The Ouch! Ministry

This is a christian faith-based ministry that is specially directed to assist men,women, children and families re-direct and focus their goals from crisis situations and tragedies. If life has knocked you over and given a little bit more than you think you can handle and you've had more than your fair share of pain and suffering, then, this is the ministry for you; partner with caring sensitive people to bring you the relief you need.

The Bible is our Guide ,prayer is our watchword .

What is your need? Contact us by using our form below or by calling us at 724-375-6675

Orthodoxy believes that the supreme treasure which God wishes to share with us is His own life. Our faith begins with the affirmation that God has acted in history to permit us to participate in His love and His goodness, to be citizens of His Kingdom. This conviction is expressed so beautifully in the prayer of the Liturgy which says: "You have not ceased to do all things until You brought us to heaven and granted us the Kingdom to come."

The initiation of love of God the Father is perfectly expressed and embodied in the Person and Ministry of Jesus Christ. The whole purpose of the Incarnation of the Son of God was to restore humanity to fellowship with God. The great teachers and Fathers of the Orthodox Church constantly reaffirmed this conviction by proclaiming that God had become what we are in order that we could become what He is.

Christ is exalted as our Light and our Life. In His Person there is a unity of humanity and divinity which each of us is called to share. In His way of life. there is the model of authentic human life which we are invited to follow. In His victorious Resurrection, there is liberation for us from all powers which can keep us from the Kingdom. Through Christ, then, God the Father has repossessed us and has called us to be His sons and daughters.

THEOSIS

The fundamental vocation and goal of each and every person is to share in the life of God. We have been created by God to live in fellowship with Him. The descent of God in the Person of Jesus Christ has made possible the human ascent to the Father through the work of the Holy Spirit. Orthodoxy believes that each Christian is involved in a movement toward God which is known as theosis or deification.

Theosis describes the spiritual pilgrimage in which each person becomes ever more perfect, ever more holy, ever more united with God. It is not a static relationship, nor does it take place only after death. On the contrary, theosis is a movement of love toward God which begins for each Christian with the rites of Baptism and which continues throughout this life, as well as the life which is to come. Salvation means liberation from sin, death, and evil. Redemption means our repossession by God. In Orthodoxy, both salvation and redemption are within the context of theosis. This rich vision of Christian life was expressed well by Saint Peter when he wrote in the early pages of his second Epistle that we are called "to become partakers of the Divine nature." It was also affirmed by Saint Basil the Great when he described man as the creature who has received the order to become a god.

These are certainly bold affirmations which must be properly understood. The Orthodox Church understands theosis as a union with the energies of God and not with the essence of God which always remains hidden and unknown. However, the experience of the Church testifies that this is a true union with God. It is also one which is not pantheistic, because in this union the divine and the human retain their unique characteristics. In this sense, Orthodoxy believes that human life reaches its fulfillment only when it becomes divine.

THE HOLY SPIRIT

The ever-deepening union of each Christian with God is not a magical or automatic process. While Christ has destroyed the powers of sin, death, and evil once and for all, this victory must be appropriated by each person in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Each person is called to join with the lifegiving and liberating Spirit" in realizing the fulness of human life in communion with the Father. The Holy Spirit is the agent of deification whose task it is to incorporate us into the life of the Holy Trinity. However, the Spirit always recognizes our human freedom and invites our active cooperation in perfecting the "image and likeness of God" with which each of us is created.

Our participation in the life of the Holy Trinity, which we know as theosis, takes place within the Church. For the Orthodox, the Church is the meeting place between God and His people. The Holy Spirit and the Church are organically linked. In the second century, Saint Irenaeus reminded us of this by saying: "Where the Church is there is the Spirit, and where the Spirit is there is the Church." The Holy Spirit moves through the life of the Church to reveal our common humanity in Christ and to unite us with the Father. We acquire the Holy Spirit through our celebration of the Eucharist and the reception of Holy Communion, through our participation in the Sacraments, through our discipline of daily prayer, and through the practice of fasting, all of which result in a Christ-like life.

The Holy Spirit, Who is honored as the Lord and Giver of life, is manifest in the life of the Church in order to bring our lives to perfection, and to make us responsible and loving human beings. The fruit of Worship is the gifts of the Spirit. In his letter to the Galatians, Saint Paul identified these as: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, fidelity, gentleness, and self-control." Certainly, these are the virtues of a Christ-like life. They testify to the fact that the love of God and the love of neighbor are inseparable.

THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE CHURCH

The reality of theosis not only bears witness to the love of God who wishes to share Him self with us but also expresses a very positive view of the human person. Orthodoxy believes that each person has an intrinsic value and importance in virtue of his or her unique relationship to God. The human person is never seen as being totally depraved. The "image of God" which can be distorted by sin, can never be eradicated. Through the life of the Church, there is always the opportunity for fulfillment. When the Sacraments are administered, they are always offered to the individual by name. This action not only reminds us of the dignity of each person but also emphasizes the responsibility each person has for his or her relationship to God.

While Orthodoxy recognizes the value of the person, it does not believe that we are meant to be isolated or self-sufficient. Each person is called to be an important member of the Church. Orthodoxy believes that one cannot be a Christian without being a part of the Church. The process of theosis takes place with the context of a believing community.

To be united with God within the midst of the Church does not mean that our unique personalities are destroyed. We are not engulfed by an impersonal force or power. As with all love which is true and valuable, God's love for each of us respects our personhood. His love is not one which destroys. God's love is one which reveals, elevates, and perfects our true selves. By entering into the life of God, we become the persons we are meant to be.

TREASURES OF ORTHODOXY

Before They Become Homeless

by Jan Johnson

Carol could never catch up financially. Before she could pay for rent, food, and child care, her purse was empty. As we became friends, I often found her staring into an empty refrigerator and crying over her broken marriage. She was a teacher, but she didn't manage money well and she was too devastated by her divorce to care.

In the summer, she taught summer school but when it was over in July, she couldn't find a temporary job that coordinated with child care and bus schedules.

I tried to help. I paid her to watch my children. I brought her food. I encouraged her to study for a state teaching credential test so she could get a job in a higher paying public school. Beyond that, I was stumped.

Then I read in the newspaper that single-parent families were the fastest-growing category among the homeless and I suddenly saw that Carol and her children were likely candidates. There are at least a half million homeless children today; some statistics suggest up to a million. How could I be concerned enough to write a check to a downtown mission, but not enough to recognize a friend who soon could become a resident there? I had stereotyped the down and out person as a drunken man living on Skid Row, but that's not so.

Steps to Homelessness

Typical scenarios leading to homelessness include: a family can't find affordable housing after their older building is torn down so they live in their car; a waitress goes on medical leave and can't survive on sick pay without tips; a nurse's aid can't afford child care for her three children so she leaves them alone at night while she works and is reported to Child Protection Services.

Many of us are so busy that we don't see the financial problems of those around us. My friend Marguerite didn't understand how desperate her neighbors were until someone bought their house at a foreclosure auction. "I remember the husband lost his job, but I never dreamed it was that bad," she told me. "I've tried to find out what happened to them, but no one knows."

Carol's problem opened my eyes to prevention as well as cure. A survey of 87 homeless mothers by Harvard Medical School and the University of Southern California points out circumstances that these women had in common. Based on their findings, here are some phrases we might hear in a friendly conversation with a potentially homeless neighbor, friend, or church member.

BUZZ WORDS: "My husband/wife is leaving me," "I just moved here."

One-third of the surveyed mothers became homeless due to a broken relationship, another third because they were evicted and another third because they tried to relocate.

BUZZ WORDS: "I can pay for everything but child care."

Three fourths of the surveyed mothers couldn't find affordable day care. Until three-year-old Charlie got into school, Carol's day care bills saddled her.

BUZZ WORDS: "I barely knew my parents." "My family can't help."

Forty-three percent of the interviewed women were runaways or had been placed in foster or institutional care as children (one-third had been abused as children). More than a third of the women had deceased parents and many had no siblings.

Carol's parents were dead and her brother helped her once but refused to help her again.

BUZZ WORDS: "I know I can handle a job, but nothing seems to work out."

Sixty per cent of the women had at least a high school education, but two thirds hadn't held a job for longer than a month. It never occurred to me that Carol could be nearly homeless because she had a master's degree. What I didn't understand was that her self-esteem had slipped so much that she was lethargic at home and on the job. She used up her sick days and more with her own illnesses and her children's. (She was rehired that fall on probation.)

