staCeY. iN. miNneAPoLis.

SUMMER 2011 & 2 YEARS @ SOURCE!

2011-09-11T16:41:00.000-07:00

2 YEARS AND THEN SOME :)

As I'mwriting this letter, I've been thinking about the first day that Icame to Source 3 years ago for my internship and seeing how much Godhas grown & changed me since then. From there I made my 2-yearcommitment to work with Source and this past August marks a littleover 2 ½ years of serving with them full-time. My experience hasbeen one of learning and growing into more of who God has made me anddiscovering more of the heart that I have for serving, hospitality,the arts and sharing the love of Jesus with others....(and alsolearning to take on more of a leadership role and growing more out ofmy “shell” of timidness through all of my experiences.) I havebeen working with many different types of people, from the travelinghomeless to many of my Somali & Hispanic neighbors to highlyeclectic artists---all living within blocks of my Minneapolis home. I have poured out my heart to many and have made many feel welcomewho don't know Jesus. I've been so grateful to be part of a ministrythat values providing a place for those who are searching to know Godand I definitely feel blessed to work alongside so many people whohave a heart to serve and follow God with their lives. Alas, whatyou may have guessed by this point, I am approaching some upcomingchanges...I have been praying & thinking about this for a littlewhile (and some of you have been praying, too) and I have decided tofinish my full-time position with Source as this summer has come to aclose. As I have been talking with my director and his wife, I havebeen wrapping things up on my end. As the flow of the summernaturally has a break at the end of the summer, the timing offinishing up my time with Source made sense to conclude at the end ofAugust. As I was approaching the end of my time serving alongsideSource, the end of summer was busy yet still a very exciting time:

I LEAD A CREATIVE WORKSHOP THIS SUMMER

Thispast summer involved many aspects of continuing relationships withmany in the neighborhood who do not know God and continuing to have aChrist-like presence within the artist community of SouthMinneapolis. We also continued to pour into the initiative of thebuilding the “Annex” & “Take a Number”: Traveling ArtExhibit (raising awareness through creative efforts and providinghousing needs for women transitioning out of sex-trafficking). Aspart of this initiative, I lead a Women's Creative Workshop(survivors from sex-trafficking). As part of the evenings, we had agroup of 20 women (volunteers & participants) take part in a mealthat we provided, getting to know one another, a creative project andhad a time to share and pray with each other at the end of the night. It was such a great experience and it was great to see so many womenopen to sharing and processing through some things while recognizingGod in the midst of their terrible circumstances. I had such a greattime getting to know some of the women and providing a welcoming &safe place for them to recognize God working in their lives!

ART FEST, KIDS CLUB & COMMUNITY GARDEN!

We alsohad a wonderful annual Art Festival this past July (you can seepictures on my facebook page here)! We had some summer staff come in to help out with our summer kids' club and I loved continuing to get know people in the community garden next door... I was also involved with theplanning of an art intensive (gathering of Christian artists tocreate together, pray together, and process creativelytogether!)...very busy, but I loved it:)

AND NOW...

As fornow, I am taking some time to spend with my family after an intense 2years of ministry and seeking God's direction for what is next (andapplying for jobs!). In case you are wondering and/or you have beenfinancially supporting me...(and you're of course welcome to ask memore questions @ staciphilgreen@yahoo.com)...Iam able to receive support through November 30, 2011 as Back Pay. Your payments (whether you mail in checks or you are enrolled in theautomatic withdrawal program) can/will continue to go through Sourcethrough this date unless you would like to request to be taken off asa regular supporter before November 30^th. If you choose to continue to send in your support, this will helptremendously as I transition from full-time ministry to finding afull-time job. This has been an incredible journey and I appreciateall of the prayers & financial support & encouraging wordsthat so many of you have given in the last few years! Pleasecontinue to keep me in your prayers as I walk through this transitionperiod and taking the next step of trusting and following God forwhat is next :)

Thankyou! Thank you! Thank you!

-stacey

See New Summerphotos on my facebook group page: Stacey in Minneapolis!

SourceAnnex updates: sourceannex.org

Source/FalloutArts Initiative (I helped put together the website :):falloutartsinitiative.com

apRiL-MaY 2011 UpDate*

2011-06-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

Summer has arrived and I have never been so excited to have warmer weather...winter lasted way too long...we had snow flurries on May 1:/ I was counting down the days for the snow banks to melt away, too. But alas, summer is here again and there is nothing like a summer in Minneapolis...the 70's are finally here!!!
(Source Golf Tournament...Mandy is working with us at Source this summer)

Okay, enough about the weather, here are some updates on what has been happening!

Disgrace: Good Friday Art Exhibit

We had our annual Disgrace: Good Friday art exhibit/interactive service April 22...We had over 100 people show up to view individuals' artistic representations of the stations of the cross before Jesus' death. People scattered the building throughout the night to watch, listen, and participate in visual art, spoken word, poetry, and music centered on the stations of the cross leading up to Jesus' death and resurrection. You can see more pictures on facebook!

