Willow Creek Community Church Staff Visit PCM
On Thursday May 20th, the People's City Mission was visited by a group of leaders from Willow Creek Community Church. Willow Creek, founded by Bill Hybels and one of the largest church communities in the United States, sent a group of six key staff members to learn more about the Mission. Led by Heather Larson (Director of Compassion & Justice Ministries), Josie Guth (Care Center/Food Pantry Director), Scott Troeger (Director of Facilities) and Doug Pasma (Lead Architect), they flew into town after visiting two other non-profits in Lexington, Kentucky and Detroit, Michigan. Willow Creek is currently looking to expand their Compassion and Justice Ministry and wanted to see how other leaders in social outreach operated their ministries.
After touring the Shelter, Medical Clinic and Distribution Center we were able to get feedback from them on this experience. To put it mildly, they were blown away by the scope and level of services that PCM provides to the community. They were especially interested in the how we set up the Medical Clinic and were amazed at the amount of people the PCM Clinic is seeing on a weekly basis with only three fulltime employees.
We are greatly encouraged by their reactions to our operation and humbled to know that we are thought of as a leader in social outreach ministry. We know that this high praise and recognition is only because of the amazing support that we have received from you and other supporters like you. Thanks for all you have done for the People's City Mission.
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Testimony of God's Healing Power
A letter from our Men's Shelter staff on what God is doing at the Mission
Hey everyone, just wanted to share a testimony of a couple of miracles that took place for one of our new residents. Just thought it would be great to share it with you all. I hope that it will be an encouragement to you of what God is doing at PCM.
A new Curtis Center resident named Joe Sims (former Nebraska Cornhusker and NFL player) had arthritis and a cracked disc in his back. These problems caused him much difficulty including back spasms and a pinched nerve which left his right hip to be without feeling. Also his left pinky toe was crooked (both staff members saw what it looked like). It had gotten broken but never healed properly and it formed underneath his other toe which caused him great discomfort and pain especially when he walked. He couldn't even wear a regular shoe and was scheduled for surgery for the toe.
Two of us staff members at the Curtis Center prayed over him for God to perform a miracle. We started praying for his back. When we asked him what he felt after the first time we prayed he said he felt heat in his back and that his back was loosening. We prayed again and then asked him what he felt and he said that all the feeling returned in his right hip and all the pain was gone in his back. And he is still pain free to this day.
Then we started to pray over his toe and command it to be straightened by the name of Jesus. After the first time of prayer again we asked what he felt. He said it felt like blood was rushing through that toe and that it was being singled out. He also said that the pain was gone and he could walk on it with no problems. But he said that it wasn't straight yet. After we prayed again we asked him to take his sock back off so we could see his toe again. To all of our amazement, the toe had straightened.
We then said to him, "You didn't even realize it but God was setting you up today to reveal His love to you." And because he was like a prodigal son we asked him, "Now that God has done this for you, do you want to come back home to God?" He said yes and he prayed to come back to His heavenly Father who has been longing for him to return back to Him. Praise God for His wonderful works!
Joe gave permission to use his name with his testimony. He said, "We need to share the joy."
-Richard Gervaise, Spiritual and Recovery Counselor at PCM
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Recap:On May 15th local community members walked together as one city for one cause. They collected money to run or walk the non-competitive 5K route around Haymarket Park and down the Salt Creek Levee Trail or 1 mile fun walk inside Saltdogs Stadium.
We had 74 volunteers and over 300 registered participants who raised almost $12,658 in donations!
The event was MC'd by People's City Mission's executive director, Pastor Tom Barber, who welcomed everyone and introduced Rob Robinson our honored runner. Rob, one of the Mission's Curtis Center alumni, thanked the run participants and shared with them what PCM had done for him and what their support meant to the less fortunate in Lincoln.
The day turned out to be quite a blessing for the Mission. The $12,568 raised will provide over 5,000 meals or over 600 nights of lodging for our guests!
Thank you to our participants, sponsors & donors! Your effort is helping to make a difference in this community!
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