Yes it is Christmas morning 2 am and I haven’t slept… can’t sleep… We have been getting hit with lots of robberies at our Church from young gang members in the community. More and more attacks seem to come as we push hard against the foundations of so much evil that this community has been built on for so long. We expect the attacks to come, it is just sometimes hard to understand.  The strategy that the gang members use is to come to huge functions where they won’t be noticed and unlock a window somewhere in the building hoping that when we close up no one will check. Since we here at Trinity don’t believe in Organized religion (meaning we are not very organized) windows don’t always get checked and in the middle of the night while all are sleeping our church building has been having some visitors coming for purposes other than worshipping God…  I am expecting some visitors  tonight since when I was locking up the building after our Christmas Eve service a window that is always locked was unlocked.  Sometime tonight we are expecting a break in and some of the adventurous young men God has brought us are determined to hide out and give the perpetrators a nice surprise and detain them long enough to call the police.  I’ll finish the story later and hopefully by the time I finish writing this we will have caught them…  just some Newark Adventure to keep you reading what will probably turn into another long email…

So here we go… Let me share with you first our thanksgiving report and then a Christmas report from the battle lines of Newark….

The day before thanksgiving we did our annual Community Feast. Each year it seems to grow. Christ the King, a partnering Church in Denville (40 minutes away) has adopted this as their outreach and they brought all the food and supplies.  Pastor Bruce brought a great message of salvation as we fed the 300 something people from the community that came through.  We also has a talent show where community members got up and showcased their skills. Wasn’t quiet American Idol, but pretty close… One young man who whose face was still swollen from getting jumped by gang members got up and rapped a rap he had just written to the Lord. It was so powerful to see. it was his first time so he was kinda shy, but he got up and did it and we were all so blessed. God is working in his life, and I know there is an awesome plan for this young man as the Spirit works and develops his gift.

We continue to praise God for the many partnerships that make outreaches like this possible.  I am in awe of how many new volunteers are coming through from all over to serve to this community.

But I do not rejoice in this…

December 1st we saw two new faces on our team. Josh (20) and Asa (22) moved here from Seattle to be missionaries and help with our after school program. How cool is it to have two new young motivated and gifted men to be on our team and love on these kids every day.  They love being here and love being challenged and we too love having them.  It is great to see what God is doing and will do through them and to them as they make themselves available to God’s purposes…

But I do not rejoice in this…

Our Show Choir that many of our youth sing in put on a wonderful Christmas Concert! (See Picture below) The choir director wrote a powerful song entitled “yes we can” and they are in the running to sing for the Presidential inauguration.  This is a huge step and they are so excited.  Please pray that if God opens the door for them to sing in this historic event that He will be glorified and our nation would be touched.  God is doing osme great things through this choir and we are so thankful for Gloria Morales, who faithfully takes the kids every saturday to practice.

But I do not rejoice in this…

Tonight was awesome, part of the reason why I can’t sleep. I am so excited at what God is doing and just can’t wait to share it with all of my dear friends and supporters who have partnered so faithfully with us in reaching this community with the Gospel of Jesus.  Christmas is such a great time for doing that and in the city especially.  I must admit that my faith is still so weak and even after witnessing so many miracles I didn’t know how God was going to pull this off. 3 weeks ago we had less than 50 presents that had arrived and we had hundreds of kids eagerly awaiting the Trinity christmas party.  With two weeks to go we were still far too short. Last Sunday (the 14th) after worship a team of 50 volunteers from our community and a partnering Church wrapped 500 gifts!!!!!  All last week gifts continued to pour in… By the Christmas party on the 20th we must have had over 1000 gifts.

But I don’t Rejoice in this…

Nearly 400 kids and parents showed up that saturday despite an extreme snow storm the day before. The Gospel went forth in power, the food was great and there was a real sense of the Peace of Jesus flowing thru the Church. For the first Christmas party since we have been here there were no fights, no anger break outs and I saw very little jealousy and greed. This tells me the kids are getting it!!! Our community is coming out of its entitlement mindset and moving into a thankful, giving, volunteering community of Grace.  Over 60 volunteers were there to help with the process of the party. 30 of them from our community. Last year we had hardly anyone volunteer.   We had food teams, evangelism teams, present teams, prayer teams, music teams and a great security/welcoming team that made sure order was kept.  At every part of the program The gospel was preached and it was amazing to see people enjoying Christmas and not just presents.  In previous years there has been a “get on with the God stuff so we can get the presents” mindset.

This year we saw something different.  People enjoyed and were moved  by the Gospel message.  The Hope held out in the Gospel of Jesus was a hope that people need to hold onto, and I saw in in the eyes of kids and parents as they came out of our Gospel stations where a volunteer read to them the Christmas story from the “Jesus Storybook Bible” and explained what it means to be in a relationship with God through Jesus, God’s greatest gift to us.  People didn’t want to hope in santa, or rudolph or any other of the commercialized “Happy Holiday” stuff. They wanted Christmas, wanted something real to Hope in;  to get them through the cold winter in the midst of poverty that many of them are experiencing worst then ever.  The Living God was worshipped this day as gifts were given and the True Spirit of Christmas as best we know how seemed to flow thru 483 Ferry street like a wave.

But I don’t Rejoice in this…

I must say “Thank you” for all your prayers and all the presents/money you sent to help. It really says says something when we see so much giving in the midst of our economic situation. It tells me that there are people who are not hoping in this world and the treasures it has to offer but are rather choosing to hope in the Kingdom of God and invest their time, talents and treasure in making that  invisible Kingdom visible to this community in Newark.  It does my heart well as I watched God provide for all the ministry needs for our programs to exist.  I keep telling my team, “we can not wait for the money to do ministry, we must do the ministry and trust God for the money.”  Somehow I always doubt that’s true, but once again God has provided and yet another month we are open. Our bills are paid, our building is warm, the masse are fed…(Physically and Spiritually)  The Church Victorious is taking a stand here, despite the break ins, the gossip, the hate, the violence and all the contagious diseases each of us brings into this Spiritual hospital.  I praise God for each of you who are pouring your hearts and resources into breaking these generational curses in these kids lives.  It is not in vain, and with every attack that comes back at us I am reminded that we wouldn’t be attacked so hard if we weren’t a threat.

But I don’t Rejoice in this…

Yesterday about 25 of our youth gathered with the Deputy Mayor of Newark and some other teens and sang Christmas Carols ( A lot of the real ones and some fluffy ones too for fun) in a senior citizen housing complex. we gave out presents and cards that kids from our After school program had wrapped/written and saw such joy fill that place.  I praise God that He has seen it fit to give us such a great relationship with the mayor and his team.  They continue to support our programs and have allowed me to be on numerous steering and planning comittees to help guide the city with youth development, social services and community organizing.  It is a joy to be a light and also to learn so much from others who are seeking to see peace restored to our streets.

But I don’t Rejoice in this…

Tonight we had a Christmas Eve Service (Picture below)  Over 150 came out to feast and give even more gifts to each other.  Our sanctuary continues to become more and more Beautiful (notice the new floor)  A Partnering Church, numerous volunteers, a foundation and wonderful Hispanic construction workers made this happen and now we have a gorgeous sanctuary for coming together for worship. We are so blessed and I am so thankful…

But I don’t Rejoice in this….