The INN Ministries @theinnministries - Tumblr Blog

INN Transition

Over two decades ago I arrived in Bellingham to transfer into WWU, a school I had never stepped foot on until the first day of class. In the years since leaving my home in Southern California, I had spent a few years in the mid-west and a year in Europe. It would be this most recent move where I would find the place that would become home.

I would come to love my experience at WWU of which the INN would play a large part. It was here that I would feel my faith come alive in the midst of the rich dynamic I experienced between WWU and the INN. Little did I know back then just how significant the INN would be in my story.

Reflecting back, I’ve realized that I’ve been apart of the INN in just about every conceivable way.

• As a new student sitting in the back wondering if this community would be a place to belong to as I wrestled with my own doubts and questions of calling.

• As a student leader in various forms learning how to serve my peers and the world.

• As and intern and then a staff member tasked with stewardship of the community that had welcomed me.

• As an alumni mentoring student leaders.

• And then 12 years later, called back to Bellingham as the INN’s first alumni director.

When I eventually went to seminary, it would be the conversations and experiences at the INN that I would think of as I wrote papers and imagined what kind place I might eventually be called to.

The INN has been a place to wrestle with the relevance of Jesus and the Gospel for culture, academics, work, identity, and life to discover just how expansive the wisdom of Jesus really is.

The INN has been a place where I’ve seen the Spirit work powerfully through men and women, who have inspired me, humbled me and continue to teach me.

Seeing the creativity, courage and faith of young adults risking beyond themselves to trust in Jesus and experience first hand the deep goodness and power of God has been one of my greatest joys.

What I have seen, what I see right now, gives me hope for the future as Jesus continues to write new fearless stories in the lives of men and women who authentically encounter and trust in him.

And so it is with a mix of sadness and hope that Shannon and I have come to the conclusion that our current chapter at the INN is coming to an end. For a while now, Shannon and I have both felt that there is something next that God has for both of us and that it’s time for me to step out in faith to discover what that is and prepare the way for the next director. While we have had exciting glimmers here and there of what that might be as well a real sense of the Spirit’s leading in our lives, we don’t know exactly what it means. What we do know is that we feel particularly called to Bellingham and have only grown in our love for this place these last six years.

As I look forward in expectation for what Jesus has in store personally, I’m equally excited to see what’s in store for the INN as new stewardship of the INN is passed to new leadership.

The words of Oswald Chambers from January 2nd are particularly challenging and encouraging for us right now as we focus on the character of a trustworthy and miracle working God.

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. Hebrews 11:8

Have you ever “gone out” in this way? If so, there is no logical answer possible when anyone asks you what you are doing. One of the most difficult questions to answer in Christian work is, “What do you expect to do?” You don’t know what you are going to do. The only thing you know is that God knows what He is doing.

Times of transition raise a lot of questions that will be answered over the coming months. In the meantime though here’s what we do know.

• Evan Bryant’s season at the INN is also coming to a close this summer, as he takes all that he has learned around creative direction in arts, music and media to pursue his own creative production and design company. It’s been incredible witnessing his unique creative gifts combine with his heart for coaching and leadership development over the last five years. INN Sessions is but one tangible example of the ways he has cultivated the creativity and gifts of students.

• Our current intern, Jessie Raetz, will be moving into a full time staff role at the end of this year and I couldn’t be more proud or more confident in her leadership.

• Starting April 4th, the search process for the next director is officially open and ideally I hope to introduce that person to the INN before the end of the school year. If you have any questions you can contact Becca Niemeyer at [email protected] or 360.734.5510 ext 216. INN Director Job Description

• Evan and I aren’t stepping down until the summer and are excited to spend this final quarter serving the INN community we dearly love.

It has been a privilege to serve as the director of this dynamic community that has blessed countless lives over the years and I’m so thankful for the many prayers, support and encouragement offered by so many who have been committed to mission the INN.

