September 2006 Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission Newsletter

8/8/2019 September 2006 Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission Newsletter

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new

s

arry Aldrich

ogram Director

avid Williamsarning Center Administrator

oger Klein

tchen Manager

andy Hess

aintenance Supervisor

arry OConnor

reg Mann

cott DuFoureil Givens

ent Supervisors

avid McKnight

n Driver

hane Day

aintenance

resc

ueAnchorage Gospel Rescue Missio

A Ministry of Rescue & Recoverya publication of the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission Anchorage, Alaska

sept

emb

20

0

Please Include The Mission

In Your Holiday Celebration Plans

Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday that I was writing this same messto you, asking you to get ready to help us again for the soon to be here Holiday Preparatiat the Mission.

By the time you receive this newsletter summer will almost be over, vacations long gone

you have kids they will be back in school and you will be settling in for the long cold nig

of winter. But, things begin to pick up and life gets faster as you make plans for the fall

winter seasons.

Things get faster and more hectic here at the Mission too. It is our busiest time of the year.

the weather gets cooler more people come in, that have been camping out, to occupy the b

that we have available. More meals will be served and our clothing room is busy giving

winter clothing for those that have misplaced their winter warm clothing since last year. A

clothing for kids going back to schoolyes we give out many pieces of clothing for th

returning to school especially coats, sweaters and jackets.

In addition to the regular routine of Mission activities, we prepare special Holiday meal

Thanksgiving and Christmas. These meals are open to all and we invite anyone to come

and enjoy a traditional holiday meals with us. However, this takes a lot of extra food, t

and preparation but it is a glorious time! We believe that if you meet the physical need

people first, then it gives you the opportunity to meet spiritual needs. We do this by perso

witnessing and special Chapel services before we serve the meals. Many people have com

know the Lord by the efforts of the Mission staff at this time.

We Need You! I am asking you to consider the Mission in your schedule of holiday activitWe could sure use your help. With so many things going on I am sure there is some way

you can get involved. So make helping out at the Mission this year one of your priorities.

Volunteer Coordinators name and phone number will be listed in the November newslette

call her and set up a time to volunteer.

I am making this early appeal to you so you will make plans to volunteer!

HOLIDAYSAre Almost Here


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www.anchoragerescue.orgWe invite you to visit on the web and we

encourage you to drop us an E-mail with

your comments and suggestions

2

learn

ingcent

erupd

ate

The Learning Centers

Hidden Value

The Learning Center

for the men in our NewLifeprogram is a valuable tool

in more ways than one. The

importance of educations

can only be surpassed by the

importance of Jesus in our lives.

Like watching a person grow

spiritually watching them grow

intellectually is a rewarding

experience. You can see a

change in a mans eyes whenhe begins to realize he has the

mental capacity to understand

difficult concepts and new

ideas. This realization can be

life changing because it opens

a world full of possibilities that

was previously closed.

The Learning Center

also acts as a valuable tool

for the staff at the Anchorage

Gospel Rescue Mission. There

are very few resources available

that measures a mans ability to

move foreword in the face of

adversity. The Learning Center

is one of those tools. A mans true

character is revealed when he is

called upon to explore difficult

subjects especially those where

the practical applications are

obscure. Once this wall of

difficulty has been approached

one of two reactions typically

takes place. The men either

resist or they persever by facing

the problem and struggling

through it.Resistance if futile,

perhaps youve heard this saying

from the popular television

series Star Trek. This especially

holds true for the Mission

Learning Center. To resist is not

an option. Resistance clearly

points to a flaw in a mans

thought pattern. Once this

thinking error has been revealedthe first step in the process is

to point out the behavior to

the individual. If you can get

through to the person the job of

correcting the thinking error is

not that difficult. However, if

the person involved refuses to

recognize problems even exist

the obstacle can be enormous.

I will be so bold as t

theorize this tendency to resi

when faced with difficulty ca

be directly attributed to mo

addiction behaviors. I kno

from personal experienc

whenever I found myself face

with a difficult situation, whe

I had no viable life skills to de

with the problems; I inevitab

turned to drugs and alcohol.

