 On Sunday, I began my sermon with a story about my basic training in the Air Force. I had been out of high school about a year and needed to do something about my future, so I went to an Air Force recruiter to inquire about enlisting. One thing I had to do was lose some weight to qualify. I was a bit husky (the older euphemism used of plump short guys). I had to get down to 160 lbs. I did. So in June of 1977, I shipped off to to Lackland AFB in Texas for basic training.
Earlier, for the Children’s Message, I told the kids about some of my high school soccer history. At our school there were only two sports options, ballet or soccer. Well, I wasn’t going to do ballet, so soccer it was. But, I was very short and kind of husky. (See why Ballet would never have worked.) But, I wasn’t a runner. Certainly, not as fast as other guys my age. But I trained and trained, practiced and practiced. And, sat on the bench the whole first year. So, I practiced all summer on my own—and low and behold, I made varsity the next Fall. The coach said, “You’re not as fast or long winded as the others, but you leave it all out on the field like no one else.” (The lesson for the kids was along the lines of living life fully, etc.) This also set up my Air Force illustration for the adults later as I began my sermon. Back at Air Force basic training, one thing we all had to do was run a mile under a certain time to graduate. The day came and we lined up as a squad to run our mile. The bulk of us did it in formation—yes, it took me some extra commitment to keep up, but I wasn’t going to let anyone think my size or even my husky-ness would slow me down. Most of us finished in well under the time. A few stranglers came in a few moments later. But there was one guy way behind. He was a big guy and heavy (can’t say husky for a tall male). Odds were, he wasn’t going to make it in time. So a few—three if I remember—of us got back up, although already exhausted, and started running and caught up to him on the track. We ran with him, all the while, encouraging, “You got this,” “Don’t you dare give up,” and the like. I ran most of his remaining yards (one full round the track) backwards, encouraging him to keep it up. I was not going to let him fail. He didn’t! This story was the point I was to draw out of Judges 2, the text of my sermon (the application, the call to the congregation). Leaders don’t let people fail. Leaders leave it all on the field to ensure no one fails. This is my leadership role here at CPC in The Hill. I’ll leave it all out on the field to ensure (or at least to do my best so) no one fails. This is the kind of leadership church needs. This is what our kids need (I pointed back to where the kids sat for my children’s message). This is what our Hill neighbors need, church leaders that leave it all on the field of service so that people in the Hill won’t fail. Whatever God has given you isn’t for you, that is, if indeed God has given it—talent, schooling, a job, blessings, whatever—it is always for others. This is how God's kingdom works. This is how Christian and church leaders understand who they are and how God equips them for others; giving whatever it takes (to the best of our ability, through God’s grace and enabling) to ensure others don’t fail. Especially not failing in their walk of faith and in their service for church. *Of course I made it work more directly in view of what God was doing to ensure His promises to Abraham (i.e., that all the families of the earth would be blessed) are fulfilled through Israel. As gentiles, we can be thankful that He did. So, He raises up leaders . . .
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 I am so very grateful to the many people who empowered me to serve and minister to those that live in the Hill community of New Haven, Connecticut. I get that not everyone can uproot, change vocation, or relocate into the proximity of neighbors who live in neighborhoods like the Hill. So for some, God’s plan is to reallocate and relocate their own resources to support the likes of people such as my wife, Lisa, and me in a neighborhood like the Hill, ministering in, with, and through a church like Christ Presbyterian Church in The Hill. The generosity of friends, family, and some we’ve just met and some we haven’t met yet–all have empowered me to pastor a church and a community in a place called the Hill. The Hill is actually a famous neighborhood that few people outside know about–well, at least famous for its place in American and New Haven’s history. The Hill, however, is more infamously known as “Sodom's Hill.” Yet in the early history of New Haven, the Trowbridge neighborhood (where Lisa and I actually have an apartment) was designated as a suburb–yes, that is correct, a suburb. Back in early American history, the wealthy and affluent settled in city-centers, that is, urban living. As the immigrants and the poor increased in New Haven, the bottom-demographics were moved to new quarters in the sub-urban regions of the City. Think walking, horse, and horse and buggy as the primary modes of travel, so suburbs were basically the outer districts of the urban area. In fact, if you dig down, now, under the sidewalks and tar of the roads around Trowbridge Square (where our apartment in the Hill is located), you’d find the old trolley car tracks; for this suburb was the trolley-hub to catch a ride to West or East Haven or even downtown New Haven. Ironically there is a little hill (again think horse and walking hill) to get up to Trowbridge, thus, the naming of our Hill community: “We’re going up the hill to catch a trolley” . . . “going up the Hill to walk home” . . . became over time, “We’re going to the Hill” . . . “We live in the Hill . . .” And as this small district settled with immigrants and the indigent of that day, it became dense as a very impoverished, poor suburb of New Haven, eventually being saddled with the nickname “Sodom's Hill.” My supporters empower me to minister in this messy and hurting, but beautiful community, relocating their financial blessings to help the gospel to be planted in the heart of the Hill, changing lives, and lifting them and their neighbors above its unsavory nickname.
