New Chapter

Life seems to be a story about changes. We must leave one chapter behind to move on to the next.

I have transitioned out of the Union Rescue Mission this past week. My final responsibility was to be the Keynote Speaker at Graduation. It was a beautiful day full of great memories of a wonderful chapter in our lives.

I moved into skid row at the Union Rescue Mission to do incarnational ministry over seven years ago. It was a wild transition into the unfamiliar after having served at Pacific Coast Church in San Clemente for twenty years. Betty and I spent six years actually living in the mission on skid row and Hope Gardens to gain knowledge and trust.

Both Betty and I are now working together for Deed and Truth. God has really had his hand on Deed and Truth and it has thrived under Betty’s leadership. I will now be coming on to share the workload as we continue to serve the Lord by serving the poor and the marginalized.  

We will still be volunteering at the mission in skid row and at Hope Gardens as part of the Deed and Truth ministry but our days on staff have come to an end. We both agree that it was some of the most difficult, yet rewarding ministry we have ever encountered. We are so glad God gave us this remarkable opportunity.

We loved every minute at the mission but now it’s time to turn the page and start a new chapter in life. Thanks to Rev. Andy Bales and the URM staff for 7+ years of partnership in the gospel. It just shows what God can do, making some of the most beautiful stories right in the middle of one of the most devastated neighborhoods in America. 

Betty and I thank all of you for your consistent and enduring support of our ministry. We are very excited about this next chapter of ministry. We are putting the ink to the paper and starting to write with renewed enthusiasm.