Bad News for the Church

Many of you may know already, but I wanted to let all know that the church I live in here was robbed last night. Details are a little hazy, but it seems clear that there were definitely at least 3 involved in stealing 12 computers from the Kids' program computer lab and it appears that these people knew exactly what they were looking for. A drill was used to get into doors and take off a deadbolt lock... a lounge room was broken into where they could have stolen a TV, DVD player, Game Cube, etc. but all they took was one water bottle. They escaped by passing the computers through a window (computer room was in basement so windows were at top of room, along ground level outside) and then snuck them out through a fence that had been cut.

How they got in is another mystery... while the Pastor was examining the fence, a mother walked over with her 2 sons and gave him a set of keys that her son found in the alley (the cut fence leads into the alley between our church and another building)... the keys were keys for the church, including a key to get into the front door. At this point, we don't know what to make of that.

Wishart Avenue is the street right behind our church and its the street that it was obvious where the "get away" car was parked to load the computers. Wishart Avenue is also packed with people who stay out extremely late... Unfortunately, it is very unlikely we will get any information--they don't even say anything for a murder (so I was told). Even as cops came to investigate, they yelled out the code word to let the block know cops are on the street. Please lift the church up in your prayers... But let me tell you where it gets really good.

#1: My shower sits across from the Computer lab... I shower every night (and it's always late--usually past midnight once guys are gone from the gym). For some odd reason or another, I just did not feel like showering last night. All day I have been thinking about that, and I'm telling you... God intervened--God made that decision for me to not shower. Knowing the neighborhood I'm in, if I had walked in on them doing that, I would have been left dead. Praise God and praise all of you for your prayers--Mary told me that her co-worker had her church pray for my protection yesterday morning... well God answered that prayer with His protection that night. (Though still, knowing it all happened while I was in the building kinda angers me ya know?)

#2: Hearing Major Wittenberg's response to all this was very encouraging to me. All he cared about was my safety. When he got the call that everything had been stolen, his first instinct was to know if I was okay. Then he simply said "stuff is stuff... who cares?" One of the church members was quite upset about it, and Major asked "Are you really surprised?" He proceeded to explain that when he heard it, he wasn't all that surprised. He said to make ministry happen in this area, you ahve to be willing to take risks. He'd rather have the church packed and risk losing stuff, than to hold on tightly to everything and have no one there. He explained that he blessed my ;ministry knowing we were gonna have to shut off the alarm system; knowing that I would have some rough bunch in and out; etc. "If you want your stuff to be safe, then go to a wealthy suburban church," he said, "otherwise, to minister in this neighborhood, you gotta learn to deal with it..." That was encouraging to hear. Stop being safe, live life on the edge for Christ. Dare to move.

Thank you again for all the prayers. One last thing to pray for: since this has happened some of "my guys" have found out--I've asked them to find out any information they can (since they're from the streets); but I pray that it happens without violence!