To many, the Hill community is an uncool place. Planting and growing a church in the midst of an urban (aka old suburban), under-resourced, minority-populated (51% Hispanic; 39% Black) neighborhood is crazy, yet absolutely needed: 43% unemployment; nearly 85% of Hill residents live in subsidized housing; and, 70% of New Haven’s parole population is resident in the Hill. This neighborhood needs a gospel-centered, community-focused church in its midst. My financial partners empower me to empower our congregation to focus on the community. And, I am so proud (in every right sense of that word) that is exactly what CPC in The Hill is known for: being a church that is for its neighborhood, one that is present, many times outside its building’s walls, serving its community. The presence of CPC in The Hill helps to ameliorate the cliché that address is destiny. And, by God’s grace and the power of the gospel, we see lives changing, which will cause this community to flourish. Outside support allows me to spend time pastoring amidst this very poor and hurting neighborhood, and, as well, to be involved in the community, like as a member of the Hill Management Team and by showing up, literally, everywhere in the Hill. And, such outside support ensures I can continue sharing the gospel and, even, as it so happens, just outside my apartment door do some regular street pastoral counseling.
God certainly has prepared me for this ministry, theologically, as well as, socially and vocationally. I like calling it now, “My-Lived-Out-Theology.”
I had always thought these past 20 years were God’s seminary-training for me. I've written on this (i.e., social action, church, and evangelism), articles, even a book, and in some way that has been self-preparation for this ministry, as well.
I continue to be humbled by my call to the Hill. Humbled more so that people, friends, churches (a few churches anyway) support, especially financially and materially, our gospel work here in the Hill. I am so grateful to those who give of their own resources so I am empowered to serve and, as some in the Hill refer to me, to be the pastor of the Hill. Although I have yet to reach 100% of our fundraising needs, still because of the generosity of others, I have the ability to do this full time. And, trust me, it takes full time. This allows me to be where I need to be when I need to be there; not just hospital visits or at a kitchen table or a church activity, but out my front door to counsel those, who, almost as if they are waiting for me, need a word or a prayer from the Pastor, to show up at town and community meetings, and simply to be visible in the needed places of Hill life. I will find out this coming week regarding our FY20 budget (our fiscal year is 9/1–8/31), whether it was approved or modified. Yes, I am a little worried this year--our church does grow and will grow mostly with the same population that lacks resources, and more people means more resources needed to minister. We are a church that has become well known so our outreach activities (especially ones related to food!) increase in people served; thus, our need for our own resources to increase. The FY20 budget reflected a mere 6% increase; but without hitting our fundraising goal (so far) for FY19 (43k and currently at 83%), I am not sure where we stand (next week I will). A vision budget would include the funds to help obtain someone dedicated to reaching Hill teenagers and, as well, funds to help people in our congregation to start businesses and to start our own coffee shop, our own food co-op here in the Hill. But these must wait until more outside brothers and sisters see this vision as well. Nonetheless, I am blessed to be in a place where I can minister the gospel, demonstrating what loving one’s neighbor looks like in an under-resourced neighborhood; to be a pastor to the people of the Hill; to disciple a church to be a model of God’s kingdom; and, to be present in such a way to multiple opportunities for Hill men and women, Hill children, boys and girls, Hill young people, teenagers so they may find eternal life and a new life in the Hill. I am grateful that others give out of their own resources so that I am empowered to be a pastor in the Hill. If you'd like to know more how you can help, email me at [email protected].
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Wasted Blogger, Chip M. AndersonI am the pastor and church planter for Christ Presbyterian Church in The Hill; a flawed practitioner of Wasted Evangelism. I am learning about Wasted Evangelism through my experience in The Hill and through the good people of CPC in The Hill. Archives
April 2024
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