Music with a Mission Premiere Concert Series a Hit!

Support for Youth Centre growing, by Michelle Porter

300 people came out from Friday’s cold snap, armed with donations of groceries, to enjoy the premiere benefit concert on Friday night in support of the new Youth Centre being opened by Souls Harbour Rescue Mission. Music with a Mission featured 15artists from Saskatchewan and Alberta and raised over $7600!

Families were toe tapping to the tunes of Strasbourg’s Last Mountain Boys, clapping to Larry Krause, and laughing at the humorous cowboy poetry of Ed Brown from Alberta.

Brown waxed eloquent about reality and the purpose of life, while The Daae Family challenged us to make the most of every opportunity.

Heather Prosak, host of Big Dog’s morning show, emceed the event and encouraged folks from around Saskatchewan to dig deep as they passed the hat midway through the evening. “Every one of these groups are donating their time here tonight! All proceeds go to the amazing work of the new youth centre, with the hope of a fall opening.”

Lori Potter, one of the musicians, echoed the others when she thanked Michelle Porter, Executive Director of Souls Harbour RESCUE Mission, for allowing her the privilege of singing, “You are doing such an great work in Regina’s inner city, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

The Mission recently purchased the former St. Andrews United Church on the corner of Dewdney and Athol. Renovations are already underway to create a much needed daycare in the area, and a giant youth centre. Founding director Ken Porter shared the vision to “level the playing field for disadvantaged youth. And give them opportunity to live up to their potential before getting caught up in alcohol and drug related gang violence and crime.”

Two five minute interludes found us choking back tears as we heard the life transforming stories of Travis and Suzette. Both begin a 15 week job at the Mission this week, and look forward to being able to give back to the community in this way.

To donate to the youth centre project, call Carmen at 543-0011 and let her know it’s for St. Andrews. Souls Harbour Rescue Mission is also seeking donations of sports and daycare equipment.

Your attitude, almost always, determines your altitude in life

I sometimes question the Israelites constant complaining, even as they finally gained their freedom and were approaching the promised land. Even after having seen miracle after miracle, having their every need provided, and escaping the torture and bondage they had been subjected to for so long. They begged Moses to return them to Egypt and it's slavery. And when Moses went up the Mountain for a time, they lost all hope and built themselves an idol.

I would never do that. Or would I? Truthfully, I have done that. We have all done that. It is human nature to complain. To murmer and grumble about things, and to consider the grass greener on the other side of the fence. Euphoric recall is a term used to describe one's addiction in a nostalgic, or positive way. We do this with our past, too. If only... Man, remember the days when I was in college and so carefree?

All this does is stagnates our journey. We become a cesspool of negative energy and our body and mind and attitude are all affected. If you aren't waking up in the morning with an inner sense of peace and joy, (okay, for some of you night owls it might not kick in until after the first cup of coffee) something is broken!

Reminds me of a U2 Song called Stuck in a Moment:

You are such a fool
To worry like you do.. Oh
I know it's tough
And you can never get enough
Of what you don't really need now
My, oh my

You've got to get yourself together
You've got stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it

Don't say that later will be better
Now you're stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it

And if the night runs over
And if the day won't last
And if your way should falter
Along this stony pass

It's just a moment
This time will pass

If you're stuck in Egypt, remember that you are blessed! When the temptation hits to feel sorry for yourself, to spread negative comments and words to one another, bite your tongue! Hold it inside and speak words of love and life and truth instead! Let's knock down that golden calf and get back to waiting for our Saviour to return!

Musical Fundraiser

The Leader-Post

Souls Harbour Rescue Mission is to host Music With A Mission on Friday.

The event will begin at 7 p.m. at the Good News Chapel, located at 1380 Elphinstone St. There is free parking in the back, free babysitting, and refreshments. Instead of tickets, please bring non-perishable food items.

An offering will be taken to fund the renovation of the new Souls Harbour Rescue Mission Youth Centre in North Central Regina.

You're invited to Music with a Mission! THIS FRIDAY!!

Music with a Mission,

Gospel Music Concert Series,

Premiere Concert

When: February 27th, 2009

Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm, Refreshments & CD Sales to follow

Where: Good News Chapel, formerly Sacred Heart Church, attached to Sacred Heart SchoolCorner of Elphinstone St & 8th Ave

Who: Larry Krause, The Last Mountain Boys, The Daae Family, Lori Potter, and a surprise guest!

Notes: Regina Free parking at the back, Free babysitting A free-will offering will be taken.

Please give generously as proceeds will be used to support the renovation project for the new Souls Harbour RESCUE Mission Youth Centre.

Guest Post: Paula Katzberg

One of Regina's "characters" passed away on Feb 8. Few of us knew his name, but most of us probably remember seeing him downtown, always with his gym bag. He lived at the Salvation Army's Waterston House and hung out at the CMHA Members Club. He used to come to our Sat. evening care groups at Scarth Street, and was a regular at our Easter/Thanksgiving/Christmas meals. I'd known him for a while before I found out what he carried in that gym bag - it was beach balls, and he'd sometimes take one out and thoughtfully hold it for a while, then carefully put it back in the bag. His name was Don Labelle, and he will be missed.


Paula Katzberg has known Don for years and years. She and her husband Jack Katzberg have dedicated their lives to helping the poor. They reside at the Women and Family Home and serve as volunteer staff; Paula as the LifeChange Program Manager, and Jack as Chaplain at Good News Chapel.

To sign Don's guest book, please go to his online obituary and click the link.

