June 24, 2025 • 43 mins
What happens when rescue mission staff from across North America gather under one roof? For the Topeka Rescue Mission team, their recent experience at the Citygate Network conference in Phoenix was more than professionally enriching—it was spiritually transformative. In this heartfelt episode, CEO La Manda Cunningham is joined by Miriam Krehbiel (Deputy Director of Supportive Services), Marcus Molinar (Deputy Director of Facilities & Security), and Scott Bryant (Assistant Director of Distribution Services) to reflect on the conference theme “Lead Me Home” and the overwhelming presence of the Holy Spirit among a thousand like-minded mission workers.
From a life-changing perspective on the prodigal son to honest conversations about brokenness, identity, and purpose, the team shares how their understanding of “home” and their calling has been forever changed. “Brokenness does not discriminate,” La Manda notes, highlighting the universal need for grace. Whether you're involved in ministry, seeking deeper meaning in your faith journey, or simply curious about the heart behind rescue work, this episode offers a powerful look at what it means to run toward the hurting with open arms.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you, lord, for this
day and your blessings.
God, thank you for this time,for this podcast, and Lord, for
all of our listeners.
Lord, we just thank you forthis conversation, lord for
lessons that were learned and,lord, I just pray that this
conversation will be a blessingto all who hear it.
Lord, in your holy name, wepray, amen.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello everybody, thank you for joining us for Our
Community, our Mission, apodcast of the Topeka Rescue
Mission.
I'm your host, barry Feeker,here on Tuesday, june the 24th
2025.
And this is episode number 272.
I just want to prepare you allwho are listening.
We've got a very lively groupin here today.
We had a hard time even findinga way to start recording
because they already startedrecording before we got going
(00:43):
here, but I've got LaMandaCunningham, who's CEO of Topeka
Rescue Mission, marion Crable,deputy Director of Supportive
Services.
Marcus Molinar, deputy Directorof Facilities and Security.
Scott Bryan, assistant DirectorDistribution Center.
Hello everybody, hello, okay,are you ready to go?
I think we are.
So you guys, we're going to kindof prepare everybody for what's
(01:04):
coming and just keep it rolling, because it's been pretty
lively up to this point.
But you all attended a CityGateNetwork meeting, which is the
Association of Rescue Ministriesin North America about 300 of
them in Phoenix, arizona, in May, and so LaManda, talk just a
little bit about CityGate.
We've introduced CityGatebefore on the podcast.
We've also interviewed somedifferent leaders from around
(01:26):
the country, got another one ofthose coming up, I think next
week or pretty soon.
So what is CityGate Network?
How does it intersect withTopeka Rescue Mission.
Then we're going to get alittle more specific into what
you guys got out of that meeting.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
Yeah, so CityGate Network is kind of this
organization, this associationthat many rescue missions belong
to, and they provide a plethoraof supports and it can be
anywhere from these annualconferences they do regional
meetings.
We have access 24-7 todiscussion forums that if we
(02:00):
have questions or we're prayingthrough initiatives that we feel
called to do all of this, wecan literally send out these
questions on this forum andwhatever group you're in, it
sends out to like, in my case,all the CEOs, so over 300 people
I have at the disposal, at thedisposal anytime that you have
questions or needs.
So it's just remarkable, justremarkable.
(02:21):
But through that you also gainsuch an incredible network of
colleagues, brothers and sistersin Christ and people that turn
into your friends.
And it's neat.
Through vendors we get ideas ofdifferent things that we need to
bring to TRM, things that wemight can do more efficient, and
(02:45):
then all of a sudden go fromthese kinds of networking things
and then you blink and yourealize two, three, four years
pass and you are talking topeople from another state
regularly and it's justincredible.
So it's just a plethora ofsupports and a variety of things
and the annual conferences, andyou'll hear about this in just
a minute.
It's life changing.
(03:07):
But what I think is so coolabout it is it doesn't give you
just this, and nothing againstchurch camps, but sometimes that
happens and you feel reallygreat and then you go back to
the real world and you lose someof that Because CityGate is so
intentional with their themesand the themes are derived by
what they know we're all facing.
(03:27):
This knowledge, this wisdom,these feelings continue on
outside the annual conference,which is why you couldn't get us
to shut up this morning aboutit 30 days later.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
There's a commonality here of shared experiences, but
very different from here toHouston to, obviously, phoenix
and different places.
You go Topeka, kansas, kansasCity.
You get a chance to learn andalso contribute.
Lamanda this was just yourfourth CityGate meeting.
Okay, and Miriam, this wasn'tyour first time either.
You've been how many times?
This was my fourth, your fourthtoo?
Okay, so, marcus and Scott,this was your first time going
(04:02):
to.
CityGate.
What did you think when youwalked into the big room and
this was rescue ministries fromall over the place and there was
what?
Maybe 1,000 or more people inthere.
Yeah, what was that firstimpression when you first walked
into that room and had dinner?
Maybe the gathering, worshiptime, the opening or whatever?
Speaker 5 (04:20):
My first impression was the tremendous power of the
Holy Spirit moving in that room.
So I go to a smaller church andI mean you can feel the Holy
Spirit move right with likeminded people together like that
.
You put a thousand or so peoplein there, you can.
(04:40):
It's almost like the feeling ofthe Holy Spirit is talking to
you.
It's wild, it's really wild.
I was vibrating at times.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
You know there's one thing about it you can go to
church Not to take anything awayfrom our churches Please don't
hear me wrong here but you cango to church with 1,000 people
in it and the 80-20 rule.
About 20 people are reallydoing stuff in the church.
About 80 people are there Atthis meeting.
It's 100%.
Everybody's doing stuff inministry.
They're working on the frontlines of some of the most
difficult situations in NorthAmerica and they are all on
(05:16):
mission.
Scott, this was your first time.
You are assistant director ofthe distribution services, the
rescue mission.
What did you think when youwere invited to go to this?
Speaker 6 (05:29):
What was your first thought?
I needed to pray about it.
So I haven't really beenanywhere out of the state of
Kansas due to my past.