Traveling Art Exhibit: Human Trafficking Awareness

MayDay & Demand Change

May Day was a great success this year! Check out our facebook pictures from the event...We recruited/created art to be part of a traveling art exhibit to raise awareness and benefit sex-trafficking victims in the midwest. We had several pieces created based around the fact that these women have to “take a number” to wait in line to get help to transition out of abusive situations. The focus is to spotlight statistics based on the domestic issue of sex trafficking, prostitution, and the lack of opportunities for these women to get out. This show made its initial appearances at the Minneapolis May Day festival and the Demand Change events in May 2011. (View the event that we joined as a creative awareness project from the awareness art pieces from Breaking Free's Demand Change awareness weekend!-Raising awareness of the many victims in the midwest of commercial sexual exploitation).

Annex Construction & Women's Creativity Night

We've had lots of volunteer groups coming through and helping out with the renovation of the annex, the home we are preparing for women transitioning out of sex trafficking. While we are providing more housing as well as Christian community to surround these women, we are still partnering with Breaking Free, an organization providing education and services to women who have been victims of commercial sexual exploitation (prostitution/sex-trafficking) and need assistance escaping the violence in their lives. We will be opening up the home in the fall! I'm also excited to say that I will be leading a creativity night with some of the women that will be moving into our transitional housing through this project. The evenings will consist of a meal, creativity, and prayer time for one another. We had our first gathering, getting to know one another, creating self-portrait collages, and sharing them with one another at the end of the night...I will share more in my next blog!

Community Garden

So the house that I'm living in has been located next to an ugly, empty lot that mostly just collected trash from passers-by, but this summer it has been transformed into a community garden! We're really excited about it because it's going to be another great way for us to be involved in the neighborhood...the Fallout has a garden plot that we are going to keep up and involve our kids club with as well.

*Please continue to pray for me as I prepare for the summer and as I continue to build relationships within the community, from the people in my church, the homeless in my neighborhood, the artists that we host, the Somali/hispanic families that I see everyday, and the gardeners that I meet next door...and the Women's Creativity Night :)

February-March 2011

2011-03-21T22:21:00.000-07:00

It has been a tough season readjusting to the winter weather of Minnesota after spending Christmas in the southernmost part of the U.S...But the last couple of months at Source we have been hosting our annual spring break groups to immerse college students in the realities of urban outreach (what it looks like to serve in the homeless/artist community of the diverse neighborhood of South Minneapolis). This is one of the times each year that we focus on training other individuals for serving in the city. As part of the urban immersion, we also held an awareness seminar on homeless youth and sex-trafficking in the city of Minneapolis, as we have been renovating our Source Annex building (building that will be set up for women getting out of sex-trafficking-we will be working together with Breaking Free, an organization dedicated to educating and providing services to women and girls who have been victims of commercial sexual exploitation (prostitution/sex-trafficking) and need assistance escaping the violence in their lives). The students expressed how the spring break trip altered the way they viewed reaching out to the homeless and marginalized and how they want to continue to share the love of Jesus with the marginalized in their city.
I am also helping organize a traveling art installation that will raise awareness and benefit Sex Trafficking Victims in the Midwest. We hope to have a variety of visual and multimedia art work. The focus is to spotlight the domestic issue of Sex Trafficking, domestic Prostitution, and lack of opportunities for women to get out of this cycle of violence. This show will have initial appearances at the Minneapolis Mayday festival and the Demand Change Events in May 2011. The hope is that it will also travel to galleries, community centers, colleges, & churches over the next year and will accompany awareness presentations and prayer vigils.
Thank you for all of you who have been praying for us. God is continuing to bring those that are searching for you...we visited a shelter again last night where we were able to invite several to come to our church on Saturday night...They were so excited after coming, expressing that they could really sense the Holy Spirit within our church and how they were so encouraged by that!
Please continue to pray for me as I work with artists that are hanging shows in our Fallout Urban Art Center art gallery. Many of them are art students from the Minneapolis College of Art & Design across the street. Another staff and I have also begun a women's small group on the MCAD campus for a few believers that live on the art campus...we're excited to see God encourage these women as they are wanting to pursue God more:)

2011-03-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

Minneapolis Winter Fun (I tried ice-fishing and cross country skiing for the first time)