With gratitude - Jon Epps

#bhamINN

God Is

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

Exodus 3:14 / ESV

One of the things that stood out to me during Elayna’s talk on Tuesday night was how we can find ways to see God’s character. In the story of Moses, we see how confidence in ourselves only gets us so far. Confidence in God is where we find strength.

So often I forget that my strength comes from God. I fall in the habit of thinking that I am the source of my own confidence, my creativity, my strengths, and my passions. I become prideful of the gifts with which God has given me, and I take for granted the blessings in my life.

A verse in 1 Peter reminds me of how it should be:

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in various forms.

1 Peter 4:10 / NIV

Stewardship. That word reminds us that the gifts we have aren’t ours. They’re from God.

That verse reminds us that we’re called to serve others with our gifts, that we’re called to serve God with them. What makes us us? Our own uniqueness is for a reason. What we have inside of us is enough for God, so it should be enough for us. Somehow, there’s a reason for the way we are.

If I’m not prideful of what God has blessed me with, I often find myself making excuses for not using those gifts, or making excuses based on comparisons to others.

I become like Moses, who says, after God calls him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” (Exodus 4:10)

And yet God speaks to Moses for a reason. He has a plan for him. And His reply to him gives me so much comfort:

The LORD said to him, "Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

Exodus 4:11-12 / NIV

I love that! God reminds Moses where strength can be found; in Him. God made us as He did for a reason. God is our strength, because he IS strength. He is I AM.

Elayna suggested that we take some time and think or write down what the character of God is. This fall, at the INN Fall Retreat, I spent a few minutes writing down all who God is to me. Almost mindlessly, I did it in the shape of the scenery at Fort Casey; big green fields, tree-lined hillside, teal-colored sea, bright light sky.

In the grass, I wrote of how God nurtures; He is growth and life. God is our father. God love us. God is nurturing. He is patient. He is rich. He is caring. God wants me. God made me. God is fulfilling. God supports us. God breathes life into me. God created me. God loves me for who I am. God only makes masterpieces. God wants amazing things for us. God is powerful. God is present in fellowship. God is freedom. God is our vision. God is joy. God is all we will ever need. He longs for me. He is life.

In the water, I only wrote one thing, over and over again. God loves me. God loves me. God loves me.

In the trees, I wrote of who I am in God, of how I grow from Him. I am His beloved child. I am loved. I am good. I am perfect in His image. I am special. I am important. I am His. I am worthy.

And in the sky, I wrote of the one thing I come back to when I don’t know what else to say. God is good. God is good. God is good. God is good.

All I thought I was doing was writing down the character of God, but even without realizing it, I was seeing God in the life around me. I was seeing him as the I AM, fully intertwined with the life and blessings I experience.

When we proclaim who God is, we are able to see a bit of who we really are. We are able to see how we can trust Him, how He is our hope in whom we should place our confidence. It’s an act of faith, to do this. It’s challenging, at first, naming God in more ways than we’re used to. But as we practice, and as we see Him woven through our life, and weaving our life, we can trust Him more and go forth knowing He is our strength.

-Sarah Chute

The reason to care for this world

The message of the resurrection is that this world matters! That the injustices and pains of this present world must now be addressed with the news that healing, justice and love have won… If Easter means Jesus is only raised in a spiritual sense - [then] it is only about me, and finding a new dimension in my personal spiritual life. But if Jesus Christ is truly raised from the dead, Christianity becomes good news for the whole world - news which warms our hearts precisely because it isn’t just about warming our hearts.

Easter means that in a world where injustice, violence and degregdation are endemic, God is not prepared to tolerate such things - and that we will work and plan, with all the energy of God, to implement victory of Jeusus over them all.

Take away Easter and Karl Marx was probably right to accuse Christianity of ignoring problems of the material world.

Take it away and Freud was probably right to say Christianity is wish-fulfillment.

Take it away and Nietzsche probably was right to say it was for wimps.

