In his home country of Liberia, John knew nothing but civil war. He was recruited into battle at a tender age. He witnessed the devastation of his family, his community and his nation. He escaped the mayhem as a war refugee, eventually landing in his new home – America. But life in the land of plenty often wasn’t. He had to learn to survive in a culture that wasn’t his own, find work in a foreign land, communicate in a new tongue. Read the entire story...
Davon was hurting and it showed. The 13 year old was angry at the world, always bemoaning his circumstances. He felt justified in lashing out: since losing his father at the age of 11, his whole world had turned upside down.
Justified or not, Davon’s attitude and behavior were creating more problems for himself. His eighth grade teachers at Detroit Urban Lutheran School wanted to help Davon before he found himself in a downward spiral. But the help came in an unusual package: another student at Detroit Urban Lutheran School. Read the entire story...
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ripped through the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005, leaving a trail of destruction, debris and despair. Like their neighbors, parishioners and friends, Gulf Coast church leaders were overwhelmed with the enormity of cleanup and rebuilding, yet wanted to provide leadership and support to their congregations engulfed in similar circumstances.
Where do you begin when your world is literally washed away?
Rick Armstrong had a place – a place where internal fortification could parallel external rebuilding efforts, a place where a tightly knit circle of encouragers energized individuals to make progress on personal goals. It was a place called the Circle of Life. Read more...
It was the end of the month. Diana (not her real name) was short on grocery money and patience. Life was chaotic and stressful for the 40-year-old mother of three. After working three jobs, she lacked the energy she needed to parent her kids, not to mention the money to properly feed them. Her kids’ father provided no support – either financial or emotional – from his prison cell. So once again, Diana found herself at the Shepherd’s Shelf Emergency Food Cupboard in suburban Philadelphia, picking up the essentials to sustain her family until her next pay period. Read the entire story...
| 
