fall 2001 transforming lives newsletter, gospel rescue ministries

8/8/2019 Fall 2001 Transforming Lives Newsletter, Gospel Rescue Ministries

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Goqpef Rescue/Vlinistries

WashingtoaDC

GRM Supporters Honored ot"Appreciation 200I"fl n Saturday, September 22, at a time when all Ameri-I lcans were grieving the loss of life on September 11 andI lstill struggling to understand fully the ramifications ofLl the barbaric acts of terrorism, a large group of friendsand family of GRM gathered at the Mclean Bible Churchto celebrate the victory of restored and redirected lives atGRM and to express heartfelt appreciation to the manyindividuals, churches and organizations that have part-nered with GRM in this labor of love. There were a num-ber of special moments throughout the evening. First, wepaid tribute to one of our long time Board members, AlManola, and his wife of 62years, Frances. Al celebrated his89th birthday on September 28 and has contributed to theGRM ministry in many ways over a number of years. Wealso honored the memory of Lisa Raines who lost her lifeat the Pentagon on September 11. A separate tributeappears below. Then we all stood and joined hands in anemotional display of unity as we sang "God Bless America". Program reports were provided andseveral men and women gave powerful testimonies of how God has changed their lives while atGRM. Special recognition and words of appreciation were expressed to many volunteers whohave unselfishly given of their time and talents to serve at GRM. The TLM men's singing group,Accepted in the Beloved, presented a moving musical package and were joined by the Fultonwomen at the close of the program in a stirring musical number. As we closed the program, wethanked God for a wonderful evening of encouragement and praise and reconfirmed our desireto continue serving Him at GRM with even greater care, compassion and love.

Many gifts to GRM wereaccompanied by notes of sup-port and encouragement forthe work being carried on byGRM. One such letter con-tained the following: "Duringthis time of tremendous lossand grief, may the efforts ofyourself and your staff to helpothers in need reflect on Lisa'sgrace and compassion, andhelp keep Lisa's memory alivefor all of her family andfriends. And thank you forhelping Steve through this timeof overwhelming sorrow. MayGod bless your good works."

T.L.M. member Kevin Padgett takesdinner order at Appreciation 2001"

Al Manola & ]ohn ]aclcsonLisa Raines . . . A Special Tribute By lohn lackonI Lisa |. Raines was tragicallyI taken from her husband,I Steve, family and friends onI-September 11 and GRMcontinues to express specialtribute to Lisa, whose memorywill live on in the hearts of allof us at GRM. Lisa was myfriend and next-door neighbor.I was deeply touched whenSteve told me that he wantedmemorial gifts to be sent toGRM (and he knew that Lisawould want this). They weresupportive of the work atGRM, both financially and in

their encouragement to me.I am humbled by the wayGod has caused blessing tocome to GRM out of a tragicsituation. There has been atremendous outpouring ofgifts to GRM from many ofLisa's friends and businessassociates along with manyexpressions of love, care andrespect for het both as a skilledprofessional and as a humanbeing compassionate for peo-ple with needs. At Lisa's funer-al service, I was deeply touchedby the many heartfelt expres-sions of respect and love.

Lisa Rainesr2l30ls8 - 9lLLl}r


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Meet Our New DePutyExecutive Director:Don MelvinIt is a privilege to have Don Melvin over-

lseeing the day-to-day programs andloperations of GRM. Starting October 1,I Dotr assumed the position of DeputyExecutive Director of GRM. His dedica-tion, compassion and experience over thepast five years as Director of the Trans-forming Lives Ministry and Samaritanprogram has earned Don the respect andbacking of the GRM Board of Tiustees,

staff, alumni and current program mem-bers. Don and his wife, Dorice, attend theRhema Christian Center Church in Wash-ington, DC and have been active in thisministry for a number of years. Don has areal heart for the ministry at GRM and alove for the men and women being served.Our prayers are with him as he providesleadership and direction for the ongoingGRM programs and administration.

Iames, Rernoldo, Kevin, Richard, Chris dtKevin are Accepted in the Beloved.

"AccePted In The Beloved"...On the BattlefieldI fl [h." our new class of 14 men in thelf l ffransforming Lives Ministry beganll lltr early |une 2001,little did we knowU U that seven of them would jointogether to form a singing group knownas'Accepted in the Beloved". Over the pastfour months, this group, comprised ofJames Muckle, Rernoldo Slyke, KevinYoung, Richard Sinclair, Chris Flemming,Kevin Padgett, and Gary Hines have sungin a number of GRM's partner churches

as well as at various events held at GRM.Their signature song is "On the Battlefieldfor My Lord" and they include personaltestimonies and scripture with theirmusical presentations. One of theirfavorite Bible passages is Ephesians l:4-6.We encourage all at GRM to develop anduse the spiritual gifts and talent given tothem by God and we look forward to themusical ministry of Accepted in theBeloved for some time to come.

