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May 2006 Newsletter Update
October 30, 2005
Over the past eight months, Aaron and Amy have been working with others in Boston to help form the Boston Faith and Justice Network. This group is made up of Christians in the greater Boston area that is concerned about issues of faith and justice and has a desire to bring others together around this mission. BFJN’s mission is centered around church education, community service, and public action. It has been refreshing to develop friendships with other Christians that have the same heart about social issues.
September 5th, 2005 View our Annual Report (Adobe Acrobat pdf file)
July 7, 2005 Greetings from Boston!
We pray this letter finds you and your family well. As summer quickly moves by, we continue to see God at work. On June 3rd, we had five college interns join us in ministry for the summer to create a team of eight people. Our interns come from a variety of places and backgrounds. We have Phil Huo from California who is a recent graduate of MIT. Also Annie Hallquist who grew up in Minnesota and will be a senior next year at Belmont University in Nashville. From Elizabethtown, Kentucky we have Tiffany Miller who will be a sophomore at Campbellsville University. We also have John Thornton with us from Dallas who will begin college next year at Baylor University. Jon Alpern spent the first three weeks of the summer with us and he is from Cape Elizabeth, Maine. He attends the University of Richmond where he will be a junior next year. Lastly we have Philip Stetler, a seminary student from Richmond, Virginia who is helping Aaron and I lead the students through community living and discipleship. It is obvious that God handpicked our team and we are having an awesome summer!
We began our internship in Washington, D.C. at the One Table conference focused on making poverty history. It was a great time of learning and reflecting on how we as Christians have a responsibility to help overcome poverty.
Once we got to Boston, we started in our regular routine. A typical day with our interns is quite unique. We begin at 7:30am with prayer at the church. The whole community is invited and we pray for about an hour. From 8:30am until noon we spend time in solitude, praying, studying the bible, journaling, and reading books that are relevant to urban ministry. Each afternoon is spent serving in the community. The interns serve at our church and Ma Sis’s Place two days a week and then spend two days a week serving with an existing local ministry. For instance, Annie is serving at a crisis pregnancy clinic, while Phil Huo and Tiffany serve at the Emmanuel Gospel Center, assisting urban churches throughout Boston. John Thornton helps out at the Boston Rescue Mission with the homeless and Philip Stetler is working with the Episcopal City Mission in the area of health care advocacy. After spending the afternoons serving the community, we all come together around the table for dinner. Finally, each night we have group time where we discuss the books we are reading and share with one another about what God is doing in and around us.
We all have amazing stories about the people we meet each day. God has a way of placing us in situations where we not only give but also receive. Last Saturday night when we were downtown three people from our team came across a wealthy businessman named Fred who was moments away from committing suicide. After talking with Fred for a couple hours, he began to regain hope and faith in God. In this process, Fred was also able to teach us how you can gain the whole world but forfeit your soul.
We may have started this summer thinking that we were going to rescue the poor and needy from their misery. Come to find out, they have rescued us from our misery and spiritual poverty by teaching us to pray, follow Jesus, and live as a citizen of the Kingdom of God. Having the interns here is by far our favorite thing we do. Not only are we able to pass on what we have learned over the years of ministry, the interns are able to encourage us with their fresh energy and perspective. Thank you for making this summer possible through your prayer and financial support. Please continue to pray for us as we minister together as a team this summer.
Blessings to you all,
Aaron and Amy Graham
April 11, 2005
We have had a cold and snowy winter thus far (86 inches!) and while today is beautiful, it may not be over yet! However, despite the cold we have learned to enjoy the snow and make the most of the weather. I will have to share that Aaron and I were blessed with an opportunity to spend several days in Florida soaking up the sun. Through the generosity of a Kaleo donor, we had a free place to stay across the street from the beach. It doesn’t get much better than that and it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time when we needed the rest. It is pretty easy to get discouraged in ministry. To see someone you have invested so much time and energy into, return to a life controlled by addiction is heart wrenching. There are many spiritual battles to be fought as followers of Christ. And in the midst of these battles it is often tempting to run from suffering rather than embrace it. However, suffering can be a gift from God when we allow it to draw us closer to Christ. Aaron and I have learned this past winter that when we are weak we are really strong, when we are poor we are really rich, and when we feel like we are dying we are really coming alive in Christ. It has been a joy to serve among people whose lives demand the miraculous on a daily basis. This helps remind us how completely dependent we are upon God for every aspect of our life and ministry.
Holy Week Revival
Last week we had five nights of revival during Holy Week at Quincy Street Missional Church and God definitely brought some new energy and excitement to our community. People in the community who never come to church were there every night. We are confident that God has amazing things in store as we continue to be obedient to what He has called us to do. Pray for those in our community that have been touched by this latest move of God’s Spirit in our church.
Students on Spring Break
Throughout the month of March we hosted over 60 college students who came to work with us on their spring break. Not only did they bring us encouragement and help with some much-needed work at church, several students also expressed interested in our summer internship. We have selected two interns so far, and hope that we will have at least two more join us. We will also have one of Aaron’s best friends, Phil Stetler, join us for the summer and help us lead and disciple the interns. As we prepare for this summer, we ask you to pray for the interns and for those of us that will be leading them.
