Mother's Day at PATH Achieve

We've been privileged to plan dinner on Mother's Day at PATH Achieve since we began volunteering there.  This year, I think it would be a lot of fun to take a few grills over to PATH and go all out with an outdoor bbq -- not burgers and hot dogs, but ribs, chicken, links, wings, and tons of sides.  We need to plan some games for kids, as well as activities for the kid in all of us.  We'll also do some fun giveaways for the moms.  So mark Sunday, May 11 on your calendar.  It will be a great way to celebrate a special day.

Remembering

From Dr. King's last speech, delivered on the eve of his death, April 3, 1968, in support of 1300 striking Memphis sanitation workers:

It's all right to talk about "long white robes over yonder," in all of its symbolism. But ultimately people want some suits and dresses and shoes to wear down here. It's all right to talk about "streets flowing with milk and honey," but God has commanded us to be concerned about the slums down here, and his children who can't eat three square meals a day. It's all right to talk about the new Jerusalem, but one day, God's preachers must talk about the New York, the new Atlanta, the new Philadelphia, the new Los Angeles, the new Memphis, Tennessee. This is what we have to do.

Thoughts on the Eve of Neighbors Lunch

I'm really excited about tomorrow's lunch. From my perspective, it's a success already. I think some of the things that have me thinking tonight merit some reflection.

• Over thirty people are planning to attend! On Monday of this week, I was hoping we'd make it to twelve!
• Almost half of the attendees are not members of this church. That's a remarkable thing. A huge step in opening our doors and being a known, relevant neighbor in the community.
• We received a request from a university student in Ireland who is writing a dissertation on homelessness. She can't attend, obviously, but we're sending her a DVD of the event.
• The Leader and News Press gave us a huge boost. I was doubtful a letter to the editor would be published on such short notice, but both papers were able to run the piece, and it doubled our attendance.
• By "coincidence," the Burbank City Council happened to form a subcommittee on Tuesday night to investigate stepping up the City's services for the homeless. The news coverage hit the same day as our letter to the editor. This issue is on the hearts and minds of a lot of people in our community. We are at the front of it, and it's no accident.
• God has brought us to this time and place to do something in our community. The relationships we have developed over the past two years with PATH made it possible to move quickly on this issue when the number of chronically homeless people coming through our doors rose. It's something to be excited about, but we need to remember that along with such a calling as this comes a tremendous responsibility to rise to the challenge.

Some questions on my mind tonight going into tomorrow...

• What are the challenges within ourselves we must overcome to be effective servants to this population?
• What external challenges will we face in this service?
• There's one guy, in particular, I'm thinking of. Will we be able to help him?
• Tonight Diana and I did some prep work at the church building. Someone had bedded down for the night on the front porch. Will the time we spend together tomorrow honor him?
• What if we run out of food?! (just being honest)
• What happens next?

Neighbors Lunch Is Saturday!

Our first Neighbors Lunch is just two days away. I'm very excited to kick this off, especially with this first topic. It's something very practical not only for our community, but specifically for our church!

Chronic homelessness touches us all. Everyone has had an encounter with a chronically homeless person. And oftentimes it happens at the church building. People in dire straits look to churches for help. That means we have to know how to offer it, and this is a population with very specific needs that require very specific strategies.

That's why we've invited PATH to give us a crash course on this population along with the ins and outs of outreach. Please join us for lunch this Saturday, from 12:00 to 1:30pm. Go to the website to RSVP, or join our Facebook event, where you can also invite your friends.

Save the Date: March 1st

It's coming together! March 1st at 12pm will be our first "community lunch" event. Rudy Salinas, Director of Community Outreach for PATH, will be our guest speaker as we discuss how to reach out to the homeless in our communities. I'm excited about the way this has come together so quickly.

Now, I need some help. The plan is to host a lunch event like this once every quarter. This first one will focus on outreach to the homeless. Future topics might include financial planning, education, parenting, book discussions... you tell me. Think about contacts and friends you have who are "experts" in a given area. Would they be willing to share some thoughts over lunch? The idea is to find things that interest a broad array of people in our area.

Secondly, the quarterly lunches need a name. Community Lunch is a little blah, I think, too generic. I'm toying with Neighbors Lunch. These will hopefully be broad enough to draw a crowd, but still foster an intimate, connective experience during which people will be reminded that neighborhoods and cities are made up of individuals who can become acquaintances, friends, and brothers and sisters.

So give it a shot. I need your help.