TLM's own limmy Williams. . . running the race.,,finishing the race!fo the cheering of many of his GRM famill', |immyWilliams crossed the fin-I ish line in good fashion at the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C.I on October 28. Jimmy ran his first marathon ever in a very respectable timeI of 3:42, finishing near the top 10 percent of the runners. limmy recentlygraduated from GRM's TLM program and continues living and working atGRM in an intern position. We are extremely proud of fimmy and the accom-plishments that he has made, both in long distance running and in the race oflife. He has overcome many obstacles in rebuilding his life, finding peace withGod and a new direction for the future.

However,I consider ny,lrfe worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the raceand complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me- the task of testifying tothe gospel of God's grace. Acts 20:24


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A Personal Testimony: Ioann |onesfl buse and incest began early in my life. I| | began using drugs and alcohol at an earlyHut.. I used everything. Finally, in August,| 12000, I got married only to be abusedmentally and physically by my husband afteronly three months. I was devastated and

wanted to die. I decided I needed some helpand my son found some information aboutthe Fulton House of Hope.I entered the program and it was the bestchoice that I could have ever made. I stayedat the Fulton House for one year. It was quitean experience. I felt like I was given anotherchance for a better life. GRM and the FultonHouse have played a big role in allowing me

to achieve my goals; getting my G.E.D., com-puter classes, job training and much more.GRM even furnished my new apartmentwith donations that they received from theirdonors!

GRM has been a true blessing to me andthe people who run the facility are verywarm and caring people. I am so very happyand I want to add special thanks to Mr. Jack-son, Judy Ashburn, David George and a hostof others for giving me hope and showingme the love I never had and showing me howto love myself and God. Their kindness willnever be forgotten. Thank you GRM. To Godbe the glory!

v

Fulton House of HopeGraduate loann Jones

Afttrcare / Alumni Program,,,Continuing Caren RM is taking some major steps to worship and fellowship and maintainingI enhance-ttrafter of-friends-anfrnenrors. Also;I I includes the care, counseling, contin- we want them to visit GRM frequently toLf ual contact and other services that we share their experiences with others and toprovide to the graduates of our men's and be examples of positive achievement towomen's programs. We believe in a con- others in the program.tinuum of care and the importance of People often ask how we can be cer-keeping in touch. Besides helping men tain that our programs and care over aand women find meaningful employment one year residenry period really produceswhen they leave GRM, we want to lasting good results. By keeping in touchencourage them and to assist them in for at least one year after they graduaterestoring family relationships, finding and tracking their progress in severalaffordable housing and a good church for ways, we are able to validate their success.

Septem ber G rad uation ...Trophies of God's Grocefln September 17, another group of men and women graduated fromI lCnUt one-year residenry programs (TLM and Fulton House of Hope)I land a number of students were recognized for completing courses at thelJ School of Tomorrow. Certificates and words of congratulations were giv-en to men and women in all phases of the programs in recognition of theirsuccessful completion of various classes and programs.

At the same time, we welcomed a new group of men and women in our one-year TLM and Fulton programs. Six men and six women began walking thepath toward recovery and reentry into the mainstream of society. We continueto see a good retention rate for those who have entered our programs duringthe course of 2001. Praise God for many trophies of His healing grace.

By enhancing our aftercare program, weare confident that we-will see even betterresults. Please visit GRM sometime andhear for yourself the powerful testimoniesof changed lives.

If you would like to becomemore involved in the lives of

our graduating men andwomen, please call:Gail Thompson

202-842-1731 x 214


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Church Partners... Ihe Body of Christ otWorUI fl f. continue to enjoy excellent rela-lf lftio"rninr with many churcheslf lf tnroughout

the Metropolitan Wash-u r ington area. With renewed emphasison outreach service projects in the com-

munity, many church groups are askinghow they can serve at GRM. In additionto church groups holding nightly chapelservices, we continue to encourage youthand other groups to come to GRM onweekends for service projects, including

cleaning, painting, maintenance, carpen-try work, clerical work and similar pro-jects. These visits include the opportunityto spend time with and minister to themen and women residing at GRM.