Church Renovations For those of you who have visited our church before, you would not even recognize the place now! We have been in the process of doing some major interior renovations, which has brought some much-needed excitement to the neighborhood. While Aaron and I are not very focused on the cosmetics where we worship, I must say these renovations have been a breath of fresh air. Those that have seen the before and after are truly amazed. We have included some pictures to show the tremendous change. Although the changes are great, we ask you to pray that our community would be transformed from the inside out.
Speaking
In February Aaron was asked to speak at a Missionary Kid Retreat in NY. These MK’s are currently college students adjusting to life in the US. Aaron was able to encourage the students to use their unique cross-cultural experiences to make a difference in the world. Aaron also recently had the opportunity to present to a group of 20 church planters from the Boston area. He challenged the group with ideas of how to be a missional church in a consumeristic culture. He talked about the tension between being culturally relevant and biblically faithful and gave practical examples of how to incarnate the gospel among the poor.
New Ministries: As many of you know Aaron loves to start new ministries in Boston :) He is currently serving on two advisory boards. One is at the Emmanuel Gospel Center (www.egc.org), developing a new volunteer mobilization ministry named CityServe … The other is an advisory board to support an indigenous church planting movement in Uganda led by Gichuru Jeremy. Gichuru, who has started over 37 churches in Uganda, recently came to the US and spent two months with us at Quincy Street … Here in Boston, Aaron has also been networking local pastors in Dorchester to form an association of churches that would share resources and regularly worship together. This is a very exciting time as we seek to grow and multiply our church ministry by partnering with other churches in the neighborhood … Another exciting ministry that we are helping initiate and organize in Boston is a local branch of the national ministry Call to Renewal (www.calltorenewal.org). This group seeks to develop a movement of Christians in the Greater Boston area committed to overcoming poverty through church education, community service, and public action.
Social Work School This past month I received some great news that I have been accepted to Boston University’s School of Social Work! This fall I will begin a two-year master’s degree program with an emphasis in Family Therapy. I am excited to integrate my previous theological training with social work. I believe this will give me some very practical tools to help us continue to minister among the poor. Please pray for me as I make this transition back to being a student.
Thank you for your remembering us here in Boston. We could not make it without your prayers and financial support. Blessings to you!
December 3, 2004
We Believed!!!
We did believe, and after 86 years of disappointment in Boston,
and being down to the Yankees 0-3, we had the opportunity to celebrate
with life-long fans as the Red Sox took the 2004 World Series Championship.
What a fun time to be in Boston! However, the Red Sox celebration
was mild compared to the celebration that we had when one of our
good friends decided to follow Christ. After several evenings of
question and answer sessions, Jerry finally submitted his life to
Jesus and is completely on fire for the Lord, leading others to
Christ. Being a recovering alcoholic, Jerry understands the principle
of discipleship and has asked Aaron to be his Christian "sponsor."
On November 21, Jerry was baptized and made his decision public.
Christ changing lives, that is something we believe in!
Quincy Street Missional Church: We are currently preaching through
the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous at church on Saturdays in efforts
to begin a Christ-centered recovery ministry in our community. Those
who have struggled with substance abuse and have been regular AA
members have shared that going through the twelve steps from a Christian
perspective is very empowering. It has been a blessing to see people
open up and begin healing, not only from their deep-rooted addictions,
but also from life-long emotional pain. Since we have been doing
the twelve steps our attendance on Saturdays has increased tremendously.
It shows us the importance of being relevant to our community's
felt needs. We have also seen a few more men get involved in the
church, which is a huge answer to prayer in a community dominated
numerically by women.
Ma Sis's Place is the nonprofit thrift store that is very connected
to our church. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, we gave out turkeys
and food baskets to the community surrounding our church. At first
we had 175 names on our list and only 75 turkeys to give away. But
we believed that if Jesus could feed five thousand in a matter of
minutes, He could come up with 100 turkeys. Sure enough, God provided
more than enough. As Ma Sis says, "Be careful what you pray
for"…because with more stuff comes more responsibility!
We ended up giving out close to 200 turkeys and food baskets. Praise
God for His faithfulness and His provision! As Christmas approaches
and we begin to gather toys to give to the children in the neighborhood,
please pray that God would give us wisdom to make sure the toys
get to the families that truly need them.
Kaleo Urban Ministry: Summer 2005 - We are praying that God would
sent us eight college students to serve as interns in our community
this June and July. We are very passionate about discipling college
students in the urban context and exploring ways how we as the church
can connect our Christian faith with social justice. We had a rewarding
experience in 2003 and look forward to having an even larger team
next summer.
Intentional Christian Community: Aaron has also been working diligently
with the details at the 22 Drayton house community (Pray that God
would give us a name for the house!). The house if very full now
with four Liberians, one Kenyan, an Americorp volunteer, a UMass
student, and the Corcoran family. We are planning on hosting most
of our Kaleo Summer Interns in 22 Drayton this summer, so please
pray for the logistical planning involved with housing arrangements.
