Metro Ministries International

Question: "What are you doing in New York?"

Answer: I have a good friend from College Michelle who has been in Brooklyn New York doing a Side Walk Sunday School ministry with Metro Ministries for 3 months now. I decided to add a few days on to the end of my Thanksgiving break and go and visit her.

It has been an eye opener to understand the conditions so many kids live in, in the projects of New York. It's heart breaking.

It has also been very exciting to be a part of a vibrant ministry that reaches 20,000 kids a week by pulling up trucks with a fold down side in their projects (apt buildings) and bringing Sunday school to them. The hope this ministry is able to communicate to these children is so important, it is life transformational. The gospel of Christ's love always transforms lives.

I guess what I mean is that some how the light shines brightest when the darkness is deep.

And is the darkness deep. Many of these kids have experienced verbal, physical or sexual abuse. An untold number grew up with young, young mothers in their teens. Most of them don't have fathers. Many have siblings who have been involved in or killed by neighborhood gangs. They have many fears and hurts that a child shouldn't be plagued with. They live fearful and bear the weight of feeling unsafe. Not all have experienced these horrors first hand, but each has grown up in a culture where they are aware of it. Yet that is the reality in a broken and fallen world. The good news is that there are people that care for them.

And greater still the truth that there is a God who knows each of their stories, each of their wounds and worries and grieves with them.

Isn't that an amazing thought!!

As hard as it has been to see the pain and fear in some of these kids eyes and walk the often dirty and dark halls of their buildings it has been amazing to see this ministry live out the vision they have for these kids so effectively. It is a joy to see the passion in the interns hearts as I watch them serve these children day after day taking little time to rest or even sit down for a meal (it is a very busy schedule).

I love hearing them talk about the children as "my kids." I love that God has used their words to heal hearts and speak the truth with authority in an environment where many other influences are speaking much louder. I love that each intern (there are 52 from 10 or more different countries) have caught a vision for these children, have taken ownership of the neighborhoods assign to them and are pushing into the darkness with light and hope.

It is not safe here and yet these people are willing to even lay aside their "need" or "right" for safety and in courage walk the path Christ has called them to.

It's hard not get caught up in a ministry when so many around you are living out a vision.

And the vision is powerful. I will never think of New York the same, I know. And I think that I will forever remember the faces of the kids in the ghetto.

What a blessing it has been for me to come and develop a heart to pray for this ministry and these kids. What a blessing to see what my dear friend has been describing these months. It is such a blessing to see another piece of what our God is doing in the world.

Praise the Lord for His power to change lives and pray that he continues to rescue children from the dominion of darkness to bring them into the kingdom of the son he loves. (Col 1:13)

Mary


Here's a Picture of Michelle and I last year:




I hope to put up pictures soon.
For more info on this ministry visit http://www.metroministries.org

Brooklyn, New York

I am in New York. I am learning a lot and enjoying my time with my good friend Michelle. I have loved being involved in this ministry so far and am excited to have a day off in Manhattan today. Hopefully I'll have time to post more later and there will definetly be pictures to share soon. Until then.

Mary

Are we wasting our lives?

I just finished a monolith of a book (550 pgs) on the disease of Pluralism and how it is clandestantly corroding our society. Ok, enough with the honors English vocab, let me get to the point. The book is called The Gagging of God and challenges us to look at how we have "gagged God" by our accepting the misconstrued philosophies of Pluralism that our socity is replete with. There is much as stake with this, something must be done.

We cannot live the default life and "go with the flow" as believers, because no matter how Christian we like to view our nation as, the "flow", popular culture, is not seeking God.

And worse yet, many are masking Christian metaphors with anti-Biblical agendas (because we are after all a 'Christian nation') and many "casual Christians" are being pulled along.

I think that for a long time Christians in America have thought that it was enough to just "go to church" and live a quiet life, not causing a stir.

"Live and Let live" I heard a Christian woman I respect say a few years ago.

WHAT! What kind of life is that? Will we really be coaxed into a life of no impact so quickly? Are we so easily swindled into believing the world's logic? Sometimes we don't even notice.

I guess I have realized lately how "non- default" an authentic Christian life is. While the cultural patterns of our society and especially the way we glorify personal comfort and happiness as the highest goal, and thus re-enforce an isolationist morality lifestyle, I would venture to say that no committed, fully submitted follower of Christ has ever been satisfied with this kind of life. And far be it from me to be either.

In our culture, which is becoming so permissive of sin, and so hesitant to call it what it is, a culture that seeks to serve itself and rationalize away what little guilt our numbed consciences are still able to percieve; living an authentic, life altering Christian life is every bit counter cultural. Those who pattern their morality after the absolute values of Scripture, those who choose to serve others even at their own expense, those who choose to stand up for the truth stand in such utter contrast to our society's values. These values are incomprehensible to our culture.

Why would you sacrifice your comfort for another person? Why deny yourself something you desire? Why would you serve someone without expecting something in return?

These values when lived out and not just spoken of, are shocking to the world. It is radical. It flies in the face of all that makes sense to the human/carnal mind and will. It has always been this way. This is the example we are given in Scripture.Paul preached to a pluralistic society too (see discourse on Marshill Acts 17). He eventually died for refusing to assimilate in this culture. He could have just said that our God was one of the many gods, but rather he held that Christ was the only true God. He was counter cultural.