Churches recently sending groups toGRM for service projects are McleanBible, Immanuel Presbyterian of Mclean,Pender United Methodist Church andCherrydale Baptist. In addition, GRMmen and women have ministered to our

Fulton House of HopeI'l n. of my favorite scriptures is ofI f lesus- after callingLazarus from theI lStuu.. I love what he did after Lazarus\J came out. The Lord could have justcaused Lazarvs'bindings to fall but hedidn't. He might have removed themHimself, but He didn't. Instead, Jesusturned to His friends and said "unbindhim that he might go free"...a commissionto counselors everywhere.

We all have bindings on from our fami-

church partners on several recent occa-sions, including visits to Cherrydale Bap-tist, Chesapeake Bay Area Church, BethelRegular Baptist , Korean Central Presby-terian and Rhema Christian Center.

...he is my partner anil fellowworker amongyou; as for ourbroth-ers, they are representatives of thechurches and anhonor to Christ,

2 Corinthians 8:23

A Call to Serve: Karen Rae,ly of origin issues. It's a sacred call to jour-ney beside the women at Fulton House asthey work towards their own freedom.

As the mother of six and grandmotherof 16, as a survivor of childhood sexualabuse and the product of an alcoholichome, as a graduate at age 54, and as onewho was visited by the Lord at ll and 32years of age, I can only say Thank You toGRM and Bill Harper for the privilege ofserving here in His name.

We are pleased to introduce severnl new staff members who willadd great value to our concerted effort to help the homeless,Mike Nettles has joined GRM asDirector of the Tiansforming Lives Min-istry and Samaritan program. Mike comesto GRM from Birmingham, Alabamawhere he studied at U.A.B. (Certified

Teacher) and the Birmingham TheologicalSeminary (Licensed Minister). Mike hasbeen involved in various ministries andheld positions as a drug abuse counselor,therapist and case manager.Lavinia Dowling recently joinedGRM as the Academic Coordinator for theSchool of Tomorrow. Lavinia is fromAtlanta and recently graduated from theUniversity of Virginia.We believe that God has sent each of these new staff members to us, and we are thankful

for their obvious compassion for those in need nnd their desire to be part of our ministry,

Doris McNutt recently assumed theposition of Controller and will supervisefinance and administrative functions atGRM. Doris has attended Barcroft BibleChurch in Fairfax, Va. for many years,including holding a finance staff positionthere, and she has held a variety of otherfinance and tax positions.Larry Watlingtoh has taken the part-time position of evening coordinator andinstructor for the GED program in theSchool of Tomorrow. Larry is from New-port News. VA and has been in the U.S. AirForce for the a number years.


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I4th Annuol FonnieMoe "Help the Homeless"Walkathon Btggest Ever!n RM made its presence known in a big way at the l4th Annual Fannie Mae sponsoredI Walk for the Homeless on Saturday, November 17 on the National Mall. Under theI I targe GRM banner, hundreds of young people (and some not so young) joined withLJ GRM's program members and staffto complete the 5K walk. Along the way GRM menand women raised their voices in worship and praise songs.

We appreciate the widespread support for GRM in this major fund raising event.Many churches and schools partnered with GRM in encouraging young people ages 5 to25 to register for this event and to help raise funds for GRM. We are grateful to FannieMae for their sponsorship of the country's largest walkathon to raise awareness andfunds to address homelessness.

From the "God is Hundreds Served ot AnnuolREAL Good" FilesGod never seems to fail when it

comes to providing adequatedonations for our needs at GRM.

Greg Smith, our kitchenmanager, has now started a

monthly Food Bank Outreachwith boxes full of food going outto 65local families each month

as well as25 boxes to needyfamilies at Wheatly Elementary!

Praise God!

Students from Wheatly ElementarySchool's Mini-Walk

Greg Smith with first Culinary Arts Class

Thonksgiving Feost ot Colvory Boptistfl fter a fun 5K walk on the Mall and around the U.S. Capitol building on SaturdaS Novem-| | ber l7 to celebrate the annual FannieMa e "Help the Homeless Walkathon", many friendsHof GRM joined with GRM staff and program members at the Calvary Baptist Church forI lthe annual GRM Thanksgiving feast. With the kitchen crew at GRM preparing all the food,it is estimated that over 1,000 men, women and children were fed during the afternoon ofNovember 17. With an abundant supply of turkey, ham, dressing and the other traditionalThanksgiving fixings, no one left hungry. And each person received spiritual nourishment aswell. With testimonies of life changing results at GRM, praise and worship musical presenta-tions and other reports on activities at GRM, everyone had the opportunity to learn about theservices available at GRM. This event gave us an opportunity to reach out to the WashingtonD.C. homeless community with a message of hope.Culinory Arts Troining Now OfferedThroughSchool ofTomorrow

