I am not writing this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you might have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers. Indeed, in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. I appeal to you, then, be imitators of me. – 1 Corinthians [...]Read More
The Liminal Space
It had already been a long day at work in Akron, Ohio, when part of our staff gathered together in the back room of the Front Porch building for a strategic planning meeting. Though our days had all looked different, all of us had been embodying our mission at South Street Ministries: “Unlikely [...]Read More
John-Mark Hart’s Story
For a couple of decades I've been watching my friends and neighbors suffer due to our nation's broken immigration system. I was slow—inexcusably slow—to join the work of changing this system. But over time the accumulation of painful memories became too substantial for me to ignore, especially the [...]Read More
I walk for my son
We walked into the apartment and the air was thick and stood still. Everyone sat frozen, avoiding our eyes. His sister stared at the television, his step-dad worked vigorously at a spot on the table. His mom was the only one... eyes locked. "Ven, siéntate, necesitamos hablar," she managed. He [...]Read More
Chauncey Shillow’s Story
Abre tu boca por los mudos, por los derechos de todos los desdichados." -- Proverbios 31:8 I met Evelyn when she walked into my theatre class five and a half years ago. At that time, I did not know how much she would give to me, those students, or their school. Now I know that she dedicates herself [...]Read More
Brad and Kim Bandy’s Story
We're in a world where phrases like 'elevator pitch' and 'return on investment' land deeper than business plans and seep into our spiritual beings. We find ourselves surfing the waves of social issue to social issue—trying to stay afloat, never letting ourselves be immersed with the understanding [...]Read More
Reconciliation & Transformative Friendships
I have known a guy named Butch for years. He is like a lot of guys I know on the street: sometimes he is homeless, often he is addicted, and usually he is pleasant. Some years ago he was lucid and made an effort to fight his demons. Butch is an unlikely poet with a beautiful voice for singing. But, [...]Read More
Defending the Vulnerable
As two Southern California leaders living out CCD in our communities, we are intimately aware of the issues surrounding the broken immigration system. Robert is both an immigration attorney and professor of Chicana/o Studies and Asian American Studies at UCLA. Erica has worked in youth development [...]Read More