Hope Shows Testimony

Hope Shows Board of Directors

As shared with my church family on Sunday, December 6, 2009 …

Some of you were in church with me on Sunday, July 5 for “My Looseleaf Life, Part 1“, when Doug encouraged us to believe God for a new plan and maximum blessing, in spite of past sin, pain and other difficult choices. He suggested that God can “reset life to a new set of maximum possibilities,” and in response I shared a quote I had recently heard, “‘The antidote for uncertainty is not certainty, but confidence … confidence in God to complete what He started,’ even if He has to hit the reset button.” Two days later, God allowed the reset button to be pushed on my life and I have felt accountable to you all to maintain my confidence in Him in the midst of confusion, fear and uncertainty.

As Doug addressed the topic “Waiting for God to Come” last week, I was connecting on various levels. I have been waiting for Him to come, not just since July 7, but for a few years. I have sensed God preparing me for something “else” for a while (I was just hoping it would be a new thing at the college ), but I had no clue as to what He had in mind. What I had were the marketing and event experiences He had provided for me over the last twelve years working at Greenville College and other organizations, a passion for connecting people with Christian music, and a desire to encourage others struggling with depression.

Two days after I lost my position at GC, I attended a Christian music festival called Lifest in Wisconsin. A new acquaintance unfamiliar with my loss approached me and asked me if she could share a Word that God had given her for me. She said, “He’ll show you what you’re supposed to do.” Then she added, “You just need to wait, He’ll show you … it’s a new thing.” He also used a speaker at the event to insist that I not look back.

I have taken refuge in those words over and over again since that day. What did it mean to wait on Him? I was pretty sure He didn’t mean for me to twiddle my thumbs until He showed up, but I also knew how quickly my type-A personality could be tempted to take action in order to solve life’s uncertainties. I accepted the words as both promise and warning, and went about finishing up projects that I had started last spring, including the production and promotion of two Christian concerts in October, while waiting for God to come.

I had one concert left, a Remedy Drive show on November 17, with which our Christian radio station, WIBI, was partnering. After completing the other two shows, I had a desire to make the Remedy Drive show about more than just a concert. I asked WIBI if we could offer an incentive for people to bring CDs to the show, which we could later give to a prison library “or something.” WIBI asked me if I would be willing to produce a concert IN a prison. I gave them an immediate, “Yes,” and over the next couple of weeks God showed me what He wanted me to do …

Hope Shows was incorporated as a nonprofit organization on October 26. We added a second night to the original Remedy Drive concert and both shows were billed as the first “Hope Rocks Campaign” events to raise awareness and support for prison ministry. WIBI extended an incredible amount of support to the new organization, running daily spots about the concerts and about Hope Shows throughout the month of November. The “Hope Rocks with Remedy Drive” events, which included testimonies from former inmates and family and friends of inmates, raised over $1800 to help bring the Sara Groves Christmas tour to Lincoln Correctional Center, a medium-security women’s prison in Lincoln, IL. WIBI agreed in advance to cover Sara’s modest fee and any additional expenses over what we had raised.

Hope Shows and the Hope Rocks Campaign were established “to advance the surrounding hope of Christian music where it’s most needed” … and prisons will serve as a primary target audience. In many cases, prison inmates do not have access to listening devices such as CD players, but they do have access to radio. I’m as excited to introduce the inmates to our radio hosts as I am to bring in Sara. Christian radio can “visit” inmates everyday right where they are … a powerful application of Matthew 25:36.

This month WIBI, their sister station, WCIC, and Hope Shows will partner to bring the Sara Groves’ “O Holy Night Christmas Tour” to 500-600 women at Lincoln Correctional Center. I simply cannot wait. God has shown me what He wants me to do, so I’m counting on Him to provide the time and resources to complete the task.