Equally Human

I'm on the board of directors of the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions, a fellowship of nearly 300 rescue missions in North America. streetsmart keeps our members informed in current events and with what is happening within the association.

The devotional, written by a friend of mine, was very good and speaks to what we are trying to accomplish at Souls Harbour RESCUE Mission:

Tomorrow’s Builders

“He carried into exile all Jerusalem: all the officers and fighting men, and all the craftsmen and artisans—a total of ten thousand. Only the poorest people of the land were left” (2 Kings 24:14).

God seemed to have disappeared for the nation of Israel. New King Jehoiachin was doing evil. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, was expanding his kingdom. Jehoiachin, his mother, nobles, and attendants had just surrendered. What else could go wrong? After confiscating all of the treasures of the temple and the palace, Nebuchadnezzar decided to take everyone in Jerusalem with him back to Babylon—except the poorest people of the land.

Poor people didn't matter to Nebuchadnezzar. They had no value in his worldview. He may have thought, “Good riddance to them!”

While cultural rhetoric today champions the poor, the actions of those in authority seem to mimic what Nebuchadnezzar did to the most impoverished people of Jerusalem. They seem to say, “Let them fend for themselves.”

The story doesn't end there for these poor people. When we jump forward to the account of Nehemiah rebuilding the wall, we discover he recruits the remnant of the people still in Jerusalem—the descendants of the "poorest people of the land"—to help with reconstruction. Who some saw as worthless, God sees as valuable.

How do we look at the poor today? As victims? As derelicts, drunks, addicts, crazies, or welfare moms—brought to the bottom by their own actions? Or as the people God is going to use to rebuild the city?

Contributed by Jim Harriger, executive director, Springfield Victory Mission (Springfield, Mo.)

As a Mission that does not rely on government funding, it is important that we gain friends in all areas and social stratas. One of my main joys is seeing those who have participated in our one year LifeChange Program participate in volunteerism at the Mission and become active in our church, the Good News Chapel.

While the mingling of the classes is something rescue missions have become adept at, there remains the challenge to break down those stereo-typical barriers in society. To rebuild the wall, we first have to break it down. With each person that steps foot in the Mission or the Good News Chapel, we are one step closer to seeing people with God's eyes - that is, equally human.

Story behind former church

The Leader-Post

Your article on the Souls Harbour Rescue Mission opening a youth centre and day care (Feb. 4) is a "good news" story. However, the way it is presented may leave some of your readers with the wrong impression.

The building that the mission has purchased at 1475 Athol St. is indeed the former St. Andrew's United Church.

St. Andrew's sold the building in August of 2005 to the Regina Friendship Centre. Any unpaid taxes and the state of the "unkempt" building would have been the responsibility of the Regina Friendship Centre, not that of the congregation of St. Andrew's or the United Church.

John Haas

Haas is secretary, Wascana Presbytery, The United Church of Canada.

Regina

Souls Harbour opening youth and daycare centre

Michelle Porter in the former St. Andrews United Church which has been taken over by the Souls Harbour RESCUE Mission. Photograph by: Bryan Schlosser, Leader-Post

By Pamela Cowan, Leader-Post

REGINA -- Souls Harbour Rescue Mission is hoping to attract younger souls in the inner-city to a converted church.

The mission has bought the former St. Andrews United Church at 1475 Athol St., and plans to turn it into a youth and daycare centre in North Central.

Executive director Michelle Porter said the purchase was kept under wraps until the mission’s winter newsletter was sent to supporters this week.

“We’ve had the building for a while and we’ve been keeping it a secret because we wanted to make sure that all of our donors knew first,” she said. “We’re hoping to open a Christian daycare for anyone in the city because there’s huge daycare waiting lists ... It is our dream to get everything up and running by the fall so when back-to-school comes, we have a daycare for the kids and after-school programs.”

The mission is already looking to hire an early childhood educator who will act as the centre’s director.

Porter envisions music and drama productions will be performed on the building’s large stage and sporting events will be held in the regulation-size high school gym.

“We have some floor hockey equipment already and there will be basketball, some hip hop classes, a coffee house — maybe the youths are in some bands that could come and play Friday nights,” Porter said. “And there is a huge rec room where we will have pool, shuffleboard, ping pong and some of the programs will be linked to meals.”

Literacy and after-school programs are also on the books. Porter isn’t worried about duplicating current programming for at-risk youths in North Central because of the need for services.

“We really want to make a difference before they get involved in the gangs, before they start drinking and that starts young,” she said. “There are people who start drinking when they are in elementary school and if you start drinking that young, you can bet that drugs won’t be far behind. We just want to have a safe place where they can come in.”

Porter said the mission was interested in the property for some time before the church was put up for sale.

“We were the first when it did come into foreclosure so they made us a great deal — we paid $50,000,” Porter said.

But more than $100,000 is owing in property back taxes, which she said the city is reluctant to forgive.

“They don’t like to set a precedent, but we do have a matching donor — someone who is willing to put up $50,000 if someone else puts up the other $50,000,” Porter said.

The unkempt building requires major work such as replacing the boilers and the roof, which could cost between $300,000 to $500,000. But as word of the plans for the new youth centre circulates, tradesmen are phoning to volunteer their time and talents.

Murray Lutzer, a youth pastor who worked in Alberta for five years, is glad to return to Regina and be part of a change in North Central as the centre’s youth worker.

“If you can affect teenagers at a young age, then you can affect a whole generation — and families too,” Lutzer said.