The Importance of Play

One day a few weeks ago, the Wheat Ridge office was closed for our annual “staff day,” a day during which we celebrate God’s gift of each other and the team ministry in which we are privileged to participate. This day is always a reminder to me of how fortunate I am to have amazing colleagues to work alongside in pursuit of the mission of Wheat Ridge.

It was also fun this year to invite the staff of Lutheran Church Charities, another Chicago-based organization, to join us for our morning session. LCC is a great servant organization, positioned as a first-responder to natural disasters and other tragedies in the Midwest and, increasingly, around the United States and even beyond.

Our presenter and facilitator for the morning was our very own Mark Schoepp, who serves as Church Relations Representative for Wheat Ridge. Mark is a great teacher and advocate for wellness of body, mind and spirit. He has developed a special interest in the wonders of the human brain and in “brain health.” Every time I hear Mark speak on this topic, I come away amazed and in awe of God’s creative miracle of the human body!

Mark’s specific theme for the morning focused on the importance of play for healthy minds, bodies and spirits. He had us using straws, duct tape, paper cups and a few other items to see who could build the tallest structure using these materials. Unfortunately, our table team lost by a few inches … but it was the sturdiest!

Even more fun and interesting to me was a discussion at our tables about the games we played individually and with others when we were children. I hadn’t thought about “Red Rover” or “Running Bases” for a long time! It was great to reminisce and think of the good times these games provided.

This discussion of brain development and the importance of play have me wondering about a number of things, including:

 Do the electronic games and toys that kids enjoy today add to or take away from the creative discovery processes that are so important for brain development? How can parents make sure that video games don’t totally replace the fun of building forts and houses out of the cardboard container that the refrigerator was delivered in?

 If play is the important “work” that a young child must engage in for reading readiness, how can we help parents resist the temptations of overly academic and test-oriented preschool and kindergarten programs?

 If current research on brain development and physical activity is anywhere near accurate, why do so many education leaders have students sitting at desks for increasingly longer stretches while recess and physical education is eliminated?

 Similarly, if the skills required by leaders are increasing “right brained” skills related to creativity, why is it that art and music programs seem to be the first programs to be eliminated in efforts to balance school budgets?

 In the midst of our business and hard work, how do we as adults not lose site of the gift of play, which is so important for both whole person wellness and for creative problem solving?

If you have thoughts about any of these questions, I’d love to hear from you! In the meantime, be sure to take some time to play!!

New Life

Imagine being a troubled teenager and having one last shot at a high school education. You’ve been removed from several schools because of behavior problems and the fact that these schools couldn’t handle your special learning needs.

This is the dilemma facing students that I met recently during a tour of a new school developed in the heart of the Bronx, New York, by Lutheran Social Services of New York. It’s appropriately named the “New Life School” because it gives kids from grades 5-12 a chance for a fresh start both academically and socially.

Located in the middle of an industrial area, the school’s name reflects the signs of new life that are evident all around, as this famous borough of New York City is in the midst of a significant renaissance. If you haven’t been to this part of New York in recent years, make a point of visiting the next time you are in the city.

The commitment to new life is evident from the time one enters the school building. The entrance area includes a “water wall” with water running two stories down the face of a granite wall. The sitting area in front of this wall is regularly used by counselors and teachers as a place for quiet conversation with students.

Of course, schools are only as effective as their leaders and New Life School has an exceptional leader. Peter Anzalone is a young man who is totally dedicated to making a difference in the life of his students. It’s clear that his vision is not of an “alternative school,” but of a missional environment that helps kids reach their potential. He described how carefully he hires and supervises the teaching staff, knowing that there is no room for faint-hearted, mediocre or solo-artist teachers in this place.

It doesn’t take long to see why. Because of the extreme emotional and behavioral challenges the students at New Life face, the school experience is quite unique. The class sizes are very small and each class has a teacher and a full-time aide. In addition to the classrooms on each floor, there are several “time out” rooms used to temporarily segregate students whose behavior makes it impossible for them to remain in a class. A student is not allowed to leave class alone to use the restroom … he or she must be accompanied by a teacher, aide or administrator.

In spite of the daunting challenges, New Life School has, in a very short amount of time, already seen many hoped-for signs of new life. Peter is very proud that a large and growing number of students have passed the New York Regents exams, an accomplishment virtually unheard of in this type of school.

Reflecting on my visit to this wonderful school, three focus points stand out:

1. The investment by others in these students – New Life School has a contract with the New York City public school system to serve these students. I was told that the school receives about $32,000 per student per year for their twelve month school year. Do the math based on the current enrollment of 168 (they plan to be at their capacity of 240 soon) and the amount is quite impressive. While there is much to criticize these days about our public school system, thank God that the public cares enough about marginal, high-risk students to not easily quit on them. This something to be proud of as citizens.

