Welcome to the newest section of The Boston Project's website – Staff Blogs! Our staff now has the ability to publish a personal blog. How often they choose to post is up to them, but be sure to check back often!
Click on their name to go to their blog page, or click on the title of an entry to go directly to that entry. You can also view this page arranged by staff person.
December 21, 2011
Quiet Reflections
I recently read a study, which said, "Boston is one of the nations most highly-educated cities, but in some census tracts within the city, as many as 50% of adults do not have a high school diploma." It is startling to see percentages like this one. As I interact with students on a daily basis, I have to face the reality that these numbers are often accurate.
In light of statistics such as these, it definitely feels like I am in a storm at time, as I wonder if I am making a difference even in the smallest way in the life of our youth. As I continue to ponder these things and the passage above, I am humbled by Jesus' words "Why are you afraid?" "Do you still have no faith?" It's not the strength of my faith that decides what results are produced, but its object, which is Jesus Christ.
Coming Events
Starting in December and January, I along with my co-worker Dana will be leading a "tween" girls mentoring/empowerment group. This will allow us the opportunity to connect with the girls in the neighborhood, some of whom come to our homework center. The hope is to invest more one-on-one with the girls through food, fellowship, games, prayer and scripture study, as well as have in-depth conversations about life as a tween girl.
Also starting in January 2012, we will be leading a Bible study with our teenagers. We are doing an Alpha course where we will explore Christianity as we study the person of Jesus and his relevance to our life today. This study gives the youth a chance to ask lots of questions about what it means to truly follow and live a life for Jesus. I look forward with eager anticipation to connecting with our teenagers as they learn about Jesus Christ. Please join me in prayer.
Life Adjustments
Life here at BP has been busy and full; I have had the opportunity to not only participate in the youth programs, but have been gradually making connections with our youth, some parents and the BP staff. Since my last newsletter I have been able to start attending Hope Fellowship Church over in Cambridge.
"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.
"God is faithful!" seems to be a great phrase to sum up this year for our family. Though there have been some difficult times of stress, uncertainty, and family loss, God has shown us his goodness and guidance as we continue to seek Him.
These last few weeks have been full of holiday festivities but also precious family time. Recently both Keith and I have had a chance to be still and just marvel at the amazing gift we have in our boys. God has given us many opportunities to enjoy them and the amazingly beautiful and complicated treasures that they are. Now that they are older, we have been reading chapter books together and this fall have truly enjoyed sharing our favorites - The BFG, Inkheart and The Hobbit to name a few.
We have also had the joy of exploring God and concepts of spirituality with them recently, which is so much fun because their view of God is so uncomplicated. I was informed last week that if you take Jesus' last name and put "mas" after it you get the word Christmas! Joseph just finished his first term of first grade and is doing great - he excels in math, just like his dad (and gets distracted by things in his desk just like his mom). Tim performed in a holiday concert this weekend with Boston Children's Chorus. It was beautiful and he did a great job, but (in his own words) he would rather go home and take a nap than listen to everyone else sing. Aaron has discovered his voice and talks about EVERYTHING he sees. Our car rides are full of exclamations from the back seat as he yells out the names of all the things he sees. His favorite is the pizza sign we pass on the way to Joseph's school.
We look forward to 2012 and the many more adventures that await us. Thank you all
so much for your continued support and prayers, and from our family to yours, have a blessed Christmas!!
December 19, 2011
"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10
Family is really important to us. When we ask our daughters at random times what they are thankful for they often say "our family." Sometimes we even like to imagine what it would be like to live as a family in the 1700's. The thought of "no computer," however, is a hard pill for the girls to swallow.
We are not a perfect family, but we have discovered the joy of living by God's grace. Years ago I (Paul) read a liberating book called Never Mind the Joneses by Tim Stafford that encourages us not to compare ourselves to other families, even Christian families. Rather we should discover and live out God's specific purpose for us.
We talk about our family purpose. We had a funny and serious moment wrapped up in one when Megan (at age 9) and Glenna were talking about why we live in Dorchester in light of some violence. As Glenna shared about God's purpose for our family, Megan responded, "Well, what if God has called me to be a New Hampshire country girl?"
We wrestle together. Megan, Cady, Grace and I love to play wrestle. In a similar spirit, we work out our purpose together. Sometimes it's hard and other times it's fun. This month, we have served as a family in preparing food for a Christmas dinner for the homeless and then by making craft kits for our neighborhood Christmas party. The girls also decided to use their own money to buy a gift for a 6-year old girl through Angel Tree. It's been a full and blessed Christmas season already!
Creating memories. On Saturday night, our first-ever neighborhood family Christmas party went much better than we anticipated. The sit-down dinner, making ornaments, a solo sung by a neighbor, and the reading of the Christmas story all contributed to an atmosphere that felt honoring to baby Jesus. As the party ended a new neighbor who is a Native American Christian came up to Glenna and said, "This is beautiful. You are creating memories for families and children that they will hold on to for a lifetime." Then she prayed God's blessing upon us.