I would love help. Here are some specific requests for your assistance:

First,  prayer … for the LCC inmates and staff; for Sara Groves, the tour and the local sound company; for the growing Hope Shows board (which currently consists of myself, Dieadre Schaufelberger, Becky Kerle, and soon to add our token male – and incredible business advisor – Ivan Filby); and for me. I am juggling a number of tasks to bring in income for my family, while at the same time trying to complete nonprofit paperwork, prepare for the prison show and its unique logistical challenges, and take care of my family. It’s interesting, challenging and rewarding all at once. Satan has not been silent, so when I get frustrated I just say, “God, win!,” pray for His direction and press on.

Second, words of encouragement, which is the primary reason that I contacted the church this week. We need additional words of encouragement for the LCC inmates. We printed tickets to hand to the inmates to let them know of the many supporters who have joined together to provide this event for them. The tickets include the radio station frequencies for the two Christian radio stations that reach the prison, serving as a reminder to the inmates after the show. We invited donors at the Remedy Drive concerts to write encouraging messages on the back of the tickets they donated … for the inmates to read and keep, possibly as a bookmark.

A number of them took advantage of the opportunity, but we still have a few hundred tickets that need handwritten messages on the back before we head up to Lincoln on Saturday. The Hope Shows booth is available today in the fellowship area between the sanctuary and the Community Café. We will also be here on Wednesday evening, before and after “Teach Us to Pray.” We invite you to stop by and add your words of hope on the back of one or more of these tickets, sowing His hope and His Word into the lives of these women.

And third, support … We do not expect to be approved for tax-exempt status until early 2010, so I have been hesitant to pursue significant support until after the new year. But we have a few immediate needs for which we would welcome some assistance, specifically the various start-up costs for a new organization including equipment, supplies, business fees, gifts for the prisoners and other expenses.

What’s next?

1. We have announced the “Hope Rocks Christmas Collection” initiative. We are collecting new, shrink-wrapped Christian music CDs for the four U.S. Mercy Ministries homes. Mercy Ministries is a residential, Christ-centered rehabilitation program for girls ages 13-28 seeking freedom from life-controlling problems. We will send a CD library to each of the homes as a Christmas gift, with hopes of growing this Christmas initiative in future years to reach other rehabilitation programs, inner-city community centers, orphanages and children’s homes, counseling centers and mental health facilities … especially for those who don’t have access to Christian radio. We will be collecting the CDs up until Sunday, December 21.

2. We have been invited to bring a Christian artist to Greenville Federal Correctional Institute, both to the women’s camp and men’s prison. I had the opportunity to tour both facilities a few weeks ago and appreciate their willingness to bring us in. These shows challenge systems for everyone … they challenge the typical prison schedule, concert production plans and the traditional day-of activities for the artists. I don’t take these challenges lightly and appreciate the participation of everyone involved. As soon as we are able to secure funding for the Greenville event, we will determine an artist and date for these shows.

3. I feel called to reproduce this model in other cities in 2010, including concerts for the general public to raise awareness and support for prison ministry, and then the production of a prison show in the same region … all with the partnership of the region’s Christian music radio station and area churches. I hope to partner with Prison Fellowship, connecting inmates with their ministry when it’s available at their facility. I also believe we have a young generation unfamiliar with Chuck Colson and unaware of the need for prison ministry in general (I would be one of them had it not been for the six-year incarceration of my sister’s best friend). I think God can re-introduce this ministry need through music events, and remind all of us of the unique emotional and spiritual needs of prison inmates, and well as the opportunity to encourage and support them in their new life after they are released.

I close with a thank you to all of you who have prayed and supported me during this season of change. I don’t have all the answers to all my questions and concerns, but I have an incredible sense of peace with the direction God has provided for Hope Shows. You can stay connected with us via the web (www.HopeShows.com, www.HopeRocksCampaign.com), twitter (www.twitter.com/hopeshows) and facebook (www.facebook.com/hopeshows and www.facebook.com/hoperockscampaign). I will have business cards at the table with links to all of these sites, as well as my contact information.

In the midst of all the steps on the journey these last five months, Kristen Markell led us in singing Tim Hughes’ powerful song, “God of Justice,” one Sunday morning. The chorus calls for us to “Stand beside the broken.” I’m so honored that God would show me such a specific way to do so and I welcome company.

PHOTOS BY ARTHUR KERLE