This post was written by Travis McGowen, a Sojourner who works at Our Lady of Peace Hospital.  Travis is a “normal” guy whose love for the outcasts in Louisville is a reflection of Christ’s love for him.

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Around three years ago, while during a Bible study through Luke, something significant about Jesus became apparent to me: his love for the outcasts.  On his way to Jerusalem to die for our sins and to be raised as Lord, he gave himself sacrificially to the least of society.  At this time, I began asking God to give me opportunities to serve in the same manner, since through his Son, he served me when I was an outcast.  In the course of time I began working for the Children’s Peace Center at Our Lady of Peace Hospital.

When I started, I worked with adolescents with traumatic brain injuries.  The experience was both challenging and rewarding.  Some of the children could not perform simple hygiene tasks such as brushing their teeth or buttoning their shirt, either because of their injuries or because they were never taught these skills.

After a few months of working with these children, I found that two other Sojourners also worked at Our Lady of Peace: Jeremy and Gabe Quillo.  Jeremy is a teacher in the Jefferson County Public School system and works with children with developmental disabilities, autism, and mental retardation.  Many of my colleagues have worked with him or with the patients in his classroom, and I consistently hear testimony from them about his work: though he typically deals with the most challenging students, he constantly remains patient with them regardless of the way they treat him.  His pattern of life is faithful witness to our co-workers and for that I am thankful.

Gabe is a direct care staff working with the same population as Jeremy.  I have personally observed his meekness and patience towards those under his care.  On one occasion, I came out of my office and saw a patient not following Gabe’s directions.  However, he remained gracious and simply repeated his original instructions.  When I returned to my office around thirty minutes later, the child was still refusing to comply with the instructions.  These types of incidents are not uncommon with these populations.  But what is uncommon about this circumstance is that unlike many who encounter these situations, Gabe remained gracious in his dealings with this child, never raising his voice or showing signs of frustration.

I am deeply thankful for the experiences that I have had while working at Our Lady of Peace.  In addition to this, I am thankful for Jeremy and Gabe and the witness of their lives in our workplace.  The evidence of God’s grace is a testimony not only to the fatherless placed in their care, but also to our coworkers in this city.  But more than all of this, I am thankful to God for giving his Son so that we might not be orphans but sons of God.  It is only by being changed by this truth that believers are empowered to change the lives of others.

Maybe God is not asking you to serve these individuals in the same way that he has asked us.  The work, although rewarding, can be challenging mentally, emotionally, and physically.  Nevertheless, all Christians have some part to play in bringing mercy to the less fortunate (James 1:27).  The majority of the population at Our Lady of Peace are in the state’s custody and many of them have no contact with their families.  Thus, the needs and opportunities are many.  I have seen donations as simple as deodorants and lotions bring much joy to these children.  One of the more restricted units only allows the children to possess a book and a Bible in their rooms.  However, when those things are purchased, they become very excited to get new copies.  In the past, some volunteers have attended hospital sponsored events to assist with meal preparation and activities.  These children enjoy seeing new faces and meeting new people.  I want to encourage you to see how the gospel has transformed your life, so that you, in response to the grace of God, might bring transformation to the marginalized.

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If you want to find out more information about how you or your Community Group can get involved with the children at Our Lady of Peace, contact Travis at tlmcgowen@gmail.com.

This week we have looked at the perspectives of three members of Rob and Lauren Maine’s Community Group as they reflected on throwing a block party for their neighbors.  I hope these perspectives have been helpful and encouraging to you, perhaps even spurring a desire in your heart to do the same thing in the neighborhood where your community group lives.

I wanted to share one last perspective with you.  This perspective comes from Bert Guinn, a Community Group Cluster Coach in the East End of Louisville.  Before I share Bert’s post, I want to explain what a Community Group Cluster is and why we have them here at Sojourn.  Recently the leadership at Sojourn reorganized the Community groups into “clusters” so that coaches would no longer be leading groups in various sections of the city; each coach is now over a specific geographic location in Louisville.  For example, there is a cluster made up of all of the groups that meet in Germantown, a cluster made up of all of the groups in Shelby Park, etc.  This geographic shift has a threefold benefit.  First, it allows coaches to not have to travel back and forth across the city to visit the groups they are responsible for, spending a great deal of time travelling when they could be coaching.  Second, it allows the coaches to truly know a section of Louisville and to be able to lead Community Group Leaders in that area of town.  There is a sense of ownership over an area of the city that was not possible before the geographic shift.  Third, it allows Community Groups to be on mission together.  It is very encouraging to know that there are six groups within a two-mile radius of where your Community Group meets that could assist you in serving your neighbors.   Ultimately, these benefits boil down to the fact that geographic clustering allows Community Groups to be who they are where they are together, which is the essence of gospel community.

