Cheryl Anderson
One Sunday about three months ago, a homeless man went up to the teen manning the after-worship snack table at The Core in downtown Appleton and asked for a Ziploc bag. She obliged then watched the man dump a bowl of cookies in the bag, as well as grab a box of tea.
When the teen told the Rev. Jim "Ski" Skorzewski about what had happened, the pastor knew there had to be a story behind it. The story continued three weeks after that incident with three guys who waited after Sunday worship to talk to Skorzewski.
"They just kind of poured their heart out to me about bad choices they made in their lives … and one of the guys who was crying says, 'We love being here, but we have dinner at the shelter at 5:30 on Sundays. So we have to decide, 'Are we going to eat dinner or are we going to come here?' I said, 'I would eat dinner.' He said, 'What you don't understand is this is the one place we hear hope and are treated like real people.'"
Skorzewski said he cried all the way home that night, and soon gathered the leaders at The Core, who came up with a plan to serve dinners at 4 p.m. before worship.
"When you're in ministry, you usually want to help with the physical needs first and then apply the spiritual," said Tom Medema, who serves on the executive board at The Core and is a member of Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Appleton.
"These people were foregoing their meals to come to church. Where have you heard that happen before? That just touched all of us, including myself. It makes you want to do something, and we did."
"We don't do dinners because of the homeless people," Skorzewski said. "We do dinners because it's a great way to bring people together and it just happens there's a need."
Skorzewski said those who attend the meal also are expected to stay for the service.
What began as small-group ministries at The Core rotating to fund and prepare a meal has grown to include members who want to pitch in to feed the 150 to 160 people who attend, which includes 30 to 40 people from the Fox Valley Warming Shelter and the Emergency Shelter of the Fox Valley who come for dinner and stay for worship.
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GJ - It takes a strong man to read this without bursting into laughter.
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Sent via anonymous email:
Regarding your infantile comment after the Core Dinner article you posted this morning, I can only respond in the words of Buzz Lightyear: "You are a sad, strange little man and you have my pity."
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GJ - That sounds like one of Buzz Lightyear's fans.
8 comments:
This might be the only way that Ski can get new members, other than those that were stolen from neighboring WELS congregations. Bribe them with a free meal first. They might feel obligated to stay after for the alleged worship.
"Follow the Fold and stray no more, stray no more, stray no more"?
I'm not fan of Ski or the Core, but there is nothing funny about homeless people. If these poor fellows found their way to a traditional WELS church, as Christians we would not hesitate to offer food that was available(rather in the kitchen or the food pantry). My pastor(180 degrees different than Ski) would ask,"Who is Jesus?"
There are was of ministering without turning it into a social Gospel.(As I fear that Ski has accomplished) This is small potatos, Ski has bigger fellowship and doctrinal problems that need addressing by the Synod!
In Christ,
from WELS church lady
Ski is exactly what the (W)ELS recipe said would be produced. If anyone cared to read the ingredients and instructions they could see that he looks just like the photo on the box of New Age Methobapticostal cookie mix. Unfortunately, for those in the pews who know enough to wonder about what's going on with a glazed look in their eyes, MLS and MLC have hired the biggest New Age Methobabticostal cookie spritzers in the biz...next batch is coming out this year. MMMMM...smells like, like, a party in the MLC. You know who likes parties Ski?...
You can always count on the (W)ELS ministries to find another distraction short of going out and doing the work of our Lord.
The economic problem with this set up is it is highly inefficient use of resources, and is unsustainable in the long haul. A lot of these shelters are religious in nature, meaning don't they get a sermon there anymore? In other words, not only is Ski stealing WELS members from nearby WELS congregations, but he's stealing the homeless shelter's congregation!
The only thing the CORE left out was recognition by President George W. Bush.
We're to only worship the LORD our God – not pictures, images, or other things such as crosses and medallions.
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