Cressy
February 15, 2012
Dear friends and family,
We want to start the new year with a special announcement: over the next 3-5 months, we (Liz and Ben) will both begin serving full-time with The Boston Project Ministries, and will dedicate more of our time to sharing Christ's love through caring for God's creation and nutritional health.
A few months ago we confided with you that we were embarking on 40 days of intentional prayer to seek God's guidance for our future. We knew something wasn't quite right. Our desire to fully invest ourselves in the ministry of The Boston Project, in neighbors and in our new marriage was falling short. After a lot of prayer and conversation, it became more evident that our dissatisfaction was rooted in us not pursuing our clear purpose; that we are to be in ministry together, not apart. We understand that some couples work and may even be in ministry separate from one another, but we have become convinced that this is not God's design for us.
Throughout our relationship, one of the things that has most excited, energized and refreshed us is the opportunity to engage with God's amazing creation. From hiking in the mountains to learning where our food comes from to actually growing vegetables ourselves, we love it all! It has been very challenging to interpret what this passion and sense of calling looks like in our urban context. We even wondered if we needed to move to the country; but God consistently brought us back to His deep love for this community in Dorchester. At the end of the day, we want to live out our convictions and share our love for God and His creation with our neighbors by building relationships (and gardens!) with them.
So what's different? We are excited to pursue employment together at The Boston Project. Our goal is to fundraise enough for Ben to step into his new responsibilities as the Greenspace Organizer-Educator before the summer (for Ben, this would be his first full-time ministry job since he moved to Boston in 2009). In this new role, Ben would focus his work on projects such as:
• Neighborhood garden initiatives (working with neighbors to design, build and maintain community gardens)
• Develop garden space to provide more healthy and local food for The Boston Project's summer staff and neighbors
• Work to promote energy-efficiency in neighbor's homes
• Work alongside other community members to advocate for new food and garden cooperatives in Dorchester
• Build relationships with neighbors and address other environmental and transportation justice issues that are raised
Liz will remain as the Executive Assistant, but will hand off some responsibilities so she has additional time to work alongside Ben and pursue her growing passion around nutritional education. It's her hope to be able to learn more (maybe school again?), and empower neighbors to make healthier food and lifestyle choices. One project we may work on together this first summer is planting and tending a large garden that could feed our seasonal staff.
We are now convinced that God has created us to care for our neighbors and creation together in Dorchester. This new work meets several strategic goals of The Boston Project and also fits well with our style of sharing the Good News with others. Here are ways you can join us:
1) Pray. This is a huge step in faith (the biggest ever for both of us!). We know that leaving a stable job with good benefits (ie. Ten Thousand Villages) may seem crazy in this economy. However, we believe we are walking into what God wants for us.
2) Give. For Ben to be here full-time, we need to raise additional financial support (a 60% increase from last year). We think this will take 15+ new individual or church partners joining with us early in 2012. We discuss our financial needs and opportunities below.
3) Share. Can you share with your friends and church family about our new mission work in Boston? Maybe you have a friend who can't get enough of urban gardening? Or your sister in-law loves urban missions? We would be delighted to share the vision of what God is doing here in our city, and could really use your help in connecting with others.
If you would like to have us visit with you, your church, a missions committee, or small group, please e-mail ben@tbpm.org to let us know. We are so thankful to have you as part of our team, and trust you are encouraged by the many ways God is at work.
Our Financial Need: Seeding the Transition
In order for both of us to be on staff full-time by June, we need to raise $25,000 annually (in 2011, we received gifts totalling $15,495). One challenge is that we need to raise a significant portion of that total (about $15,000) by mid-year to 'seed' Ben's new position.
$5,000 Matching Gift. A church partner has given us a $1-for- $1 matching gift for all new regular donors and special gifts in 2012.
Pledge to give Regular Donations. People who give monthly or quarterly are the foundation of our support-raising. These gifts provide stability and consistency for our salary. You can even set up automatic monthly donations from your account on our website.
Give a Special Gift. We greatly appreciate special gifts (as you are able) towards our annual support-raising goal; especially as we raise "seeding" money for our transition. Every bit helps!