So I definitely asked my wife,of course, prayed about it and
it was a big yes for me, a lotof firsts for me.
And when I got there it waskind of like LaManda had told me
things like it's going to breakchains and I'm like eh, you
know, I'm kind of doubtful.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
I told him he was going to cry and he said no, I'm
a tough guy.
Speaker 6 (05:49):
And getting there and getting around all these people
that are like-minded like uswas kind of overwhelming to see
so much power of the Holy Spirit.
Like Marcus was saying, it wasjust like it overtakes you.
It literally takes your breathaway.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Sometimes we feel alone in this work because it is
something not everybody does.
Obviously there's the team,there's the volunteers, the
staff, the board, there's acommunity, but still, unless
you're in the work work like astaff member, volunteer you
don't necessarily understandwhat everybody faces.
You get in the same room.
Other people are just on thosefront lines with with you, know
incredible stories of bothVictor victory and suffering
(06:28):
that they encounter, but you'reall around the same thing, and
so there's techniques that youpick up, you share, you learn Um
, I know that there's I don'tknow how many.
There's hundreds of differentworkshops you can go to.
It's something like that thatyou pick up.
But there's also somethingthat's very unique and different
, and that is it's a gatheringof people around the heart of
Christ, and that's differentthan a lot of things are, and
(06:50):
that's a theme that Mark couldjust start right out.
What'd you get?
You got the Holy Spirit walkingin there, and some people that
are listening to this mayunderstand what that means, and
maybe they don't, or maybe theyhave their own version of that.
So there was a there's always atheme, um, at the city gate
network, you know, learning, allthese things being together,
relational learning whatgovernment's doing.
Having governmentrepresentatives there, I mean
(07:12):
you name it, it's not just, uh,some folks that work down there.
This is a city gate network is amajor influence in the nation
and around the world Now um whenI say influence, they're at the
table um what's called the DCforum, miriam, that they have
every year for Washington DC.
And we're elected officials, soit's not just what we call
(07:33):
separate church ministry, it'schurch ministry involved in the
world, in the community.
So before we started talking, Isaid what was the theme?
And you said the theme was leadme home.
And boy, that lit up this room.
So let's light it up again.
So what did the theme lead mehome?
(07:53):
What was it about and how didit speak to you all?
Speaker 4 (07:56):
You know, the theme was lead me home, and it was
about the parable talking aboutthe man who had the two sons,
and the one son stays close tothe father and is trying to do
everything right, right, has thegood job, has the things, all
of this, and then the one sonbasically goes to pursue
(08:17):
everything other than anythingrighteous.
Who he knows is the prodigalson yes, and so it's all out of
Luke son, yes, and so it's allout of Luke.
And so when I heard what thetheme was, I was really excited
to see what all they did withthis.
I mean, this to me, and there'ssome things in the Bible that
aren't.
This was a common parable thatI had heard, and so I was ready
(08:37):
to go.
Lord, what are you going to allreveal with this?
And we'll get into that in aminute.
But the first time we got inthere and they started singing
songs, worship songs about thecharacteristics of the Lord, and
it puts things in perspective,because so often we're in this
(09:00):
world, right, this seems likeit's our home, and so we have
seasons in our lives where wemake great decisions.
We have seasons in the liveswhere we're not, and we have
seasons in our life where wemight look successful, like the
one son, doing everything right,but yet still be so empty.
And so as soon as the worshipstarts I can tell like I'm going
to be a blubbery mess, becausethe Lord has laid on my heart
(09:24):
for years now that brokennessdoes not discriminate and that,
yes, because of TRM we're tiedto homelessness, addiction,
mental illness, poverty, thosekinds of things.
But my heart breaks just thesame for people like myself,
barry, that might be inleadership positions or suits
and ties or big into the churchand they're so lost their home.
(09:49):
Everything looks right,everything looks like quote
unquote.
They're doing right.
They don't have quote unquotelived experience, like we say.
Yet they could still be so farfrom the father.
And this theme starts unfolding.
And you know, when I attendthese I try one look at it from
the lens of what do I need totake back for TRM?
But then I also learned theLord was like oh, what did you
(10:11):
take back for yourself?
Speaker 2 (10:12):
What you take back for yourself.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
And just through the general sessions and the worship
and all of that, there was justthis theme that our home is him
.
It's not a place.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Describe that.
What's that mean?
Our home is him, not a place.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
Well, I don't want to answer that.
I think sometimes we put thefather in a box or we put
parameters in place, of like inorder to experience him, you
have to go to church, or inorder to be to experience him,
you have to go to church, or inorder to be closer to him, you
have to have things, you have tohave money, you have to have a
(10:50):
nice house, and that makes youmore elite or makes you more
worthy.
And when you strip everythingthat is worldly or things that
we have put in place because ofreligion, you have this
incredibly raw loves you, justbecause you're you Father,
(11:11):
period.
And that so often the Lord isnot calling us to things or
success, or prestige, or eliteor whatever the case may be.
He's literally just calling usto fellowship with him.
(11:32):
And I have walked in Barry whereI've had the great paying job,
where I've had the house, whereI've had I've got two degrees,
all this stuff.
That is not what brings mepeace and what's incredible is I
have recently walked throughdarkness and still been home
because he doesn't leave, andprayer, worship this love
(11:58):
between us and our HeavenlyFather.
It doesn't have to look pretty.
This love between us and ourheavenly father.
It doesn't have to look prettyand it doesn't have to be
confined in the walls of ahomeless shelter or in a church
or things like that.
Anywhere we are sitting in thattent, sitting in that boardroom
, walking, wandering, goingthrough a divorce, losing our
(12:18):
kids, relapsing.
The father is still there, westill have a home in him and
that is just beautiful, and Ithink all four of us are just
like on fire for that to notonly reach those that we're
serving through the purpose ofTRM, but we see a lot of
brothers and sisters in thiscommunity that hurt too but seem
(12:40):
like their home, and they'renot.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
You know, when you're a child, you may live in a home
, but you don't really thinkabout your home.
You think about the people inyour home and how safe they are,
or maybe unsafe they are,unfortunately.
