 Hello everybody. Welcome back to another episode of Anabaptist Perspectives. I'm here with Patrick Matthews and Bill What was the one? Shiley. Shiley. Okay, awesome. We're here in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania You guys have a ministry here that you called the room and let's just dialogue about this little You were on one of our episodes last year About your conversion story how you came to know Jesus and then you went and started this ministry Just walk us through a little bit of that. What was that process? What do you guys do here? Okay, the start with how this began. I Took this room over it was four different rooms And it was decayed rotted and torn up sort of like myself And as I went through each room and ripped out everything I was ripping out the sin in my life and I was rebuilding myself as I did this room and It's still not done and if you look at it, it will never be done There will always be something slightly a-screwed because in my life There's always something slightly a-screwed and Christ is always compelling me to do something more It was a practical way of me living out christianity by me doing what in this room I was also doing in myself. Yeah, so what types of ministry do you do here and how long how long have you been here? We've been here about seven years and it were a soup kitchen. That's what we started with We came to minister to the people in the street and what we've found is our participants were getting a bit a-screwed Because it wasn't working the way they want it and what they realized is that the mission field really was in their heart And they had to come in here each time with a positive smile and a willingness to teach God to these people Even though they weren't getting it the intended persons were Not the mission field. I think it was us. So you have a number of different things going on here then Yeah, we have a soup kitchen on Tuesdays and Fridays and we have a Bible study that Bill Does every Saturday. He leads that out and then we have a church service which Bill again is leading out on that Wonderful wonderful and Bill how long have you been involved with this? I've been pretty regularly involved since Probably 2015 sometime 2015. Okay, so be about three three and a half years somewhere in there So so can you all walk me through the core vision of this? I mean, it's Chambersburg Pennsylvania We're not in some big city, you know, this isn't New York or LA We're right here in I don't know kind of small town Chambersburg doing this walk me through that is Yeah, what's the vision and also how does this work with what Jesus taught us? You know going to the least of these and all of that Originally, I I Was in prison and Christ told me to come back to the town that I committed the crime and that if I didn't Fix what was behind me. I couldn't go ahead and that was both fiscally spiritually and Relationships so I came back here. I didn't want to do this the cost They always talk about count the cost before you build a building had I counted the cost before I be Changed my life. I might not have done it It's cost me everything that I had prior to being a Christian to turn my life over to Christ and this is completely Different than what I thought I had to You know, I grew up on motorcycles. I don't ride a motorcycle And that's just one of the plain things I don't wear black boots anymore because I used to kick people in the head with black boots I wear brown boots everything in my life had to turn around and it turned with a twist of Christ and Had I counted the cost before I did this I wouldn't have done it So one day I was walking across the bridge and I said that's it. I'm done. I'm not doing this I don't want this it's too much and every step that I took away from this room Because I was heading to rent this room and I was on the bridge coming here and I turned around I said no, I'm not doing it and every step I took I thought you know where this is taking you You know what this does. You know what the cost is and about 12 steps out I turned around and I said, okay, I'll do it and I came here and I ran at this room And the first thing we did is we pulled all the the blinds off the windows and the owner said well What if somebody breaks in I said well God will provide I had a simple child like faith and Sometimes that child like faith gets tainted by the words that are thrown around in the groups So my intended goal on this place was to teach people child like faith Yeah, I'd say each of us is gonna have our different perspective about it But the goal here is to do something. I'm not sure that Jesus really targeted a demograph As much as he encountered people and he met needs and he did something about him and For me personally That's a little bit the way I feel about the room here is Patrick had already started before I even moved up here five years ago through part of my personal journey with God and surrendering The home life the abuse that went on in my life Part of part of when I came to that point was beginning to look for God using those things in my life to bring good and Automatically part of that was reaching out to other people who had experienced those kind of things and I fought it for a long time, but That's why I'm here is because there was Something I needed to be doing something And to make a long story short with moving up here I didn't have anything anymore in my life that I glad had in Kentucky or even a faith mission and This was an opening. It was available. I was asked to come in and help out with things and so It's the door that got opened and I Don't have you know any alphabet suit behind my name It's not like we think we know how to do this and here We're gonna show you, you know a five-step process, but but simply learning to connect with people to To show them God's love and to lead them towards towards his healing in their lives And that's that's what we try to do here. And so are you targeting primarily? Homelessness or or is it just anybody you see in Chambersburg that would be needy and need a place like this We don't really have to have our times everybody in town knows they just show up and hmm, I For a long time didn't know people's last names because when the police came a lot of our clients or Have dual lives One they show here and one they pervade in the street when the police would come and say do you know Bill? Blah blah, I would say I know a lot of bills, but I don't know that person Well, they've gotten smart and what they've done is come with a picture because they know that I know most of the People but we don't ask people their names. It's not important. It's not important How you got here? It's important that you're here and they feel safe