If you would like to give, please go to www.tbpm.org/giving and select "Ben & Liz Cressy."
Thank you!
December 21, 2011
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:13
Tis the Season
This time of the year is a favorite in the Cressy household. From Christmas decorations, smells and foods, to more importantly, taking time to reflect on the birth of Christ - we love it all. We have already gone to New Hampshire to chop down our tree (a first for Liz!) and taken the time to decorate it (with fairly traded Ten Thousand Villages ornaments, of course). Since it's our first Christmas as a married couple, we've wanted to establish new traditions that reflect the things we are about and focus on what the season is truly about. Ben has committed to reading the birth of Christ story every day until Christmas. We are choosing to give simple gifts to each other to allow for a more creative expression of our love. We are hoping to not get caught up in the materialism of the season and take time to focus on the greatest gift we have been given.
40 Days of Prayer
As we've shared previously, this summer Ben was offered a full time job with Ten Thousand Villages as the Assistant Manager and he accepted. However, we've come to realize that even though there are a lot of wonderful things about this job and the organization, it hasn't been the greatest fit for our family. We often have an hours mismatch (Ben getting home very late, often having to work full weekends, including Sunday) and with Liz continuing in full time ministry with its own demands, we sometimes will go multiple weeks without a day off together. Additionally, we haven't been able to spend time loving our neighbors or pursuing other passions together, something we feel strongly about. This reality is often overwhelming, and in light of this, we were recently nudged to spend 40 days in intentional prayer. We are seeking God on our future and are trying to determine what questions we need to be asking as we think about changes in our life routines. We have taken a lot of time to think about who we are, the things we are passionate about, and the various giftings we have. Please join us in praying as we try to make some decisions that will ideally lead to a healthier rhythm of life where we can pursue our passions together. As we seek the God who has all wisdom, we trust that we will find the answers we are looking for.
He is Faithful
Not all is bad! We serve a God who is faithful beyond comprehension. We have been blessed by words of encouragement from God's word, as well as from his people. We are so thankful for our community, here in Dorchester, and also far away, that supports us in so many different ways. There are moments where we are just so awestruck that God should show His faithfulness through our humble community of friends and family. Thank you! As we end this year, we are still short on our fundraising. Please prayerfully consider being a part of God's work through us in Dorchester. We couldn't do it without you!
Prayer Requests:
1) Pray for us as we make decisions about our future. Also pray for Ben's schedule and that his manager will consistently give him Sunday's off so we can worship together.
2) Pray for the start of Real Life, our teen bible study, in January. Liz will be helping lead.
September 16, 2011
"may you be blessed with discomfort with
easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships
so that you will live deep in your heart.
may you be blessed with anger
at injustice, oppression and exploitation
of people and the earth so that you will
work for justice, equity and peace.
may you be blessed with tears to shed
for those who suffer so you will reach out your hand
to comfort them and change their pain to joy.
and may you be blessed with foolishness
to think you can make a difference in this world,
so that you can do the things which others say
cannot be done."
-- the sending forth (anonymous)
Amen and amen.
September 7, 2011
Wow... it's been a long time since this blog has been updated. This summer was a busy one, but a great one.
As we approached the conclusion of our first married summer in ministry, there was so much on our hearts to share with you. Often, it's easy to find the thoughts and words of what to write about. This time, there is so much to share about our lives, and we only get to touch upon a bit of what God is doing.
Our summer started with some literal and metaphorical bangs. In a very literal sense, guns banged near our street all summer long - and continue to. Gang tensions near our direct neighborhood have flared, and several young men have been killed or injured. As we heard about these instances - one of which involved the near-death of a four-year-old boy - we began to question our residence in this neighborhood - particularly as we began to think about what it might mean to raise children in a neighborhood plagued with violence and other kinds of trauma. We sought wise counsel from older mentors who have lived in Boston for years, and were reminded of both the bigger picture of God's redemptive work in our City, but also of His promises to protect His children from harm. We feel more committed to living here than we ever have before.
