Unity

First of all, thank you so much for following the blog and praying for Philadelphia.

I'm going to give you a summary first so that you can pray if you don't have time to read everything:
1. Pray for unity among churches and Christians in Philadelphia
2. Pray for the gas explosion in Philadelphia 2 weeks ago and the survivors
3. Pray for the problem of homelessness in Philadelphia, especially throughout the winter
4. Pray for the foster children and those without homes. There are about 4,000 throughout the city

After sending out an email asking you all to pray for the city, I got an awesome response from people who know others in the city who are also praying and looking for ways to serve and invest here. It got me thinking about the idea of unity and Christians. I've been thinking a lot about the idea of urban loneliness and what it is like to move to Philadelphia for the first time and look for a Christian community. There is a great article about Urban Loneliness in NYC that you should read if you are curious about the concept: http://nymag.com/news/features/52450

1. I can speak from my own experience and say that it is difficult to move to the city and become immediately connected with others. Even when finding a church, the church is a very insular community. Each church is focused on connecting people within their congregations and working to invest in different areas of discipling and community building, but few churches communicate with each other or connect with other Christians outside of their individual congregations.

Knowing that there are so many people in the city who are devoted to prayer and service, it is my hope to see Christians connecting more regardless of church affiliation. My hope is that all of us who are committed to praying for an serving the city would find small connecting points in which we can come together in mission through prayer. I have connections to lots of churches here and each one has its own unique set of gifts. It reminds me very much of the body of Christ. We each have specific gifts that contribute toward the body just like each congregation has unique gifts that contribute toward the body. If congregations here were to partner together to love and serve the city, those gifts would be utilized in a much more meaningful way considering that there are so many others to fill in where one church lacks.

Other things I have been praying for and thinking about:

2. There was a major gas explosion two weeks ago. Here is a message that was sent out by my pastor about a survivor of that explosion:

"Hey, as you may know, last week, there was perhaps the worst gas explosion
in Philly's recent history....there was a bad gas leak and when a PGW team
was sent there, the entire house exploded....well, Gilbert, a long-time
member of Antioch--who I've lead to Christ, baptized in a creek near my
house just last summer (just me and him, upon his special request), and
who's son was murdered two summers ago--was right in the middle of the
explosion!! And while one of his co-workers died, and the rest are badly
badly burned and in intensive car, Gilbert was blown CLEAR across the street
and on fire, and in the midst of the fire! But as he just told me, like
Shedrach, Meshach, and Abednego, he was on fire but suffered no burns.
Please watch the attached video, and the fire that you will see, just in
front of the PGW truck with flashing yellow lights is right where Gilbert
was blown across the street and laying in that very fire! Praise God. OUR
GOD IS THE SAME AND DOESN'T CHANGE. GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV4OZqSdP1U

However, he has been scarred by this, and sustains, of course, some deep
psychological scars--similar to a post-war syndrome. I will be spending
time with Gilbert, my heart, this week....so please remember Gilbert--and he
is also battling stage 3 or 4 cancer of the throat as well."

3. Homelessness is a major problem in Philadelphia. An estimate from Project H.O.M.E. says that there are about 4,000 homeless in the city on any given day. The majority of the homeless have some sort of mental health issue. If you've visited I'm sure you've seen a few on street corners, subways, or asking for money. It is always a question of how to love the homeless well. It is so cold during the winter, so please pray for protection for them and that we would know how to love the homeless well.

This website gives a great breakdown of the homeless demographic, why people are homeless and some solutions: http://www.projecthome.org/advocacy/facts.php

4. I am currently working in a charter high school for foster children. There are a number of different estimates out there but the number of children in foster care in Philadelphia ranges from 2,000-4,000 on any given day. Many of them are homeless or living in group homes that are often less than ideal or even unsafe.

The teens that I work with come with a number of problems. Most of them engage in high-risk behaviors and are very misinformed about safety and self-care. They also have no one to ask questions to or to learn from about these topics. Several students have come to school with concerns that they have to fight every day just to survive and protect themselves. Most of those fights happen in the homes where they are placed.

The system is slow and employees are spread thin and there are far too few foster parents who are willing to care for these children. A great website for resources about foster care is: http://www.casaphiladelphia.org/

Thank you so much for your concern around these issues. Thanks for praying and please continue to!