enough to come in here So well, I'm really curious then like how how's it been going with the church that you've started here You know you're leading out in that and then and I'm guessing that's been going for several years Like do you see? You know we all like to oh, what's the numbers? What's the results? But honestly like is there a lot of interest in what you're doing here, especially the spiritual side It's beginning to catch. It's like anything in the beginning you have to Remind people and in if you get them to come enough times I've heard often that if you have a habit you want to break for 30 days if you do something different Then it becomes your standard. Well, how do you quantify that in church? These are people that go to any church and they usually go with their hand out now They're coming here and they're being fed spiritual food not physical or not Financial food, which is what a lot of people go for You know if I go around and prompt each person to come sooner or later and may become a habit I don't know. Yeah, as I told you in the last interview David E. B. Came to me 28 years before I turned my heart I don't know Wow, and I explained this the last time the no-till method of Witnessing the people is to go through put the seeds don't disrupt the soil I think in this collaborative effort We're going 21 inches deep into the soil turning it over knowing that the rocks in the soil may upset our piece of equipment It may even harm us But we're willing to do that and if we turn the soil up enough Then we can plant the good seed and then Like I said before the demographics used to be the people to come in here. I think it's us The volunteers that come in here that are is the real mission field because we have a lot of playing people who Theoretically want to do something and practically don't know how to do it. No, I think that's a good point And I'll say that myself that my interaction here has done more for me personally challenged me personally Probably then anybody else anybody else here This whole thing has kind of evolved so we started out more or less having it open in the afternoons For people to to be a safe place for people to come out of the cold and stuff we began offering meals here and So that was the main attraction and then the Bible study that Bible study actually was another lady began a ladies Bible study and then guys started coming in so I began to help out and eventually took it over So it's kind of been a modular thing as we as we felt needs and then the Bible study that's been going for about two and a half years now and What happens is is we we encounter people with the food that's social time It's where we make connections with people and then people who are hungry for something more serious come in Saturday nights the Bible study and then the Sunday afternoon Meetings kind of grew out of the fact that Bible study is great to have discussion and questions But we I felt like we needed some time with them where someone could present in a systematic orderly train of thought Teaching on a certain subject. So that's more or less what the Sunday afternoon is for one of the reasons That people come in here is because it's a safe place and because trust is built and that happens through a lot of social interaction The the ability to influence a person is directly proportionate to the amount that they feel like we actually care about them as a person So then there's things like Christmas Day Thanksgiving Day that we do things in here with them because a lot of them Don't have family Or it's not the kind of thing they want to be with And this and so what it's sounding like this isn't you didn't just show up and instantly have people's trust I'm guessing this is a man Like and I think that's something that that we really need to keep being reminded of we start doing ministry I'm like, oh, where's the fruit? You know, we want to see results because we're impatient and you know This this is things that can take many many years like you were saying those habits those mindsets need to be changed It's that continual planting of seeds. We had a guy up the street We initially came in contact with him because he overdosed twice from heroin And I went out and walked up and put my arm on him and I said, you know why we're here and we keep pestering you We really care about you and in a lucid period of time where he stopped using the heroin He came in here and he was encouraged by that now Satan always, you know shows you the other side They show you the beer can but they don't show you the dumpster where you throw it and he right now I think is following the the alternate path Talking about the church thing my idea when we started this I kept saying to Bill and different people We need to start a church service the inclination or the incline from street to Mennonite Church is really steep So if we can somehow bring it down Package it in a one-hour increment and throw some sand for traction. Maybe eventually we'll get some converts The the thing about church here in town We have a service in here or a meeting Sunday afternoon. However, you want to use correct terminology there, but at this point there there's Chambersburg Christian Fellowship meets in town here, but Something that's becoming a growing conviction to me is that we people are not going to take us seriously until we become one with them in circumstance and That's that's my prayer is that I a Church a group of people who are committed to following God as dear children live here in town And I think that's when things are really going to be able to take off because a big piece that's missing right now Is our ability to mentor people? These people still have a social life They have to live and they have to go other places for it And so at this point as far as like having people who are part of indigenous people who are actually part of a church that's following Jesus here in town Whatever you'll call a conservative anabaptist type church or something like that. We don't really have that yet There are people who come regularly to Bible study who come regular to the Sunday afternoon meetings But I feel like we're not really able to offer church here yet because there's not people who actually live here and we don't have enough Manpower here so to speak yet. So that's that's the goal. I'm work I would I'm personally working towards yeah into town here and like moving it up to the next level is you've built a lot of ground work Now, let's let's stabilize it. Right. Yeah, right Hmm. I am a member of Chambersburg Christian Fellowship and our my church and the three Sister churches from Shippensburg and St. Thomas are all involved in this But they don't know what to do with it sometimes