N.T. Wright - Reason for God, 221

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, 1603 by Caravaggio

24 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

John 20:24-28

#easter #ressurrection #bhaminn #ReasonforGod

Faith

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1 // NIV

Talking about faith last Tuesday night deepened the way I understand it. Having it described as a vision for the future, as a calculated risk taken because you can imagine the possibility of an outcome granted me a better understanding of the word, and, subsequently, a better understanding of the idea of it.

The hardest thing about faith for me, and I suspect most others, is not the process of imagining something to hope for. The hardest thing is trusting what remains uncertain and unseeable.

A verse in Hebrews struck me. Reading it gives me a mixed sentiment, half of intimate comfort, half of distant admiration.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.

Hebrews 11:13 // NIV

For me, the intimate comfort I feel has to do with the fact that the people referenced in the chapter themselves did not receive the things promised.

In my major, history, I often wonder about the voiceless narratives. Those lives may not be something we can tangibly see or study due to a lacking record. But the impact, that exists whether we can pointedly see it or not. Oh, there’s something about that! I find great comfort in knowing that even when I feel small, even when I do not understand, even when I may not come to see everything, I am still a part of a plan. That my life can affect others in ways I may not ever come to understand here on earth.

I call the other part of my emotion “distant admiration” because I can easily admire how those people lived, but sometimes, living by faith feels beyond me. There have been times when the next step in a leap of faith feels really, really far away. It’s because I can’t see it. I don't know what’s coming next.

When I was in high school, my dad was diagnosed with cancer, and it was during this time when I realized how much I needed to have faith. I found myself putting more trust in God, perhaps simply because it was the only thing I could do. Having faith that God was beside my family, that He really was working with a greater plan for us, all while watching my Papa be sick— it wasn’t always easy, especially in the beginning. My dad passed away at the beginning of my first year at Western. While sickness and death had been a part of our lives for the four prior years, my family's faith in Him allows us to see the many (so so so many!!) blessings that came out of it. Memories. Laughter. Family. Hope. Fun projects. Love. It’s knowing that God's love in our lives created (and continues to create) so much more goodness, blessing, and bright joy than could ever be shadowed by death. I have faith in God because I have seen how he works.

Have you ever closed your eyes on a walk and had someone tell you when you needed to watch for uneven ground? Essentially, this is faith. Sometimes the path feels unfamiliar, and it’s hard to move forward when falling off a cliff seems imminent. Sometimes the path changes direction, and we get disoriented. Sometimes we freeze, having trouble honestly believing the guidance of the other. Sometimes we have to call out, to make sure they’re still with us and paying attention.

Yet, when we open our eyes, the world looks bright and we realize again all the goodness around us— the trees, the air, the sky, the water.

When we turn around and see where we came from, so often we laugh! What we went through finally has an understandable shape, a realized direction.

We see how simple it was.

And often, we realize how perhaps we could have trusted the voice of the other a bit more. We come to understand that they saw the way better than we could.

-Sarah Chute

"Working with the children at Open House softened the heart and taught us valuable lessons about service. Spending time with children can often require a lot of energy, as many of the members of the group could attest to. Watching the kids play and think up creative ideas, as well as respond with laughter and smiling made me want to smile as well. Going from working with the kids at Open House to the streets of Portland felt distinct and yet somewhat familiar. Night strike, an evening social services event that catered to the needs of the homeless of Portland was distinct from Open house, yet many similarities remained. Washing the feet of homeless people was one of the more tender things we did on this trip. Our hands and feet are some of the most sensitive parts of our body, and bringing them in contact can create a surprisingly strong connection. Children and poor people seemed to be two populations that Jesus took special attention to, and after spending time with these two vulnerable and tender populations, it’s not hard to see why." - Jeevan #BhamINN #INNportland #INNmissions (at Open House Ministries)

#innmissions #bhaminn #innportland

What a tough day. We visited houseless and homeless people in two separate communities. So much of the time was a learning experience to realize places like this exist. Then to engage with the people was challenging as well.