JanuarY 2011 UpDate: Ocala, FL Outreach

2011-01-31T18:39:00.000-08:00

There is a completely different world out in the woods that most people don’t realize. They call them Rainbow Gatherings. Many young adults travel down south from up north during the winter months because temperatures are much more tolerable there. They flock together because they want to find family amongst each other. It’s a mixture of young, homeless traveler and present-day hippies. Some of them live from “gathering” to gathering. Others have a home that they sometimes go back to. They even have their own rules set up while in the woods. Everyone must provide their own “bliss-ware”, otherwise known as you must provide your own eating utensils….keep them on you at all times because you never know where you might be getting your food for that day…maybe at one of the kitchens, maybe at someone else’s campsite that brought food in. They also don’t know when they’ll be able to wash their clothes next, but they also don’t have many clothes because they must travel lightly. Wearing the same thing over and over again is the norm. Looking dirty is expected. No showers available…not much of anything. The hottest commodity is having clean socks---clean socks are always wanted…and dental floss…it seems that dental floss is the product of choice to sew up holes and tears in clothing. Some had tents, some just slept out in the open, some had tarps. They all kind of look out for each other, trading items, giving things away, helping set up camps. They treat each other like family—most of the time. They also have different “camps”. We were known as JESUS CAMP. Despite the name, we were really looked up to and respected. So many said they felt a peace around our campfire that they didn’t feel anywhere else. There was also a camp called Front Gate…they acted as the protectors, checking who came in and keeping out people they don’t want there. But, they also are the camp with the alcohol. It’s funny because most people there didn’t want alcohol near their camp….you could go to certain spots if you wanted it, but it was an unspoken rule that alcohol was not wanted around just any camp…they had seen too many fights and disruption---they really did talk like hippies…wanting peace, love, and everyone to get along.

There were a lot of kids who had a church/Biblical background and knew scripture really well—several of them were even pastor’s kids…so many of them had been hurt by the church or by “religion” in some way and were very skeptical of being of followers of Jesus. Some of them agreed with Jesus but couldn’t get past some of the other things in the Bible---some just had bad experiences in the church. We came into the woods to show Jesus’ love. Not just love for love’s sake, but to love as Jesus loved. We set up a KITCHEN where we could serve meals to large groups of people…the JESUS KITCHEn that we went in with has been doing this for many years. It’s a great way to connect with people—and we were highly respected as well. We also set up a PRAYER TENT—equipped with Bibles, hanging candles in the trees, papers to write prayers on and clip in the trees, sheets, to create a little privacy, and prayer times with others and for others. As we stayed in the woods we prayed together as a group 3 times daily, morning, midday, and evening. It was a chance for our group to pray together, but also to invite others in to pray with us, and also to pray for others that wanted prayer. We also read scripture aloud together. It also brought up opportunities to share more about Jesus with others as well as creating a safe place for others to ask questions about Jesus and what we believe. We also made a large puzzle mural-a community mural that everyone could contribute to. We also brought extra socks, toiletries, hats, gloves, scarves, and Bibles to give away. People kept showing up and we had lots of conversations about Jesus through the week, prayed for so many as well as having a BAPTISM at the end of the week! We ran into a girl that we had prayed for 2 years ago in the woods—no one had seen her since then, but it just so happened that our campsite was set up right next to hers! After she had received prayer last year, she explained that she kept running into other “Jesus People” and accepted Christ into her life a few months after that….she had still been living the same lifestyle, but kept coming around to help out around our campsite. We were able to pray with her some more throughout the week and asked if she would like to be baptized now that she had a new life in Christ!...She said yes, so we dug a hole in the ground, placed a tarp in it, filled it with water, and !voila! we had a baptismal! It was one of the most beautiful nights I had ever been part of. She was sharing her testimony around an orange-glowing campfire as many sets eyes and ears were intently listening to her story. It was so incredible because she had such an amazing story to tell and there were so many there listening that either didn’t know God or were at least trying to run away from God in the middle of the woods…but God found them in the woods—so many of them needed to hear her story-so many needed to hear that God is real and that He longs for a personal relationship with them. It was also the most celebrated baptism I’ve been to—there were so many people there—some watching from afar, others gathered as close as they could to the baptismal pit. There were probably around 100 people there that night. She was then able to return home with a group to be part of discipleship training in Chicago.

God also taught me through some of the people in the woods—through the many conversations and just watching some of the lifestyles of the people out there, I realized how important it is that I share with people the love of Jesus. It is not enough to just do good and nice things for people…If it were so, there would be no difference between followers of Christ and people like we met in the woods, people just wanting to form a peaceful environment, but lacking reason for doing what they do. I am learning that I can’t hold back the reason why I like to serve people—I need to speak up more and not be afraid to say why I do what I do. I was also very humbled because some of the people we met had nothing and yet they were so willing to give away what little they had. It challenged me so much because so many of them didn’t even know God…

See more PICTURES on my facebook: Click Link at TOp of this Page

See how much more should I be willing to serve others in the name of Christ?

OutReach Trip: Ocala, FL

2011-01-12T21:02:00.000-08:00

For those of you who would like to know what to pray for...We are leaving to go on an outreach trip to Ocala, FL tomorrow.

HOMELESS YOUTH: Outreach Trip to OCala, FL

To live with, serve, and love on Homeless Youth, Travelers & the Marginalized

We will camp in the woods for a week, host a prayer tent, kitchen (make 100's of meals), Interactive Art, Daily Prayer, & Worship Times.

Every year during the winter, thousands of homeless youth, travelers and marginalized migrate south and gather in the Ocala National Forest in Florida.

Our team will be entering into a sub-culture that is extremely skeptical of the Christian faith and anything that looks mainstream or religious. When you spend a week living with people in the woods offering friendship, food & prayer you are able to see incredible obstacles overcome. We are able to make contact and gain trust in a short amount of time.