Let's Be Students

Last week I went to PATH's second Faith Matters luncheon.  I was on a mission this time.  We've had a slight rise in the number of homeless men stopping by lately.  While it's been great to have these guys stop in, borrow a couple bucks, trade names, and offer a blessing to them on their way, we're woefully unprepared to truly reach out to people who are wrestling with the unimaginable difficulties of addiction, hunger, mental illness, and outdoor city living day in and day out.  We can do our best to offer a friendly face and some temporary company, but we're not trained or equipped to go much beyond that.  I wanted to talk to someone at PATH about this to see if we could somehow get wiser to all this so that we can help a little more.

As usual, PATH has come through.

In the next month or so, we'll be scheduling a session during which one of PATH's outreach specialists will train us in the basics of interaction and assistance to people who are chronically homeless.  We'll learn about safety, respect, referral services, and other topics that will help us be more effective neighbors to this population.  I'm really excited about this opportunity.  Stay tuned for more details.

Burbank Comes Through

I am impressed by the Burbank City Council's 4-0 vote (David Gordon abstained, citing insufficient time to make a reasonable decision) to open a winter shelter at the armory. The California National Guard notified the County just a few weeks ago that they'd decided to remodel the Glendale armory (the usual host) during the winter months. At the eleventh hour, Burbank defied my expectations, to be honest, and voted last night to approve the armory's use.

The County had said they wouldn't push the issue if Burbank voted it down, even though state law makes armories available as winter shelters and supercedes a city's will. This was the tri-city area's only hope for a winter shelter.

There was a strong turnout of support for the shelter at last night's meeting from the religious community as well as other local service providers, such as BTAC, according to the Leader's coverage.

Hats off to the council and its leadership on this issue, especially to Mayor Marsha Ramos.

The passage of the vote elated Mayor Marsha Ramos, who looked past Friday toward the future of Burbank's homeless services.

"I celebrate this moment," she said. "As a community, we have historically moved mountains. Let's look forward to the future and say, 'What can we do to take our share permanently?'"

Read the Leader's story here.

Local News Roundup

A little lighter this week. This weekly post is more work than we expected, but hey, getting to write in the first person plural (the Royal We, if you prefer, and we do) is worth the effort.

Headline: Mixed use development The Burbank Collection is on schedule to open in June, provided drought continues. Read the story.
Our Take: You can't beat the location if you're looking for new urban pedestrian living (and if you've got $700,000 laying around). San Fernando Road continues to attract everyone. Young professionals, families, empty nesters, teens and the homeless. This area is without a doubt Burbank's primary community gathering place.

Headline: News Press editorial supports PATH's First Step application. Read the story.
Our Take: Good for the News Press. We'd reiterate that a program like First Step seems unlikely to cause an influx of chronically homeless persons. It is not a walk-in facility. It will be a lot of work to convince most of this population to come inside, but it's the right thing to do.

And just for fun, a nifty political campaign contribution record based on your Southern California zip code can be found here. We're not sure what you'd use it for unless you're working on a campaign, but what the heck.

October 2007 Adopt-a-Block

We had another great morning of clean-up and bonding over soggy cigarette butts through the City of Glendale's Adopt-a-Block program last weekend. We pick up trash in our neighborhood on the second Saturday of each month. Last week marked our 17th month! Maybe one day we'll get our signs posted (ahem, City of Glendale...).

Enjoy the pictures... (and I know what you're thinking, it looks like we had as many photographers as we did cleaners, but hey, without them, you're stuck reading me!)

Local News Roundup

Today marks the beginning of a new weekly feature here at Glenoaks and Spazier - the Local News Roundup. Each Friday we'll recap a few of the local news stories that affect our communities.

Story: PATH Achieve's app for a 25 bed shelter targeting the chronically homeless approved by Glendale Housing Authority, now heads to County. Read the story.
Our take: Cheers to the GHA for approving this program despite concerns of attracting more homeless people to the city. Entrance to the program will be by referral only, not by walk-in. I hope that Glendale might see the opportunity to be a moral leader in serving the homeless population among Southern California communities. Finding cities outside of LA willing to host services like this has been a challenge for the county, which would fund the project.

Story: Friday night Burbank hit-and-run kills pedestrian. Read the story.
Our take: From running the red light to leaving the scene, this is a tragic case of a teenager who had no business driving in the first place. A sobering story for drivers' ed instructors, parents, and young drivers.

Story: NBC will leave Burbank, relocate to Universal. M. David Paul & Assoc. likely buyers. Read the story.
Our take: This is a real bummer for Burbank, as NBC has been a fixture for decades. However, it sounds like there will be no empty space on the lot. The question of who will fill that space looms. NBC has impressive plans for a "green" skyscraper to be built over the Universal City Redline stop in Los Angeles, modeled after their 30 Rockefeller facility.

Story: House Committee approves Genocide recognition resolution. Read the story.
Our take: The timing is not ideal on this, not only because of Iraq, but because this happened nine decades ago. It's way overdue. The Turkish government seems bent on glossing over history and protecting "Turkishness" at the expense of truth. Their diplomatic retaliation threats are absurd, bullyish, and indefensible. Unfortunately, they may also be real. Whatever the outcome of the House vote in November, at the very least, it's a good thing that this is being discussed on a national and international level.