We struggled with another tension as well. Ben expected to oversee our Green Space programs and help build our new community garden, but due to an unforeseeable staff departure at Ten Thousand Villages, he was called upon to work nearly full-time for the entire summer. Although this presented a significant challenge, God revealed to Ben gifts and talents that he didn't even know he had. In late July, he was offered a full-time, management-level job and, after much prayer and discernment, accepted! For now, Ben will be serving The Boston Project as a neighbor and volunteer, and not as a paid employee.
Liz's role serving with the Boston Project and as a neighbor continues to be dynamic and fruitful. She continues to serve as the Executive Assistant, and did much of the behind-the-scenes work to empower our street-level ministries to thrive this summer. She also continues to spend time building relationships with neighbors in the community and serving as a representative at neighborhood meetings pertinent to the safety, economic and environmental health of our neighborhood.
Despite some of the changes in Ben's work schedule, we feel more committed than ever to our community - both the people and the places that make up our neighborhood. Thank you for your ongoing prayers and financial support. With Liz continuing full-time work at The Boston Project, your gifts enable us to put down roots here and consider major decisions about the feasibility of raising a family and tackling other obstacles to the long-term viability of our residence here. If you are already a regular supporter, we thank you! If you have not joined our support team, would you consider becoming a monthly or quarterly donor? Please join with us as we seek to follow God's lead to this community.
Prayer Requests
• Pray for us as we are looking to put down roots in a church community. We both were involved in different church communities before we got married, and are looking to find a place where we both feel at home as a couple.
• Pray for our house to be one of hospitality. We have valued having others over and making it a safe and welcoming place to be.
• Pray for safety in our neighborhood. Pray that the Gospel of peace would be transforming the lives of our young people, particularly the teenage boys we work with.
January 15, 2011
So.... in the hustle and bustle of life, I realized I haven't done a very good job of letting the world know that I'M GETTING MARRIED! On December 19, 2010, Ben Cressy asked me if I would be his wife. Of course, I said yes :) He will be joining the ministry as our part-time Greenspace Coordinator, which will be a great match with his passions and giftings.
More to come, but I'm excited for April 9th ;)
December 15, 2010
"You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God." ~ 2 Corinthians 9:11-12
Overflowing in Thanks to God
This fall, we have been sharing the above passage with volunteer groups, and I have been struck by just how relevant these verses are to my day-to-day life. The months of October and November tend to be dominated by one thing for me: Thanksgiving Baskets! This year, we provided over 80 baskets to families and seniors in our neighborhood, and I spend weeks in preparation for this event. I speak with families, shop (and shop and shop some more!), fundraise, coordinate volunteers, schedule deliveries, and try to keep a bit of my sanity.
Despite the hectic feel, it's always been one of my favorite days of the year. It's one of those blatantly clear moments where my gifts and talents collide with supplying the needs of the Lord's people. The result? I can't help but to be overwhelmed with thanksgiving to God. Even though on the surface providing food baskets may look like a "me helping you" type of event, I have been blessed in return year after year. This year, as I delivered the last basket of the day to a neighborhood friend, I was blessed with a full Dominican dinner. Thanks be to God!
There are so many things to be thankful for in my ministry. I've come to appreciate the roles and opportunities God has put before me more and more - from my administrative duties which frees others up to do what they are gifted at, to being an advocate for community change by working with resident leaders and elected officials, to just hanging out (or having dance parties!) with youth on our front porch. My life is overflowing with joy and thanksgiving that comes from a life of service. Thank you for helping make this ministry possible.
October 21, 2010
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
~ 1 John 3:16-18
Remember Our Past, Rejoin in the Present, Re-Imagine the Future
I recently had the privilege of attending a week long national Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) conference in Chicago. It was a week of rest, reflection and catching up with old friends. It was such a blessing to spend a week with my brother and former Boston Project staffers Emily and Melissa.