Sept-DeCemBer 2010

2010-12-28T19:45:00.000-08:00

Stacey’s adventures *in* Minnesota…

Hello Everyone!

AWARENESS OUTREACH: 48 DAYS of Awareness…

It’s about time that I catch up and let you know w hat has been happening up here…We have been keeping busy here sponsoring a 48 Days of Awareness Campaign to benefit a new transitional home for women wanting to change their lives around out of the sex-trafficking/prostitution industry. We have been connecting with several organizations to be able partner together to provide housing/programs for women wanting to make a break from the past. We have been having awareness outreaches locally around the city of Minneapolis at the local colleges, Vikings football games. Many are unaware of what is happening locally involving homeless youth, teen prostitution, and sex-trafficking(especially in the city of Minneapolis). During the campaign we set up a website: www.sourceannex.org posting various live interviews with survivors, outreach workers, church leaders…hearing stories of lives being changed, etc….and there is exciting news—We have successfully raised the $42,000 goal that we have been praying for/working towards to be able to partner in starting a women’s transitional home!!!

Art Auctions/Creative Fundraising Benefits…

I have been excited to be part of this adventure and walking alongside Him as he has called us….and He has provided in so many ways. My role has been helping with coordinating creative music/art Benefits to raise money for this campaign, joining in creative outreach/awareness opportunities around the city of Minneapolis as we have been working with various college ministry groups/volunteer groups in raising awareness/answering God’s call to being a friend and a voice to the marginalized.

Some Facts…

*Minnesota is #1 per capita of homeless youth in the USA

*10% of teens arrested for prostitution in Las Vegas are from Minnesota

* Approximately 30,000 USA children involved in prostitution

*Average age of entry into prostitution: 13

*Currently 83 victims of sex-trafficking on a local waiting list

for a recovery program that have no place

Prayer Requests…

*Safety in Travel as I am visiting South Carolina & Florida in December/Early January

*Ocala, Florida Outreach trip in January-We set up a prayer tent/feed the homeless (Travelers and Homeless gather in Florida to escape the Northern, Cold winter months.) God will prepare my heart and the hearts of those that we will be meeting…

*Rest & Rejuvenation during the Holidays…

*I have now been working with Source for 1 ½ years! Continued encouragement/financial support as I continue working here

**My ministry with Source is funded entirely with gifts from supporters like you!

Will you consider financially partnering with me by making a tax-deductible, year-end gift? Or by joining my monthly support team? I still need to raise about $250 a month.

<<<<<<<<<(Scroll up and to the left for mailing address/e-mail address info. for mailing sending support)

Thank you so much for your continued Prayers & Support!

staciphilgreen@yahoo.com* www.sourcemn.org -Stacey.

Overwhelmed by God...

2010-10-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I ran into "Sarah" on my walk over to my house from work (which is about 1 block away from where I live)...Sarah is a friend of mine that I've probably known for about 1 1/2 years...I see her every once in awhile and she doesn't come around often, but I will see her around the Minneapolis area and she will show up every once in awhile to one of our "Open Hour Food shelf" days...Sarah has been living on the streets of Minneapolis since about her teens, surviving the cold winters, staking out her spots to sleep at night, and offering to clean certain places that she knows will give her $10 for her work...she says its so great because it gives her enough to get by, and purchase some food...and the occasional nail polish :) Sarah professes to loving God, but can't seem to accept the fact that she doesn't have to work and "do good" to keep her salvation...she recognizes the evil around her and she won't "mess with any of the alcohol, drugs, and other stuff that some of the mean men on the street are sucked into ..." She lives in constant fear of being tricked, used, being taken advantage of or having her sleeping/working space found out by others (homeless/non-homeless alike) in fear that she might lose the few things that she has, including a "safe" place to sleep at night. I have prayed with Sarah several times poking and prodding to see where her faith lies, and assuring her that if she has a personal relationship with God, that she doesn't have to fear that God is going to leave her. It is a done deal. The terrible part is eventually having to walk away, knowing that Sarah is going to be sleeping outside tonight, once again, and being left with myself and God, wrestling with the fact that Sarah is in this terrible cycle of the life of a vagabond, constantly living in fear of the "evil people around her"...the hard thing is that she doesn't want to ask for help and she keeps viewing herself as not deserving more than what she already has. She even quotes scripture to me, leaving me more encouraged/challenging me in my relationship with God. I don't know whether to be encouraged/discouraged when I walk away.. This is a good/difficult thing for me to wrestle this out with God, and still I am left with so many questions...God has placed me here, right now, to love these people and also to learn to receive love from Him myself. Please pray for Sarah. Please pray for me as I meet people just like Sarah.

June-AuGust (Summer Stories)

2010-09-06T21:52:00.000-07:00

This summer we had a weekly Kid's Club where we provided creative activities, snacks, and outdoor activities----we were able to get to know a lot of our Somali and Hispanic families that live in our immediate neighborhood and to establish closer relationships with them. One particular family now continuously invites us into their home to join them for tea and authentically cooked Somalian meals. We have also been able to connect more with their niece (in her mid-twenties), seeing that she may be more open to having a relationship with God because she is less committed to some of the Muslim practices.