If we are not serving the Lord in a radical way now, I'll tell you we won't all of the sudden become faithful when trials come. Do we want to follow in the footsteps of the so many faithful before us, those who lived a life of radical faith and dependence on the Lord? Or live safe lives that amount to little of eternal value?

My heart is sad to see how easy it is for us, myself included, to settle into this default Christian lifestyle. It's burdensome to think how many Christians have been seduced into living lives of little eternal significance and little danger to the forces of darkness who are warring for souls. The consequences of not living out our Christian faith are devastating.

Have we forgotted that we have light! THE Light! and Hope that won't fail! We have what every heart yearns for, the answer.

We must live our lives on purpose and with purpose. We must carry our light into the world. And I remind you this does not happen on its own. It takes work, it takes sacrifice and intentionality. Are we up for the challenge? What will the future of our nation look like? Will we be conquered by Pluralism? Christ's gospel can never be overcome, but will we as His messangers give in? Will we be silent as the truth is so craftily destorted?

I PRAY that we, followers of God in our nation, would take the risk to make a difference.

I PRAY that my generation will walk in their call as followers of Christ and choose to live countercultural lives. That we would be a generation that seeks the Lord (Ps. 24:6)

I PRAY that we see and accept the great responsibility we have to faithfully and relevantly communicate the gospel of truth in our culture.

I PRAY that Christ's love would compel us to live not for ourselves but for the one who gave his life for us. (1 Cor 5:14-15).

I PRAY that I would accept this challenge in my own life.

The Call of Every Christian

I got the following message in my campus mail box this morning and was absolutely blown away by the clarity with which it described my heart. Be encouraged and Challenged by it. (I also included my response).

There was once a gathering of Christians who took a stand. They heard the call of Christ and refused to settle for anything less.

They decided to live out Christian life along side one another in a way that was challenging and encouraging.

They chose to speak with courage, think with purpose and act with passion.

They resolved to share without hesitation, hope without apology and love without fear.

They willed to worship with everything and in
everything.

They dared to dream big and to challenge the impossible.

They were complelled to love God until everything in them changed; and to love their neighbors into loving God.

They decided to no longer grovel in sin already forgiven.
They decided to no longer hide behind "Christian" masks and empty smiles.
They decided to no longer cover up their sin in an attempt to appear good, but to cast aside their sin in an attempt to do good.

They refused to settle for "runtdom" and instead, strove to be heroes.

They lived life with greatness- not a greatness that has anything to do with self, but a greatness that has everything to do with Christ.

They determined to train hard- to run, to fight, to strive with all that was in them until their bruised and well-worn hands held the prize and their tear-stained eyes saw their King.

Until that day, they yearned for every step taken to glorify their Maker; every bead of sweat to fall working for the Kingdom; and every heartbeat to beat in time with their Saviors's.

They decided to no longer give God part, or even most, but all, and that nothing short of all will do.


Who is this gathering? It is us. Or, more accurately, what we could be. This is the call of every Christian- your call, my call. And some of us have heard this call and answered it. We are going for it. We are giving God our all.

This is an invitation to come with us.

We are not afraid of who sees us. Please don't misunderstand this. It is not a prideful exaltation of ourselves, but rather, unashamed love.

This is not a club, or a clique or an activity- it is a lifestyle. Will you answer the call?

If so, please contact us.
Jesse Hayes
Collin Box

________________________________________________________

Jesse!!

Wow, I got that statement in my box today and thought, "Wow, this is what I have been praying for all semester" for myself and for the girls in my hall, well our whole campus. As an R/A team we have sensed a lot of opposition as girls step forward to confess sins and work through the healing process. My room mate and I have also talked a lot about how the values that our campus is standing for (just think of pk's message on God's glory in chapel today) and the honest lifestyle where authenticity and growth happen, that the R/As have been promoting are so contrary to what Satan wants us to believe and do. This whole idea of what it means for us to live radical lives commited to God has been brought vividly to mind even this week as I started a study of Daniel, a man who "resolved not to be defiled" by indulging in a culture very much as "me-focused" and materialistic and spiritually misdirected as ours (Daniel 1:8).

It is a battle.

I am so grateful to you and Collin for putting into words our call as Christians to stand up, refuse to settle, refuse to stay in sin, refuse mediocrity and embrace a life that is lived to bring God honor even to the point of personal sacrifice. I just can't explain how many things in that statement echoed the cry of my heart.

I have heard this call and am eager to support others and be supported by others who likemindedly desire to live this lifestyle in our world. Even while our world and our "christian" circles, call us to blend in, dream manageable dreams, live "normal" lives, not cause a stir, not make a difference and live for ourselves.

Amen! I am all for this.

___________________________________________________

If you would like to contact my friend Jesse, you can e-mail him at jessehayes@corban.edu

Please be praying for our campus as it is at great cost that people recieve this call and there will be opposition. Pray that we would stand firm and rely on God wholly. Please pray about living this vision and call to all believers.

-Mary

A Challenging Quote

This is from today's devotional in My Utmost for His Highest By Oswald Chambers:

If through a broken heart God can bring His
purposes to pass in the world, then thank Him for breaking your
heart.

How many of us have the courage to pray that? And yet it seems that all those men and women through whom God chose to do great things, were willing to pay the price of their comfort and happiness. They traded that for the joy of being used of God.

Wow, what a challenging thought! What would it take for us to pray that way? A lot of self denial, that's for sure, and faith that God can and desires to use brokenness to accomplish His will in our lives that we may come to know Him!

-Mary