Budget Season

The air is getting cooler, the days are getting shorter, Saturdays are full of college football and falling leaves (at least in places that aren't Southern California).  Yep, it's budget time.

 

I love Budget Season.  It's a lot of work and can be frustrating, but it always gives me the opportunity to do some much needed evaluation.  It's a time of reflection on what went right and what went wrong over the past year.  You get to learn from your mistakes (hopefully), redefine your goals, and hone your strategies.  It's a time for new ideas and fresh perspectives.

 

I'm hoping that if I approach this Budget Season in prayer and honesty, new possibilities that haven't shown up on the brainstorming lists will become providentially evident.  It seems to usually work out that way.

 

So here's to number crunching, new hope, possibility, anticipation, and faith!

Glendale Church of Christ Fall Festival

Our annual Fall Festival is fast approaching. If you're in Burbank or Glendale and looking for a fun Halloween activity for the kids and family, don't miss it! Every year, we fill the parking lot on Glenoaks Blvd. with carnival games and our candy-laden Trunk or Treat feature. There will be food, prizes, a costume contest and a whole lot of fun to be had! Gates open at 7:00pm on Wednesday, October 31st at 2021 W. Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale, CA 91201.


Our church members are busy at work putting together a great night of fun and games. If you haven't signed up to volunteer, talk to Brian or find one of the sign-up sheets on Sunday.

So You Think You Can Cook?

How about for fifty people?

This month the youth group will be planning and executing our PATH dinner. Hats off to the teens for taking this on!

In November, Johnny Morris and family will take the reins.

So how about you, your family, or your small group? Talk to me, and I'll give you everything you need to know.

Amos in America

We've been taking a couple weeks to do a thematic "walk-through" of the book of Amos in our Sunday morning young adults class.

Israel and Judah both found themselves in a time of great prosperity. The rich were getting richer, the military was quite the force to be reckoned with, and comfort and extravagance abounded. But there was a price. There is always a price. The middle class had disappeared and the poor were paying for the rich lives of those at the top. Justice was absent from the courts and making a buck in business trumped any moral concerns. Idolatry was on the rise and those who "kept the commandments" were doing so out of habit and rite; their hearts missed the point. Clearly nothing at all like America in the 21st Century.

Last week we talked about the opulence of the rich and the oppression of the poor. Tomorrow we'll talk about the complacency of God's people and the corruption of the religious folk that contributed to Israel's fall from God's favor. God has some nasty things to say about the "church folk" and their "worship services."

I thought I'd post Eugene Peterson's introduction to Amos from The Message. Heavy stuff for us church folk. (Emphasis mine...)

More people are exploited and abused in the cause of religion than in any other way. Sex, money, and power all take a back seat to religion as a source of evil. Religion is the most dangerous energy source known to humankind. The moment a person (or government or religion or organization) is convinced that God is either ordering or sanctioning a cause or project, anything goes. The history, worldwide, of religion-fueled hate, killing, and oppression is staggering. The biblical prophets are in the front line of those doing something about it.

The biblical prophets continue to be the most powerful and effective voices ever heard on this earth for keeping religion honest, humble, and compassionate. Prophets sniff out injustice, especially injustice that is dressed up in religious garb. They sniff it out a mile away. Prophets see through hypocrisy, especially hypocrisy that assumes a religious pose. Prophets are not impressed by position or power or authority. They aren't taken in by numbers, size, or appearances of success.

They pay little attention to what men and women say about God or do for God. They listen to God and rigorously test all human language and action against what they hear. Among these prophets, Amos towers as defender of the downtrodden poor and accuser of the powerful rich who use God's name to legitimize their sin.

None of us can be trusted in this business. If we pray and worship God and associate with others who likewise pray and worship God, we absolutely must keep company with these biblical prophets. We are required to submit all our words and acts to their passionate scrutiny to prevent the perversion of our religion into something self-serving. A spiritual life that doesn't give a large place to the prophet-articulated justice will end up making us worse instead of better, separating us from God's ways instead of drawing us into them.

How Do You Feel About Partnerships?

If a church in our neighborhood expressed an interest in partnering with us to accomplish a common goal, how would you react?  In many ways, my answer would depend on the goal.  Let's say it's to feed hungry people.  What do you think?

 

Churches of Christ have traditionally avoided partnerships with other churches largely (based on my understanding) to avoid giving some sort of imagined, implied, or overt approval to doctrines or practices that differ from our understanding of the Bible.  I think this can be a valid concern.  We certainly don't want to distort the Gospel or leave people confused.

