Updates & Fall Happings
“Once you leave, the mood is going to drastically change here.” -Jesus Kitchen guest
The fall has surely been busy for us! The end of summer brought some exciting opportunities. We took the Jesus Kitchen to the Great Lakes Regional Rainbow Gathering, were asked to host a small group on fundraising through The Cause, Inc, hosted a guest in The Duplex apartment, started the school year with the kids, did a fundraising campaign, lots and lots of admin work and advisory board meetings!
Jesus Kitchen
As I(Ben) pulled out of the Regional Rainbow Gathering in the upper peninsula of Michigan I was so encouraged by the reception and impact that the Jesus Kitchen had at this gathering. This past year has had its ups and downs. One “down” was not being able to attend the National Rainbow Gathering in June. This Regional Rainbow Gathering reminded me why we go and the impact that the Jesus Kitchen has at a Rainbow Gathering.
Our team for this gathering consisted mostly of first time volunteers. We wanted to give an opportunity for people to experience what the Jesus Kitchen does at the Rainbow Gatherings without the huge time and financial commitment that the National Gathering entails. That being said, I feel that this will be a gathering that we will be attending for many years to come.
Our team had the opportunity to connect and point people to Jesus in a more intimate way that revolved around community and hospitality. Most of the people we connected with were coming from the Twin Cities, so we are able to continue that impact and community at home as well.
The Duplex
In mid-August we started hosting a guest in our upstairs apartment. Our guest just moved out at the beginning of November after being here with us for two and a half months. She was a wonderful guest. While she was here with us, we were able to provide a rent-free space for her to live while she established a new job and looked for permanent housing. Teresa was also able to connect with our guest weekly as a point of connection and to help set practical goals while she was here with us.
Other Happenings
In October, we started the Learning Academy for Emerging Leaders of Non-profits through Amplified Mission Network. Our cohort meets bimonthly to learn and grow in our leadership skills as we seek to lead Places of Welcome well. There is so much for us to learn about running a non-profit and are very grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow.
We have also been asked to facilitate a small group on fundraising through The Cause, Inc. We graciously accepted and have really enjoyed meeting with our small group once a month to encourage and be encouraged by other missionary partners of The Cause who are also trying to raise financial support. At the end of each meeting we think about and set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely). Since raising support is not always the easiest thing to do, this group has been such a life-giving, encouraging time!
On the fundraising note, we have been working hard at our SMART goals over the last few months. We are really hoping and praying to be fully funded by the end of the year. It feels like a HUGE goal as we are needing to increase our funding by quite a bit. Even though this feels very scary to us, we also know that God is faithful and we are holding on to that.
We are also excited for new opportunities to share what we are up to with Places of Welcome. We are being given the amazing opportunity to share about our work at a couple of church services coming up, we are working on getting registered for Give To The Max day on November 16th, Giving Tuesday and our End of the Year Campaign.
We continue to seek to make new connections with others who may be interested in our work and would like to partner financially with us. As we enter this holiday season, please let us know if you’d like to host an event for us to share our hearts and ministry with others.
Prayer requests:
For our upcoming speaking engagements.
That we will get fully funded!
For the final part of The Duplex renovation, that everything will go smoothly.
For the next guest for Places of Welcome, that we connect with the right person.
Pray for our last guest as she transitions out of our house, that God will meet her in ways that she will understand, and know how loved she is.
For Teresa as she is wearing a lot of different hats at the moment, for peace and wisdom as she juggles all the things.
For Ben that he is encouraged and is able to feel led with God's wisdom as he speaks at churches and with individuals.
Thank you for being on this journey with us!
Ben & Teresa
