One Home at a Time

We develop servant leaders and uphold the dignity of vulnerable homeowners.

They certainly do! They come from all over the eastern half of America (every red dot on the map above is a sending church) to make an impact on Pittsburgh, one home at a time. That is the vision of the Pittsburgh Project (web site here) where Bec and I spent the evening with Saleem Ghubril, their Executive Director. I have known Saleem for the last 10 years and admired his work from afar, but have never spent enough time with him. He is a great leader of a remarkable ministry. Here is their strategy:

To develop servant leaders, we operate a progressive series of Youth Development programs in which North Side children and young people grow academically, relationally, and spiritually, and become prepared to transform culture and to serve neighbors. We also develop servant leaders from among participants in our Service Camps and Retreats, helping them become agents of renewal in their neighborhoods, schools, and home churches. To uphold the dignity of vulnerable homeowners, we provide Homeowner Services which include free home repairs, visitation, and links with social services and local churches....

We arrived, ate dinner (photo below), took a quick tour of their facilities, and then stepped into a "Close of Camp" celebration where over 120 High School students were having dinner with the homeowners whose houses they had been working on all week. Then we went upstairs to a celebration service. After 20 minutes of lively singing, each team took introduced their homeowner and took them a rose.

There was no teaching tonight, just an opportunity for any of the homeowners to say anything they wanted. It was wonderful! The thanksgivings were profuse, the affection was real, the faith of people in God was evident and much commented upon, and there was surprise after surprise. A couple of the women from the neighborhood sang songs to our clapping! Wow!

This is their heart for the city...

This is what the Lord Almighty says: Once again old men and women will walk [the] streets with a cane and sit together in the city squares. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play.

(Zech 8.4-5)

Take a look at this map. It marks all the homes that students at the summer camps have worked on over the past 20 years. About 1400 homes, I think, and some 130 of them were rennovated this summer. All in the name of Christ, with the love of Christ. One home at a time can change a community.

Comments

[JTFS]

Several years ago I went to the PP with a group from Southern Ohio, and was really blown away by the simple, powerful vision of this ministry. Glad to hear that it has continued to grow. I hope to take a group back next Fall!

Grace and Peace,
Joe