So, without further adieu, here is the post from Bert, as he shares how two groups in his cluster tackled loving their neighbors.

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Sojourn’s new geographic reorganization is now in place and on the move. Here’s an update from the field:
The newly formed East 7 (a.k.a. E7) is a cluster of seven community groups that meet in close proximity of Sojourn East.

We are already off to a big bang working together to reach out to neighbors in the area. In the last week alone, E7 had two major events in two different hoods. The first event was on July 3. CG leaders, Jason and Lyndsay Magar, took the initiative of contacting the mayor of their local community to partner with him on an annual Independence Day celebration that begins with a fire truck parade through the neighborhood and ends at Hounz Lane Park across from Tom Sawyer. The mayor provided free food and E7 provided free ice cream. Each group was responsible for bringing one tub of creamy indulgence and a box of cones. We passed out flyers for the upcoming Sojourn Kids Art Camp, sparked up conversation with locals, and served up the good stuff with a smile. Lyndsay even organized games with prizes for all the kids. We met quite a few people in the neighborhood, and it was remarkable how they were so responsive to hearing about our church. Some had even noticed the new Sojourn sign at old Mother Goose and had wondered what it was all about. One man was there with his three young boys who told me that he had moved to the area from Ohio more than a year ago, but had yet to find a church home. I have a feeling we will be seeing that man again soon. In addition, the mayor was quite enthusiastic about our involvement, and I was pleased that he led everyone in a word of prayer before eating.

Our second bash was on July 6th. Rob and Lauren Maine’s group meets in a hood directly across from Sojourn East. Prior to the shin dig, doors were knocked on and personal invitations were made. It was an outdoor event with tables, chairs, and cornhole in the front yard. There were dogs, brats, chips, fruit, and of course, ice cream! The turnout was incredible. I was amazed at how many neighbors showed up. There was so much diversity. One lady originally from Ethiopia was there with her young daughter, and we struck up a conversation about recycling and how disconnected Americans, myself included, are from appreciating the abundant blessings that we all enjoy everyday. A young couple with a one-year old boy took me by surprise when the dad said he was from England. It wasn’t long before the conversation with them turned toward discussing our loving Father. Running down this list I saw two young couples, a single mom with one child, a grandmother with her young granddaughter, an elderly German man who brought a case of beer, quite a few other older people (60′s and up), and still others were there whom I didn’t even get to meet. One of my favorite comments I heard was, “so you all just decided to ask your neighbors to get together for a party to get to know each other? I don’t think anyone has EVER done that before. What a great idea!” It was such a rich time of getting to know the folks in the neighborhood and also getting to know my CG leaders.

In hindsight, two things stood out:

1. How simple and easy these events were. It wasn’t rocket science. It involved simply meeting people, eating together, laughing, commiserating, and sharing our lives with the people that are all around us everyday in real, not manufactured community.
2. Needs were identified effortlessly. For instance, the Ethiopian lady randomly mentioned that her A/C was out in her home. Likewise, another young couple asked me if Sojourn had a Day Care because they desperately needed to find a trustworthy one in the area. I think this is just the tip of iceberg, but it shows that it’s not hard to get out and identify ways to solve problems and help in your community…even in the East End.

How refreshing it can be for a group to get of their socially-isolated comfort zone and extend grace to others in their physical community. As group members, it is common for us to get stuck in a rut of repeatedly psychoanalyzing ourselves and obsessing about our individual walks. Don’t get me wrong, sharing our own thoughts, worries, and concerns is indeed an important and cherished part of community group life. But, on the other hand, it can be so invigorating to get out and actually do something with our faith. After all, as Christ so perfectly demonstrated, love is an action.

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The following post is written by Lauren Dillman, a member of Rob and Lauren Maine’s Community Group.  A few weeks ago the Maine’s group decided to throw a cookout for their neighborhood.  Instead of simply giving one perspective of the cookout, they decided to ask several members of their group to share their expectations, desires, and reactions to the cookout they threw.  This is the third in a three-part series.

