Singing and Painting

So, a great beginning! Here is our watercolor painting class. An awesome instructor, and a very sharp group of kids. Very fun! Everyone loved the snack time, and obeyed during the "study" time.

And here is our music class doing "breathing" exercises!

The hardest part of this ministry, because it takes alot of energy, is wondering if it will "turn into" anything. So, for the time being, we are content to live by this mantra: We do not do these things to get people converted, but because we are converted. Still, we pray for conversions!

Grand Opening Prayers

Well, TUESDAY it begins!

Pray: We’ve cleaned and scrubbed and painted and fixed and fixed and fixed. We’ve prayed and we’ve planned and we’ve invited. Tuesday, we officially OPEN our Cultural Arts wing. We have 10 students who are registered, and we have two classes on Tuesday, Two on Wednesday and One on Thursday. We have incredible instructors and people to help tutor. We’ve built solid relationships with the administrators of the school district and with the elementary school next door. We are ready.
But – without God’s presence and power, we will just be singing and painting and taking pictures and scrapbooking and playing kickball – and that’s all it will be. We want God to create discussions with parents and let the love of Christ flow through us and encourage and bring hope to kids and families. Pray with us to that end.

And…
On Wednesday night, we begin our Bible study. Pray for those who have been invited, and the “re-invites” we will deliver tomorrow (Tuesday). Pray for me as I prepare. And pray for God’s presence to touch and heal and bring hope.

And…
Thursday, we begin our official “Harbor Hoops”. We’ve had some nice beginnings with the Basketball boys, but this week we become “official” – so pray that relationships will be built. We will work with the same 13 boys for 8 weeks straight – and hope that this will help us go deep, expressing love and hope to these guys. I’m not alone in this – Bob Goldston is my fellow leader and mentor as we teach these boys about basketball – and about life – and about God. Pray for us.

PRAISE: Again, I am overwhelmed with those who have given some amazing help around here. Portage Free Methodist have sent two teams – the most recent group did some super incredible work on some pretty complex stuff – super helpful! And Westland Free Methodist sent two groups who knocked out some amazing work – painting and scraping and on and on! And then, several smaller teams have come around to begin long range work that will help us with design and ministry.

And God continues to send us money, just in time! About the time I look at the bank book and see the numbers dwindling, a check shows up in the mail! Praise God for generous people!

Thanks again!

Pastor Mark, Mary and McKenna Cryderman
The Harbor

The 'A' Team

Go ahead, hum the theme song from "The A Team" while I reminisce.
Portage Free Methodist sent some stellar workers last weekend. People I didn't need to train. People that knew what to do. These amazing folks just worked and worked and worked - moving from one project to another! They fixed some things that had me stumped for months.
But better than that - they, as they are so good at doing, loved us. They just talked and laughed and loved - that's what they do best.
God gives good gifts, that's for sure. And the 'A' Team from Portage are super good gifts!

HELP...ers!

So, this big, beautiful building is awesome, huge, and carries a laundry list a mile long on projects - both big and small.

We hosted the Portage FM Teens a few weeks back - who did just an amazing job. The week we enjoyed with that group kept us "flying high" for days and days! What joy - to be connected to such amazing kids and adults! What a privilege it is to work side by side with such quality people!

But, you know, after they left - the building sure felt quiet. And lonely.

Then, Westland and their teens - 31 of them! showed up to work one Thursday night, and then another 14 showed up from WFM on Saturday. And boy, did those kids and adults work! They worked and worked and worked - and like their PFM brothers and sisters, had such an amazing spirit of joy!

So, after WFM left, again, we were flying high! So much accomplished in such a little amount of time. So much joy and so much of God's spirit all around. Wow.

And the building is looking gooooood! The third week of September is just around the corner - that's the week when all the students will show up for their first week of creating at The Harbor. I can't wait!

Before each work team leaves, we have them sign the door. That is, on the back of the mechanical room door, I've printed a verse - from Philippians - which says "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel..." I explain that all the names on the door are partners in sharing the gospel. Whenever I see those names - some of those names are your names - I am deeply moved and thankful.

Thanks Helpers!