We also we were able to get to know some of the residents at our local Ebenezer Center for the Elderly. We made creative art projects with the residents weekly. Some of the residents don't have any family and they looked forward to us taking them out to the garden to create! For many of them, we were the only visitors that they received--It was so fun to be welcomed with so many smiles :)

This summer we established closer relationships in the immediate neighborhood and got to know entire families through getting to know the kids first (through our kid's club). Many of the kids brought their families back to our Art Fest and we have been praying for these Muslim families to come to know God as their personal Savior.

We had a wonderful group of interns for the summer, and we were sad to see them leave after the Summer that flew by so fast. I was able to get to know these girls and to co-lead a Bible study with them throughout the summer.

The Art Fest was another success this year! We tried out a few new things this year, giving away a semi-truck full of groceries throughout the afternoon as well as setting up a prayer garden with trees, rocks, and hanging prayer flags over the entire thing. Everyone, from kids to adults were invited to paint and write prayer flags to add to the prayer teepee and garden throughout the day.

Earlier this summer was probably my favorite event, hosting an art show with our gallery full of painted/fabric wallhangings by a local artist in town who is working on her Masters in Fine Arts. On the same night, we hosted an open mic and free meal that was open to the neighborhood and some of the friends that we met at St. Stephen's shelter and our local neighbors. It was a full house and one of the most eclectic groups of people in one space that I've ever seen. And when someone came to the door, asking if he could still come in because he didn't think he would be welcome that night because of his poor dress and that he understood if we didn't want him to come in (He'd never been to an art show before) , but then being able to say, “yes, you are welcome here, even tonight.” This is what I love so much, sharing God's love for people in practical ways of hospitality. I love it.

God's LoVE.

2010-07-09T00:06:00.000-07:00

So as a group, some people from our church and our interns took a short retreat up to Wisconsin for some team-building time...It ended up being a time of rejuvenation and encouragement to me...so I wanted to share--Here's a note from my JouRnaL:

"I've experienced God this week in a way that I haven't ever before. I've experienced a renewed freedom and joy in Christ in my worship and in my rest. Lying in the field of flowers I am content. No direct revelation from God, no divine messages of direction--just plain reveling in God's love."

maY-jUNe 2010

2010-06-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

Stacey’s * Still in* Minneapolis… May 2010
So it’s the beginning of the summer, which is an important month for me—I’ve been living in Minneapolis for a Year! It’s kind of a strange feeling that it’s already been that long. I feel like so much has happened and I’ve grown and learned so much. I am getting ready to embark on my 2nd year with Source! I have been learning & working more with coordinating artists in our gallery and hosting art openings. We recently held a show based on Archiving with students from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. It was such a great connection to make with creative emerging artists and for them to witness part of our Christian community. The week the artists were installing the show we were also hosting our week of prayer where we corporately gathered for morning, midday, and evening prayer. I was able to get to know one of the girls a little more than the others, and she even decided to show up for one of our community meals! I am praying that we’ll be able to keep in touch and that her heart will be softened more towards God. I realized during this week one of the reasons why I love working with Source is that we provide a place where different worlds can collide (in a good way when in most situations they would probably be worlds apart , i.e.-Christian and non-Christian artists working together to put together a gallery opening). I’ve also had an awesome opportunity while I’ve been here to grow in my confidence of leading and honing in on basic skills of working in large group settings. This is something that I had always shied away from in the past but I believe God has wanted to stretch me in this area. Now I can continue to use these skills while I’m here and I’ll also be able to use them wherever I go in the future. With the summer approaching, I have been interviewing some of the girls that will be coming to live with us during their summer internships! This means that I’ll be getting 4 new roommates for the summer. We will also be working together organizing our annual Art Fest in the neighborhood and creatively participating in different artistic city-wide festivals where we will be coming into contact with lots of different kinds of people. Please pray for the preparation of the summer and everything that comes with the busier summer months. We probably will also be coming into contact with more homeless because more homeless travel through the cities here in the warmer months. I am also writing this letter to ask for continued prayer and financial support throughout the next year. When I arrived in Minnesota I made a 2-year commitment with Source and I am now beginning my 2nd year. I will prayerfully evaluate what will happen after that 2 year mark, but for now I know that God has me here with Source! Also, with the amount of time that has passed, some of the giving that I have received in the past has now grown less. I am looking for a few new financial supporters to join the continued support that I already receive. I thank God for all of you who have been faithfully and consistently supporting me since I’ve been here—you have contributed so much in allowing me to be able to continue doing ministry Minneapolis for this past year—Thank you, thank you so much! stacey. staciphilgreen@yahoo.com* www.falloutminneapolis.com* www.sourcemn.org* www.staciphilgreen.blogspot.com

DiSgrAcE. GooD fRiDaY sERviCe.

