Celebs help serve Christmas dinner
It’s not unusual for celebrities to help serve holiday meals at Los Angeles Mission (Los Angeles, Calif.), but it was extra nice to see a photo of actress Alyssa Milano at the mission featured prominently on MSN.com right after the Christmas holiday. You can find the photo at http://tinyurl.com/5g4qny.

Congratulations to salary survey winners
Thanks to everyone who participated in the AGRM salary survey. The results will soon be on their way to all who participated. If your mission did not participate, you may purchase a copy of the report for $24. As an added incentive, we announced there would be prizes for randomly selected survey participants. Winner of the 2009 AGRM annual convention program fee is Keith Heck of Gospel Rescue Mission (Grants Pass, Ore.). And an Apple iPhone is going to the second-place winner, Mike Rideout of Union Gospel Mission (Salem, Ore.). Congratulations!

Convention registrations running ahead of last year
We’re excited that so many of you took us up on the early-bird convention offer. We have even more registrations than we had last year at this time—and last year we had a tremendous crowd. But if you didn’t make the deadline, don’t despair: You can still get in at a great price if you register before April 30. Even more, if you register before March 1, you’ll be eligible for a drawing for a two-night stay in spectacular Estes Park, Colorado. You can tack it on to the event in Denver and go home both energized and refreshed. Look for another, expanded brochure in the January/February issue of Rescue magazine.

Donation survey still collecting data
While we received some responses to our brief survey on missions in the struggling economy, we realize that many of you may not have had time to complete the questions because of the busy holiday season. You’ll need preliminary data on mission income sources and mission services in 2008, as compared to 2007. We estimate the survey will take fewer than 10 minutes of your time—and it’s data that many members would really like to have. So we don’t duplicate data, we ask that only executive directors or individuals assigned by them complete the survey. Find the 10-question survey at http://tinyurl.com/65dgat. Final results will be available on the AGRM website and in the next issue of Street Smart.

City Vision College term ready to begin
Spring term classes at City Vision College (an AGRM partner) are set to begin January 5. Courses include: The History of Urban Missions, Food Services, Fund Raising Basics, Drugs of Abuse, and Mental Illness and Addiction. AGRM members receive a discount on registration, and scholarship money is available. For more information, email mliimatta@cityvision.edu, or go to www.cityvision.edu.

New mission approved for Wilkes-Barre
After a three-year struggle with the city of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on December 17 the Rescue Mission of Wyoming Valley received approval from the city zoning hearing board to open a 15-bed shelter and rehabilitation center in a former Knights of Columbus facility. It was the third time the request had come before the zoning board, and the first positive vote for the mission. Mission Director Phil Shultz says the new mission could be open as early as March 1.

Looking down the street...
Christmas came early at the United Gospel Rescue Mission (Poplar Bluff, Mo.). Greg Kirk reports the mission received a $25,000 grant from the Missouri Housing Trust Fund on December 15. Capital City Rescue Mission (Albany, N.Y.) served 3,500 meals on Christmas Day, its largest meal event ever. The mission also received an extra amount of media coverage. More than 70 volunteers showed up at Jimmie Hale Mission (Birmingham, Ala.) on Christmas Eve to deliver holiday meals to 400 seniors and shut-ins. Tony Cooper says, “Our volunteers were the only smiling faces many of these dear folks saw this Christmas.”

Economy threatens 10-year homeless plans
The federal administration’s push to encourage communities to develop 10-year plans that would end chronic homelessness has included some impressive results, including a 25 percent drop in street homelessness in New York City during the past three years. However, many of these same programs are facing state budget cuts and decreased funding because of the current economic crisis. Read more at http://tinyurl.com/92o6rs.

ACLU fights California city homeless ordinance
The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit last week against Laguna Beach, California, saying the city’s ban on sleeping on local streets is unconstitutional, especially since the community has no year-round, city-sponsored shelter. The assistant city manager said the oceanfront community with fewer than 100 homeless people actually has aggressive plans to address homelessness; it simply chose not to revise a 1950s-era law that bans public sleeping. Find the full Associated Press story at http://tinyurl.com/7sgv3b.