The Learning Cent

helps us identify this charact

flaw. Once pin pointed ever

effort is made to alter th

negative behavior. If the progra

is successful in redirectin

these thinking errors the persois more likely to be successf

in their recovery efforts. It

imperative that a willingness

work through hard situations b

learned because life is hard.

Learning Center Wish List

Software

ComputersGED Textbooks

Computer Textbooks

Compost ion Notebooks

Gift cards to Barnes & Noble or

CompUSA are a great way to donate

textbooks and software.

DavidWi

lliams


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pr

ogra

mupd

ate

Theres a time and a season for

everything. This is not only

true in nature but it also holds

true in our spiritual walk. Im

currently in my fifth year as

a staff member here at the

Anchorage Gospel Rescue

Mission and this truth has

never shown itself so bright.

We go thru cycles where men

enter and leave our program

and Ive noticed each cycle is

its own season. The sense Im

getting from our current group

of men is one of relationship.

There seems to be an earnest

desire to cultivate a deep

personal relationship with

Jesus Christ. What a wonderful

season to be in!

I know from my personal

experience, having come

from a life of drug and alcohol

addiction coupled with the

burden of being raised in a

dysfunctional family, how

difficult it is to achieve this

relationship when you dont

have a clue what one looks

like. I often feel this is the

dilemma the men in our

program are facing.

The concept of a healthy

relationship is a hard one to

grasp if you dont know whatyoure looking for. This is true

for the seen relationships and

especially so for those unseen

relationships established on a

spiritual level with our Lord

and Savior. This is often

where a spiritual mentor steps

in and saves the day.

The need for Mentors is

a constant one. Having

someone in the mens life

willing to spend time and

share their relationship with

Christ is invaluable for those

in theNewLife Recovery

Program. having an example

teaching them how to dealwith the trials and tribulations

that come their way is an

important component lacking

in the lives of these men.

Having someone in their life

that cares enough to let them

know when their thinking gets

off track is important. Having

someone around to encourageand kick things around with is

equally important.

I believe we all need

accountability for we all can

get blinded by the enemy. This

is a golden opportunity for a

man that has been looking for

a way to do work for God

kingdom, but wasnt sure ho

to go about it, to step forwar

and make a difference in

believers life. One of th

most rewarding experience

you can have is to lea

someone into a life changinrelationship with Jesus. Th

involves more than just th

alter call this involves hearin

Gods call and responding t

it.

If you feel like God might b

calling you for this positio

the position of being a spiritumentor, please give me a ca

and I will be glad to go ov

this in more detail with yo

The men in our progra

also need your prayers. It

common knowledge that th

enemy prowls around, like

roaring lion, seeking whom h

may devour. This is especialltrue for those who step up t

the plate and become activ

followers of Jesus Christ.

The effective, fervent praye

of a righteous one avai

much.

James 5:16b (NKJV)

May God bless you richly th

day and in the days to come

If youre interested i

becoming a spiritual mento

contact:

Larry Aldrich at

563-5603

seasons

LarryAldr

ich


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new

life

interv

iews

What circumstance brought you to the Mission?

Substance abuse, deceit, shame, insincerity, wrong decisions, dishonesty, the list goes on and on. After starting o

time and time again after losing everything due to the behaviors just mentioned I needed a change. I was in

NewLife program before but I left before I should have. This was early 2005 I fell flat on my face and bega

drink again. My body rejected the alcohol and I got scared and called the program director at the Anchorage Go

Rescue Mission and told him, Im broken physically but most of all spiritually. He said, come on down. T

second time around I left the world behind to seek and do Gods will. For the first six months of the program I ch

not to venture outside the Mission with the exceptions of church and meeting with my spiritual mentor. Eight an

half months of classes in the program has led me to understand the practicality of every thing Jesus said in the B

What is the most important lesson youve learned while in the NewLiferecovery program?