The problem of homelessness can be so overwhelming that we think that only "professionals" in inner-city missions are equipped to deal with these problems. But Jan McDougall, chief operations officer at Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles believes that the church is the highway around Skid Row. "It's that committed network of people who already know potentially homeless persons who can help the most -- before they get down here," she says.

Carol's problem opened my eyes to the need for prevention as well as cure for the problem of homelessness. Here are some suggestions on how you can help.

Be a Resource Person

People with financial problems can get so discouraged that they aren't good at digging up job-training programs or subsidized child care. Even though we may not be able to offer direct assistance, we can ask friends and others where to find help.

• Ask friends if they know someone who's selling a reliable used car or who rents inexpensive apartments. They may know about employers who offer child care, such as universities and hospitals. A needy person may not qualify for a professional job, but these institutions need clerical and custodial help too. 

• Ask potentially homeless friends to rethink their family options. Can an aunt or in-law move in and trade room and board for child care? McDougall points out that many times people in this situation are estranged from family members who would help if they knew there was a problem. Probe to see if they could patch things up with their families. 

• People who work regularly with the homeless can direct us to resources. You can call large churches in your area that have staff persons who specialize in this area and can can answer telephone requests about available programs. Some churches publish their own classified ads or bulletin boards that feature used furniture, jobs and quality day care. Ask your local councilpersons to supply you with a social services resource list.

BE AN ENCOURAGER

Here are some other ways you can bring hope to those feeling discouraged by their situation.

• Be a friend. If you try to help neighbors, acquaintances, or even a local bag lady, the first step is to be a friend. Viewing them as peers instead of "needy people" builds their self-esteem and boosts their outlook.
  
  On Carol's birthday, my husband watched her children while I took her out for cheesecake. It seemed frivolous in light of her serious needs but she loved it. "I feel so special," she whispered and hugged me. 

• Validate them. McDougall believes that lack of self-esteem is a major problem. "Almost every woman I work with has been emotionally, sexually, or physically abused by a family member," she says. This is true of many homeless men as well.
  
  One way we can help is to point out the person's good qualities. When I admired Carol's tall, slim figure in her class picture, she looked shocked. Between the break up of her marriage and her own self doubts, she'd forgotten that anyone could think she was attractive. 

• Don't expect miracles. Understand that some days a potentially homeless person may want to work on problems and other days feel hopeless. Carol studied for her credential test sporadically. I learned to praise her for her confident moments and walk with her through the discouraging ones. 

• Find support. A family's personal and medical problems may be more than you can handle. Shelters and self-help groups for alcoholics, spouses of alcoholics, and battered women are often listed in the telephone book. Some missions offer free clinics. Some churches offer free counseling. 

• Share Christ. "Drug pushers are bold and courageous," says McDougall. "We need to be. I always tell people that God loves them and then give them further teaching as needed." Because Carol already knew the Lord, I tried to remind her that God loved her without giving her pat answers.

Don't Try to Do it All

McDougall differentiates between the homeless person who wants help and the "street person" who doesn't. "Street people are there by choice because they like the excitement and the freedom," says McDougall. "Most homeless families, however, are people who have lost their jobs and ability of cope. They have goals and they'll use whatever help you give them as a stepping stone to greater things."

I wasn't this wise when I tried to help our local bag lady. I gave her food and suggested local shelters. Sometimes we just talked. Later I found out that she gave the food away and never tried the shelter. Now I recognize her as the "street person" McDougall described. I still talk with her but I understand that she doesn't want my help.

You might want to enlist another church friend or couple to help you so you're not the sole emotional support for your friends in need. I got involved with Carol because my friend, Jamie, who was Carol's coworker, asked me to pray for Carol. Together we consoled Carol through her divorce and encouraged her to get a generous child support settlement. Thankfully, her ex-husband paid it on time and Carol survived.

Helping a down-and-out person is like any ministry. You get a lot in return. Once after giving Carol a pep talk about how God always provides, I received a car insurance bill that had doubled. "We can never pay this," I stormed. Then I thought about Carol and rehearsed my pep talk on myself.

Jan Johnson is the author of Living a Purpose-Full Life and the upcoming book, Growing Compassionate Kids (Upper Room Books, 2001).