves even while you are fasting. You keep right on oppressing your workers.
4 What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me.
5 You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like a blade of grass in the wind. You dress in sackcloth and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the LORD?
6 "No, the kind of fasting I want calls you to free those who are wrongly imprisoned and to stop oppressing those who work for you. Treat them fairly and give them what they earn.
7 I want you to share your food with the hungry and to welcome poor wanderers into your homes. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
8 "If you do these things, your salvation will come like the dawn. Yes, your healing will come quickly. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind.
9 Then when you call, the LORD will answer. 'Yes, I am here,' he will quickly reply. "Stop oppressing the helpless and stop making false accusations and spreading vicious rumors!
10 Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as day.
11 The LORD will guide you continually, watering your life when you are dry and keeping you healthy, too. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.
12 Your children will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as the people who rebuild their walls and cities.
13 "Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don't pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the LORD's holy day. Honor the LORD in everything you do, and don't follow your own desires or talk idly. If you do this,
14 the LORD will be your delight. I will give you great honor and give you your full share of the inheritance I promised to Jacob, your ancestor. I, the LORD, have spoken!"

I'm in

2006-02-07T09:28:00.000-05:00

This could be interesting if we can get some creative ideas going.

Watch out...

2006-02-06T23:30:00.000-05:00

Just a heads up...
some really amazing Huntington people are cooking up a project subsequently entitled
'The Huntington Project'
Please email me if you have any interesting insights/statistics/inquires regarding
said project...

Who's with me?

2006-02-06T20:54:00.000-05:00

Well, I thought that it would be good to make a place for Christians who care about investing in Huntington to dialogue and share. Please feel free to join any conversations. Let this be a place where we can share ideas and encourage one another as we live and invest in this city.

I think there are a lot of people who deeply care about this place. Lots of HU alumni are starting to stick around. It just seems like God might be cooking up something big.