We have made a lot of progress over the last year physically and
spiritually with the house. Kaleo Ministries has contributed $20,000
towards this house over the last two years! Our next step is to
find the funds to winterize the house (new windows, insulation,
and siding) and to develop more of an intentional flow among the
busy lives of everyone who lives in the house. Most residents are
missionaries in organizations all over Boston.
Harvard University: The ministry at Harvard has been going well.
We have Bible study every Monday evening, and each week there seem
to be new faces. It has been a blessing to minister to a diverse
group of students, many of whom go to other universities in Boston.
Last week as Amy Taylor and I were on campus giving away free books,
such as Mere Christianity and Finding God at Harvard, the "Secular
Society" had a table just a few yards away from us. They were
holding up signs that read, "Jesus, Every Christian's Imaginary
Friend; But Not Ours," and "Jesus lived with twelve men
so what's the big deal?" They were promoting their group and
protesting for the privatization of religion. Sometimes it is a
spiritually intense atmosphere at Harvard, but I am happy to say
that these radical students seem to be the minority. Although percentage
wise Christians are not the majority, most Harvard students are
interested in hearing and learning about Jesus.
Please be in prayer for the Harvard Veritas Forum in February.
Aaron is helping mentor the student who is leading this large and
important gathering of students who are exploring Truth. Aaron has
enjoyed taking a class called, "Faith, Politics, and Society"
this semester at Harvard with Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners magazine
and convener of Call to Renewal. Aaron has met many students in
class who are passionate about being part of a spiritual awakening
in America that focuses on overcoming poverty. As many of you know
there is nothing more exciting to him!
As Aaron and I continue to raise support, we want to say a big
THANK YOU to those who have given generously over the past few months.
We hope that you will continue to give, so that we can continue
to serve the people of Boston. We have raised $23,000 of our support
for the year (Sept. 2004 - Aug. 2005) and need an additional $13,000.
If you have not yet committed, we would encourage you to consider
giving as the Lord leads.
We thank you for your prayers and encouragement as we serve and
develop leaders here in Boston. There are many days we feel discouraged,
but can sense your prayers are sustaining us through the hard times.
May this holiday season be one where you choose to Praise the Lord
for His blessings and faithfulness in your life.
12 October 2004:
Our transition continues as we have been back a little over a month.
Ministry is going well and God is answering lots of our prayers.
It has been a slow process of transitioning back to Quincy Street.
We see lot of growth spiritually from the last ten months, but the
energy that we remember is not as present. We spent some time in
prayer before the service this past Saturday, and God answered our
prayers. The chuch community began to open up and share. It was
an awesome display of the moving of the Spirit. Helps us remember
it is not about us, it has to be God. We were blessed and became
very hopeful.
Ministry at Harvard has been going very well. We have had several
students join us for the Bible study every Monday and the number
of students grows every week. It has been exciting to see who God
brings across our path. For instance, our friend Jeff is an amazing
testimony of what God is doing. God brought Jeff into our life and
we became friends instantly. He has been over to our house several
times and is coming to our Monday night Bible study. When we met
Jeff he was not a Christian, but he was very interested in Christianity.
We spent time with him, tried to answer some of his questions, and
prayed with him and for him a lot. Well, just last night Jeff gave
his life to Christ! It has beenan honor to be a part of this process
with him. Pray for Jeff as he begins his journey with the Lord.
We are going to celebrate his new birthday tonight!
Continue to pray that God would reveal Himself to us here as we
seek to please Him. Pray that our focus would be on Christ and not
on ourselves or "our" ministry. Pray that Godwould continue
to raise up leaders from the college campuses and from our neighborhood
in Dorchester. Most of all, pray for revival in the hearts of the
college students and the church!
14 September 2004:
Aaron and Amy are settling in nicely into their apartment in Boston.
They have jumped back into ministry with both feet.
Aaron has led two church services at Quincy Street Missional Church
and the people from the church have welcomed him with open arms.
The first week back he encouraged the congregation and challenged
them to be partners with him in ministry. This past Saturday he
spoke of and remembered September 11. As it was the third anniversary
of the tragic day, Aaron shared what our response as a nation has
been and what our response as Christians should be.
The campus ministry at Harvard kicked off yesterday as Amy joined
with those in the ministry by handing out Krispy Kreme doughnuts
to freshman on campus as they registered for classes. Surprisingly
the students wanted to sign up for more information more than they
wanted the doughnuts. Their first time together as a ministry will
be this Wednesday evening at our ice cream social.
The ministry in Boston has been going strong while Amy and Aaron
were away which makes it very easy to transition back. The church
memebers are growing strong in their faith not only attending Bible
studies, but also teaching the studies that they have already been
taught. The true model of discipleship is taking place and it is
a beautiful thing. It is encouraging to see that the ministry is
not founded on people, but solely on God alone.
Continue to pray for the ministry here as the time of transition
is not over. Pray that the neighborhood and campus would be transformed
by the power of God. Pray that revival would spring up from the
intellectual halls to the streets of the inner city. Pray that the
name of Jesus would be proclaimed!
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