You know, when we talk about ahome, we think of a physical
structure, but if you're a childand God calls us to come to him
(13:08):
as children and you get hurt,you're not thinking, wow, I've
got a really cool home that Ican be hurt in.
You're looking for somebody tocomfort you and when you talk
about he is our home.
What does a child need at thatpoint?
Needs to be picked up by theirmom or dad and held and
comforted.
We've all been hurt as a kid andif you're listening here and
you didn't have a goodexperience with your mom and dad
, we get that, we really do.
(13:30):
But if you did or somebody inyour life has come along to
comfort you, it doesn't matterabout the physical things around
you.
It matters about the people whocare for you.
And so, by what you just said,lamanda, when I got this mental
picture of a little boy or agirl gets picked up by their
daddy when they're hurting, theydon't care where they live,
they're glad they have a house,but they don't process it.
But they process how they feelwhen they're in the lap of their
(13:50):
father.
And so, miriam, your fourthtime to go to this.
You've heard the fellows talkabout the Holy Spirit, and what
was your experience?
Sometimes we go to a thing overand over and over again Okay,
this is what we experience andthis is what we expect.
How was it for you this time?
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Well, that's why I just so confirm everything that
they said about the Holy Spirit,because you do you kind of
think, okay, this time isn'tgoing to be as powerful, right?
Because this is the fourth timeand I'm probably not going to
have the same rate.
That's just such baloney, Imean, it's like and it started
from the beginning, right?
(14:28):
I want to back up just a littlebit and say there is something
also that happens on these tripsthat I value so much, and
that's getting to know otherstaff members that I don't get
to interact with all the time.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Like on the team, on our team Like.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
Scott right Like.
I know Marcus pretty well.
We're in meetings together allthe time, but I'm not with Scott
all the time, and he and I hadthis opportunity to actually get
to know each other on adifferent level, so I don't know
that I could ever describe thepower of that and what the Holy
Spirit can do in that, too, andas we think of what home looks
(15:02):
like and who the people are thatwe can look to, for that
comfort that you were talkingabout, part of it is sitting
around this table or with any ofthe people that have actually
gone with us, because we get tointerface in such a different
way.
I'll tell you, though, what'sso interesting.
I'm listening to Lamanda andwhat she got from the very first
person I mean Barry.
(15:23):
It literally started from thejump, and it's fascinating to me
how, in this room of a thousandpeople, the Holy Spirit still
speaks to us all individually,and what our takeaways are are
all so different.
So this one, the very firstsession, for me, was incredibly
convicting because she made aremark.
(15:43):
Her name was Megan FateMarshman, and she was phenomenal
, but she made a comment aboutsaying that, and I wrote it so
that it was pertaining to me.
If I keep things to me, itreally means that I don't trust
him.
It's not that I don't believein him, because I know he can.
(16:05):
I'm just not sure he will,because he expects me this is my
head language, this is not theLord.
He expects me to be able to dothese things.
Well, no, he doesn't.
He really doesn't.
And so every time I'm holdingon to things and not just giving
it back to him because he'swatching me.
He's watching for me to turnback to him, and when I don't,
(16:30):
it really is an indication thatmy trust is not at the level
that it should be.
Not because I don't believe,but because I don't know.
Right, and there was so much,she said so much, and that's
just what happens every singletime.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
So what do you do with that?
I mean, you get that there.
How does it translate here?
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Well, it causes me to constantly ponder on this, or
it causes us, in different ways,to ask each other different
kind of questions on a regularbasis.
You know, marcus and I were insome sessions where it said X, y
and Z, and I'm getting textmessages for him every Sunday at
this point Miriam, are you X, yand Z?
(17:08):
So there is an accountabilitythat can happen.
But part of it is too, barry,that it weighs on me and it
causes me to think it's likeokay, miriam, you're holding on
to this, you think you're incontrol of this, you know what
that means, right?
And so then I have to go backand seek the father again.
(17:29):
Right, I have to go back home,because I'm out here somewhere
doing something stupid, becauseI think I can do it and I need
to turn back.
So I think, barry, it's justthis confirmation that when I'm
here, I have to continue to goback to all this stuff that I
wrote down, that was applying tome at that point, because the
(17:49):
Lord needed me to learnsomething, because this is what
I wrote down, right?
So, okay, I have to.
Either that or nobody should beinvesting for me to go.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Right, no, that's very good.
You know, to put it in a kindof a sports vernacular, the
teams that win the most are theones that spend most of the time
practicing the fundamentals,not the special plays, not the
Hail Marys and those kind ofthings, but the ones that go
over and over and over and overto ground themselves so that
they're ready to get on thefield.
And that's the same thing withwhat we do in this kind of work
(18:21):
and we do in our relationshipwith God.
We've got to go back to thosefundamentals and we need to
remind each other Marcus Scott,you've both been on the podcast
before.
You've shared some of your storythat you came to the Topeka
Rescue Mission without a placeto be and you were a guest here
at the Rescue Mission and yougot on different programs at the
mission and really excelled inthose.
And now today you guys bothhave leadership here at Topeka
(18:44):
Rescue Mission.
So, being this the first timethat you walked into this room
and you talked about the feelthat you had, what does it mean
to you to know that around theworld, and especially in this
case in North America, thataround the world, and especially
in this case in North Americathere's this kind of team
(19:04):
pulling for you, or was pullingfor you, learning from each
other to equip each other, tohelp each other, so that Topeka
Rescue Mission could be a betterplace for you.
And what does that mean for theother folks walking through the
door that are where you used tobe?
I don't know if that makessense, but you know to walk in
and go.
Man, this is not just a smallthing, it's a big thing.
Speaker 5 (19:27):
It's a big encouragement for folks Like
they're, the examples that wehave followed to get where we're
at.
There are, I know Jesus is thelight of the world, but Jesus
through them is the light for us.
I guess that's how that worksReflection of the light.
(19:48):
Yes, yes, Reflection of thelight.
Very encouraging, veryaccountable, and they truly have
hearts for doing this kind ofwork which, yeah, their
leadership is just.
I would say it's just great tobe a follower of this kind of.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
I know this is going on even outside of here.