fl RM's School of Tomorrow has added a new andI e:rciting ing.ofI f classes, courses and programs of instruction. OnLl September 10, a seven week Culinary Arts trainingprogram commenced under the leadership and instruc-tion of Greg Smith, GRM's Kitchen Manager. The firstclass of six people, which ended on October 29, includ-ed two men in the TLM program and four from theWashington D.C. community. With instruction in foodhandling and safety, students learned how to safely han-dle and prepare gourmet meals, baked items, cateringand other skills needed to succeed in the field of foodpreparation. The graduates of this first class are nowcertified and qualified for good paying employmentopportunities in the food service business.

,;li i" r'l.i tr+ rffii1


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A Messagec-----'lhn [acksonr(,rTr J(Executive DirectorDear Friends and Faithful Supporters of GRM:

As I write this letter, my thoughts wander back to Sep-tember 11 and the events that will change forever our lives

here on earth. Terrorism, middle-east conflict, anthrax, holy wars, ethnic cleansing -these are words that strike fear in the hearts of people unless they believe in the onetrue God of the Bible, whose perfect love casts out fear.At GRM, we believe that God is still on the throne and in complete control. Wemarch forward with renewed resolve that victorv over evil has alreadv been won. Wewill continue to reach out to men and women in need of God's healing mercy and sav-ing grace. Over the past three months, we have taken steps to enhance our ( 1) Schoolof Tomorrow curriculum and teaching staff, (2) community outreach activities, (3)employment opportunity programs and (4) aftercare/alumni activities.On a broader scale, after three months of prayer and deliberation with Boardmembers, we recently implemented some changes that will result in a better divisionof duties and responsibilities. As Executive Director, ffiy time will primarily be spentoverseeing development and strategic planning, major fund raising, community rela-tions, church partnerships and volunteer activities. As Deputy Executive Director, DonMelvin will primarily supervise internal activities, including the TLM and Fulton one-year residency programs, the Samaritan program, the Barnabas House, the kitchenprogram, facilities upkeep, transportation, finance and administration.

Marjorie Lloyd will continue to direct the School of Tomorroq |udy Ashburn willdirect the Fulton House of Hope and a recent addition to our staff, Michael Nettles, willdirect the Tiansforming Lives Ministry. Our current staff members are well qualified,extremely dedicated and united in the common purpose of helping men and womenachieve spiritual and drug recovery as well as educational and vocational proficiency.

Thank you for your kind and generous support of GRM and your encourage-ment to each of us' In His service.

^4eao, al ile 77co'4tal-rom time to time we receive special notes of encouragement from our faithfulfsupporters and I want to share a recent note. Mrs. May Louise Wetmore ofI Rrlington, Va. wrote as follows: "I have visiteil this home for the homeless andI seen the beds, the dining room and a Christmas tree. I brought my Girl Scout troopthere for this event. I hope they were as impressed as I was, and will remember to helpyou and your work I am enclosing this chech for I know winter is coming and yourneed for help will be great. God bless you and the work you do." I visited Mrs. Wet-more to thank her for her generous gift and kind words. My assumption was thatshe and her Girl Scout troop had visited GRM last Christmas and I apologized fornot being there when she visited.To -y surprise, her visit had taken place almost45years ago and she had given prayer and financial support to GRM over all theseyears. Thankyou, Mrs. Wetmore, for your special words of encouragement,

*- rl-i _ll+++**Gosprr Rrscus Mnusrnrrs

of Washington, D.C.810 5rH SrneET, N.W. . WesHwcrou, D.C. 20001

'ffi :'J1i-:.|1g?f;'ff :lT'Please notify Gospel Resate Ministries if you receivemore than one cory of Transforming Lites or hm'e achange of adilress. The money we swe will feeil anil

care for rtc hngrynrd lmrting.Please Consider Selecting GRM

in the CFC/United Way Campaign:#89 19Volume 2, Issue 4 . Fall 2001

John JacksonExecutive DirectorDonald Melvin

D eputy Executiye DirectorBoard o

DavidVan DuzerIQthrt/n BaxterJane BondWilliam HarperJohn JacksonAl Lawrence

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f Trustees(Chairman). Albert Manola. Don Melvin. Rudolph Pruden. Charles Robinson

fall 2001 transforming lives newsletter, gospel rescue ministries

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