2010-04-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

Source has hosted a unique Good Friday service since 2003. Unique, creative, experimental collaboration are all words that is has lived up to. We have had 20-30 artists and performers involved each year that have assisted the goal of presenting to the observer and audience a glimpse of Christ and his embracing the cross a different look than they have experienced before whether someone was raised in the church or have little connection.

General Format: is having a visual (which are displayed in our gallery) and a performance vignette connected with our Stations of the cross (we have modified them inspired by the traditional stations of the cross).

StrIppEd & moCKed w/a CrOwn of THoRNs.

2010-04-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

I created a cloth-like mobile representing Christ accepting the Cross (one of the stations of the Cross of Good Friday) , when HE was stripped of his clothing and mocked with robe of scarlet by the Roman soldiers. Matthew 27:27-31

StriPpEd & mOcked with a CrowN of THOrns.

2010-04-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

MatthEw 27:27-31

stRippEd & MoCked wiTh a CroWn of ThoRns.

2010-04-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

Lord, you were STRIPPED of the robes you wore. No robe was left now upon your shoulders, just a crown of MOCKERY on your head. You were still a KING. You loved and won REJECTION and pain, but still you LOVED. Matthew 27:27-31--see verse in photo above...

JaNuaRY- MaRch upDaTe... 2010

2010-03-22T18:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I am happy to report to you all that the icy mounds of sNoW that have piled up since November have finally melted away this week! It's finally beginning to feel warm and I figured it was about time to update everyone with what has been happening and to share with you what God has been doing in my life since we last talked!

Prayer Week We hosted a pRayER wEeK at our prayer room in January open to the church and community and it was a great time to slow down and pray together for the new year and for the new people that will be coming alongside the ministry and the church. This also happened to be my biRthDaY month that I turned 24 (my friends actually gave me 2 separate surprise birthdays—God has blessed me with some great friends and family here:) The prayer week also inspired me to begin a new artistic project-creating wire-form mobiles, incorporating various found objects and themes-you can see the beginnings of one of them in the photos. I also walked on my first frozen lake in January! (snow picture)

Also to start off the new year, we celebrated my parents' re-marriage as a family! It was the first time since their re-marriage that we were all able to be together in the same place-- It was their official wedding celebration-reception and it was so nice to all be together to celebrate!

We most recently finished hosting a spRing bReaK missions trip for a couple of the Christian colleges in the area. Some of the schools typically offer spring break mission trips, and we were one of them this year! We hosted the students for the week and we also connected with other local shelters, food shelves, and other ministries. Not only did the students have opportunities to serve with us at Source, but they were also able to see what other ministries in the area were doing as well. We also had teaching times about reaching out to the lost and the poor and were able to process and pray through some of the stuff that God was stirring in their hearts while they were with us.

To finish off the week, we hosted a bEneFiT for Haiti—it was a creative night that involved a silent aRT aUCtiOn, live MuSiC, and serving authentic Haitian food—It was such a great night to watch come together and the greatest part was co-hosting the night with one of the artists (Matt) from the Fallout who does not know God, but it was great to walk alongside him and support him in sponsoring the idea he had to host this Haiti Benefit. The part I love about working with Source is seeing non-Christians, Christians and all kinds of different people come together in a welcoming environment where God is presented in a non-condemning way—basically just seeing all kinds of people coming into contact with God that would never otherwise step foot inside of a church. It also blessed me to be able to visit one of the shelters, bringing warm food, conversation, and art, but in the process was able to pRaY with a woman named JeNniFeR who is mending her relationship with her son. The same week I also met a young artist at a local free meal and just heard her story about moving to a new city with no money and trying to make it as an artist and trying to make it on her own. It is people like this that I've been praying for God to introduce me to, to pray for and get to know.
Disgrace...Last but not least, you can be praying for our annual Good Friday service that we host—It's a creative/interactive night where we represent the different stations of the cross that lead into the celebration of Easter and Jesus raising from the dead. We have been asking for creative pieces to be filmed, performed, or donated to be included in the night. This usually brings in people from all over-churches, students, and different people we have met on the streets.

Prayer Requests:
Summer Activities & Interns that God is bringing to Source
Disgrace (Our creative/interactive Good Friday Service)
Leadership/speaking-that I will continue to grow in this
Women (artists, roommates, homeless) I can encourage in their walk w/God.
Continued direction while in Minnesota (1 year mark in May/finances are a little low)- I'm here for another year!

***Feel free to check out what's happening @ www.sourcemn.org***

PrAyER WeeK 1/26-1/30

2010-01-25T09:20:00.001-08:00

We're Having a PRAYER WEEK starting 1/26-1/30...Keep us in your prayers---we will have our building available to church members and to the general public during the day---we are preparing for the new season we have ahead of us and for what Source is going to look like in the next months that will begin to keep us busy: new interns, new schedule...etc. Pray that we will be listening to the direction God wants us to be in. Also, I'm excited to help set up prayer stations in our prayer room, one of which I'm constructing a frame for a hanging mobile to hang miniature art pieces that represent people's prayers throughout the week...An ARtiSTiC pROJEcT I'm looking forward to...I will post pictures soon!

souTh CaRoLina, FLoRiDa, Urbana SuCcEss!

