"I got it! I got it! I don't got it."

Have you ever watched a baseball game and seen a towering fly ball hit deep into the outfield?  A ball that looks to be no problem for even an amateur outfielder.  Except for one little detail....the sun.  The player calls out, "I got it! I got it!"  THUD  The ball hits his glove, bounces off his head and rolls toward the fence.  As you look at him, you can almost hear him say, "I don't got it....."

Or maybe you're like me and you tend to try and do everything yourself.  Carrying groceries inside, 8 bags at a time.  Getting food at a cookout, loading up your plate, balancing your cup, silverware, desert and that one extra hotdog that just wouldn't fit on the plate, "Do you need a hand with that?" or "Why don't you make two trips?" comes the response from a concerned on-looker.

Maybe it's moving large items and furniture, which I always seem to get asked to help with.  Even with others around me, I was quick to say, "I got this."  Moving a heavy, awkward treadmill upstairs and downstairs, "I got this!"  A heavy chest freezer, "Just help me get this on the dolly and I got this."

Well, I'm not as young as I once was.  I've also learned that it's just not wise to do somethings on your own.  Even still, I have a difficult time asking for help.  But here it goes.

We need your help, friends.  When God called me to ministry, He also called my family to join in this journey.  Our intentional living in a community filled with poverty, violence, drugs and depression is our ministry field.  While this may not sound like a desirable place to live for many, it's just right for us!  It's right because it's where God has called us to be at this time.  Despite the dangers that may be associated with the location of our home and outreach efforts, I'm sure that there is no safer place to be than walking in God's will.  Ministry occurs every time we interact with our neighbors, take a walk or even just play with our children outside.  It's been amazing to realize just how many parents don't really know how to 'play' with their children,  how many couples don't know how to appropriately talk to one another without profanity or yelling, and how many people don't know how to simply care for their neighbor.  Our life is a living example to those around us.  We're not just an example of how to be a good person, parent or neighbor, but more importantly, we are an incarnational example of Christ's love.

Some of you may think that there isn't much to doing these things.  What you need to look at is the context in which it takes place.  Loving your children and exchanging pleasantries with your neighbors may not be an out of the ordinary occurrence in your neighborhood, but it sure sticks out in our 'hood.  In displaying this love of Christ for ourselves, our family and our neighbors, we are opening doors to share the Gospel with others.  We live our ministry all day, everyday.  I balance my part of this ministry with seminary and part-time work (20+ hrs/week).  This leaves us with a significant deficit in our income vs. expenses.

For us to continue the ministry that we have been called to, I can no longer keep saying, "I got it! I got it!"  Quite frankly, "I don't got it..."  We need those who believe in our call to be urban missionaries, those who believe in helping others but cannot do it directly, those who just feel compelled to do something good, to partner with us.  Everyone can partner with us in prayer.  God willing, enough others will be led to partner with us financially to support our family and ministry.  What are you being called to do?  By supporting us, you are allowing us to continue to share the love of Christ with our neighbors and bring SHALOM to this community.

In Christ,
Jason

Going to the next level

In August 2010, God challenged us with seeking people to partner with us ministry from both a financial and prayerful stance. We fought this idea of seeking assistance from others for our needs as domestic urban missionaries. After all, this is the same God who, just a few short months before, had really laid heavy on us the concept of being ‘tentmakers’ and being self supporting in ministry. Then we received our first anonymous donation and we realized, but not fully, that partnership was necessary and healthy for us to sustain ourselves while we ministered to people. We still made a conscious choice to only pray for provision-not seek it out through partnership. The time is upon us for this to change. As we feel an even stronger pull into our missional life, we recognize our need of support from others in order to do it. Simply, this is a journey we can no longer weather alone. While we have humbly relied on government assistance for food (covering about 80% of our food costs each month) and medical coverage over the past 2 years, we are still left with a huge gap to fill in the rest of our expenses to cover as modest of lifestyle as possible. Until now, this has been partially covered by maxing out the student loans available to Jason and using what remained after paying tuition not covered by scholarships for our rent and utility expenses which are just under $14,000 for the year (and, yes, this is living in one of the most impoverished area in Holland!). There is an annual cap on the number of hours Jason can work with Campus Safety which, when maxed out, falls several thousand dollars short of our basic living expenses. This does not take into account any resources we need in order to continue outreach to our ministry responsibilities or cover any additional living expenses that we incur as a soon to be family of 6. We are essentially living a life of intentional poverty, with no credit cards, no consumer debt and very, very few non-essential expenses (which are bound to happen with 3, soon to be 4, kids!). Our rent is currently covered through August 2011. After that is when living by faith truly kicks in.

We have come to learn that we will always be provided for by the One who knows and sees all. We trust in this and trust in the people who know and love us to come alongside us now, in partnership, to see and inspire the STEPS vision to continue and grow!

Please pray about you part in helping take things to the next level! You can make a secure, non-tax deductible donation through either clicking the ChipIn link below or the donate tab on the left hand side.  For mailing information, please click here.