Yes, Scott.
Speaker 6 (20:16):
Just it breaks chains in so many ways.
I'm seeing so many like-mindedpeople doing the same thing
we're doing.
Also seeing people that werelike us, that were homeless.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
It's not all double master degree Amanda's out there
doing this kind of work.
There's people of all kinds ofwalks of life, yes, and so you
met people who have been whereyou have been.
Speaker 6 (20:35):
Oh, definitely yeah, there's a lot of learning to be
had.
It's kind of overwhelming attimes because there's so much to
take in in such a short amountof time, sure?
It just just so many blessingsand broke chains of me that I
didn't know need broke.
So amanda, of course, told methis too, and I didn't listen.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
You don't have to get really personal with that, but
what do you mean by broke chainsin you?
Speaker 6 (20:58):
um, I, I had hardened my heart pretty bad in my
addiction and it actuallybrought my smile back.
I sent my wife a picture andshe's like you're smiling and
usually I kind of have a smirkon my face, but she's like you
have a full smile and so now ithas brought my smile back to me,
which sounds kind of silly, butif you know my past, that's a
huge thing for it to be able towarm my heart back up, which is
(21:20):
one of the hardest things to do.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
So, scott, you came through a lot of things.
You ended up here at the rescuemission, you got on the program
.
You learned a lot of tools.
You elevate because of thegreat work that you do in
distribution services.
I can remember way back when,when, you know, you were very
beginning on this.
Now you are the assistantdirector of this ministry's
distribution services, so thatsome people say, well, that'll
(21:45):
be enough, that'll bring a smileon your face.
What was different about thatexperience?
Speaker 6 (21:50):
that your wife said Whoa it just brings so much joy
to your heart Seeing all thesepeople that are doing the same
thing and just such a mass, andit's it's not even everybody in
the country that is there.
There's so many more peoplethat we don't even see.
Thousands stayed home,thousands stayed home, thousands
could go, that's right.
And just seeing us, just rightwhen you walk in, it's just.
The Holy Spirit is so strong inthere, it's overwhelming, it's
(22:14):
so much to take in and I thinkit brings us all closer to the
Father, instantly, almost, whereyou're just like your faith is
just like awakened, instantly,just because there's so much
power in all these people withall the stuff they do with the
rescue missions.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Yeah, so you get those things and, miriam, I
think you maybe mentioned itsome things you get and you
leave there, but some thingsstay with you.
So this particular aspect,obviously, whether it's
facilities or back office stuffor executive director stuff or
distribution, that there werepeople around with some
different workshops on that orsomething that was even bigger,
(22:52):
and that is just the wholeculture of rescue ministry and
Christ being the center of that.
So you go, you get it, you comeback and, marcus, things break
down still, oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
That was happening while we were gone, While you
were gone of course, the day wewere leaving.
Speaker 5 (23:10):
Yes, the day you were leaving.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
So nothing stops in regards to problems that the
world faces.
So how do you retain this, howdo you keep it going?
You can't replicate being in aroom with a thousand people, but
how do you glean from that andstay?
Speaker 5 (23:35):
You strive to abide in.
It.
To take back from theconference is um.
So when, example, when jesuswas um healing the lepers I
believe was either healing thelepers or performing miracles he
took the time to rest eventhough he was worried they can
(23:58):
wait, because I know what I cando he took the time to step
aside to rest and pray to thefather and and all that.
So, because he needs to befilled as well, to fill into
other people.
I think that's a good.
That's one of the main staplesI'm going to take and strive to
(24:23):
abide in is staying.
Now, it might not be an idlerest, it'll be a mobile rest or
whatever, because we need to getthings done, but as a leader, I
need to be filled, you know,during that rest period to fill
into my guys, my guys, okay.
(24:47):
So I can get a little cranky attimes.
Oh, no that pretty much meansI'm on E.
My guys will tell you aboutthat.
He broke a chain, but it's atrickle-down thing and it's the
reflection thing.
So if I'm not rested or filled,my guys aren't rested and
(25:08):
filled.
So I think that's a big thing.
I'm going to try to stay in andpractice.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
And I think you know, to piggyback off of this, and
they'll probably both just stareat me which means they're mad
that I say this as a little bitof my CEO hat, but probably more
so, just as their sister inChrist is.
I saw Marcus and Scott be ableto be in a room full of servants
(25:46):
and leaders and leaders, andthat they now realize they're
the leaders, and both of themare struggling to walk in that,
which is why I'm kicking theminto it.
Right, they've both lovinglykicking them into it, and so
(26:09):
when you're talking about, youknow how, how does this carry
over, right?
This feeling, this learning,sometimes what Scott's
describing as chains breaking,or Marcus talking about this
Holy Spirit movement.
Part of what I'm doing istrying to connect, which is why
(26:32):
they were selected for this.
There's a lot of intentionalplanning that goes into what we
do with CityGate.
When we come back, whoeverattends presents to the board,
because I view it as aninvestment.
It's not a trip, but that wasfun, right, scott?
Speaker 2 (26:49):
We haven't done it yet.
It's coming.
Got speech ready.
Speaker 4 (26:52):
Yeah.
So there's a lot of thought andprayer that goes into who's
going, why are we going?
We do team builders while we'rethere.
They all love that one.
I'm sure they'll talk aboutthat and all of this stuff.
But part of my role, then, tocome back, is to continually
remind them that when you werein there yes, your lived
experience is a part of yourstory, but that is not the
(27:15):
chapter that you're in and thatI believe in them, and that they
have to continue to walk in theredemption and not be held to
what they both view as failuresthat you can't be at home with
the father and stilluncomfortable because of the
(27:38):
past.
Otherwise the cross is null andvoid.
So I think they have differentlearnings that happened, from
practical things to really deeprooted stuff.
But one of the things, too,that's my role is to ensure what
the Lord laid on my heart ofwhy these three were even chosen
to go, is the season that theLord is trying to reveal to them
(28:02):
and open that up, and somultiple opportunities will
continue to come for thesegentlemen to continue to walk in
being very strong leaders, anddoing that because they are very
strong servants.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Well, there's an intentionality that, LaManda,
you get there and you don't haveto be the leader, you're a peer
.