2010-01-07T14:58:00.000-08:00

New PHoTOs on FacEbOOk! (Minneapolis Group and Homepage)

My trip to South Carolina, Florida, and Urbana 2009 were a success...my plane rides ran fairly smoothly--I was able to spend time with friends, brother & sister-in-law, and my parents and attend the Urbana Missions conference for the first time! Thank you to everyone who drove me around while i didn't have a car:) Now I'm back in MinneapoLis, MN in the -10' weather...and shoveling snow:/ THanks everyone for a wonderful trip!

ChRisTmaS in MinNeApOLis!

2010-01-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

***ChRiStmAS in MinNEaPoLis!*** 2009
mErRy chRiStmaS!!! and Thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement during my time here in Minneapolis! Surprising, but it's actually not snowing up here yet...or at least it's not sticking yet...we've had one of Minnesota's warmest Novembers...but it has been getting chilly...the snow will be coming soon and won't disappear until March.

I'm coming up on my eighth month in Minneapolis, and you all have made it possible for me to be here. I've been amazed at how God has provided financially for me to be here and I believe I am in the place where He wants me to be. As I stated in my last letter, these last few months have been filled with lots of prayer, outreach in our community, and my days have consisted of keeping our community meals organized and coordinating our food donations that we receive. I've also been spending time meeting with and mentoring some of the girls living here. As 2009 comes to a close, some of our staff, interns and members of the house are transitioning onto other things. This means that we may have some new girls moving into our discipleship home and we'll be welcoming in new interns starting at the beginning of the new year. With this also comes a transition of not knowing all of the details of the upcoming months and seeing all of our new interns' gifts and the roles they will be playing. Also, we'll be shorter on staff, our friends Tim and Dana just had their first little boy right before Thanksgiving! (I spent Thanksgiving with Tim and Dana's family and friends...my first Thanksgiving away from family). With this time I will be focusing more on growing in my leadership within the house, becoming a big sister to some of the girls and mentoring through prayer and Bible Studies. I'll also be using my organizational skills to help with some administrative tasks and I'm also looking into volunteering at a local art gallery to build more relationships in the community-to incorporate more creative events at our Fallout urban art center. (and to get inspired!)
ChRisTmAS...I will also be traveling home to South Carolina for two weddings on my way to Ft. Myers, Florida where I'll spend Christmas with my parents. On my way back to Minneapolis I'll be staying in St. Louis, MO for the Urbana Conference with Source. So I have a busy Christmas break coming, but I don't mind :) I'm excited to be able to visit family and friends and I look forward to visiting some of you reading this letter! PleASe pRaY... for me during my time returning back to Minneapolis, just getting used to a new group of people to work with and continuing relationships with friends that are also staying. We will be starting up a new Bible Study in the new year.
Our Source BaNQuET... November 21st was an encouraging time with local supporters, volunteers, and friends. We had fun sharing what God has been doing in Source this year while running a silent art auction as well ( I sold two of my pieces)! It was an interactive banquet at a local church with multiple stations set up: outreach, our fallout arts initiative, transitional homes, and national outreach. Everyone could visit the silent auction tables and hear a couple of presentations of their choice throughout the evening. I was able to speak about our creative drum & easel outreach art nights we do at local shelters as one of the stations for the evening. Overall, it was an encouraging night as we all got together!

2009-11-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share this photo...this is the WOhler family (Director of Source, Peter, and his wife Jessica, and their 4 kids, of whom i sometimes watch and was able to go to the Minnesota State Fair with them...the cleanest fair i have ever been to...crazy

noVemBer uPdATe...

2009-11-16T21:56:00.000-08:00

NOvEmbER UpdATe... 2009

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support. It has been an interesting couple of months...This fall I have been involved with our weekly Bible Study on Wednesday nights, outreach on Friday nights, and helping out with our church that meets on Saturday nights. My days also consist of keeping our community meals organized and coordinating our food donations that we receive. In between we've been preparing for our annual Source Banquet coming up and I've been spending time mentoring and meeting with and mentoring some of the girls living here.

Our Wednesdays usually consist of staff meetings, staff prayer, and our weekly meal and Bible Study. Friday nights we consistently have been doing outreach through our drum and easels at a local shelter, also hosting art openings, open mic nights, and having our clothes closet and free food available to those who need it during our set times of the week.

For our Bible study we've been going through the book Stomping Out the Darkness and having times to share and pray for another. We've had a combined men and women's Bible study just for the fall and have been able to invite several people who we've been building relationships with from a nearby shelter we visit in the city. An outreach night we had earlier in October we met two young men and a young woman that we invited back to our church service and Wednesday night Bible study. We've also been able to provide food and meals for them through our local food donations we receive. Through this provision they have continued to show up at our doors. It's been really neat because one of the guys is the firstborn of a Somali family, sharing a lot of his story how he's grown up with his beliefs and he has been very open to the God that we serve. We also met a young girl who is actually a believer who is attending college and living at a shelter. It was really encouraging to hear her story and her excitement to be following God despite her challenging circumstances. We've also had a traveling young man and woman in our transitional program that have interacted with Source on and off for the past 12 years. They've had no home for most of their lives, living on the streets and traveling from place to place. They have been involved in the program Bible studies, serving in the community, and working through some things, but have gotten to where we cannot give as much as they need and will sadly be moving back up to Canada. It has definitely been a growing experience and is bittersweet to see them go.

