carpenters church

winter news 2011

Community Faces
During this season of new beginnings, we share with you the story of the new life found by Ted a patient, gentle, and generous grandfather in our community in his own words. Who are you? I always stick to myself and hardly associate with anybody. I grew up in Compton, CA; it was rough. A lot of drugs, a lot of gangs. I got into a gang but didnt stay in it long. My family is dead, I have no family. I had 13 siblings, but they all passed away. Ive been shot 6 times, but God left me here for a reason. Is there a particular moment that changed your life? What really changed my life, thanks to my Lord God, is when I got out of prison. I started being motivated, working, going places. I spent 13 years in the pen. I never lost my faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, regardless of my time in prison. There for a time I was a heroine user and didnt go to rehab. I broke that habit with my Lord God and my faith. For that I am very grateful. I quit drinking 31 years ago. One day I got on my knees and told the Lord that I would never touch another bottle of liquor if He would help me to get out of this rut. That night I dumped out a brand new quart of Wild Turkey. I was tired of it. I was tired of being nobody. How has Jesus changed you? I make more friends. I can talk, laugh and play around. Before nobody liked me, not even the dogs. Now Im easier to get along with. I was not that way before. Im way happier now. The reason people didnt associate with me is because I was drinking too much. Theres a lot of ways Hes changed me. Is He finished with you? No. He never does get through with us. Hes with us every day. Every time we ask Him for something, Hes right there for us. He doesnt give us what we ask that second, but he does bless us. He never leaves us, we leave Him. He has changed me 100%. I didnt like people to do things for me or help me at all, but I realized that sometimes we need help. And sometimes we take life for granted. I did that for many years. I was playing God. I didnt bother Him for anything until I finally realized that I couldnt do it. I asked God to take the job back. 30 years ago, if you had asked me for this interview, I would have told you where to go. I can sleep now, I dont have no worries. I dont come to Carpenters for the food they have. Heavy tries to get me to eat, and I say no, leave it for the ones who need it. I come to talk to the peope here and to get out of the house so that I wont be lonely or depressed. I enjoy it here. I learn something every day.

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

Family, faith, and food. This is our Carpenters Church Thanksgiving. This year about 60 church members gathered at a building down the street to share life together. We cooked, played, laughed, ate, told stories, shared thanksgiving, and even cleaned up together. It was a family affair where all gave and, therefore, also received. That, we believe, is the most basic meaning of love to share with each other our lives, our time, our emotions, our pain, our joy, and our goods. Where family, faith and food unite. That is a true feast. Special thanks to James Bates and Lenore Kinzenbaw two fantastic community members who organized all things in the kitchen. Also, a big thank you to Tim White who smoked the turkeys and the Lubbock Downtown Bible Class who financially supported this years feast. During the holidays most of us are spending time

with family, baking cookies, wrapping gifts and putting up a tree. ..but what do the holidays look like when you dont have these things? The holidays are a bittersweet time for us here. We have many traditions weve developed over the yearssuch as going to Richard & Pam Evans house for an annual party and caroling, but there is still a sadness underneath the fun. Many are thinking of the children they have lost to CPS, the families they have lost to drugs and for the those who grew up in the foster care system, missing the family they never had. There are many more stories behind the brokenness on the streets, but we believe that God called each person good and that even the most broken of us deserve to be loved. With this belief, we move forward in the holidays, celebrating a God of reconciliation who made himself known to us. We enjoy each other like most families dowatching Christ-

mas movies, making stockings, having parties, caroling, exchanging gifts and enjoying meals together. One thing we do each year is take a group of 15-20 people out of town on a Christmas trip, many of whom have no family or house to spend Christmas with. We rent a house for a few days and have a good ol fashion family Christmas. It is an amazing time to celebrate the new family we have in Christ and to be reminded of a way of life sometimes forgotten on the streets.

This year we send our Christmas cheer from Austin, TX!