Applying every lesson from ability to zeal. Learning not to live the opposite of love.

1. Love God with all your heart with all your soul with all your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself.

(Matt 22:37,39)

The lord has kept me in my neglectful walk of many years so the most important lesson learned is the long

suffering of God, and

2. Whoever calls on his name will be saved. (Rom 10:13)3. I have experienced newness, old things are gone! Thank You Jesus! (2 Cor. :17)

What are you long term goals?

Life is a days work, do it well, the act is ours the consequences God. Everyday is a short term goal (from glory to gl

and these days added together show me that God will forgive the most felonious heathens and make him understand

of the lord is the start of wisdom and to shun evil is understanding. (Job 28:28.)Pure religion as accepted by God is to look a

orphans, the forgotten, widows in their distresses and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.(James 1:27)There

my long term goals will be opened to me at the end of the program and it will be as a member of the body of Christ Je

In My


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What circumstance brought you to the Mission?

My life had literally fallen apart at the seems. After a period of drinking ands using drugs I ended up in jail. Upon my release in March

this year I realized the depth of my despair. My children had been taken away, my wife had left, and I had lost my job. Loneliness and sham

left my very existence in a clouded haze of guilt. I didnt know what to do I was alone, scared, and homeless. I realized that I had no one

turn too. No friends or family. Every relationship that I once had was gone. I had burned every bridge I ever crossed. I made a commitme

to myself to stay clean and sober, to do everything I needed to get my family back and to get a job. The harder I tried the more I fail

and the deeper in shame and guilt I felt. I truly believed that had I not reached out to the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission my life wou

have come to an end. April 28th, 2006 I walked through the doors of the Mission. I was tired, lonely, scared, and broken. My pride had be

replaced with humility. For an instant I was allowed to glimpse the grace of Jesus himself because I was not judged but accepted with oparms by the NewLife program here at the Mission.

What is the most important lesson youve learned while in the NewLiferecovery program?

Since walking through the doors of the Mission I have learned so many lessons it is difficult to choose just one. It seems God through t

Holy Spirit reveals something new to me every day. First and foremost the love, grace, and mercy of God through Christ Jesus extend

even me. I have always know that Christ died for the sins of the world, that all who accepted him and believed in him and his resurrecti

would be cleansed from sin and sanctified through his blood, death , and resurrection. That is, everyone but me. I wasnt included in th

deal I wasnt good enough, I wasnt worthy. I couldnt accept the fact his love could reach even me. But today I know that he meant me al

Therefore as I walk this winding road of life filled with hills, valleys and sharp turns I no longer do it alone. God loves me so much he allow

his only son to take me by the hand to lead, guide, and direct me in every step I take.

So today I will just be still and know that he is God. (Psalm 46:10)

What are you long term goals?

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all else shall be given into thee. (Matthew 6:33)

As a result of seeking gods will for my life I truly believed he is calling me into the ministry of rescue. To reach out to those men and wom

that have fell into the depths of despair just as I was. To show them the love, compassion, grace, and mercy God showed me. To live my l

in a way that reflects these things as a mirror to those that are reaching out to God. My goal is to be the father and husband that would

pleasing to God. To find employment and be the provider God would have me be. There are already result to what God is doing in my li

My children will be reunited with me inDecember, my wife in communicating with me once again, and doors are being opened toward

new career. Although I am just a baby in Christ he is doing great things in my life. I am reaching my goals through him today I am no longthe broken, lonely, scared man that walked through the doors of the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission. I am now a man with hope, dream

and goals. Thanks to the love grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.

wn Words!


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Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission P.OB Box 230510 Anchorage, Alaska 99523-0510

Here is my support gift: For Credit Card Donations:

Food and Shelter: $_____Facilities Maintenance: $_____$46.25 For 25 Meals ______$74.00 For 40 Meals ______$132.20 For 72 Meals ______$277.50 For 150 Meals ______

______Other:______ I Will Pray for this Ministry.

I would like to charge my total donation of $__________________

Check One: Visa M/C Am/Ex Discover

Card Number __________________________________________Exp. Date: ______/______ Signature _______________________

Name:________________________________________________Address: ______________________________________________

Please send this coupon with your donations.

All credit card information is kept in strict confidenceMake checks payable to the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission

You will receive a receipt.

7

Living Memorials...touch lives as they honor the memory of

loved ones and friends.

In Memory ofEvelyn T. Michou

by Linda and Will Butler

Judith M. Clingenpeel

In Memory of

Lawrence and Evelyn Michou

by Will and Linda Butler

In Memory ofEloise Olson

by Gale and Erma Doggett

In Memory of

Alvin Syren

by A. O. and Evanne Syren

In Memory of

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Gizzoby Michael and Judith Habla

The Perfect GiftWe live and learn in this old world

And as we older grow.

Still more and more we realize,Its so little that we know.

Theres one thing that we wish we knew,

Its where and when to speak

And how to say the things we feel

To help the poor and weal.

So many times we want to talk,

But dont know what to say,

To give someone the strength he needsTo help him on his way.

If God would grant one perfect gift,

To one so small and weak,

The thing Id ask is just to know

When and where and how to speak.

Laina Owen

Used with permission


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Our Ministry of

is to

the least

the last

the lost

resc

ue

URGENTOur supplies of these

items is constantly in

need of replenishing

Prayer

Paper Towels

45 Gallon Trash Bags

Fresh Meat

Coffee

Bathroom Tissue

Laundry Soap

Disposable ShaversCleaning Supplies

Liquid Dish Detergent

Dinner Napkins

Shampoo

URGENT

Anchorage Gospel

Rescue Mission

Board of Trustees

Mark Soquet, President

Bob Collins, Vice President

(and acting treasure)

Ed Shelton, Secretary

Enoch Adams

Brad Young

Emeritus:

Cliff Hodgins

Rev. Willard leisy

Advisory Board:Paul Kelly

Rev. Don Bettis, Exec. Dir.

Charlotte Bettis, Asst. Dir.

MEMBER

resc

ueAssociation of Gospel Missions

An association of Rescue Ministries

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Non-Profit OU.S. Posta

PAID

Anchorage, Permit # 29

Anchorage

Gospel

MissionA Ministry of

Rescue & Recovery

rescu

e

newsrescu

e

[email protected]

P.O. Box 230510Anchorage, AK99523-0510(907) 563-560

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

STATEMENT OF FAITHThe Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission is a Non-Profit, Non-Denominationorganization. We received NO municipal, state or federal funds. We are not a UniteWay Agency. Your financial support and In-Kind donations makes it possible for us tprovide for the poor, needy and homeless people in our community. Also, your donationallow us to provide a Drug and Alcohol Recovery program. All Donations are fully tadeductible. We will give you a receipt for your donation.

Chapel Services for SeptemberSunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1First

PresbyterianChurch

2CalveryBaptistChurch

3GodsPlace

4Abbot LoopCommunity

Church

5Anchorage

PilgrimNazarene

6Anchorage

GospelSingers

7Reverend

BenSherbahn

8CalvaryChurch

9Wasilla

Assemblyof God

10Gods

Place

11Church

of God ofProphecy

12First

Assembly ofGod

13Change

Point

14Alliance

BibleChurch

15Sherbahn

EvangelisticTeam

16Lighthouse

ChristianFellowship

17GraceVictory

Fellowship

18Reverend

BenSherbahn

19Anchorage

NativeAssembly

20Christian

EvangelicalChurch

21Sherbahn

EvangelisticTeam

22In His Name

SandyMcCollum

23Southside

Churchof God

24New Light

CommunityChurch

25HillsideBaptistChurch

26Attorney

Greg Grebe

27ChapelBy The

Sea

28EvangelicalCovenantChurch

29Reverend

BenSherbahn

30Change

Point

Services are held nightly from 7:30 to 8:30

September 2006 Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission Newsletter

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Transcript of September 2006 Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission Newsletter