2. The specific investment by Lutheran Social Services – Two words came immediately to my mind as I was touring the New Life School: cost and risk. It would have been very easy for LSS to take a pass on a venture like this. LSSNY has invested a great deal in the construction of this facility and has taken on significant debt. They are also subsidizing a portion of the operating costs not covered by their contract with the public school system. One significant bad incident with a student or teacher could cause considerable harm to the reputation and financial stability of LSS. Kudos to CEO Ron Drews and his staff and board for their mission vision pursued through the establishment of this unique place of learning.

3. Schools as places of health and healing – Perhaps there was a day when schools had a singular focus on academics. Not today. Today’s schools, whether public, private and/or faith-based, are serving students with myriad needs related to wellness of body, mind and spirit. These needs are vivid among the students at New Life. While teachers and administrators at this school cannot, due to the requirements of its contract with the public school system, share openly in classrooms the healing power of Christ, the leaders of Lutheran Social Services are following God’s call to serve these challenging and challenged students, knowing that God’s spirit is at work in the process as students experience care, build trusting relationships and experience a new outlook on life and learning.

As your Lenten journey of healing and hope continues, please keep New Life School, those who lead it and the students served by it in your prayers.

Pictured above from left to right: Ron Drews – CEO LSSNY, Rick Herman, Ausma Mursch – Good friend of Wheat Ridge Ministries, Peter Anzalone – Principal, New Life School, Jill Schumann – Executive Director, Lutheran Services in America, Marlene Lund – Director, Wheat Ridge Ministries’ Center for Urban Education Ministries, and Christine Connell – Executive Director for Agency Advancement, LSSNY (Photo by Bob Mursch)

The Gospel in Action

One of the joys of traveling on behalf of Wheat Ridge Ministries is participating in worship services in congregations across the country. While every congregation’s culture and worship style is unique, I always feel at home away from home as I join brothers and sisters experiencing the good news of Christ through Word and Sacrament and responding to it with thanks, praise and mutual care.

Occasionally on these visits, Christ’s message of healing and hope shows through in a unique way. Such was the case when I visited Zion Lutheran Church in San Francisco, California, a few months ago.

In the front pew during one of the worship services was a family of six. Mom and Dad sat at either end of the pew as “bookends” for three very tall and athletic teenaged young men and their little sister. During the offering, the tallest of the three stood up and walked back a few rows to where an elderly woman sat alone. The young man very deliberately took a seat next to her. During the communion liturgy, as we were called row by row to come forward, they both stood up. The young man gently held out his arm for the woman, who had difficulty walking, and supported her as she made her way up the stairs to the communion rail. Afterwards, he accompanied her back to her seat and then rejoined his family.

He and his family were already on their way home before I could catch up with them after the service. I found out from others that this was a weekly routine. At some point in the past, this young man recognized the need and was moved to respond with care and compassion. Perhaps he was prodded before he performed this act of kindness for the first time. Or maybe he just recognized the need and responded to it. I don’t know. In any case, it was evident that his service had become part of his worship routine and he carried it out on that day carefully and humbly.

I’m not sure why this incident has stuck with me. I guess it reminds me to be more aware of the countless small acts of kindness that take place every day as people share the love of Christ with others. While I don’t remember the Gospel lesson read that Sunday, I do remember the Gospel lesson that this young man shared through his actions. Thank God for acts of kindness shared and received in Christ’s name. Indeed. In deed!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I’m hoping that sometime soon I’ll stop writing 2010 on my checks since the new year is now several weeks old!

I always enjoy reading, watching and listening to the various highlights of the past year that appear before the calendar year ends. Top news stories, best movies, famous people who have died, most important entertainment stories, most influential people, top athletic accomplishments … the list of lists seems to get longer each year as the media plays to our keen interest in remembering, listing and cataloging people and events.

These end of the year “recaps” cause me to reflect on several questions, including …

How is it possible that another year has passed by so quickly? God keeps the earth rotating at the same rate year after year, but it seems each year passes more quickly than the year before. As a kid, a year seemed like a lifetime. Now a year seems more like a month. It is a blessing to have a very busy and fulfilling schedule that makes hours and days fly by. But, do you ever wish like I do that there were more “slow” days when the clock operates in slow motion and a day takes a long time to pass?

Did all of these things really happen in the past year? Isn’t it amazing how much goes on in the course of a year? I’m always surprised at the number of major events and stories I hear or read about for the first time when they show up on an end-of-year list. I’m similarly surprised by how quickly even major events seem to fade from my memory. How can it be that the gulf oil spill happened just months ago … seems like old news already.