Remembering Rusty Ladd

On September 30th we lost a beloved friend and leader, Rusty Ladd. As a Broadway Elder, Rusty served as a shepherd of Carpenters from its beginning. He was a wise shepherd, a loyal advocate, a humble servant and a genuine friend. On the Sunday morning after Rusty passed from this life, we sat around telling stories about him. Bay Bay told of the time he was surprised to meet Judge Ladd in the courtroom, only to find the same kind, compassionate, down-to-earth Rusty he knew at Carpenters. A laughing Juan told of the time he and Rusty got lost while hiking in New Mexico. Chad told of the many hours Rusty had spent listening to me talk about the hardships of ministry at Carpenters, always offering a safe place to fall. And quite a few remembered thinking Rusty was a homeless man when they first met him with his scruffy beard and worn-in clothes. One thing shared over and over was how Rusty made people feel special no matter who they were. He was a man that had many reasons to elevate himself above others, but he chose to put even the least among us above himself. He followed Christ in this way, and we all reaped the benefits. For many of us, our minds have been burdened by the weight of our loss. We remember what Rusty gave, we know how much he carried and we found comfort knowing he was working with us. While we wait confidently for our reunion, we are left with the burdens he carried, the causes he gave his life for and the people he loved. May we honor Rusty by picking up these works, just as he gave himself to continuing the work of our Lord. Our deepest condolences go out to Irene and the Ladd family, we mourn with you.

OUR FIRST YEAR

On January 1, 2012 Carpenters Church will celebrate our 1 year anniversary as a distinct nonprofit organization. For the most part, things are as theyve always been, but several very cool new things have come with our new status. One great thing has been the growth of our leadership. We now have a board of directors consisting of three Carpenters members, two representatives from Broadway Church of Christ, and two representatives from South Plains Church of Christ. They have met regularly to discuss, plan and pray for the life of our community. This year we have been served by: Leo Eddington, Toby Billings and Jim Beck from Carpenters; Richard Evans, Lindsey Kennedy and Lynn Harms from Broadway; Kern Stutler, Jacky Ward and Mike Proper from South Plains. With the start of the new year, Lenore Kinzenbaw and Carole Carroll will also join the board as Carpenters representatives. It has been so exciting to see this group of people come together to give so much time, thought and energy to leading our community.

CURRENT NEEDS
New Used Van:
Transportation is a major need in a community in which very few have vehicles of their own. With our van we have made countless trips to medical appointments, jobs, social services, homes and events. But our old van has had a hard life and is facing its end. So we are trying to raise the funds to buy a new used van. Were looking for a 7-12 passenger minivan, 2006 or newer, with less than 100k miles. From our estimates we think we need about $13,000 to replace our old van. We have already raised $8000, so we need about $5000 more. If you would like to make a donation toward a van, please send checks with a note for VAN. (See more on donations below). Or if you have a van or want to help track one down for us, please contact us by phone or email.

WHATS HAPPEN'N
Open Daily from 9am-4pm Sunday Gathering 9:30am Prayer 10:15am Worship & Conversation Community Dinner Tuesday 7-8:30pm Life Skills Classes Monday-Thursday 10am & 2:30pm Ladies Group Every other Monday 6pm Art Class Tuesday 5:30-6:30pm AA Meeting Tuesday & Saturday 5:30-6:30pm Book Club 1st Friday of each month 10-11am Community Garden 2nd Saturday Health & Wellness Clinic 2nd Saturday 10am-12pm

Travel-size Hygiene Items:

toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, shaving cream, feminine-hygiene items, soap, shampoo

Donating to Carpenters Church:

Your donations help continue the good work of the Church in this community. All donations are tax-deductable. Please make checks out to Carpenters Church and mail to: Carpenters Church 1918 13th St Lubbock, TX 79401

Carpenters church
1916 13th St. / Lubbock, TX / 79401 (806) 687-2453 www.carpenterslubbock.org

We desire to be a diverse people of social, economic, educational and racial variety united by our humanity in its goodness, beauty, and joys, as well as, its brokenness, corruption and pains seeking the unusual Kingdom of God as the counter-cultural, restorative, harmonious Way of intended existence demonstrated now, although not yet fully, through tangible community a simple, neighborly, loving, interdependent, transparent, non-judgmental, Spirit-filled, group of people seeking the Way of Jesus in every aspect of existence.