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My community group is a relatively new group, having only formed this past January, and the family that hosts our group is fairly new to their neighborhood. We meet near the Sojourn East Campus in a suburban neighborhood that is occupied by mostly elderly people and people in retirement. At first, it was difficult to have compassion on the wealthy people around us in such a well-kept neighborhood. I mean, they’ve got it all together, right? They live in luxury! It’s a stark contrast to the neighborhood that surrounds Sojourn. While those streets may be littered, houses falling apart, and tangibly a neighborhood in need of Christ’s redemption, this wealthy little neighborhood seemed to be doing just fine. However, upon taking a deeper look, I realized that many of these people were just as broken as the people I had met near the Midtown Campus; the difference was that they worked hard to hide it. With this in mind, my group leaders and I began having conversations about how to reach our neighbors. Until a couple of weeks ago, the only contact that our group had with them was in receiving complaints about all of our cars parked in front of their houses every Tuesday night. That was it. We quickly realized how much we didn’t know about them. We didn’t know the culture, the neighborhood traditions, or the spiritual health of anyone, not even the next door neighbors. Most of the group didn’t even know their names. We decided that the first thing to do was to meet them, get to know them, and begin to make Christ known among the people living there. So, we decided to throw a cookout.

We set a date, printed out over fifty invitations, and baked homemade cookies to give as gifts (an idea we borrowed from Mercy Monday). On the day that we passed out invitations, I was feeling a little nervous. What if they rejected us? What if they thought the cookout was a stupid idea? What if no one came? Despite my uneasiness, I walked down the street with my community group, hoping that we weren’t completely wasting our time inviting the entire street to our barbeque. Of course, there was no need to worry. We met many people who were excited to come to a neighborhood cookout (especially one where they didn’t have to cook anything!). They were taken aback by our initiative, and confused by our desire to serve them. They graciously accepted our invitations, and we were left with hope that we might begin Godly relationships with at least a few of them.

The day of the cookout, I could tell that my whole community group was excited. We didn’t know what to expect, but we were ready to take on whatever God sent our way. We set up our tables and chairs, set out all the food, and waited. The first neighbor to show up came bearing gifts: two cases of imported German beer. Although we had previously decided not to bring alcohol, we graciously accepted his generosity. He then proceeded to open a bottle and pour it over the bratwurst that was cooking on the grill. He was from Germany, and wanted to show us how to really cook brats. We loved him immediately. It was so easy to get to know him, especially since he was so proud of his home country, and wanted to share that with us. One by one, neighbors walked up, began conversations, and let us really begin to get to know them. We met a woman from England. We met three women whom we dubbed “The Three Amigos” because of their close friendship, and who entertained everyone with their sense of humor and outgoing personalities. We met someone that didn’t even receive an invitation from us, but came anyway out of curiosity. We were able to answer questions about Sojourn, invite people to our community group, and really begin to make Christ known among them by being loving followers. Most importantly, as a group we were really beginning to obey the command to love our neighbor. Before the cookout began, I was really only expecting about five people to show up. But by the end of the night, about twenty people had come, including fifteen or so neighbors and a few leaders from surrounding community groups. Doors were opened for future opportunities to serve the people around us, and as people opened up, our eyes were opened to their desperate need for Christ.

Throwing this cookout was such a blessing, both for our neighbors and for my whole community group. I am beginning to see opportunities to share the light of Christ in our neighborhood, and my community group is really excited to start developing relationships with our neighbors. God has filled us with a desire to share the gospel with them, and is helping us to learn how to love them like Christ would.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” -John 15:12

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The following post is written by Ryan Brandt, a member of Rob and Lauren Maine’s Community Group.  A few weeks ago the Maine’s group decided to throw a cookout for their neighborhood.  Instead of simply giving one perspective of the cookout, they decided to ask several members of their group to share their expectations, desires, and reactions to the cookout they threw.  This is the second in a three-part series.

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The Situation

Our community group is located in the neighborhood across from the East Campus on Westport Road. Though one might expect this area to be teaming with community groups, our group is relatively isolated. More significantly, before this event, we did not know many of our neighbors—much less, their physical and spiritual situations! Based upon these considerations, we wanted to plan and organize a block party. We set the date, July 6^th, and moved from there.

How We Expected God to Move

Admittedly, our group was full of mixed expectations. Some of us were anxious about the planning and outcome. Others were simply hopeful and excited. Still others did not know what to expect. However, even among the diversity, we all knew that the block party was God’s will. We knew that He would work through us no matter what our anxiety, projected numbers, or budget implied.

More specifically, we expected that this block party would be one preliminary step towards a long, healthy relationship with our neighbors. We prayed for God to move in two special ways. On the one hand, we prayed that God would open up doors in conversations so that, at the very least, we would know how to pray, love, and serve our neighbors. On the other, we prayed that such an opportunity would provide our group with a means of reaching our neighborhood. Though prior to the party, we had little idea what these needs and service would be, we knew that such a party would be a first step towards it.

How the Group Brought the Gospel to Bear

First, we gave to God what was already his, that is, the planning and outcome of the party. While we planned the party with all diligence, we knew that only God could heal hearts and transform lives. The best thing we could do was pray. So this is what we did!