Thank you for being part of our family! Our girls (and we) are keenly aware that there are many people, those we may not even know, who are praying for us and contributing towards our work in Boston. Thank you for creating lasting memories for us and our neighborhood families.
December 15, 2011
- Praise the Lord that I was able to find a church to attend, a chance to connect with some old and new friends since being here, and growing relationships with our youth.
- Pray as I continue to adjust to live in Boston and at The Boston Project Ministries.
- Pray for the youth who will be involved in Pretty Tween Girls and Real Life groups, and for God's guidance as I prepare the materials to lead our youth.
December 8, 2011
I love the Christmas season, not just for the nostalgic feelings, time with family, or many reasons to eat fattening food. I love the Christmas season most of all because of Advent- a period of reflection and anticipation of Christ's birth. It's a time when I can count all the blessings that God has given me the past year- and I sure do have a lot from 2011! Here are just a few that come to mind...
1. Deeper Relationships. Throughout 2011, I have become closer to the youth in our neighborhood that has led to more trust between one another. More specifically, I've had a deeper mentorship with a few teenage girls on our street that has allowed me to pour into their lives full-heartedly and create long-lasting bonds.
2. Guidance. God has blessed me with incredible women in my life who have helped guide me through the tougher situations in life. Because of them, I have grown tremendously this past year and have become more of the woman God has created me to be (you know who you are :)
3. Stewardship. From being a good steward of my money, to the earth I live on, to the food that is provided for me, to the way I spend my time, God has taught me to worship him through stewardship in all areas of my life.
4. Safety. God has protected my family, friends, and neighborhood through physical illnesses, mental and emotional stress, violence, and everything in between.
5. Provision. In 2011, God has provided me with a new apartment, a new church, great friends, financial help, a supportive family, and a job that allows me to discover my God-given purposes. That's a whole lot of provision!
6. Community. The Boston Project community is a family like no other. My co-workers and their families have poured greatly into my life and mine into theirs, truly displaying a community that God yearns us to have.
7. Faithfulness. Often times I find myself not knowing how needs are going to be met or how I'm going to get myself through a situation. However, God always remains faithful and sees me through all situations, no matter the circumstances.
I praise God for everyone that has supported me this year through prayer, financial support, and encouragement. Thank you all for your faithfulness!
We're in a season of expectation. We are looking forward to 2012 with anticipation and a little nervousness all wrapped up together. The Boston Project's outreach has been experiencing a growth spurt. However, our fundraising and the size of our team has not kept pace with the number of youth and families coming to our door. Pray with us Luke 10:2.
"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
December is a time when we celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. This Saturday we are hosting a Christmas banquet for those homeless with Starlight Ministries. The following Saturday, we will hold our first ever neighborhood Christmas celebration for families, organized by our new parent's group. At both events, the Christmas gospel story will be shared.
Hearing from God. As Glenna and I wrap up a year of rest from several leadership commitments, we are asking God about 2012. Are there things we should step back into, or new areas he is leading us to? What about His unfinished work in regards to healing in our personal lives? Please pray for our next steps.
We THANK God for YOU - our partners in ministry. We were recently at a missions conference at Grace Chapel with a couple who has served in Costa Rica for 46 years. At 75 they displayed such joy at seeing the fruit of their labors; some which hasn't been visible until now! It inspires us to look forward to many more years of ministry in Boston with The Boston Project, believing God for that same blessing. Thank you for walking with us.
December 7, 2011
- Answers to Prayers. Thank you for praying for us while at the national Christian Community Development Conference (CCDA) - God used the time to strengthen us; Homework Center has grown to 15-20+ youth coming daily; neighborhood leadership development is bearing fruit (and requires a good amount of Paul's time), and our family is adjusting well to homeschool and our new dog Sandie.
- New Staff and Volunteers. Pray for God's direction as we search for a new Missions Trip Director and another Youth Outreach Worker during the beginning of 2012. Pray for volunteers needed to tutor at Homework Center.
- Sharing the Good News. Pray for greater opportunities to share the hope found in Jesus Christ with neighbors, through Christmas programs, with the start of our youth Alpha Bible Study (Jan. 5), and during informal times like on the sidewalk in front of our home.
- Fundraising. 2011 has been a very fruitful year in ministry, yet at the same time we have not met some critical fundraising goals. Praise God while also praying for his provision for our specific financial needs.
November 29, 2011
The Neighborhood kept a secret from me for a whole month.
Surprise...Surprise! Each year our neighborhood association, the Talbot-Norfolk Triangle, nominates one person as "Neighbor of the Year."
I (Paul) am part of the Steering Committee that makes this decision. I thought we chose Mrs. Pegues.
When I invited Mrs. Pegues to come up and receive the award at a recent neighborhood meeting, the surprise was on me (video below).
I later learned that the entire neighborhood including my own children knew about this special award for a month and no one said a word! This may have been the biggest unexpected surprise in my life.
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