 

But is it acceptable to address issues within our community such as hunger and homelessness, massing more resources, more volunteers, more compassion, and more will than what we have on our own?  Is the bleeding victim on the side of the road to be left bleeding over doctrinal discrepancies?

 

You've probably guessed my bias, and I apologize for that, because I want this to be an open conversation where all points of view are valued and heard.  It's a conversation that I believe needs to happen, and it must be compassionate, patient, and loving.  But I guess I just need to share that I'm starting to see opportunities where we are greater together than apart.  We are already partnered with a nonreligious organization (PATH) to address our community's needs.  Is it dicier when we start talking about people who have so much in common with our beliefs?

A Powerful Room

Yesterday I had lunch in an incredibly powerful room.  There were no lawmakers or celebrities present.  But the power of those gathered was awesome.  It was mostly church and temple folk.  Yesterday was PATH's Faith Matters luncheon.  What an exciting afternoon!  Over 45 faith communities and networks were represented.  There was no lack of will in that room.  If we can coordinate our passion for the homeless as a united community of people who believe it is morally wrong to allow 90,000 people, 40% of whom are women and children, to be without housing in one of the richest cities in the world's richest nation, I believe the lid will blow off this issue.  Lawmakers, officials, and voters will have no choice but to listen.

 

Personally, I met and learned of some folks right here in Glendale that are potential partners for us in our limited work.  Meeting like-minded people is exciting, and seeing potential to combine resources is a great feeling.

 

There are plans for more such lunches and other opportunities to harness the powerful will of these faith communities.  Thank you, PATH, for making this a priority!

 

You can read PATH's Exec. Director's, Joel Roberts, post on the lunch here.

 

FAITH Matters at PATH

I'll be attending a luncheon next week at PATH's Regional Homeless Center in LA. PATH Partners is building an intra-faith coalition called FAITH Matters, "committed to taking a public stand to end homelessness in words AND in action." I've been looking forward to the start of this program for over a year now, and I'm very excited to see it get off the ground.

FAITH Matters is seeking input from the faith communities of Los Angeles regarding how we can be a part of the solution. If you have any suggestions, insights, or questions you'd like me to bring up, share them in the comments section.

Adopt-a-Block Upgrade

This is kind of a silly post, but those of you who are there every month for Adopt-a-Block may be excited by this news. Starting in June, your cleanup efforts will be aided by the tool below...

2007 Plan - Redux

It's interesting to see how things develop. If you want to check out the previous plan crafted during the budget process, you can read it here.

This year we're focusing on four themes, one during each quarter. Q1 was Service, Q2 is Poverty, Q3 is Cultures, and Q4 is Hunger and Homelessness.

During Q1 we kicked off our Guest Chef program at PATH, talked a little in small groups about local agencies and the potential for partnering with them in their work.

We are in the midst of Q2, focusing on Poverty and its effects in our communities, nation, and world. This is a time for us to consider our own resources and how they might best be used not only in temporary, charitable relief programs, but in works that can play a role in turning the systemic tide that reinforces generational poverty. A lofty goal, to be sure, but a conversation well-worth having, and one that is morally imperative.

In Q3 we'll look at multi-cultural communication. What are the barriers that we face or that we create in building community with neighbors who have a wholly different culture? How can we overcome our own presuppositions and stereotypes to make way for effective communication and friendship? Good things to talk about in regards to our community outside the church, as well as the one we've got inside it already.

National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is the week before Thanksgiving every year, and this year, serves as our centerpiece for Q4. We will also look at an exciting opportunity for a potential long-term program at our church during Q4.

So stay plugged in as we continue to explore our community and find ways to love our neighbors, build partnerships that make a difference in quality of life, and play our small role in God's redemptive work.

Catching Up

Well, this site looks pretty sad. If I stopped by as a casual surfer, I'd assume this feeble foray into building community had fizzled. The truth is, while perhaps still feeble, we are still going. I will have a more detailed post later in the week to give you a picture of our year so far and where we're headed in the second half of 2007. In the meantime, here are some shots to bring you up to speed on what's happening.

• Big Sunday 2007 is behind us. We captained the family cookout at Palmer Park this year with our new friends at PATH Achieve Glendale. It was a great afternoon with lots of fun, food, and new friendships.

You can see even more Big Sunday pictures here.


• Just yesterday, we celebrated one year of Adopt-a-Blocking! And check out the spiffy new shirts. They've caught some attention in the neighborhood. Di and I took a break from picking up trash on one of the new, state-of-the-art invisible park benches that the city has been installing all over town. They blend right in to the surroundings...amazing!

• Tonight was our third monthly guest chef night at PATH Achieve. The pics below are from previous visits, but keep an eye out for shots of the moms who we had the honor of honoring on Mothers Day.