My biggest takeaway was to truly recognize the attacks on their identity that each deals with. So many that live on the streets just want someone to look at them as they pass by and say hi. But, when people ignore them day after day their own view of themselves gets twisted. Many struggle with drug addiction. But the issue does not lie with the drugs. It lies with the condition of their heart. Drugs always numb the pain of something deeper.

[John shares his heart and experience with us from his years of ministry serving the men and women on the streets of Honolulu that are so often overlooked]

I am more and more confident in the true need for Jesus in people's lives, not as an ideology but a restoration of one's soul and identity. If we can view ourselves as Jesus views us, as the Lord of the earth views us, we will never need to numb our world or escape it. Please pray for this.

Truly a heavy day but also filled with the Spirit as we pushed out of our comfort zone.

-Jack

#innmission17 #innhawaii

On our second day of our work week in Oahu, we participated in an Imu with some high school boys that are part of a program for youth at the organization “Partners in Development” that we’ve had the opportunity to partner with this week. It was an incredible experience to work with these boys and the staff while not only learning, but participating in a special Hawaiian tradition. In our down time, we got to learn about their talents and hobbies, and just some snapshots of their stories. It was a really special experience to be able to learn from them, because it was clear that it was empowering for them to be able to teach us about this tradition, and we were so happy to learn. By the end of the day we knew them all by name, and we definitely felt like one day wasn’t enough to get to know them and their wonderful spirits.

Toward the end of the day, we had the opportunity to meet Father Anastasi, a priest of a local Coptic Christian Church. First of all, the church is stunning, and has exquisite, hand painted artwork of bible stories on every wall. Secondly, Father Anastasi is an amazing man of God who spent about seven years as a monk in the desert just outside of Los Angeles previous to becoming a Coptic priest. He talked to us about how service and prayer are interconnected and how you can’t have one with out the other. He discussed with us how the work that we do is God’s work and how important it is to be prayerful before we step into a position of serving others. This experience was extra special to me because I got to visit a Coptic Church when I was in Egypt a few years ago, and I was blown away by not only how beautiful the church itself is, but how beautiful the hearts are of the people who attend.

Something that has really impacted me on this trip is how every single person we have come in contact with so genuinely cares about who we are and our stories. They ask us questions about our lives and it has inspired me to be more intentional in my relationships with people, and to really take the time and get to know others and to be present. Another huge aspect of this trip that has not only broken my heart but at the same time brings me so much joy, is that most of the people we have encountered here are some of the most joy filled people I have ever known even though they have next to nothing. We have so much, yet we have no trouble finding something to complain about. We can learn a lot from the way these people live and take it to heart in our daily actions. We were challenged to have the mindset of always asking ourselves, “What can we bring to the table?” And “How can we contribute?” Because ultimately, we all have something to offer. One of the most memorable conversations I had was with a woman from a shelter we visited, who told us about her experience serving at an organizationo for youth with problems with substance abuse, and encouraged us to keep serving when we go home, because it has had a huge impact on her.

This trip showed me that God’s kingdom is so real, and alive in other places around the world. I was so humbled by this experience, and I think we all need a reminder that His kingdom is not limited to a short term mission trip, and there are so many ways we can serve in our day to day lives.