List offers 20 healthy foods for under $1
Looking for new information on nutrition and economics? Here’s some interesting data published last month by the New York Times: http://tinyurl.com/96v4qk. Not surprisingly, oats and eggs top the list of inexpensive healthy foods, but check out bargain bite number three—kale. We suggest you keep this list handy when teaching mission clients how to eat healthy meals on a budget.

Support groups popular with 26- to 49-year-olds
An estimated five million people participated in self-help support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) in 2007, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The majority (57 percent) were in the 26- to 49-year-old age group, followed by those 50 and older (23 percent) and people 18 to 25 years old (15 percent). See a graphic display of this data at http://tinyurl.com/6vxmqb (look under the “Life” tab).

Heat more dangerous than cold
As blasts of winter weather hit North America, research by a team from the University of South Carolina reveals that from 1970 to 2004 there were more deaths related to heat than to cold weather. Among deaths attributed to nature during the study period, 19.6 percent of fatalities were related to heat and drought, 18.8 percent to summer thunderstorms, and 18.1 percent to winter weather. Missions should always be prepared to care for the community’s most vulnerable citizens, no matter what the weather. For more, go to
http://tinyurl.com/89yo6g.

2009 resolutions not so revolutionary
A recent poll by the Marist College revealed that about half of those under age 45 are likely to adopt New Year’s resolutions, compared to only 29 percent of those ages 45 and older. Overall, 40 percent of Americans plan to make life-change goals for 2009. The top three pledges are to lose weight, stop smoking, and save more money. Find out more at http://tinyurl.com/7jdydb.

Web banquet big hit with donors
City Union Mission (Kansas City, Mo.) no longer hosts an annual banquet. Instead, for the past three years the staff has held a “web banquet.” At an intimate luncheon with 14 to 20 people in attendance, the mission presents all of its annual awards, testimonies, and a ministry update, just as it has done for years at the annual banquet. Staff members upload photos of the award winners and an overview of the event to the mission’s website. They then email a link to donors and friends who would normally attend the banquet, along with information about appropriate ways to give to the ministry. Development Director Dennis Chapman says the mission raises as much money as it previously did at its annual banquet, with minimal to no expenses for food, facility, and speaker. “Our donors think it is a fantastic idea,” Chapman says.

[Send us a blurb about your unique ideas or simple solutions and we’ll communicate them on Easy Street.]

UPCOMING EVENTS

Youth workers conference
“Rock Solid,” the annual Urban Children and Youth Workers conference, will take place January 9–11, 2009, at Lake Williamson Conference Center in Carlinville, Illinois. The conference schedule, speakers, costs, and related information are available at
www.rocksolidconference.org.

Enrichment for chaplains
The Chaplain Group is hosting a training event January 22–24, 2009, at the Trade Winds Central Inn in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The conference, The Chaplain as Change Agent, will focus on how mission chaplains can be actively involved in directing change in the people they serve. A schedule, fees, and registration information are available at www.agrm.org/events.html.

Training institute for men’s ministry
Haven of Rest Ministries (Akron, Ohio) is hosting a men’s ministry training institute February 9–11, 2009. The goal is to help those caring for adult men hone their ministry skills. Find complete information at the mission’s website, www.havenofrest.org, or contact Jeff Kaiser at the mission at (330) 535-1563.

Women and family ministry training
The Women and Family Ministry Group is meeting February 18–20, 2009, in Oxnard, California, for Fun in the Son. A variety of sessions will cover topics from case management to practical methodologies for dealing with the mentally ill. You can find a registration form, schedule, and fee information at www.agrm.org/events.html.

Thrift stores A to Z
The Association of Christian Thrift Stores (ACTS) will hold its annual conference March 8–11, 2009, at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in Asheville, North Carolina. The event will feature a complete overview of thrift store operation. Information and registration forms are on the ACTS website at www.actswebsite.com.

