First Newsletter From Minneapolis
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Greetings from the Phillips Neighborhood of Minneapolis!
I hope you are enjoying
the crispness in the air and the changing of the leaves as fall quickly comes upon us, only to leave in a few short weeks! Now that I am finished with the cycle of school years (I graduated from Wheaton College last May), it is up to the changing of the winds and the trees to make me feel like the earth is still rotating and life is still moving. So why am I experiencing fall in Minneapolis, MN and not in Yakima, WA?
Here is the short answer: many of you will remember that I spent three months last summer in San Francisco interning with InnerCHANGE, a Christian order among the poor. That incredible experience opened my eyes to God’s special concern for the poor and the joy of working among people on the margins. In the middle of September, a last-minute opportunity came up for me to join InnerCHANGE for a year-long apprenticeship with them in inner-city Minneapolis. I felt that it would be a great fit for me and a place where I could recieve spiritual formation while actively living the gospel among a people who are in desperate need of good news.
What will I be doing?
In a phrase: house-church planting. I will be working alongside long-time church planters to establish appropriate expressions of the church among the urban Ojibwe Native American community. The Ojibwe make up almost all of the Native population in Phillips neighborhood and have historically had an antagonistic attitude toward Christians (sadly, for good reasons). My primary goal throughout this year is to be a friend and a learner - to learn about Ojibwe culture, spirituality, and to hear their stories. As our stories and lives become intertwined, my hope is that the power and presence of Jesus in my life will be apparent. I hope to find “persons of peace” among them whom God has already been at work in to be open to the gospel. From this group of people, by God’s grace, we hope to start a gathering of believers to bring the kingdom of heaven to fruition.
To become a genuine friend and learner requires that I first become a neighbor, so I intend to rent an apartment in an area of Phillips where I can have day-to-day interactions with the Ojibwe, as well as the numerous Mexican and Somali immigrants in the area. Secondly, I hope to find a part-time job nearby that will give me more chances to connect with people and possibly give me another way to enter the community.
Why are the urban 
poor such a big deal for InnerCHANGE? We don’t have a choice whether or not to love our neighbor; Jesus made that clear. But we do have the choice every day whom to make our neighbor, and there’s the rub. If Jesus had asked the Levite and the Priest who walked by the wounded man on the road to Jericho if they had loved their neighbor, at the end of the day I think they would have said yes. They simply did not see him; or if they did, their daily routes made sure he would not be in neighborly proximity to bother with - the “other side of the road” excuse. That is the point upon which the whole parable turns - the Samaritan made the choice to make his neighbor that person who was in the most need, when that person was actually the farthest in natural proximity from him! This is the choice Jesus commends. As religious people, we can attempt to follow the whole law by loving those in social proximity to us, but that is not enough, - and that is not what Jesus is teaching in the parable. He told it to answer the question “who is my neighbor?” And after telling the parable, he gave another command: “Go and do likewise.” This move to the Phillips Neighborhood with InnerCHANGE is my best attempt at obeying it.
Walk with Me! 
The kindgom of heaven grows by faith, and faith is acted out in prayer. Pray for me at any time, but if you would like to commit to pray regularly for me, I will be posting stories, photos, updates, and prayer requests weekly on my blog (the link is listed on letterhead). This purposeful lifestyle to plant a house church only allows me to work part time, and that cannot cover my living expenses. If you would like to help support my work financially, please visit my personal CRM donor site to support online, or e-mail me and I will post mail you the necessaries. If you would like more information about me, InnerCHANGE, or a free new DVD that highlights InnerCHANGE’s unique life among the poor, please contact me and I’ll get it to you soon.
Peace,
Benjamin
He has shown all you people what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
Posted by Benjamin Washam 12:34 AM
Labels: Minneapolis
Thank you so much for including me in your email. I forwarded it to our Small Group because I was overwhelmed with how awesome your walk in God's service has become.
You are a very amzing man and I will ensure that you remain in my prayers.
May God continue to bless and use you.
Michael Sloon