Roofing Work Needed on Chase House

Chase House Needs a roofer and possibly a lot of money... anybody out there?

Saturday Morning Family Breakfast

We're having more structured meetings, lately. It's been great to KNOW what's going on and to hear from one another about what's going on. From dog and snake care, to theology and mission, to making sure that our neighbor friend kids get taken to a movie for their birthday... we're really growing in commitment and community...
Can't tell you how thankful we are to be together, in this...

1325 Chase Walk Through

After our breakfast, the lot of us headed over to the house across the street, which is for sale for 147,000 dollars. If we could, we would buy it and turn it into mission to the neighborhood... I can see folks packing into it to journey mission in Northside...
We've had months and months of harmonious communty here. We know that we can live together, work through issues, endure hardships, and love our neighbors. I look forward to inviting people to journey in mission in the inner-city here.

Cleaning House

After our Saturday Morning Breakfast, we all went to the chambers house and cleaned...
This dirt came out of the carpet when we rolled it back over after vacuuming the top twice, and the bottom once... I think rugs and carpets are disgusting! The floor was swept and mopped... The place was improved!

From Laurel

Chase House,
so first know of my prayers for Chris and the rest of your community. In the midst of this struggle I say, "keep on keepin' on." Also, I want you guys to know how much I was blessed by being with you for the short time that I was. In all seriousness, my spirit was refreshed - it was great to be in the midst of the Body of Christ in such a tangable way. So warning, although I have committed the next couple years of my life to a community in New Jersey, when I'm ready to move a little closer to home I might just be knocking on the Chase House door. peace be with all of you, Laurel

Chris Challis breakin: come let your light shine

Well, folks, if you look down a little lower than this mess of pics, you'll see some of our good news and Bible Study stuff. But this is a six-pic series on a breakin at Chris Challis' new place.

His place is on Chase and Williamson. you may remember, beloved reader, that we met Chris last summer. He has no legs, and had been homeless for the last 2 and a half years. He is a Christian brother, and we had him live with us for two months at the beginning of the winter.

We have secured partial funding from Chris' church, Crossroads Christian Church in Oakley, for his rent. They agreed to help him with a 2/3rds rent stipend for four months. (they don't want him to become dependent)

Last friday, the guys on the street corner cut away his screen and threw a brick through his window. Then, they climbed in and took a bunch of his stuff: his cell phone, his food from the fridge. When he cam e home they ran out. The TV was on the couch. They were getting ready to take it out, too.

Well that's the "Bad News".

There are gonna be folks out there who think it's terrible...who'll be scared about it. And there'll be those of you who feel that we're really brave to get involved in a violent neighborhood. To all of you, I'd like to say, "thank you for support and encouragement and prayer".

Some of you beloved readers might think we're crazy, irresponsible, or something. Please don't comment. We don't need to hear it. We still love you all, but fear is unbecoming saints. I speak in reference to our fear. If you feel like that, imagine our internal monologues! We're the ones in the middle of it!

and some of you might feel that destabilizing inspiriation... hey, come live here. come live in this dark place. come bring your life. move here. move in near Chris. Get to know kids and men and grammas and people. live here. you, christian ones, live here. come on!

this is a good place, a place where light is light and love shows up. this is a place where people are seeing jesus clearly. come live here, saints. you whose hearts are lonely for a change... come live in a dark place and let your light shine before men...

photos of Chris Challis' place breakin

Unfaithful Steward

Luke 16 is a key chapter for understanding giving. The Scriptures teach us about giving, people. They are the teachers for us. Let's get in em and listen. Soak it up. Let them form new questions in you. Soak it, brothers and sisters...

What other parables should I put up? What other scriptures? I have a list, myself, but I want to hear from you.

1Jesus told his disciples: "There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2So he called him in and asked him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.'
3"The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg— 4I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.'

5"So he called in each one of his master's debtors. He asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'

6" 'Eight hundred gallons[a] of olive oil,' he replied.
"The manager told him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.'

7"Then he asked the second, 'And how much do you owe?'
" 'A thousand bushels[b] of wheat,' he replied.
"He told him, 'Take your bill and make it eight hundred.'

8"The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

10"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?

13"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

14The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.

Rich Man and Lazarus

We're starting a series on Giving. I'll be posting out some things that we'll be discussing in sunday night meeting and other fora.

Meditate on this. The Parable is found in Luke 16, a chapter Packed with stuff about riches...

19"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In hell,[c] where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

25"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

27"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

29"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

30" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

31"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

Our Blessed Visitor, Laurel

Our latest visitor to Chase House is Laurel Kurts. She works in Indianapolis with the University of Indianapolis' Ecumenical and Interfaith Programs. She is associated with the Alelon House... It's Christian Community stuff and we're honored to share journey with her.

House Church Sunday Night

Here's a look at our house meeting. We are indescribably blessed to have such a FAMILY of faith. We are so blessed, as we get mugged and mocked for being a racial minority... as we witness the daily violence of poverty... as we see the inadequacy of the "system" to find solutions... we are joyful and hopeful when the Church of Jesus gathers around us...

Please, all of you, keep on, look up and pray for us!