What didn’t make the list? Highlights of important events and activities, whether national or international in scope, recounted in our annual Christmas letters are interesting. But for all of us, the hours in a year are filled mainly with the daily joys, challenges, accomplishments and struggles each of us experience that would never qualify as highlights. John Lennon’s reminder that life is what happens when we’re busy making other plans rings true. How can I take more care to appreciate the “daily bread” God provides each day in the people, places, decisions and circumstances that make life so rich and worth living?

What will the new year bring? Fast on the heals of last year’s highlights come the predictions for the new year. What stories will unfold? What will be the hot new electronic gadgets? How will the economy perform? Not surprisingly, most of those who love to share their predictions don’t seem as anxious at year’s end to talk about how accurate they were. It is part of our human condition, I suppose, to wonder what plans the Lord has for us. Thankfully, we take comfort in the words of Jeremiah 29:11 and the knowledge that God’s plan, however it unfolds, is intended to bring hope and an eternal future!

God willing, through the new health and human care activities seeded by Wheat Ridge Ministries during the year ahead, this message of hope and a future will be carried to thousands of people whose lives will be impacted as they experience wellness of body, mind and spirit. Please keep these people, as well as the inspired leaders of the new ministries that serve them, in your prayers.

Armed with your strong support, encouragement and prayers, I predict that 2011, whether it seems to fly by or not, will be another great year to celebrate God’s grace by planting seeds of health and hope in the name of our healing Christ!

The Fast and Furious

I’m writing this from my hotel room near La Guardia airport in New York City. I always feel an extra jolt of energy when I’m in the Big Apple. The combination of densely populated neighborhoods, traffic, incredible ethnic diversity, and interesting sites set in the midst of beautiful rivers and harbors make it unlike any other city in the United States, maybe the world. If you’ve been here, you know what I mean.

Out of this energetic city sprouts some really innovative ministries as the church shares health and hope with others in Christ’s name. I am glad for the opportunities Wheat Ridge has to help seed new ministries here. This week I visited congregations who are currently receiving our help developing programs ranging from health care for the uninsured to ESL classes for recent immigrants to providing quality Christian education and social services through urban Lutheran schools.

I’m in New York just before Thanksgiving. It’s been a fast and furious few weeks for all of us on the Wheat Ridge staff and the upcoming break over the Thanksgiving weekend is certainly welcome. I know our staff would agree, however, that the events we’ve hosted and the projects with which we’ve been involved since mid-October reflect the dynamic and exciting opportunities that are always before us as we pursue our seeding mission. These have included:

 Hosting a reception in San Francisco at the home of one of our board members (Thanks, Lois!) featuring the presentation of our “Seeds of Hope” Award to Dr. Mary Gundelach, a great friend, encourager, teacher, and philanthropist who continues to share the love of Christ with so many individuals and organizations.

 Hosting “Living Well Days for Professional Church Workers” for over 200 pastors and other church workers in Minneapolis and Chicago. These events are designed to help these servant leaders refresh and renew as they consider God’s great gift of health and wellness.

 Visiting organizations and projects seeded by Wheat Ridge in Pennsylvania, California, New York, Kansas, Michigan and Florida to encourage them, to help them assess their efforts and capture what they are learning so we can share their experiences with others.

 Sponsoring a lecture and panel discussion featuring Dr. Robert Putnam, author of the best selling book Bowling Alone, and the newly released American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us. Attended by over 200 people in downtown Chicago, this lecture and discussion provided new insights regarding the critically important role of the faith community in civic life.

 Facilitating the most recent meeting of our Wheat Ridge board of directors. Our board of 18 talented and wise leaders from around the United States is passionate about the seeding of new ministries of health and hope. They work hard to govern our organization effectively and efficiently and always seem to have fun together in the process!

 Convening a military ministry stakeholder meeting of 15 leaders who have been active in promoting awareness around the needs of service members and their families before, during and after deployment and encouraging congregations to be centers of healing for them.

Praise and thanks to God who inspires leaders to impact the lives of people in new and creative ways. And thanks to God for the entire Wheat Ridge family of friends, donors, volunteers and staff who make it possible for us to serve these leaders through our seeding mission.

I hope you had a wonderful time gathering with family and friends for the Thanksgiving holiday last week and may you be touched by God’s presence on your journey to the manger as the Advent season begins!

Congregations and Community

Recent Wheat Ridge travels allowed me to join congregations in California and in northern Wisconsin on consecutive Sundays for worship and Bible study. As always, it was great to talk with people in these congregations about the seeding of new ministries of health and hope and to share examples of the creative and exciting initiatives that we are privileged to assist.