AGRM's Online Want Ads

International ministry opportunity: City Mission (Papua New Guinea) is in need of two couples who feel a missionary calling on their life to work with street teenagers, young men, and abused women and children in the capital city of Port Moresby. The mission cannot pay large salaries, but it will provide comfortable accommodations, utilities, a vehicle, and an allowance that is sufficient for a couple in Papua New Guinea. For more information, email Larry George at pomcity_mission@online.net.pg

Albany, NY: Resident Assistants - Women’s Ministry - Two full time, onsite openings; includes room/board and partial medical/dental benefits. Must be mature Christian, able to assist in the daily needs of women/children in fast-paced environment. Must have valid driver’s license and servant’s heart. Prior ministry experience in drug addiction and mental illness is a plus. Employee training provided. Contact Capital City Rescue Mission, New Faith Family Center for Women and Children, attn Nancy Dore, PO Box 1999, Albany, NY 12201. Phone: 518-462-0459 Fax: 518-462-0489 To contact via email: ccrm259@yahoo.com Date Added: 12/02/2008

Charleston, WV: Director of Development - Take charge of PR and fundraising effort for agency that helps thousands of families monthly in 20+ counties. Responsible for staff of seven. Industry and management experience preferred. To request application/full job description, contact CEO Rex Whiteman, Union Mission Ministries, Inc., PO Box 112, Charleston, WV 25321. Phone: 304-925-0366 Fax: 304-925-0887 To contact via email: rex@wefeedpeople.com Web site: http://www.wefeedpeople.com Date Added: 12/04/2008

Columbia, SC: Operations Director - (Midlands Housing Alliance--Non-member) - Oversee operations of comprehensive homeless transition center including coordinating facility development, program planning, oversight of residential facilities, grant & contract management, strategic planning and development. See full posting on website. Send resume/cover letter to SelectionCommittee@collierskeenan.com. Website: http://uway.org/public/files/docs/Director_of_Operations_PD.pdf. Date Added: 12/18/2008

Salem, OR: Director of Men’s Ministries - Responsible for planning, developing, implementing comprehensive strategy for ministry including emergency shelter services, residential discipleship & recovery program, learning center, career services. Excellent organizational, problem solving, interpersonal, written, verbal communication skills required. BA in ministry preferred or equivalent exp. Five years supervisory exp. in rescue ministry/related field. Mail cover letter/resume to Jim Lienemann, Union Gospel Mission of Salem, PO Box 341, Salem, OR 97308. Phone: 503-362-3983 To contact via email: jlienenmann@ugmsalem.org Date Added: 12/29/2008

Seeking Employment: Curt Sanfratella is seeking employment in a recovery program/rescue mission. Over 20 years experience in all aspects of recovery ministries including administration, counseling, teaching, thrift store management. Phone: 828-246-3932 To contact via email: curts@bellsouth.net Date Added: 12/15/2008

To advertise in future Market Street Classifieds:
Individual or organizational members of the AGRM may place a 30-word classified ad listing one available position in one issue of Street Smart at no charge, and may renew that ad one additional time at no cost. Ads are due the 10th of the month before the ad is to be listed. Ads exceeding 30 words will be charged at 50 cents per word. Non-member ministries, businesses, and individuals may place an ad for $25.00 per issue for a 30-word ad. Additional words will be charged at 50 cents per word. Ads are also placed on the AGRM website. Member ministries may renew ads after the second placement at $15 per issue for a 30-word ad. E-mail desired ad placement to editor@agrm.org (subject line: Market Street Classifieds).

Be Peniel
“So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, ‘It is because I saw God face to face.’” (Gen. 32:30).

Many men and women come to our missions struggling to figure out how to live a meaningful life. Their struggles take the form of addictions, habits, and attitudes. They mistake a “thrill” or a “high” for happiness. They fail to understand that their lifestyles are contributing to their struggles.

Years ago, Peniel was a popular name for rescue missions; some still bear the name. Peniel comes from the biblical account of Jacob wrestling with the angel of the Lord. Jacob called that place Peniel because he saw God face to face.

Do people struggling with life find Peniel at your mission? Do they come face to face with God? Are they touched by careful, loving staff who will not give up or give in until the men or women have found victory over the issues controlling them? Do they find a place where wrestling with God is both safe and encouraged?

Be the practical hands and feet of God. Be Peniel.

Adapted from Dr. W.E. Paul in Romance of Rescue

ATTENTION MEMBERS: Would you like to write an encouraging devotional thought for a future issue of Street Smart? If so, send your submission of 200 words or less (including a related Bible verse) to editor@agrm.org.