Everybody's at the same level.
When you go into these meetings, somebody else is leading.
You get to be led, which Ithink is a great value, and then
you come back and you're astronger leader, just about that
rest.
You were talking about Marcus.
(28:37):
Well, I think for the listenerthat is familiar with our
community, our mission you knowthis is a big part of Topeka
Rescue Mission is the faith,faith in Christ.
If this is maybe you're not thatfamiliar this is a really big
central driving force behind thewhy of Topeka Rescue Mission
(28:58):
and some people aren'tcomfortable with that and some
people don't get it and somepeople are very comfortable with
that, but it is what it is forover 70 years now and then to
have these opportunities andpeople to invest in Topeka
Rescue Mission to not only helpmeet practical needs every
single day, but to keep the teammoving forward and helping meet
those practical needs everysingle day.
(29:20):
There are a lot oforganizations, social services
in our country and around theworld that are doing great work,
but oftentimes they get burnedout very, very quickly and don't
know what to do.
And then who suffers?
The people they're trying toserve.
The thing about this it givesus an opportunity to see every
person that walks through thedoors of the rescue mission, or
wherever they are getting a foodbasket, to know that they are
(29:43):
valued by God the same as theperson that's handing it out.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
Mary.
You know it was interesting.
Scott and Marcus and I were allin one session together, not
one of the general sessions, butone of the breakout sessions,
(30:07):
and it needs to remember,because we do see so many people
that our hearts are filled withwanting to help them.
But his comment was if the kingof the universe didn't heal
everyone, why do we think wehave to?
If the king of the universedidn't heal everyone he
(30:27):
encountered, why do we think wehave to?
And I would encourage all of usto think on that one right.
So what does our work reallylook like?
It's not necessarily about howwe're going to fix people or
heal people or doing that.
What is our actual role?
Is our actual role and I'm notsure that I fully have the
(30:50):
answer as I think through that,but we hold it is exhausting for
each and every one of us whenall we see is need in front of
us and think that theexpectation of the Father is
that we will fix it all.
Mm-hmm that we will fix it all.
That may not be the case.
And so now, how do we take timeto rest, not mobile rest, not
(31:18):
rest while we're doing, buttruly rest in the Father,
because that's the only way thatwe'll be able to continue to
work on His behalf and go wherehe leads us and understand that
it's not about what we can do.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Yeah, Henry Blackaby.
The late Henry Blackaby wrote abook called Experiencing God
and in that it was reallycentered around that Jesus was
doing what the Father was doingand so he was in connection with
the Father, um, to the degreebeing the son of God, being the
God man, but in flesh on theearth.
(31:55):
A little confusing sometimes,wrap your brain around that one,
but that's what we understand.
And if Jesus was healingsomebody, he was causing a blind
to see, he was feeding the5,000, whatever.
That's what the father wasdoing at that time.
So like, hey, son, go feed them, I'm feeding them through you.
And then Blackaby says at thesame time in John 15 and 16,
(32:17):
where Jesus says if you love meand keep my commandments, I will
be in you and you will be in me.
That's a pretty closerelationship in each other.
And he basically was sayingthat the works that I do, you
will do.
And so when Jesus wasn't fixingevery problem at that moment
means that maybe that's not ourassignment at the moment.
(32:39):
It doesn't mean forever orsomebody else's assignment, but
it indicates that's not what theFather's assignment is for us.
And so, yeah, we can't fix theworld.
It gets very frustrating.
I've tried for a while.
I'm still trying, but beatingmy head against the wall Can't
do it.
But that doesn't mean it's notgoing to be done, because God
loves the whole world at thesame time.
(33:00):
Sometimes we have to turn thatover to the Father.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
Or maybe healing doesn't look like what we think
it looks like.
Isn't that true, isn't?
Speaker 2 (33:07):
that so true Maybe?
Speaker 3 (33:07):
healing doesn't look like our vision of healing.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
So before we end today, I want to roll back
around to the theme Lead Me Home, that scripture that we briefly
talked about, where there was afather and he was a father of
means and he had two boys and anolder one and a younger one.
And the younger one he ran awayto take the inheritance in
(33:31):
advance and he went out and hesquandered the inheritance and
found himself really in badshape, really in bad shape, and
so he's either going to die inthe streets broke, or he's going
to humble himself and come backto the Father.
And so how many of us havereally squandered different
things in our life?
To where we look back and,scott, you look back and you
(33:58):
needed the chains broken oflooking back and they were
broken to where you can moveforward now to know that, just
like in this story that Jesustold, is that the father was not
going to reject his son if hecame to him.
He was actually waiting for him.
He was waiting for him, andwhen he saw him a long way off,
he not only said oh, I'm overhere, you can come find me here,
he ran to his son, really ranto his son, and his son
(34:23):
immediately just humbled himselfand says I'm not even worthy to
be called your kid anymore.
And he says nah, you're my kid,matter of fact.
We're going to celebrate thatyou're back home.
You're back home and kind ofjumping into that home that you
talked about Lamanda, into thefather, and um, and so, um, uh,
the father brought him home andrestored him to what he was
(34:44):
originally, uh, supposed to be,and that was a son of the father
and all of you who arelistening that same opportunity
to be a son or a daughter of thecreator of the universe because
he loves you so much.
And that's the main theme,that's the main story.
There's another person in thatstory and that was the older son
who didn't leave.
(35:05):
He stayed where it was safe, hedidn't go out on his own, he
didn't squander money, but hewas very jealous of his younger
brother and while he hadeverything at his disposal, he
really didn't know the father,like the father was trying to
show him through his broken son.
And so all of us are that wayand you know, we have an
(35:28):
opportunity to judge those whoare broken and fail to realize
our own brokenness.
We have the opportunity to helpor turn our way the other way
from those and say I'm not them.
The reality is, we're all them.
We all are them, Whether you'veever made a bunch of mistakes
or you haven't, whether you'vegot a past that would be
(35:48):
something you're ashamed of oryou haven't.
