Archive for April, 2008
April 30, 2008 – 8:41 am
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty – creator, preserver and governor of all things – whose love and saving purposes have been revealed through his acts in history and, uniquely, in his Son Jesus Christ.
Dear Friends:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Among the many things that happened last week, the climax was our annual Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast. It was a pleasure to recognize some of our 1,200plus volunteers for their dedication and service. If the Kroc Center is the Heart of San Diego, our volunteers are the heart of the Kroc Center. We’re grateful for all they do, and also to Jean Stein for all she does to coordinate their efforts. Thank you.
We talk a lot about purpose and mission – our motivation and actions. We speak often of our history and heritage – our young history at the Kroc Center and our long heritage within The Salvation Army (the former proceeding from the latter). We discuss our present and plan for our future – hoping what we do today makes a difference in the lives of people tomorrow.
But where do purpose and mission, history and heritage, our present and future spring from?
They spring from what we believe. Everything springs from what we believe. From the every-day act of pressing the brakes and believing the car will stop, to the spiritual act of believing God for guidance.
For example, take a look at our name The Salvation Army. The descriptive of our name, salvation, reveals an essential affirmation of our faith. We believe in God and his love and his saving purposes. We’re not just an army, we’re a saving army – a Salvation Army.
So for the next several weeks, we’d like to invite you on a journey into what we believe, and encourage you to explore the roots of our purpose and mission.
In Jesus,
John & Lisa Van Cleef, Captains
Corps Officers
We Love Our Volunteers!
April 24, 2008 – 1:59 pmAt the Kroc Center, volunteers make everything happen!
April 22, 2008 – 11:18 pm
“Don’t waste your energy striving for perishable food. Work for the food that’s sticks with you, food that nourishes your lasting life, food the Son of Man provides.
He and what he does are guaranteed by the Father to last.”
– Jesus
Dear Friends:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
It’s once again a pleasure to share good news regarding the success of recent grant applications. We just received notification we’re recipients of a grant for $6,104 from the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture benefiting Kroc Kids – representing almost 100% increase over the amount given for this year. We appreciate everything Sean Cummings has done to ensure our programs are funded, and Brenda Dodge for her superlative leadership of Kroc Kids.
Another beloved member of our staff family is Lynnette Baker, who does a fantastic job conducting HopeShare – a Salvation Army outreach curriculum. She recently launched a new component of HopeShare called Good Sports, a free program designed to use sports as an introduction to character and God’s love. (Not only is it free, but it’s designed to meet California physical fitness standards.) With the help of our athletics and ice arena staff, she’s exposing children to things like the rock wall and ice skating. But more importantly, she’s building new relationships with people for whom this center was created, and is beginning to experience the harvest of increased attendance.
Finally, our Saints Hockey program held its end of year BBQ on Saturday. It was a pleasure to spend the afternoon with this portion of our family, and celebrate the accomplishments of our players. Moreover, the fact we’re intent on making character-rich people through the sport of hockey was reinforced as many of our players were recognized for their academic achievement, community service, positive attitude and strong work ethic. We’re indebted to Jason Galea and everybody who works to make our hockey program second to none.
Last week we had the opportunity to spend time in Chicago with the Kroc leadership teams from throughout The Salvation Army’s Central Territory. Communities from South Bend to Chicago were together, and we talked Kroc with Board members, architects, staff and officers. There was one resounding similarity interwoven into every conversation. Mission – which boarders on the miraculous because the conversations were held with multiple people who didn’t know each other, and were separated by geography spanning hundreds of miles.
One gentleman, from Quincy, Illinois, said this, “I used to work for a mission driven organization, then I went to work for a money driven organization. What I can say is this – I’m glad to be working for a mission driven organization again because the other was just not for me.”
As we talked mission, one thing became glaringly evident: our peers in the Central Territory are busy working toward the future we experience today. They’re in the trenches of design, development and fund raising. They’re a bit tired of the planning and want to get to the doing. But they keep going because of the promise that some tomorrow will yield the harvest of the work they’re doing today.
Jesus spoke to this idea nearly 2,000 years ago. He gave us a promise that the non-perishable things we strive for – things we might itemize under the word “mission” – are guaranteed to last; and the guarantee comes from God. What’s more is we suppose and believe, somewhere in the quiet of our hearts, that a strong sense of mission brings every one of us back to this place time and again. To participate. To work. To worship.
It’s here, at the Heart of San Diego, where we begin to touch the span between the temporal and eternal. It’s here, at God’s Kroc Center, where we sample and experience the divine.
In Jesus,
John & Lisa Van Cleef, Captains
Corps Officers
Scenes from Church #14
April 14, 2008 – 12:14 pm
April 14, 2008 – 7:45 am
Dear Friends:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
You’ll notice something different this week in comparison to the past four weeks around the center. Quiet.
While we all enjoy a moment to catch our breath after a four week run of day camp, we find the lack of children’s laughter resonating from the field a bit hollow - like we’re missing something. All this to say we’re grateful camp is an essential part of our life, and appreciate everything Andrea Sanford and the Day Camp Staff do throughout the year to provide opportunities for laughter and life-changing experiences.
Within the last four weeks of day camp a remarkable moment happened. Two of our campers had to go home on a Monday during the registration process because of head lice. It was so severe their hair had to be shaved. It’s no surprise they were embarrassed when they returned to camp on Tuesday - certain everybody knew what happened - so they hid their bald heads and smiles under their hoodies. Enter Dave Monaco. Without a second thought, he encouraged the boys to come out from under their hoodies with the promise he’d return to camp on Wednesday with a shaved head. They did, so he did - revealing the kind of character that leads to this place being called The Heart of San Diego.
This year, we’ve been able to expand our Family Arts and Literacy Connection to more students at our partner schools, and to a broader audience at the Kroc Center. The in-class portion consists of fine and performing arts education aimed at bringing the story of a related book to life. (This is important because we know if we can help make a reader by fifth grade, we can help make a reader for life.) The Kroc Center portion is a community celebration of everything that’s taken place in the classroom. Yes, it takes a dedicated team of people to pull this off, and we want to express our thanks do Deidra Davis for orchestrating our efforts.
Finally, we hope you saw Saturday’s article Transformation of a Neighborhood in the Our San Diego section of the Union Tribune. It’s wonderful to be a part of something that receives an abundance positive attention and community good will. And yet our overarching feeling is humility - aware we have a charge to keep, and precious souls to nurture through the Doorway to Opportunity.
There are many Sunday evenings when we stare blankly at the computer monitor wondering what to write. This is one of those evenings. It seems superfluous, redundant, and ridiculous to attempt writing something meaningful in the afterglow of inspiring moments we’ve attempted to capture above. What more can we add?
Perhaps one thing: encouragement.
Keep going. Never stop. Persevere. Don’t quit. Carry on. Do what you’ve been doing. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.
In Jesus,
John & Lisa Van Cleef, Captains
Corps Officers
Scenes from Church #13
April 13, 2008 – 9:11 pm
David 2.0 Pictures online
April 12, 2008 – 12:42 amHere’s some pictures (on Flickr) from tonight’s concert, featuring David 2.0, Omega, Tonex, Law, Mic Blu and more. Special thanks to photographer Mark Greene for making these shots happen!