This year's conference theme was "Remember the past, Rejoice in the present, Re-Imagine the future," and multiple times I was struck by the need to know and reflect upon our own past, but also the importance of knowing our collective past as believers. John Perkins, who founded CCDA, shared story after story of his past as a civil rights activist, being beaten and put in jail for the sole reason of his race, the deaths of friends and family for standing up for civil rights, and the ways God showed up through it all.
It's difficult to not feel inspired after hearing heart-wrenching stories followed by words of wisdom of "but LOVE conquers all", and seeing the redemption and reconciliation that can happen when there is a true commitment to living out the words of Christ. Morning bible study with the 80 year old Perkins was inspirational to love as Christ loves - literally loving our neighbors with all we have.Our collective past as believers shows that when we take the words of Christ literally, radical things can happen. John Perkins' story and commitment to reconciliation of people with God and people to people, when he has ever reason to be jaded and full of anger, is a reminder of that. Let us love with actions and in truth, and see what happens. I have no doubt that God will show up.
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
We're always keeping things interesting around here, and things never remain stagnant. I've moved to a local church's parsonage house and am living with some wonderful coworkers at Boston Project in an effort to save money. A dear friend has moved back to Nashville, TN, but I am excited with the arrival of another dear friend, Dana, who will be serving with us for a year through Americorps. Sometimes it's hard to believe that I'm considered "old" in Boston Project world, having been here for three years, but I praise God for the role I can play in helping some of our new staffers adjust to life here in the city. I'm learning more and more to go with the flow with change and love the season I'm in, regardless of what may come.
August 31, 2010
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." -Galatians 5:22-23
Summer is always a trying season for me. I typically start with a burst of energy, and within a few weeks find myself tired, irritable and ready to take a three week long vacation. Preferably on the beach. Far, far away. This summer, as I found myself falling into that pattern again, I have began praying daily to see the fruit of the Spirit in my life, the lives of our staff, and also in the lives of our youth who have chosen to follow Christ. I am in desperate need of joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. It's been an encouragement to see ways that God has answered, big and small. Ever since I started praying, I can say without a doubt that I have become much more patient!
In our neighborhood, I've come to realize that things such as love, peace and patience aren't always taught. It exhausts me when I see that so many of our youth are taught to defend themselves at all costs, and have tired of watching fights break out over the smallest things. What gives me hope is knowing that when our youth choose Christ, that they can see real fruit in our lives. If they have been taught to hate, we know that the Spirit can teach them love. Would you join me in praying for the remainder of the summer to see the fruits of the spirit in my life, in the lives of the staff and in the lives of our youth? Your prayers are life changing.
April 13, 2010
A constant theme since I arrived in Dorchester has been faithfulness. Life in ministry.... not easy. There are times when it seems like even though we have done all we can, prayed continuously, and loved lavishly, there is no change. This has been most evident with some of our youth, many of whom are facing temptations such as using and selling drugs, stealing and reselling stolen goods and responding to being wronged with violence. There have been countless times where other staff and myself have sat and asked "what is going on, and what do we do?".
A few weeks ago, my pastor was preaching on Noah, and the importance of him staying faithful to the heavenly vision. When God told Noah "Hey, so I need you to build this HUGE ark, get two of every animal, and go chill out for 40 days while I rid the earth of all these unrighteous people", I'm sure once or twice Noah went, "Excuse me... come again? You want me to do what exactly?". Noah didn't have the big picture. He was just given a glimpse of the vision from heaven, and because he was a righteous man who chose to follow God in whatever it was he was called to, he listened. Despite how crazy it sounded. Despite not knowing the outcome.
I loved the sermon, and my heart resonated so quickly with the idea of "being faithful to the vision from heaven". I'm a big picture person. I need to know why and how we are going to do something. So when we talked about how Noah didn't have the big picture, yet was still faithful, I could feel my stomach ache. How could he follow without knowing everything? I am learning to be faithful when I don't have the "who, what, when, where, why" and especially when I don't have the "how".
Please pray with me for Christians in my community [including myself] to remain faithful to the heavenly vision for our neighborhood, and to continue to trust in God's eternal faithfulness to our neighbors. We may not see the fruit right away, but we trust His promise that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
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