Christ Memorial Church - 6th and Hostmark in Poulsbo

Pastors Tom Duchemin and Dave Fischer and an excited crew of volunteers from Christ Memorial Churchin Poulsbo, WA have launched a monthly community meal every first Friday at 6:00 p.m. CMC is loaded with with very talented and caring folks who will put good energy into this project.About twenty or more folks arrived for the first dinner. Here is a link that helps coordinate, along with a helpful map, the various dinner sites in the north end – http://nkfcfc.blogspot.com/ Very helpful indeed!

CMC Serving Line

Church, Meet Homeless

When Church reaches out to homeless, it isn’t always neat and tidy. My hat’s off to Coram Deo for opening up their church, including restrooms, the the poor and homeless in Bremerton.

Quite inebriated, homeless guy comes to dinner barking and growling. What to do? “Hey next time, cool it – okay?” Then guy heads to the restroom but when he doesn’t return to dinner in a long while, we go check out the restroom. Whoa! A mess – guy was taking a full on shower in the handsink – shaving and everything. Thus, the sign. What principle of missionary work applies here?

There are lots of twists and turns serving this group but the sincere words, “thanks for dinner!” make it all worth while. Thanks to Pastors Jon and Boyce and the great folks at Coram Deo for serving – and mopping up the restroom.

New Guest Shares Her Grief

It’d be impossible for Bremerton Rescue Mission to get very far at all without faithful, hard working volunteers who own the work in the good times and in the challenges. On Friday, volunteer Bill shared a devotion and offered to pray for anyone with a need; new guest shares her grief of having lost daughter; Bill’s wife Marlene who cooked the meal was able to help the gal – Marlene and Bill had lost their only daughter. I’m thankfull for Spirit-filled volunteers working hard and looking for the opportunity to love in Jesus’ name!

Watch a 2:30 video and visit the Hub on Hwy 303 Friday Nights

First Wednesday Dinner at Coram Deo

Thanks to Pastor Boyce and Nancy Dougherty and the crew of volunteers from Coram Deowho are serving in partnership with Bremerton Rescue Mission Wednesday nights out on Hwy 303 – just south of the Safeway and in the same business park as Langlois Piano.

First night was pretty nice – about 22 guests and a great chili dog dinner with salad, fruit and dessert. Next week, we had a guest inebriated – kinda’ that good old allergic, out of the woods drunk – and deciding to do the full shower right in the bathroom sink. Hello. Ironically, it is for this that we exist, that we might persuade through grace and trust, that coming out of the fog and into recovery is a whole better bet than simply dying a slow death.

tables set in the foyer

Coram Deo is located right next to a stretch of woods between the church and Safeway. In the woods dwell a small but hearty group of folk whom we are privileged to serve. Recently some have been arrested, one has been too sick to join us, though his mom and dad come to eat, hoping to see their son, and one man died this past fall when a tree fell in one of our wet storms and killed the gentleman. There is lots to do – and even a cup of cold water – or a shower in a sink – makes a difference in their lives and in our lives.

Coram Deo Church - 5951 State Highway 303, Bremerton

Dinners are 6:30 p.m. each Wednesday evening. Bremerton Rescue is serving as well on Monday evenings at Rocket Coffee on Kitsap Way and at the Hub on Hwy 303 in partnership with Hillcrest Assembly.

Tim Bodner serves with a glad heart at Poulsbo First Lutheran

Wow – Tim Bodner (seated in the photo) and the folks at Poulsbo First Lutheran Church have been serving now for six months in the church’s social hall. About 40-50 folks come and eat dinner each Thursday evening at 5:00 p.m. Tim has taken the lead on the project and the church has supported in lots of ways – grocery offerings, volunteers and use of the kitchen.

Way to go Tim!

http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/mir/lifestyle/85070547.html#storyComments

Richard limeaux signing Breakfast at Sally's

Last Thursday several hundred folks came to the Kitsap County Fairgrounds and registered as homeless in the county and received all kinds of good information, referrals, a great hot meal – thanks to Mike Maroney and Salvation Army who served close to 500 Shepherd Pie dinners! Big commendations to Lief Bentson from Kitsap County and many others who worked hard to host this great event. Many agencies were able to connect with the guests and discuss solutions.

In a way it reminded me of the days when I was a pastor and I’d attend a really

Haircuts at Project Connect

good conference. Only difference was there and then I was going to seek knowledge and encouragement in my career and I was usually taking away books and notebooks for study. These folks on Thursday were seeking knowledge and understanding about how to survive, to make their way with little or no resources. They were taking away pillows, blankets, driver’s licenses and health information. Maybe none of these great folks understood the subtlety. I did and, even though I enjoyed myself and I loved the setting, I went away

Sally Santana at Salvation Army Booth

a little sad.

It’d be great to see these folks be able to attend the first kind of conference – a career enhancing conference and be able to volunteer their time to help others at Project Connect instead of going to get a pillow. God, grant us Your grace.  Bremerton Rescue Mission, now with two meal/outreach sites up and running and number three on the way, has its sights set on Discipleship Houses, where men and women can come into resources, education, careers and most of all, the power and love of God.

Walt LeCouteur Bremerton Rescue Mission

Here is a link to a condensed version of the conference. -

BRM on Kitsap Way

This morning a young lady who had come to get a meal from us last night, called me asking for help with housing. I had to tell her that we only do meals at this time. I gave her some references but I wan’t helping much and we both knew it. There are so few places in Kitsap that have space for the homeless. Kitsap Community Resources is overloaded and so are Benedict House and St Vinnie’s for women – and that’s about it. I felt frustrated that I couldn’t help more.

My phone cut out and I called her back. The voice on the other line picked up, “Chieftain Motel.” I wasn’t going to get hold of the person who had called me. She was a guest in a room at the Chieftan.

That’s this kind of work – always helping; always more help needed. It does build a case for Student/Discipleship Housing. I love shelters and I love transformation more…

God, grant us the grace we need this day!

Mission Guy and BRM at Rocket Coffee 1-18-10

Les Murty - With God's Love

Silverdale Baptist’s With God’s Love, led by Les Murty, is doing  something about the homelessness problem.  A group from the church has gone through the Emergency Management Training to be prepared to open a severe weather shelter. They have asked members of their congregation to Fill the Bus – one of the church’s buses that doesn’t get used much in the winter months – with clothing, hygiene supplies and food.

Recently they brought together members of the faith-community and local non-profits and Kitsap County to discuss the

Jason from Kitsap County meets with Faith-Based Leaders

possibility of opening and staffing one central shelter in the county during the winter month – Thanks for helping Les and Silverdale Baptist!