-Maddie

#innmission17 #innhawaii

On a rocky coral stretch of coastline, with a view of the endless blue expanse of the Pacific Ocean, the largest houseless encampment sits largely unnoticed. The homes are a mishmash of tents, tarps, wood pallet walls and garbage bags, held together with bungee cords and tape. Hard packed dirt paths crisscross throughout the camp, surrounded on either side by the shelters and tall grass. The Bush has been around for over seven years and currently has approximately 300 houseless residents. The local term is “houseless” rather than “homeless.” Going through The Bush, it was easy to see why. These people had homes, not the best homes but they had the place to stay and live. Even through they lacked traditional house, it was still a home. Hopefully they are temporary before they find better homes. The Inn Hawaii team visited The Bush with a group from the outreach group Partners in Development, a group that runs a preschool for children who live in the encampment. There was no preschool on the day that we showed up; Partners in Development was on spring break like Western is, but that didn’t stop some of the workers from volunteering to come out with us and show us around The Bush. A group of us went through the camp to give out hygiene bags that we had packed at a church the previous day. The bags were simple, containing toilet paper, soap, toothpaste and brush, and a granola bar. The bags were important, not just for the utilitarian needs that we were meeting, but as ways to begin conversations with the people we gave them to. We went through the camp, greeting people who we came across and calling out to shelters that we passed. We’d give them the bags, offer them prayer and invite them to a lunch that we were serving at the entrance of the camp. We worked with two people from a local church to make burritos and give them to anybody who came out. We offered them to stick around and talk while they ate. Afterward, we went back into the camp and handed out the burritos that were left over. The first time we went, two volunteers from Partners in Development accompanied us. The second time, a camp resident called Shorty gave us the tour. Shorty took us on the paths, said hello to people she knew, and told us about the history and problems of the camp. Many of the residents there look out for each other. Volunteer residents police the camp, trying to keep the houses and other residents safe and trying to keep drugs out of the camp. It’s a difficult job; dealers live in the camp and some of the residents chose to live in the camp because of their addictions, Shorty said. She also said that the camp might not be around much longer; its lease is running out in two years. If it’s not renewed before that, the residents will have to leave, as had happened to many other camps. The message of the day was, in many ways, bleak. But there were many encouraging things about it too. Nearly everybody was friendly and open. They greeted us warmly, accepted food and prayer, and only took what they needed, leaving enough for others. One of the goals of the day was to get a chance to talk to the residents and get a chance to hear their stories. It’s a way to open the door to talking about God with them, even if it’s just being and example of Him. Giving them a chance to share also lets them teach us. We learn from them and their experiences as we learn to share the love of God with them. The purpose of the trip is to build relationships with God in mind, and this provided a good opportunity to. The Book of Hebrews tells us to go outside to our comfort zones to spread the Word to the people there. “Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the city gate in order to sanctify the people by His own blood. Let us then go to Him outside the camp and bear the abuse he endured.” 13:12-13. The “outside the camp” in this case was inside another camp, but that is where we were called today to share the love of Jesus. - John

#innmission17 #innhawaii

"A little slice of heaven sounds cliche" - Jeevan. But that's what it has felt like to serve at UGM Women's Shelter near Portland. God is good. #BhamINN #INNmissions #INNportland

#innportland #bhaminn #innmissions

Saying WUT ⬆️?! To our Hawaii Team!!! - ❤️ Portland Team #INNmissions #BhamINN (at Birch Community Services, Inc.)

#bhaminn #innmissions

We made it to Portland safely and are starting our week off looking at James. Praying that this week producing a steadfastness in our faith and opens our eyes to God's heart for this world. Stories to come soon! #BhamINN #INNmissions #INNportland (at Portland, Oregon)

#innportland #innmissions #bhaminn

Portland here we come!!!! #INNmissions #INNportland (at the INN University Ministries)

#innmissions #innportland

The Hawaii team landed late last night and settles into YWAM Honolulu. Today we spent the morning being treated to an amazing breakfast followed by worship and prayer. This afternoon Kawika started us off with our first surf lesson. Not a bad day to start off with!

We figured out that Kawika and I last saw each other at Firwood 20 years ago! Excited to see learn from and serve the different communities we get to meet this week.

-Jon

#gif #innmission17

Jesus is... unpredictable

"The word I chose is "unpredictable." I never know what the outcome for something will be but everything still happens according to God's will. It's this unpredictability that prevents me from becoming complacent with Him." John Simmons

#bhaminn #INNcollective

Jesus is ... LOVE to me

"In my relationship with God I struggled to know what it means to be loved and how we are called to love. This last spring God showed me that to love others to the extent he desires, I must first know his love for me. I'm reminded of his great love through 1 John 4:18: There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out all fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." - Riley Takemura

#INNcollective #bhaminn