Visiting congregations is always so interesting. Every church is very unique, yet has so much in common with others. This was clearly evident as I visited Zion Lutheran Church in San Francisco, California, and Bay View Lutheran Church in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. One is located in a highly urban area, a neighborhood of interconnected homes in the center of densely populated San Francisco. The other is located in Door County, Wisconsin, a tourist mecca surrounded by the waters of Lake Michigan. Those who gather for worship at Zion are very diverse in age and ethnicity, with a strong representation of Asian Americans. The worship community at Bay View includes many retirees who, at some point in their life, discovered this beautiful part of God’s creation and are enjoying life there.

While the setting and the demographics are quite different, they are united in their practice of gathering to praise and worship God, confessing their sins and receiving forgiveness, and experiencing God’s grace through Word and sacrament. Young pastors who are excited about ministry and who are loved by those they serve lead both of these congregations. In both churches, a great sense of community exists. And in both I was grateful to be warmly welcomed as a guest.

These congregations share in common a high level of commitment to serving people in need, both within the congregation and in their neighborhood and community. When this is the case, I’m never surprised to learn that an active health ministry, led by a parish nurse, is an important part of the congregation’s leadership team. Indeed, this is the case at both Zion and Bay View. While neither congregation would be considered a large church, both provide volunteers and financial support for a wide variety of outreach activities, including Crop Walks, health fairs, Habitat for Humanity projects, food pantries, “meals on wheels,” and many others. When I asked people in these congregations to name all of their areas of service involvement and impact in which the congregation is engaged, even they were surprised at the length of the list!

It is always exciting to visit congregations that, like Zion and Bay View, clearly envision themselves as centers of health and healing in their community. God’s spirit is undoubtedly at work in these places, moving people to respond to His grace by serving others. I am thankful whenever Wheat Ridge Ministries has the opportunity to encourage and assist congregation leaders whose response to the Gospel leads them to develop impactful new health and human care initiatives offered in the name of our healing Christ!!

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Perhaps you remember this Bobby McFerrin song that was a big hit in the late 1980s. If you do, you’re probably already tapping your toes and swaying to the music in your head! Click here for a link to the song in case you don’t remember it!

I almost always have a tune or two playing in my head, often triggered by a conversation or something I’m reading. “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” has been on my mind’s play list a couple of times recently. One of these occasions was a discussion at our Wheat Ridge staff retreat. We were talking about Jesus’ encouragement in Matthew 25 to “not worry about your life.” As always, our Lord was expressing concern for the wellness of our bodies, minds and spirits … our whole being. Worry is a spiritual issue, to be sure, a sign of our reluctance to trust God. Worry also impacts us physically and emotionally. It produces unhealthy stress that, if not managed, negatively impacts our minds and bodies. The stress that worries produce can detract from the quality of our life and even shorten our life.

I confess that I’m much better at considering the problems that worry causes than I am about not worrying. In fact, without trying too hard, I can find myself worrying about the problems I cause when I worry! So, I’m grateful for Jesus’ reminder not to worry and to be happy because God loves and provides for me.

“Don’t Worry, Be Happy” came to mind again this week when Holly Fiala, our Vice President of Advancement, forwarded an article highlighting The World Giving Index. This index is a tool resulting from new research by the Charities Aid Foundation in Britain. It’s based on a Gallup Survey which examined the charitable behavior of people in 153 countries representing 95 percent of the world's population. The foundation claims the survey is the largest ever to examine charitable behavior worldwide.

The headline of the brief article in the Philanthropy Journal describes one of the key findings in the research: “Giving Tied More to Happiness than Wealth.” The researchers compared responses from people worldwide to two questions: have you given money to a charity in the last month? And, how happy are you with life? They found that happier people tend to give more than unhappy people. They also found that happiness is a better predictor of generosity than personal wealth.

I’m sure this research will cause fundraisers around the world to search for ways to keep their donors happy, happy, happy! Fortunately, we don’t face this challenge at Wheat Ridge. Our supporters are already happy people (or as my good friend Rich Bimler, past president of Wheat Ridge, would say “Easter people”) who experience joy each day in the knowledge of God’s love made possible in Christ. Their happiness is evident in their generous support for the seeding of new ministries of health and hope through Wheat Ridge, and in their generosity to many other causes.

Long before Gallup polls came along, the apostle Paul understood the connection between happiness and generosity when he wrote that “each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7) We know that God’s love is what makes us cheerful givers!

I don’t know whether Bobby McFerrin wrote his signature song as an expression of his Christian faith. Regardless, I’m grateful that God’s Spirit finds many ways, including Bobby’s delightful and fun song, to remind us of two of God’s great gifts – freedom from worry and the ability to be truly happy…

Here’s a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry, be happy
In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy...