12November2007
Posted by Patti under: Raising Lazarus; Stories.
We are out of money. We have nothing left to sell. I can’t work. We are trying to move to a less expensive place, and our landlord just threatened to sue us if we broke the lease. My medical bills are finally making it through the system,and after the coverage and deductibles it is still in the thousands. They were showing a video asking for support of a homeless family ministry this morning in church and we joked about asking for contact info.
That’s a prayer request we got yesterday from a youth worker named Brian. Last summer, his kidneys suddenly failed and he found himself in the hospital facing dialysis until his insurance would allow a kidney/pancreatic transplant - next summer. He can’t work, though his wife is a hard-working teacher. They have two great kids. They’d just moved to the city where they live, they were just getting established after a tough transition made on a leap of faith. They’re not just coming up short financially, they’re not even coming close while they wait for applied-for social security and other financial help to come through.
Raising Lazarus isn’t really well-established yet, either. Like Brian, we’re waiting for the wheels of bureaucracy to turn. But Brian’s family can’t wait, and we won’t either. We need to stand together to help them hang on.
We’re asking if you’ll do just that - stand with us in helping Brian’s family keep a roof over their heads until the other help they’ve applied for comes through. This is a part of what we’re here for - to help youth workers, who by no fault of their own, fall through the cracks. The other part is to help raise awareness of the needs of youth workers treated unjustly by the church.
Brian’s family needs help now. You can give securely via PayPal by clicking here.
4June2007
Posted by Patti under: Raising Lazarus.
The fine folks at SYM have posted an article by Adam McLane called ‘Left For Dead by the Church.’ It’s a piece that touches the very heart of why Raising Lazarus is under development - the real damage that happens when church staff are treated, as Adam writes, ‘like the living room couch, a centerpiece one day and left at the curb the next.’
So many of these troubling stories have come to our attention in the short time since we first took steps to create Raising Lazarus earlier this year. Soon, you will be able to read some of them on our stories page. We don’t publish them to condemn the church. We publish them to raise awareness, to let fellow hurting youth workers know they aren’t alone, to bring an end to the circumstances that allow this damage to occur in the first place.
How can you help?
First, share your story from hurt to healing.
Second, pray for and encourage hurting youth workers. We all know someone.
Third, blog about us. Share the word about Adam’s article, about this fledgling effort, and link back to us to build awareness.
Last, like all new ministries, Raising Lazarus needs financial support. Whether you give to Raising Lazarus, or help someone you know get through a transition in some practical way, we urge you to prayerfully consider how you can be involved in making sure none among us is left in need. Click here to give.
Thank you for visiting. Thank you for caring.
19March2007
Posted by Patti under: Raising Lazarus.
Welcome to Raising Lazarus: A Fund for Youth Workers. We are an “under development” charitable organization with a mission to provide practical assistance to Christian youth workers who find themselves in circumstances of hurt and need.
Like Jesus wept over the death of his friend Lazarus, we weep over the pain we see inflicted on our brothers and sisters in ministry. We are motivated to act as Jesus did, as we seek to help restore life and purpose to our wounded co-laborers.
There will be many ways to join in this mission both practically and financially. As we get established as a 501(c)(3) organization, what we need most from you is prayers. Please stand with us in bringing the practical needs of youth workers and of this ministry before the Lord.