Category Archives: Discipleship
Final Project L.I.F.E. Newsletter
Thank you so much for embarking on the amazing journey of Project L.I.F.E. with us these past 9 months. It has been so wonderful to see God’s hand in every aspect of this facet of the ministry. This month, Torran King decided to leave the program. We were a bit shocked that he wanted to leave, especially with only 3 weeks remaining before graduation, but as I was reminded by one of our board members, that it’s never about us saving these guys. We exist to give resources and offer every available option in Christ. It will then be up to them to pursue those things or not. 
Three weeks ago, Charles was blessed to witness the birth of his first child. He received tons of phone calls, emails, cards, and other things expressing thanksgiving for the miracle of birth. But in the midst of all the celebration, perhaps the most touching correspondence was a card and phone call from Patrick Slater. He hadn’t told Patrick that he had had his child, but somehow he found out (facebook we think) and sent a card in the mail and called Charles. That was a wonderful blessing to see God use all of the encouragement that we instilled in Patrick to then bless Charles with months later.
Lastly, we want to remind you guys that July is the last month of Project L.I.F.E. With that being said, we will be holding a graduation party for Kenneth next Wednesday, July 7th, here at the ministry house on the Northside. You can read more about that in the attached newsletter. Also, we would ask that you continue to give through the end of July. That will support our resident director, Jonathan Chapman, and his salary as he and Mike continue to follow up with Kenneth everyday to make sure the transition works out smoothly.
Again, thank you for making this first run of Project L.I.F.E. a huge success. We will be taking the month of August off to rewrite the program and to interview guys, and will be starting the second round of Project L.I.F.E. sometime in September, once all of the funding is secured. We pray that you guys were as blessed as Darin, TJ, Patrick, Kenneth and our staff were these past 9 months. May God continue to bless you as you seek ways to make an impact in His kingdom this week and for the rest of your lives!!
Growing Up In Project L.I.F.E.
Things are progressing well in the house. As the men continue to mature in their faith, plans for transitioning out of the house are becoming a reality. The guys have made a ‘wish list’ of things that they would need for their new apartments which you can read about by clicking the picture of the newsletter above. Also, there will be a workday opportunity for anyone interested in coming out and helping to paint Kenneth’s new apartment. He has already bought all of the paint, and just needs some able bodies to put in a few good hours on Saturday, June 5th from 10am to 1pm.
Again, I would like to thank you all for your support of Project L.I.F.E. As we near the end of this first class of guys, we find ourselves bombarded everyday by men that want to be in the program. At 7:00 AM this morning we met a guy that pulled me aside at chapel service and shared his frustration with where he was in life and his desire to give his life completely over to the LORD. He has been homeless for over 5 years. He is only 24. Please pray for the completion of this program and for the selection and funding necessary for the second class of guys. God is drawing willing hearts to Himself!
Please be in prayer for TJ’s sister as well who is expecting a child late this month. Also, our graduation for TJ and Kenneth will be tentatively the first week of July. Please mark your calendars as we would want as many of you as possible to attend!
WORK DAY – June 5th 10am – 1pm
This Saturday is our most important workday of the year!! We are having a workday THIS SATURDAY, JUNE 5TH from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. This workday will not be a usual workday. Instead of meeting at the ministry house and doing demolition or construction, we will be meeting at the new apartment of Kenneth Hairston, one of the residents of Project L.I.F.E. who will be completing the program in one month! He found an apartment in Lawrenceville, and wants to paint it and set up his furniture before he moves in. This is a great opportunity to put in a few good hours of blessing Kenneth by doing some painting!! If you are free, please RSVP to volunteer@livingministry.org and let us know if you can come. And the best part is, lunch is provided!! (well, maybe that’s not the best part, but it’s definitely a good part!) Here are the details…
This Saturday, June 5th
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
3637 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15201
LUNCH IS PROVIDED! Dress in clothes that can get dirty!
Time To Move On
There have been a few changes since our last report from Project L.I.F.E., namely the departure of Patrick Slater from the program. Patrick left the program on his own on April 14th after deciding that he wanted to move in with his family and take care of his health issues. His health has been deteriorating and for the time being, he wants to stay with his mom to help take care of her (she is in her 80’s). Please be praying for him and his continued spiritual growth. Attached you can read his reflections and thoughts on how his 5 ½ months were.
The remaining two guys in the program, TJ and Kenneth are doing very well. Kenneth has some great news about his apartment which you can also read about in the newsletter. TJ, also is making the most out of his opportunities, and is adjusting quite well to being out of jail. Read the newsletter below to get the complete scoop.
Project L.I.F.E. newsletter
Things are going well in Project L.I.F.E. as the men are halfway through their sixth month of the program. Recently, Torran was released from jail and returned to the house and is in very good spirits. He received his GED, and is now working on pursing further education at Bidwell Training Center. Kenneth, has been working alongside Goodwill Industries and has found an apartment to move into after the program ends. He is still working part time for Pleasant Valley shelter and has been collecting items for his apartment. Patrick is doing OK. He is growing in the LORD and has recently been approved by HUD to get his own apartment. He has been looking at places, and has been managing his health by excising and maintaining a healthy diet. Please enjoy this double issue of L.I.F.E. Support, as the men tell of their experiences over the last month. Also read how you might be able to get involved in helping support the next round of guys that come through the program.
And Then There Were Three
These past few weeks have been met with a series of drastic hurdles for Project L.I.F.E. First, Toran King had a court hearing and was sentenced to serve an indefinite amount of jail time due to an outstanding warrant. Please pray for him and our ability to correspond with him and find out when he will be released. One thing that is exciting is that we found out that TJ passed his GED test! Secondly, Patrick has continued to deal with his health issues. There has been much controversy this week over the effectiveness of his medications and many issues surrounding those pills. Pray for God’s continue healing of Patrick’s body as well as his mindset that tends to trap him into thinking he is a victim. Things are going pretty well for Kenneth. He currently works everyday from 12pm to 4pm, and his exploring opportunities in other fields that might be of interest to him after he leaves the program. Pray for God’s continued guidance, and for him to get over the cold he has. Lastly, and probably of greatest note is Darin. A few weeks ago, Darin decided, voluntarily, to remove himself from Project L.I.F.E. He thought long and hard about this decision, and we prayed with him and discussed with him things that were issues. I think it came down to it just being his time to go. He currently is staying at Pleasant Valley Shelter until he can figure out his next step. We have a desire to continue to help Darin as much as possible, and have had the opportunities to share in fellowship with him for the past few days while in the shelter. Pray for God’s hand to be upon him in this next phase of life. Pray for the dynamics of the house also, as Darin was very much a leader and motivator of the other guys.
Since the beginning of Living Ministry, we have jokingly called this a ministry of heartbreaks. And sometimes, that is how it feels. Things rarely work out perfectly the way we envisioned them to. But through Christ’s sovereignty, they do work out. We have attached the most recent Project L.I.F.E. newsletter with an interview from Darin about his reflections on his time in Project L.I.F.E. . Please take some time and read it and pray for Darin and the rest of the guys this week.