Second, we intentionally engaged our neighbors in conversation. This was especially important, since we knew that our group’s strong friendships could cause a group mentality and undermine our mission. Not only were we intentional, but also we were gospel centered. We realized that this party was not just about hotdogs, beer, and ice cream. The party was ultimately about the justifying, healing, and transforming power of Christ crucified through his Spirit. We were on a mission.

How We Saw God Work

Our expectations were simply blown away by God’s work. It’s not that everything went better than planned; it’s not that we had plenty of food; it’s not that we all had a lot of fun. Yes, these things were true, but we were so blown away because God moved in ways that we did not and could not expect: We saw a relatively unchurched man pray, a hardened and religiousless woman open up, and countless people comment on Sojourn’s uniqueness and their own desire to come.

In the end, it is clear that God displayed his name to these people. In fact, there is no doubt in my mind that when these people look at a Sojourn sign, hear Jesus’ name, or hear about what our church is doing, they will turn their ears with a greater sense of urgency.

The Next Steps

In light of this “preliminary” step, we know better how to serve and love our community. For some of our neighbors this means coming over to visit. For some, it means attending other block parties or community events. And for some more, it means something more. Namely, one or two women expressed potential interest in attending our community group on Tuesday nights. Another man may also attend a church service with us. In light of these fruits, we plan on being more diligent about pursuing and inviting these neighbors to our church. I plan on walking the neighborhood and inviting every two weeks or so.

In light of what God has already done, and in light of the power and veracity of the Gospel, I know that God will work again. As our group continues to pursue these neighbors, we shall pray, love, and serve our community for the glory of Christ. As we do so, we know that many more doors will open, and along with them, many more ways to serve our neighbors.

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To apply for a Seed Grant so that your Community Group can throw an amazing cookout for your neighborhood and begin to know your neighbors, fill out this form.

The following post is written by Brady Denger, a member of Rob and Lauren Maine’s Community Group.  A few weeks ago the Maine’s group decided to throw a cookout for their neighborhood.  Instead of simply giving one perspective of the cookout, they decided to ask several members of their group to share their expectations, desires, and reactions to the cookout they threw.  This is the first in a three-part series.

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When we first decided to do a BBQ for our community group’s neighborhood I was excited but also doubtful that many people would come. I just wasn’t sure how many people would actually come to an event where they didn’t know the hosts or likely anybody else there.

As we prepared for the BBQ, planning the menu, acquiring tables and chairs, shopping, etc. I kept my expectations low not wanting to be disappointed. Finally the day of the BBQ arrived and we had everything set up and ready to go. Right at 5:30 our first guests arrived, a woman and her 4 year-old granddaughter. The first thing she said after introductions was how excited she was that people were finally doing something for the neighborhood. After she said that I was much more optimistic about the rest of the afternoon and I wasn’t disappointed as a steady stream of people arrived over the next hour.

I was amazed at the diversity in ages and backgrounds of people who came. One woman I talked to moved to Louisville last year to be near her elderly mother. She visited Sojourn East in December and really enjoyed it but got busy with work and hasn’t been back. She said this was the encouragement she needed to visit again.

Another woman was there with her daughter who is going into sixth grade. She is originally from Ethiopia and now works in a jewelry department in the mall. She had a great conversation with Lauren about how she is trying to reconcile her experiences in both places.

Ryan hit it off with a group of retired women and it was obvious to all they were having a lot of fun discussing where you can find the best sweet tea in Louisville, among other things.

The Martins’ next door neighbor is originally from Germany but he has lived in many different places since moving from there at a young age. Several guys were engaged in conversation with him most of the time- except when Lauren Maine was practicing her German with him. She did really well!

There were also several families that came with their children. Some were Sojourners that I had never met before and others were from the neighborhood. The newest addition to our community group, Verity Grace Martin (Joseph and Kirstin’s 3-week old baby) was also there and a topic of much conversation throughout the afternoon.

As I walked around the BBQ that day I kept noticing how comfortable everyone seemed, how conversation flowed and how the love of Christ was evident in the way that my community group members were reaching out to people. I was left with no doubt that the Lord had blessed our time together with our neighbors and answered our prayers to build relationships with them. Several of our guests asked to have another BBQ soon and next time want it to be a potluck so that they can contribute. I’m really looking forward to being able to do this kind of event again and diving into deeper relationship with our neighbors.

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matt 5:16)p.

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To apply for a Seed Grant so that your Community Group can throw an amazing cookout for your neighborhood and begin to know your neighbors, fill out this form.