'Our banquet has also been keeping us busy (coming up November 21). It's a time where we share a recap of the year and share what God is doing within the ministry with volunteers, partners, and family-and we get to kind of dress up...something we don't always do around here:)

Along with these stories, we've also had some growing pains the past couple of months. Among the good things that are happening, it has also been very stretching for me to be here during this time. The ministry has been beginning to redefine some things and giving birth to a new church within the ministry of Source. I've also been involved in a small group praying for the direction God is leading our church that meets on Monday nights and has been an encouragement to me. The year has also proven to be struggling financially as a non-profit and having to function on a smaller budget. Some positions have had to be released, yet God has still been providing and calling me to stay. It has also been surprisingly more difficult to be in an environment of interns coming and going and being part of the small group that stays. I also believe God has been calling me to some things I didn't realize I would be doing at first, but I have been doing a lot of praying and encouraging with the staff here just as much as the homeless and traveling people that we see coming through our doors. God has also been stretching me in the voice he has given me and learning to speak more with confidence.

Thank you for your patience in reading through all of this and I just continue to ask for your prayers—I appreciate them very much...and I continue to ask and thank you for your financial support—it has allowed me to be here, and I continue to pray for provision to see me through the next year and a half.

Thank you so much!

p.s.-I will be coming through Columbia, SC December 12-19...please e-mail me if you'd like to get together!

Stacey.

suMmER-SePTeMBer UpDaTe...2009

2009-11-02T21:46:00.001-08:00

SuMmEr-SepTeMbER upDaTe... 2009

wow...thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who have so consistently been praying and financially supporting my work here! With your consistent monthly giving I have made it through the summer (and I trust God will provide through my continued support) without having to worry if I would have enough money to live...so thank you!! The summer has come to an end and i am officially beginning my first experience of fall here in Minneapolis! With helping plan summer events, moving into my new house, saying goodbye to interns, and welcoming in new residents in our new women's house—i've found myself a little distracted from sending an update.

Most of my summer consisted of hoSting youth groups, putting MuraLs together, hosting visitors, and getting our nEw wOmen's house ready to move into! (Where I'm living now). A duplex was purchased at a very low price (previously had a fire) with the intention of having a discipleship/ transitional home for women who want to live in a place where they can grow in their relationship with God within a community. So my main job was to organize getting the house deep-cleaned, painted, and ready to move into...its been fun making it feel like home! We've now moved and we're still making finishing touches on the other ½ of the duplex for the new interns that have now moved in.

We had our annual ARt FeSt, which ran very smoothly! We were able to provide this for free to the community, everything from 3 stages of live music, artist booths, children's games, gallery show, and free food. We also had our Urban Ministry Training and Art Intensive weeks where we held training for urban outreach and encouraged artists in their faith and art. Throughout the summer we also were able to share many of our food donations and serve frEe meaLs to a lot of the homeless traveling crowds that flock to Minneapolis for the mild summer weather. It was fun especially getting to know a couple that came around often just to hang out and came to some of our events. We were able to get to know them, tell them about our faith and provide them with food and clothes that they needed

Through the summer I was continuously stretched through our Bible Study, helping lead volunteer groups & prayer groups, and getting to know everyone who has recently joined the community. My prayer is that this will be a time where I will continue to grow closer to God and that I'll be able to share my encouragement with the other girls living in the house and with those that come through our art center. We also need prayer for our finances because our fiscal year ended and ½ of our financial giving did not come in. We are currently in the process of having navigate some things that will have to change...mainly consisting of our only 2 paid full-time positions of our office manager having to drop down to part-time and having a part-time maintenance/ transitional homes director having to take the place of our previous full-time director. Through these tough times, we are trusting God to take care of our needs and trying to make changes where they are needed.

stacey.

Praise!

-We are now living in our new women's discipleship house & several new people have moved in

-Art Fest ran smoothly!

-Relaxing time visiting my parents TOGETHER in Ft. Myers, FL for my mini-vacation in Aug.

Prayer Requests:

-To balance my time wisely & make sure that I take my time to rest!

-Ministry finances, Office manager position to be filled

-New season with transition from summer to fall

-That i won't freeze when winter comes :/

***Feel free to check out what's happening @ www.sourcemn.org***

**Pictures to come soon on my facebook page!

Stacey Philgreen
staciphilgreen@yahoo.com

I'm sTaRtiNG a BLog whiLe i'm iN minNeaPoLis!

2009-10-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

Hey! I just set up this blog so I can keep in Touch more EffecTiveLy!