Stoke the Fire!

We have begun 40 days of prayer in our church which we are calling “Stoke the Fire”. Since our church, the Center for the Cure of Souls and Pascha House are all one integrated vision we are praying that God would prepare us to fulfill it and that He would open the doors. Over the next 40 day’s we have committed to pray daily for the birth of this ministry and the purchase of property. Our prayers follow a brief version of the Daily Office of the BCP and includes the prayer below:

“Almighty God and Father, who established a temple for your people, and a Holy Habitation for your Glory, all the earth is yours and you love those who serve you in truth. Provide for us, your people, a sanctuary worthy of your purpose; a place to set captives free and bind up the brokenhearted, a place of prayer and worship, that we may glorify your name in the earth. Amen.”

Please consider joining us as we pray for God’s favor and this ministry.

Zechariah 13:9
“This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘they are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”
Ps 107:7-9; 35-38
7 He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.
8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, 9 for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
35 He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs;
36 there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle.
37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest;
38 he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish.

Isa 61:7
7 Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.

Pray it Forward!

We have two properties that lie before us. One we have been looking at for a year that we actually made an offer on and a new one, larger and more complete that we found in April. In April I was asking the Lord to help solidify and pull together the disparate facets of the vision and shortly after that I found this site in lower Shelton, just fifteen minutes away. I met with a commercial real estate professional who has put together two proposals. The first consists of an offer to purchase the property way below market value with the added benefit of a tax write off since we are non-profit. The second offer consists in a triple net lease which, in theory, could alleviate his tax burden while we are there. In doing some research on the property at town hall I learned that the area is strictly designated for commercial office space and the town requires that the land use meet their requirements. Fortunately the property can be used in an “existing non-conforming” capacity for our purposes - at least we think so. We now have to make that argument.

We have four prayer needs that we would specifically ask you to pray for;

1. That the owner accepts our offer and sees the benefits in it.

2. That the town is favorably disposed to our usage, the overarching purpose of which is as a religious community. We would need their approval.

3. That we receive gifts that enable me to invest more time and be compensated through this process of getting this ministry off the ground. In order to make meaningful progress I have to spend more time on this and for the sake of my family I need to be compensated. Pray for provision.

4. For continued gifts towards the purchase and start-up of this ministry.

We are already receiving inquiries from people who need this ministry and want to know if we are running. With your prayers and giving we can get started. Please pray and consider visiting the “give” page and making a donation.

Fr. Matt M

ps - Think someone may be a great partner with us in this ministry? Do you know someone who may have a heart for this vision? Please consider sending them a link to the site.

A Bigger Vision

Pascha House has always been part of a bigger vision. Not just a vision to be a place for those suffering from life controlling problems, but part of a larger community given to praying the Daily Office and daily Eucharist. It is intended to be part of a community that incorporates discipleship and training so that those who come are sent to go and be witnesses. It is envisioned to take place within a worshiping community, one that welcomes and invites those in the local community to participate in a church experience that goes beyond Sunday Morning. Our prayer is not only that people are set free, but that their gifts and talents, especially in the arts (music and art) are given a fertile and prayer soaked place to grow. And to make these prayerful and healing resources available to the local community as well. The ideal property would have a building we can convert to a sanctuary, offices for counseling and management, housing for residents and staff, space for artists and musicians to pioneer music and art dedicated to Christ, a recreation center and a workshop.

We have recently found a piece of property that fully embodies this vision. It consists of several small bungalows, a larger house and a building that would easily convert to a Sanctuary. It also has two other structures to fulfill the larger vision. This distressed property is perfect for our needs and the owner is looking to unload it. We are prayerfully investigating options and creative means by which we may acquire it. Please pray for favor and wisdom as we approach the owner. We are praying for a miracle. We will keep you posted.

