Building on the Rock Wisdom and Faithfulness Meet our new Director of Operations
Plans are firming up for the 13th Annual Good Neighbors Youth Camp to be held July 15-20. Avondale Presbyterian Church will again be our host. 50 senior-high youth volunteers and their leaders will spend a week “Repairing Homes and Restoring Hope” to multiple low-income families in southern Chester County. It’s our busiest week of the year. Each evening, the youth will gather at the host church for dinner and sharing of fun, fellowship and discipleship. We’re excited this year to welcome Kris and Karen Raser as the evening program leaders. Formerly with Young Life, Kris now works at North Bay Environmental Education Center; and Karen teaches at Landenberg Christian Academy. Kris also leads worship at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church. Please pray for a safe, productive and life-changing week.
You may have seen them -- our rack cards. We are working with our many supporters and sponsors to get these cards in visible places around the region. If your church, civic group or business is interested in making our materials available to others, let us know. We want the community to know what we do and how we can serve their citizens.
Our new rack cards now sport this QR Code (Quick Response) for mobile access to our web site. Try it with your smart phone!
Mike LeRario is owner of in West Grove, PA. Mike has graciously supported Good Neighbors for nearly 15 years. If you need a well qualified plumber, call Mike at 610-633-7064. You'll be glad you did!
THIS NEWSLETTER IS UNDERWRITTEN BY
205 E. State Street Kennett Square, PA 19348 610-444-1860 Info@goodneighborshomerepair.org www.goodneighborshomerepair.org
A wise man recognizes his unique talents and a faithful man uses those gifts to give to others and build into the Kingdom of God. Good Neighbors feature volunteer, Bill Stecher, exemplifies both wisdom and faithfulness. Bill has been married to Barbara for twenty-six years and smiles with pride when he talks about his four daughters and two grandchildren. In between the responsibilities of work and family life, Bill always found time to volunteer. Being able to tackle just about any household job, Bill was the go-to-man at his church, Vineyard Christian Fellowship. If there was a single mother or widow who was in need of home repairs, Bill was always glad to help. After thirty years as an electrician with General Motors, Bill retired and started his own business, Integrity Home Inspection Company. With this new retirement business venture, Bill
hoped to have flexibility in his daily schedule so he could still dedicate time to volunteering. It was during this time that Bill learned about Good Neighbors and was inspired by the work they were doing in the community and the Christian values they exemplified; making homes warmer, safer and drier as an expression of faith in Jesus Christ. Bill became a key volunteer with Good Neighbors, sharing his varied building skills, as well as being a team leader and mentor to teens during the summer youth camp. Bill believes in living his faith through sharing his talents with others, hoping those around him will see God’s love through his actions. This year Bill will take another leap of faith and step into some very big shoes, taking on a new role with Good Neighbors. After twenty years, Jay Malthaner, the founder of Good Neighbors, will be retiring as the director. Bill will be using his building talents and business management skills to take on the director role. As the ministry enters into a new season of change and growth,
Board of Directors RJ Scaggs
Fred Bruns
Joy amid Trials
Robert Johnson
Robert Whitlock Bruce Thorngate Robbie Deike Rob Ellis
Jay Malthaner
Bill Stecher
Josh Knott
The letter of James begins, “
Good Neighbors Staff Rob Ellis
Bill Stecher
Jay Malthaner
Tom MacAulay
Phil Smith
Sara Ward
Barbe Stecher
Bob Whitlock
Don Aldridge
”. “Joy” is not the word I normally associate with trials. “Help,” or “stop” come to mind more quickly. I want relief! James says that the key to experiencing joy in trials comes from knowing that they come from a God who loves us and wants to grow our trust in Him. Like most of us engaged in mercy ministries, I need to be reminded of this precious truth each and every day. How we view our trials has profound implications for how we help others in their trials. For instance, we want to do everything we can to eliminate trials our homeowners are facing, while at the same time affirming that trials have a divine purpose. They come from a God who loves them and sent His Son to purchase their salvation; and now sends trials to test them and grow their trust in Him. Thankfully, this testing is less like a cold-hearted professor with final exams, and more like a workman who walks along the wooden ramp he just built and remarks with a smile, “yep, that’s not going to budge.” God’s purpose is not to destroy us, but to
expose our need for Him, and strengthen our faith in Him. But before we can offer this message of hope amid trials, we must apprehend it ourselves. Heeding James’ call to count it all joy means we no longer look at someone with a dehumanizing pity, but in compassion affirm there’s an opportunity for that person, made in God’s image, to grow. We offer hope, not merely a handout. It means we support Good Neighbors with our hands and our finances, not merely to work on buildings that will last for a season, but to invest in people who will last for eternity. It means our hearts break for those who have desperate needs, but we hold their hands in ours and cry out to God together, leading them back to the One from whom all this has come.
For years our old van required frequent repairs, but last fall the maintenance issues came to a head. To keep our vehicle compliant, we had to secure a (one-year only) PA state emissions exemption. After nearly 10 years of dedicated service to low-income families in southern Chester County, it would soon be time to replace the engine, or retire the whole van. With government funding virtually nonexistent, we prayerfully started submitting grant requests to local foundations. In the midst of this fruitless search, we providentially encountered a local consultant: MacIntyre Associates. “Have you applied to Crystal Trust?” they asked. “They’re in Delaware, but sometimes they support projects like yours.” Based on this recommendation, we did some research, contacted the Trust’s director, and subsequently submitted a formal application. Our bold proposal was to purchase (and equip) a new van, AND replace the engine on our original vehicle. This was not only our first request to a Delaware-based granting agency, it was our largest proposal ever: $40,000. We always begin our Staff and Board meetings with prayer… but now our prayers became quite specific! Since we’re located in PA, a polite rejection from Crystal was a clear possibility. Instead, just before Christmas, we received a one-time grant for the entire $40,000! So we confidently pressed on, reminded anew of God’s faithfulness. Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”. Yes, the Lord is leading Good Neighbors!
Families Served
Barry built and installed this multifunctional unit in our office. We’ll make good use of it, we guarantee it!
37
17
54
9
2
11
104
50
154
Project Volunteer Hours
1056
484
1540
Admin Volunteer Hours
294
165
459
Income
$78.2K
$78.5K
$156.7K
$315K
Expense
$68.4K
$82.5K
$150.9K
$314K
New Families People Served
A Member Agency of the United Way of Southern Chester County