We all need the Father, becausethe Father wants all of us, and
we're at different levels, andso, when you see the Topeka
Rescue Mission, others reachingout to the broken, and sometimes
those broken have made unwisedecisions Not always, though,
things happen in life, andhealing isn't the same every way
(36:11):
, but the Father is drawingeverybody to himself, because
that's where the comfort is,that's where the joy is, that's
where the purpose is, that'swhere eternity is.
Folks, anything else you wantto share I mean we could go on
about CityGate and anything elseyou want to share today,
listeners.
Speaker 6 (36:28):
Just real quick, I think.
Sometimes we think because ofthe flesh it's easier to run
from God and that we should runto God Because he always will
take us back, just like theprodigal son.
We have to remember that heloves us more than anything we
could ever imagine.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
Pretty cool, isn't it , scott?
Yes, yeah, that's a gamechanger.
So okay, and one more thingyeah, that's a game changer.
Speaker 5 (36:48):
So okay, and one more thing when you're praying, be
honest, because he knows and hewants to hear what you're going
through.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
He stole mine.
No, it's so true yeah she hadtalked about.
Speaker 4 (37:03):
Prayer isn't meant to be good, it's meant to be
honest, and sometimes we thinkwe have to get things all
together before we can go to Godand we're all a mess.
The only way we get better isby going to God and recognizing
that.
So, man, we could do a wholepodcast on what I'm about to say
(37:24):
, but I'm going to just do itreal brief.
Okay, josh, get ready for parttwo.
Yep, but there was BishopClaude Alexander and he was an
incredible speaker, but he didthis kind of monologue
presentation of all of thesescriptures, of the story, and he
(37:45):
did it from the perception ofthat he was the prodigal son.
But he starts off and I meanyou can just tell, right,
there's this dynamic about him,like God has definitely giving
him the giftedness of speaking,but it's like you could tell
that before he even spoke.
But one of the first things hesaid is he's explaining kind of
(38:08):
his character, right, and he'stying the scripture together.
But then he says but I neverunderstand why it was not called
the prodigal sons and he setsthis stage and I don't know why
I had never thought of that,because I've I remember hearing
stuff about both sons and thefather and things like that.
But it was just incredible thatthe emphasis as he went and did
(38:38):
this monologue was he was alsothen explaining what was
happening to the brother or whatcould have been happening,
because there was truth in thatand then there was some filling
in right of all of these, whatifs that so apply to our lives
today cannot get out of my mindis Bishop says let's really
focus on for a minute what I wasso shocked about when I was
(38:59):
running back to my father, whenI was coming back to my father,
and he talks about how thefather did not look away even
though he was far away.
The father was so focused onwatching his son come back.
And then he talks about how thefather started running to him
that his arms were wide open andthen there were some other
things that he filled in.
(39:19):
But he basically then says myfather did that Because my
community hated me and my fatherdid it to distract his smell,
his look, you know behaviors,all this stuff.
(39:42):
And then he says because therewere no rescue missions around
to help me get better before Igot to my father.
And I cannot get that out of mymind, that part of what the
(40:14):
rescue mission tries to do istake the attention off of what
so many in our community do notunderstand and then, in a very
controversial time, we aretrying to understand the
attention that is being given topart of homelessness, but then
also still bring the truth ofthese are not the things that
should even matter.
Here are the things that weshould be concerned about.
You have somebody that smells.
You should be concerned whythey don't have any access to
(40:36):
anything else.
You want to talk about thebehaviors that seem quote
unquote crazy and they'redisruptive.
We need to care about how thatbehavior started.
We want to talk I mean, I couldgo on and on and on.
And when he said that there wasno rescue mission to help on his
journey, and so he went throughall this muck and did all of
that, and then had this fatherthat did some of his own
(41:00):
behaviors, yes, out of love, yes, out of this unconditional,
unwavering father figure rightto embrace the child but that it
was also done because he wasthis prodigal son, had to go
through the community, had to togo by people that were looking
at him, go by, and then his daddid it to distract from that and
(41:25):
so often that's what we'retrying to do is we're trying to
distract from the pressures ofthe smell, the poverty, the
mental illness, the behaviors,all of these things that no one
OK, but we are trying to weedall of that out.
That's coming at these people tosay, regardless of any of this
being said about you, you have afather that's locking eyes with
(41:46):
you, that is arms wide open andis saying come back.
And sometimes we have to be thebumpers with our community
around these people until we canget them connected to the
transformation that comes inChrist.
And I don't think I will everhear that story ever again the
(42:09):
same after that.
I'm not sure I will either.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
No, that's an angle I had not really thought about.
How much are we givenopportunity and called to be a
reflection of those who run tothe broken, in spite of what
they've done where they've been,because their community may not
like them, may not understandthem, may in fact hate them, and
(42:35):
we, as a reflection, need to be, get to be the opposite of that
, to distract them from havingto look at who doesn't like them
and also show the rest of thecommunity that there are people
who love them because the fatherloves them.
That's profound.
We'll just pause.
We'll pause on that one and endtoday to think about what is
(42:59):
our reflection of Christ throughthe Father.
He does what he sees the Fatherdoing.
He did what he saw the Fatherdoing, and today we have an
opportunity to be close with ourSavior Jesus, who is close to
the Father, and to be able toreflect his light in a way that
doesn't necessarily make senseto the world, but certainly
(43:20):
makes sense when you know theheart of God.
Thank you for listening to ourcommunity, our mission, a
podcast of the Topeka RescueMission.
If you'd like more informationabout Topeka Rescue Mission, you
can go to trmonlineorg that'strmonlineorg and just know, the
Father's waiting on you and he'sgoing to run to you too.
Just come to Him.
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you, lord, for this
day and your blessings.
God, thank you for this time,for this podcast, and Lord, for
all of our listeners.
Lord, we just thank you forthis conversation, lord for
lessons that were learned and,lord, I just pray that this
conversation will be a blessingto all who hear it.
Lord, in your holy name, wepray, amen.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello everybody, thank you for joining us for Our
Community, our Mission, apodcast of the Topeka Rescue
Mission.
