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INSPIRE in 2022

Jan 10, 2022 | UA News

Each January, Chela – one of our awesome Urban Alliance staff members – invites the team to share special words for the coming year. Each of us chooses a word that has personal meaning – defining our expectations and hopes for the coming year, reminding us of one of God’s promises, or encouraging us in some way.  In 2021, as I entered my new role as Executive Director, I chose the word discernment, reflecting my desire to have God give me wisdom for the choices I would be making that year, help in navigating the challenges of the year, and humility as I learned “the things I didn’t know that I didn’t know.”

For 2022, my word is INSPIRE. As we all navigate through the ongoing pandemic, there are so many spiritual, political and personal divisions that only seem to be growing worse.  The steady increase in poverty, hunger, educational inequity and other economic challenges are now rivaled by the growing mental health concerns affecting individuals and families. The need is so great. More inspiration is needed. More of Christ’s love needs to be evidenced through us.

In the coming year, I hope that we can be inspiring, giving inspiration to those around us. Inspiration to rise to the challenges that face us.  Inspiration to want to make a difference.  Inspiration to lift others up. At the same time, I hope that we can all find time to be inspired – to receive inspiration from others. Sometimes, we are the ones that need the wind in our sails.

And I am confident that UA will continue its work of inspiring and assisting others in their good work. The UA network continues to serve our communities and meet needs. Our network partners affirm that God truly loves people and cares for their needs, by providing the practical services and resources to those in need of help.

I hope that these efforts will continue to bear fruit. I hope that you will be inspired to join in support of the work. I hope that we can inspire and be inspired together. Blessings to each of you as we look forward to the new opportunities that 2022 will provide.

The staff at Urban Alliance are familiar with Pastor Frank because he is a regular attendee to many of the trainings Urban Alliance provides on subjects like domestic violence, addressing childhood trauma, and better counseling techniques. “That’s been so valuable to me to be able to bring that back, not only in my counseling but also in my teaching and preaching ministries, “ shared Termine.

Pastor Frank was also one of the original members of the Micah group, a group of pastors that meets at Urban Alliance to discuss and strategize about challenging issues that face the church today. One of those earlier discussions on justice, incarceration, and returning citizens was particularly memorable. “We all lamented the fact that these men and women were coming out of prison into our churches and just kind of being thrown there,” said Termine, “We could do better than this.” That discussion planted the seeds that eventually led to the creation of Second Chance Churches – an opportunity for churches to provide support and mentoring to returning citizens that continues today.

When we asked Pastor Frank what he would say to another church that was unaware of Urban Alliance, he said, “If you are looking to get out in the community and make a difference in the community, Urban Alliance is a super way to do it. We’re a small church … we can’t do everything. Urban Alliance is a pathway to get our people involved in ministries that are already doing it, doing it well, and just need extra volunteers.”

Pastor Frank Termine’s story embodies many things we are trying to accomplish at Urban Alliance: supporting organizations in the communities they serve with training, resources, and opportunities to make a difference. Pastors and non-profit leaders face a wide range of challenges and, therefore, need a wide range of help and resources. Your support can help turn stories of struggle into stories like you find at Calvary Church.

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