And so we have I'll say the blessing from everybody to do this church. We have the nod in a wink and It's working like I'm encouraged by what I see because if we have somebody come in two or three times That's the fruit that I'm looking for. Yeah, you know, it's because it's beginning something It's starting to change that habit We have a young lady up the street who is coming in and she's trying to put a veiling on I don't know if she knows what she's doing completely. Yeah, but she's feeling convicted and I think that's what this room is about convention, yeah, the the The demographic we're working here with here is definitely a difficult one I'd say Probably 60% at least actually have a place to live. Mm-hmm. Maybe more than that. Maybe it's more closer to 80% But it's low it's low income people people who have a job that aren't making a lot things like that and The poor and the poor in today's society is different by and large in the poor in Jesus Society Yep, because most of them are poor because of personal drama Things that have happened in their lives Scarring that's happened the way they've responded to it and that keeps them from having a job either because of their their lack of interpersonal skills or because of crime they can't get a job and And that kind of stuff goes on those things There's deep roots to that stuff and that's where you're not just gonna come in and preach a message and have somebody jump up and Start looking like a good man and I and come into church so to speak and I'm not sure that's really what Jesus wants But I know it takes a lot of work It takes a lot of a lot of work a lot of building trust like you mentioned earlier and walking with them through Those those little steps. Well, what you're describing right there is discipleship, right? You know and Jesus said you know go into all the world and make Disciples right, you know, I mean obviously get you know converts is a natural part of that But disciples is the actual goal that says I like that that you're focusing on that. It's it's your long-term work Yeah, when I originally started this I could only take it so far. I'm an advocate for somebody who's in the street I always want to do for them and I realized to get it to where it needed to be I needed to pass the torch on to the young people and they took the name the Queen Street mission and turned it into The room which was the original name at first, but it didn't have the spiritual connotation So they avoided it, but the young people have taken this and they made it their own Like I said to you before we started this if the vision is here and the visionary goes out of the picture What happens is the vision dies with it, but if you pass the torch Here's the torch bill if he takes it and he runs with it now. He's living it and the vision goes on I think about the guy besides the pool in Bethesda You know he knew he was crippled But he did the same thing over and over expecting different results until Christ came in there He didn't realize there was an offer and I think that's what we do We walk around and look for those people who are crippled main Sitting by the pool and we invite them in here Yeah, and I'm not saying this is the only way but this is the way that we found right now We would like other people to come from outside the community like tidings of peace has volunteered people We would love to see them come here and help us and Explore this idea and see if we can build the community in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania and why Chambersburg Why not? You know like well, yeah, I wanted to hear you speak into that though because it I mean Chambersburg Okay, I mean, you know, it's not it doesn't sound dramatic like New York City or you know, whatever But but yeah, just walk me through that one. Okay Chambersburg was like I said I came out of prison and I went back to the place that I committed crimes I felt that if I Could change my life here then anybody could change their life wherever they're at so I came into Chambersburg and Somehow I kept selling it to the local churches and they got on to the idea I Don't know I don't feel like I It's I go to Chambersburg Christian Fellowship and people say well, you know go over here go over there And I said but I'm led here. I feel the Holy Spirit wants me in Chambersburg and fellowship And when they accept that me in they I looked at it Clyde layman and I said Thankfully you lowered your standards and let me in but now that you lowered your standards and let me in I'm here What are you gonna do with me? So in a way I'm challenging them to chip away at their thought process of people and and possible converts and I Don't know. I just feel led to this place. I don't know why God wants Chambersburg, but I feel he wants us here and I Think other people are starting to get that same feeling but you have to be here to have it happen You know, there are so many we can be overwhelmed with people in New York Because the services are so many but right here This is a manageable thing and the entrance into what's called the movement of the broom Which is starting to grow in Hagerstown and possibly we'll go to Harrisburg at some point has to start where it's manageable and then once it's obtained here to a margin Then you can go somewhere else Yeah And you have to pass the torch on to the people as we go through if we don't achieve that then all we have is Action with no real motive When it's it's almost like a kiss you're choosing it I mean definitely a smaller town than a lot of places you could have went is is part of the idea You could inspire Antibaptist churches all over the place to say look your local towns right there go go go do something like this There's needy people everywhere, you know, I I was talking to a very conservative Mennonite church in a damn that way. I'm not gonna say but They told me about their mission in Haiti. They told me about their mission in Africa and I said well, that's really cool Chambersburg's eight miles up the street And they didn't want to deal with that. It's easy to go into a country and show up and people go But it's hard to come the spiritually stuck people Repeatedly and trying to get them to pry themselves out of their behaviors. And you know, this is not an easy win but Christ Went to the people who are unwell and tried to mentor to people that were sick He didn't come for the people that are well and I guess in some ways what I'm proposing here is I came to my church Because people felt they were well and I'm pointing out that we're all sick and we all need help Anyway to get in touch with me www.harkin H-e-a-r-k-e-n house dot org email me at Patrick at harkinhouse dot org Bill is bill to teach at gmail.com