I'm your host, barry Feeker,here on Tuesday, june the 24th
2025.
And this is episode number 272.
I just want to prepare you allwho are listening.
We've got a very lively groupin here today.
We had a hard time even findinga way to start recording
because they already startedrecording before we got going
(00:43):
here, but I've got LaMandaCunningham, who's CEO of Topeka
Rescue Mission, marion Crable,deputy Director of Supportive
Services.
Marcus Molinar, deputy Directorof Facilities and Security.
Scott Bryan, assistant DirectorDistribution Center.
Hello everybody, hello, okay,are you ready to go?
I think we are.
So you guys, we're going to kindof prepare everybody for what's
(01:04):
coming and just keep it rolling, because it's been pretty
lively up to this point.
But you all attended a CityGateNetwork meeting, which is the
Association of Rescue Ministriesin North America about 300 of
them in Phoenix, arizona, in May, and so LaManda, talk just a
little bit about CityGate.
We've introduced CityGatebefore on the podcast.
We've also interviewed somedifferent leaders from around
(01:26):
the country, got another one ofthose coming up, I think next
week or pretty soon.
So what is CityGate Network?
How does it intersect withTopeka Rescue Mission.
Then we're going to get alittle more specific into what
you guys got out of that meeting.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
Yeah, so CityGate Network is kind of this
organization, this associationthat many rescue missions belong
to, and they provide a plethoraof supports and it can be
anywhere from these annualconferences they do regional
meetings.
We have access 24-7 todiscussion forums that if we
(02:00):
have questions or we're prayingthrough initiatives that we feel
called to do all of this, wecan literally send out these
questions on this forum andwhatever group you're in, it
sends out to like, in my case,all the CEOs, so over 300 people
I have at the disposal, at thedisposal anytime that you have
questions or needs.
So it's just remarkable, justremarkable.
(02:21):
But through that you also gainsuch an incredible network of
colleagues, brothers and sistersin Christ and people that turn
into your friends.
And it's neat.
Through vendors we get ideas ofdifferent things that we need to
bring to TRM, things that wemight can do more efficient, and
(02:45):
then all of a sudden go fromthese kinds of networking things
and then you blink and yourealize two, three, four years
pass and you are talking topeople from another state
regularly and it's justincredible.
So it's just a plethora ofsupports and a variety of things
and the annual conferences, andyou'll hear about this in just
a minute.
It's life changing.
(03:07):
But what I think is so coolabout it is it doesn't give you
just this, and nothing againstchurch camps, but sometimes that
happens and you feel reallygreat and then you go back to
the real world and you lose someof that Because CityGate is so
intentional with their themesand the themes are derived by
what they know we're all facing.
(03:27):
This knowledge, this wisdom,these feelings continue on
outside the annual conference,which is why you couldn't get us
to shut up this morning aboutit 30 days later.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
There's a commonality here of shared experiences, but
very different from here toHouston to, obviously, phoenix
and different places.
You go Topeka, kansas, kansasCity.
You get a chance to learn andalso contribute.
Lamanda this was just yourfourth CityGate meeting.
Okay, and Miriam, this wasn'tyour first time either.
You've been how many times?
This was my fourth, your fourthtoo?
Okay, so, marcus and Scott,this was your first time going
(04:02):
to.
CityGate.
What did you think when youwalked into the big room and
this was rescue ministries fromall over the place and there was
what?
Maybe 1,000 or more people inthere.
Yeah, what was that firstimpression when you first walked
into that room and had dinner?
Maybe the gathering, worshiptime, the opening or whatever?
Speaker 5 (04:20):
My first impression was the tremendous power of the
Holy Spirit moving in that room.
So I go to a smaller church andI mean you can feel the Holy
Spirit move right with likeminded people together like that
.
You put a thousand or so peoplein there, you can.
(04:40):
It's almost like the feeling ofthe Holy Spirit is talking to
you.
It's wild, it's really wild.
I was vibrating at times.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
You know there's one thing about it you can go to
church Not to take anything awayfrom our churches Please don't
hear me wrong here but you cango to church with 1,000 people
in it and the 80-20 rule.
About 20 people are reallydoing stuff in the church.
About 80 people are there Atthis meeting.
It's 100%.
Everybody's doing stuff inministry.
They're working on the frontlines of some of the most
difficult situations in NorthAmerica and they are all on
(05:16):
mission.
Scott, this was your first time.
You are assistant director ofthe distribution services, the
rescue mission.
What did you think when youwere invited to go to this?
Speaker 6 (05:29):
What was your first thought?
I needed to pray about it.
So I haven't really beenanywhere out of the state of
Kansas due to my past.
So I definitely asked my wife,of course, prayed about it and
it was a big yes for me, a lotof firsts for me.
And when I got there it waskind of like LaManda had told me
things like it's going to breakchains and I'm like eh, you
know, I'm kind of doubtful.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
I told him he was going to cry and he said no, I'm
a tough guy.
Speaker 6 (05:49):
And getting there and getting around all these people
that are like-minded like uswas kind of overwhelming to see
so much power of the Holy Spirit.
Like Marcus was saying, it wasjust like it overtakes you.
It literally takes your breathaway.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Sometimes we feel alone in this work because it is
something not everybody does.
Obviously there's the team,there's the volunteers, the
staff, the board, there's acommunity, but still, unless
you're in the work work like astaff member, volunteer you
don't necessarily understandwhat everybody faces.
You get in the same room.
Other people are just on thosefront lines with with you, know
incredible stories of bothVictor victory and suffering
(06:28):
that they encounter, but you'reall around the same thing, and
so there's techniques that youpick up, you share, you learn Um
, I know that there's I don'tknow how many.
There's hundreds of differentworkshops you can go to.
It's something like that thatyou pick up.
But there's also somethingthat's very unique and different
, and that is it's a gatheringof people around the heart of
Christ, and that's differentthan a lot of things are, and
(06:50):
that's a theme that Mark couldjust start right out.
What'd you get?
You got the Holy Spirit walkingin there, and some people that
are listening to this mayunderstand what that means, and
maybe they don't, or maybe theyhave their own version of that.