Immersive Community

We need immersive community. What many of us suffer from to little of, and what many who have life controlling problems desperately need is immersion in prayer, fellowship, teaching and the breaking of bread. As regular Christians we have far too little of it and as people in pain it is too often not available. The vision of Pascha House is to be a place of immersion in the Christian life. Prayer transforms the heart, fellowship reorders behaviors and standards, teaching transforms the mind, and the Eucharist nourishes the substance of our being with Christ. Each of these things is therapeutic, not just for serious dysfunction but also for the illness we call sin.

Goals for 08′

Our goals for 2008 are simple and come down to two objectives - to acquire the property and to build a foundation that can sustain it. In order to acquire the property we need to raise more money and we need pledges to cover the mortgage for the first year. The building that we already went to contract on is still available, but that could change at any time. In order to complete this deal we need to raise a minimum of $24,000.00 dollars. This, with the money we already have, will enable us to put down 10% and should be all we need for final approval for financing. Ultimately we do not want to hold a note on the property and once in we will continue to raise money so that we can pay off the mortgage asap. Some have suggested that we seek contracts with state agencies like Dept. of Corrections or Dept. of Mental Health and Addiction Services. The problem we encountered with that is that they only contract with up and running programs. We may still try for something like this but ultimately we feel that it will compromise the vision.

We also need to build a foundation. In order to accomplish this we will continue to seek to strengthen and grow our church as this will help provide people who will play a part in the ministry. We will continue to build relationships with local groups involved in similar programs and endeavors. We will strengthen our existing relationship with Taste and See ministries and seek out other partners for financing.

Once we are in the building we will need to do some work. But it is in generally good condition. I am praying that God will send a few men who will want to live in a Eucharistic community. And of course we will be looking to be up and running to take students as quickly as possible. Students will be expected to pay rent based on income and will also need to pay additional fees in order to stay. These additional fees will help pay my salary, pay for a case worker, secretary, house manager, insurance and other costs. We are looking at being funded privately so this is all “by faith”. So keep praying. The good thing is that our ministry will be available to every CEC church. And we will encourage CEC parishes to send people to us for healing and discipleship. I believe we will become a great resource for the CEC and other Christians in the future.

Pascha House Concieved (From 6/07 Newsletter)

Almost two and a half years ago we welcomed Carl into our home. He had completed a Christian drug rehab and was living in a half-way house. That first year, as I came to know Carl I began to realize that his addictive behaviors were compounded by underlying psychological disorders. This condition, often called a “dual diagnosis” or “co-occurring” disorder makes recovery very difficult. As I worked with Carl it became clear that there were no programs in the area for him, and those like him, that provided the sort of care he needed. Half-way houses often do not provide enough ongoing support, Christian ministries are either too simplistic in their treatment or too overburdened, and pastors are often too busy for the sort of intensive and ongoing pastoral care needed to truly bring healing to those struggling with these compounded issues. And in many programs the focus is on eliminating the rotten fruit (controlling behaviors like drug use) rather than the diseased root (soul pain). But when the root is healed the bad fruit eventually falls away naturally.

After using Classical Spiritual Direction as a pastoral counseling model and the sacraments and resources of The Faith together with an integrative posture towards psychiatric care, Carl showed a great deal of improvement. Eventually the core wound that drove his compulsive behaviors was addressed and healed. He went from being unable to drive a mile away or differ from the route because of immobilizing anxiety, to making the dean’s list at a local community college within a year. While he still struggles with some issues he continues to become a healthier, productive young man and follower of Christ.

Carl’s transformation occurred in large part because he was given the time and focused care necessary for this healing process to occur. Most professionals who work in addiction recovery now agree that a new paradigm needs to be put in place that provides a safe place and continuum of care that extends beyond the typical set program of 30, 60 or 90 days. Carl has progressed a great deal but still needs more time, as do the many others who struggle as he has.

As a result of this encounter it became clear that God was calling me to begin a Christian Program to meet the needs of those struggling with both emotional and addiction issues. After spending the last year and a half prayerfully investigating this, visiting similar ministries, and seeking wise counsel we have begun. With the enthusiastic blessing of my Bishop we hope to open Pascha House by the Fall of 2007.