Angel Food Boot Camp

Kate and I are at the Angel Food Boot Camp this week. After some severe trial & error, & error with our GPS system, we finally arrived and are ready to share about Network of Hope.

Angel Food is a ministry that allows anyone, from any income bracket to purchase groceries each month. Groceries are available in boxes of various items, worth approximately $60 for only $25 per box. Individuals may purchase any number of boxes they desire and the program also accepts food stamps as payment. It is often times a gateway for people with multiple needs.

Here are some notes from the sessions:

Steve Donaldson, from Rural Compassion
...the church needs to move beyond its "walls," physical and otherwise, to help people in fundamental, practical ways
...we need to participate in helping people become self reliant, yet interdependent, but NOT dependent
...we want people to become all that God has designed them to be and experience God's best for their lives.
...church is the spiritually based social architect for our communities.
..."The question, 'How big is my church?' should be replaced with, 'How big of an impact is our church making in our community?'" (Bishop Vaughn McLaughlin).

Great stuff! It's about being in RELATIONSHIP with those around us.

Help for Addiction

The Alliance Against Drugs and KDKA are sponsoring an
Open House Resource Fair titled "What Help Looks Like"
tomorrow, November 2nd from 8:30 am-1 pm
at Orchard Hill Church. The event is for adults only.


Bruce Edwards, Site Director for
the NOH Allison Park location,
will participate in the event.






Marty Griffin & "The Real Deal," from KDKA will broadcast
his show from the event, which will include a live discussion
with a panel of experts in the field of drug abuse and addiction.

Network of Hope currently offers Celebrate Recovery at our
Allison Park location on Wednesdays at 7 PM on the 2nd floor.
You can contact that location by calling 412-487-7220.

Quilting for Hope

A beautiful, hand-made quilt was raffled off at Fall Fest with the proceeds benefitting Network of Hope. Mike Kunkel (left) is the winner!

Thanks to the hard work and generosity of the APC Quilters, Joann Bouda, Heather Collins, Nancy Forsythe, Susan Gray, Beth Haubach, Teja Hough, Nancy Laser, Sally Lippert, Helen Marcellus, Anne Martinez & RuthAnn Sesti, for putting their personal touch into supporting NOH.

The APC Quilters meet on the 2nd & 4th Saturday of each month from 9 am-12 pm on the 2nd floor at Allison Park Church. New members are welcomed. Contact Beth 412-492-8696 or Nancy 724-443-3507.

Change of Seasons

This is a great time of year; I couldn't imagine living without it. Crisp, colorful leaves, bright sunshine on cool days, apple cider, a favorite sweater..... We've been fortunate to have unseasonably warm weather this month, but I caught myself the other day wishing for the change of seasons to hurry! (you have my permission to remind me of this when I'm stomping the January slush off of my shoes). Looks like we're on our way as the beautiful foliage is making its transition known.

Join us in the celebration this weekend:
FallFest
Saturday, Oct 27th
11am-4pm on the campus of Allison Park Church (APC)
2326 Duncan Avenue, Allison Park, 15101

Admission is FREE and there will be plenty of activity for all ages: craft show, giant inflatables, pumpkin painting, train ride, food and MORE! The APC Quilters will be raffling off a hand-made quilt to benefit NOH programs.

We're asking everyone who attends to bring a non-perishable food item to help stock the NOH Food Bank for the holidays.

For more information, contact Bruce Edwards at 412-487-7220 or see our website at NetworkofHope.org

AngelFood Ministries

Deana and I have the exciting opportunity to speak at an AngelFood Ministries http://www.angelfoodministries.org/ bootcamp on November 6 & 7. What is AngelFood? It's the new way to do Food Ministries. Instead of giving food away for free, this organization has devised a way to distribute food through local churches in a co-op sort of way. Everyone pays $25/month and receives over $65 in quality food. Churches love this ministry. AngelFood has over 4,000 churches distributing food to their communities.

We were asked to speak because of what we are doing here in Pittsburgh through Network of Hope. The main topic of interest is the Life Management System (LMS). Many AngelFood churches are now reaching hurting people and they have no way of effectively ministering to them. That is where the LMS comes in. It is specifically created to surround individuals with multiple needs with the support they need, all by using your local church & community volunteers.

It's so cool to be a part of a ministry that other churches are looking to replicate!!

sweat equity

Equity…the residual value of something after your subtract all the liabilities.

Sweat…what you do in the ‘Burgh when it’s 87 degrees with relative humidity of 75%

Sweat equity…what you build up during a VBS (vacation bible school) week.

It started today at 6 AM, when I awoke to begin the first day of VBS week. Ordinarily words like sweat, AM, and humidity are not those I embrace, but today they were. I got to work alongside a great group of teens, which is energizing to say the least, and at best, reminds me not to take myself too seriously, ever.

Our VBS theme this year is “Treasure Beach,” based on the verses in Matthew 6:20-21, which say, “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” We’re anticipating a powerful week where kids will learn that they are God’s treasure and that the most important things they can commit themselves to are giving, celebrating God, helping, and receiving the gift of salvation.

The lives of these young people are precious; they are the treasure which must be stored up. Investing into their lives is one of the “funnest” privileges God could give me. There’s something special about putting your heart, mind and body to work for things of eternal value. The “liabilities” of heat, discomfort and fatigue come up short on the bottom line in the cause of Christ.

Sweat equity…worth the investment.

seeing clearly

Yesterday, 2 things reminded me about the view of what's to come.

First, when I woke up, I immediately put a drop of re-wetting solution into each eye. Contact lenses get extremely dry during this time of the year, so a drop in each eye brings relief as things come into focus. That first blink makes me long to see that way all the time--sharp edges, exact focus, brightness.

Then, I cleaned my car windows. They needed it badly. The film had formed--you know the one that you don't notice until you open the car door and realize there IS no fog today. So I did the best I could to reach my Civic's tight corners (cleaning the windows was definitely NOT considered in the design process). It's amazing the contortions a human body can make in the name of cleaning (my poor neighbors). Needless to say, the drive following this effort gave new meaning to the phrase "crystal clear".

The verse from 1 Corinthians 13:12 came to mind. It says, "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."

It doesn't say a foggy mirror or streaked mirror, just mirror. Most mirrors seem to give a pretty good view of things. So, it would seem, do my contacts and car windows. Even though I could see out of both pretty well, my vision greatly improved once they had been cleaned.

This verse reminds me that the BEST is yet to come. As good as things are, there is better on the way. It excites me to know that there is a clearer, more perfect view promised.

Now I "see" God through His creation, through His word, through the church,...and it is good, it's beautiful, so much to admire. These are 'mere' reflections of God. Soon, I shall open my "eyes" and the subtle fog of this world will lift, and I'll see Him face-to-face, vivid, clear, crisp, bright and alive; no longer the reflection, but God Himself. And I will be truly "seeing" for the first time.