Reaching Little India - Reaching Little India
The north side of Chicago is like a different world from the south side. Little India, on Devon Avenue, is an ethnically diverse neighborhood of people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Afghanistan. Over 60 languages are spoken, and many religions are practiced, including Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, and Zoroastrianism. These are drastic contrasts to the mostly African-American and Latino south side neighborhoods of Chicago.
Honestly, I...
Summer Camp Time - Highlights from Summer DAY CAMP
It's been hot in Chicago! Unfortunately, the summer heat translates into violence in Chicago, making it dangerous for innocent children to play outside. That's why Here's Life Inner City runs a Summer Day Camp every year at the Agape Community Center for the children in the south-side Roseland neighborhood.
Our daughters, Rebekah and Anna, participated in Day Camp for the first time. They anticipated its start every d...
Harry Update - Dear Pleasant Hill Church,
Are you ever nervous when you do something for the first time? Terry was. About a month ago Terry participated in one of several evangelism trainings we offered in preparation for our annual Boxes of Love outreach. Terry is a new believer in Jesus who had never before shared the gospel with anyone. She was both excited and scared to give it a try.
As we walked down the sidewalk Terry shared that she is still wrestling through her own doubts and questions about her new fa...
10 Years! - Rebekah turned 10 years old on Oct. 23! How in the world did that happen!?
Recently, I heard someone say, "When you're a parent, the
days are long, but the years are short." So true!
We celebrated with a satisfying mix of friends and family
(many from out of town). Mainly, Rebekah collected money
to save towards ten weeks of horseback riding lessons. She
only has $11 to go to pay for them herself! Let's just say
that she's "focused." All of our kids will celebrate birthdays soon. Come
Januar...
Prayers and Praises for the Harrys - Praise God:
• For calling Michelle and I to share the
gospel with the poor in Chicago in
both word and deed
• For all God did in and through our 230
Urban Immersion participants
• For Lawrence's new faith in Christ and
the ten others who began relationships
with Jesus during Urban Immersion
Please Pray:
• For God to be glorified during our
ministry's first Fellowship Dinner on
Saturday, April 30th
• For leadership transition in our
ministry, locally and nationally
...
Spring Break Changes a Life - LIFE-CHANGING SPRING BREAK
My junior year of college I (Brad) went on a mission trip to Chicago during
spring break called Urban Immersion that changed my life. God used that
experience with Here's Life Inner City to call me into ministry.
When I signed up for the trip God had already been talking to me about moving
to Chicago after graduation to serve the poor. But I doubted He could use a dorky,
middle-class, white guy to do much good in the hood. To my surprise, there were
already men there like...
LEARNING YOUR LESSON by Brad
... - LEARNING YOUR LESSON by Brad
Have you made any changes in 2011? I did. In obedience to the Holy
Spirit's leading, I cut my weekly high school Bible study in half!
In the fall we were averaging 24 guys for our Thursday Night Bible
Study--pretty good numbers. The problem was about half the guys were
"enduring" Bible study just so they could play basketball (like those who
followed Jesus for a free meal in John 6:26). They had heard the gospel
several times but were not interested in responding. Frankl...
Prayers and Praise - Praise God:
• For churches like Greater Faith that
serve the homeless
• For the transforming power of Jesus'
love in Frank's life
• For the 360 Homeless Care Kits
distributed in January
• For fun and variety as we home school
our kids
Please Pray:
• For God to bless the leaders and
ministry at Greater Faith
• For Frank to get into his own
apartment by the 1st of March
• For the Spirit's leading at a conference
Brad will attend in Feb.
• That we will...
Helping the Homeless - HELPING THE HOMELESS by Brad
There's a blizzard coming! What do we do!? Michelle's running to the
store to buy bread and milk. I'm checking on the furnace, snow shovel and
rock salt. At times like these we are so grateful for our warm, cozy home.
Sadly, not everyone is so lucky. There are thousands of homeless men
and women in the Chicagoland area in need of life's basic necessities – food,
clothing, shelter, and love. Guys like Frank. Frank travels between shelters
in Chicago's south suburbs. ...