So there was a there's always atheme, um, at the city gate
network, you know, learning, allthese things being together,
relational learning whatgovernment's doing.
Having governmentrepresentatives there, I mean
(07:12):
you name it, it's not just, uh,some folks that work down there.
This is a city gate network is amajor influence in the nation
and around the world Now um whenI say influence, they're at the
table um what's called the DCforum, miriam, that they have
every year for Washington DC.
And we're elected officials, soit's not just what we call
(07:33):
separate church ministry, it'schurch ministry involved in the
world, in the community.
So before we started talking, Isaid what was the theme?
And you said the theme was leadme home.
And boy, that lit up this room.
So let's light it up again.
So what did the theme lead mehome?
(07:53):
What was it about and how didit speak to you all?
Speaker 4 (07:56):
You know, the theme was lead me home, and it was
about the parable talking aboutthe man who had the two sons,
and the one son stays close tothe father and is trying to do
everything right, right, has thegood job, has the things, all
of this, and then the one sonbasically goes to pursue
(08:17):
everything other than anythingrighteous.
Who he knows is the prodigalson yes, and so it's all out of
Luke son, yes, and so it's allout of Luke.
And so when I heard what thetheme was, I was really excited
to see what all they did withthis.
I mean, this to me, and there'ssome things in the Bible that
aren't.
This was a common parable thatI had heard, and so I was ready
(08:37):
to go.
Lord, what are you going to allreveal with this?
And we'll get into that in aminute.
But the first time we got inthere and they started singing
songs, worship songs about thecharacteristics of the Lord, and
it puts things in perspective,because so often we're in this
(09:00):
world, right, this seems likeit's our home, and so we have
seasons in our lives where wemake great decisions.
We have seasons in the liveswhere we're not, and we have
seasons in our life where wemight look successful, like the
one son, doing everything right,but yet still be so empty.
And so as soon as the worshipstarts I can tell like I'm going
to be a blubbery mess, becausethe Lord has laid on my heart
(09:24):
for years now that brokennessdoes not discriminate and that,
yes, because of TRM we're tiedto homelessness, addiction,
mental illness, poverty, thosekinds of things.
But my heart breaks just thesame for people like myself,
barry, that might be inleadership positions or suits
and ties or big into the churchand they're so lost their home.
(09:49):
Everything looks right,everything looks like quote
unquote.
They're doing right.
They don't have quote unquotelived experience, like we say.
Yet they could still be so farfrom the father.
And this theme starts unfolding.
And you know, when I attendthese I try one look at it from
the lens of what do I need totake back for TRM?
But then I also learned theLord was like oh, what did you
(10:11):
take back for yourself?
Speaker 2 (10:12):
What you take back for yourself.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
And just through the general sessions and the worship
and all of that, there was justthis theme that our home is him
.
It's not a place.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Describe that.
What's that mean?
Our home is him, not a place.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
Well, I don't want to answer that.
I think sometimes we put thefather in a box or we put
parameters in place, of like inorder to experience him, you
have to go to church, or inorder to be to experience him,
you have to go to church, or inorder to be closer to him, you
have to have things, you have tohave money, you have to have a
(10:50):
nice house, and that makes youmore elite or makes you more
worthy.
And when you strip everythingthat is worldly or things that
we have put in place because ofreligion, you have this
incredibly raw loves you, justbecause you're you Father,
(11:11):
period.
And that so often the Lord isnot calling us to things or
success, or prestige, or eliteor whatever the case may be.
He's literally just calling usto fellowship with him.
(11:32):
And I have walked in Barry whereI've had the great paying job,
where I've had the house, whereI've had I've got two degrees,
all this stuff.
That is not what brings mepeace and what's incredible is I
have recently walked throughdarkness and still been home
because he doesn't leave, andprayer, worship this love
(11:58):
between us and our HeavenlyFather.
It doesn't have to look pretty.
This love between us and ourheavenly father.
It doesn't have to look prettyand it doesn't have to be
confined in the walls of ahomeless shelter or in a church
or things like that.
Anywhere we are sitting in thattent, sitting in that boardroom
, walking, wandering, goingthrough a divorce, losing our
(12:18):
kids, relapsing.
The father is still there, westill have a home in him and
that is just beautiful, and Ithink all four of us are just
like on fire for that to notonly reach those that we're
serving through the purpose ofTRM, but we see a lot of
brothers and sisters in thiscommunity that hurt too but seem
(12:40):
like their home, and they'renot.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
You know, when you're a child, you may live in a home
, but you don't really thinkabout your home.
You think about the people inyour home and how safe they are,
or maybe unsafe they are,unfortunately.
You know, when we talk about ahome, we think of a physical
structure, but if you're a childand God calls us to come to him
(13:08):
as children and you get hurt,you're not thinking, wow, I've
got a really cool home that Ican be hurt in.
You're looking for somebody tocomfort you and when you talk
about he is our home.
What does a child need at thatpoint?
Needs to be picked up by theirmom or dad and held and
comforted.
We've all been hurt as a kid andif you're listening here and
you didn't have a goodexperience with your mom and dad
, we get that, we really do.
(13:30):
But if you did or somebody inyour life has come along to
comfort you, it doesn't matterabout the physical things around
you.
It matters about the people whocare for you.
And so, by what you just said,lamanda, when I got this mental
picture of a little boy or agirl gets picked up by their
daddy when they're hurting, theydon't care where they live,
they're glad they have a house,but they don't process it.
But they process how they feelwhen they're in the lap of their
(13:50):
father.
And so, miriam, your fourthtime to go to this.
You've heard the fellows talkabout the Holy Spirit, and what
was your experience?
Sometimes we go to a thing overand over and over again Okay,
this is what we experience andthis is what we expect.
How was it for you this time?
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Well, that's why I just so confirm everything that
they said about the Holy Spirit,because you do you kind of
think, okay, this time isn'tgoing to be as powerful, right?
Because this is the fourth timeand I'm probably not going to
have the same rate.
That's just such baloney, Imean, it's like and it started
from the beginning, right?
(14:28):
I want to back up just a littlebit and say there is something
also that happens on these tripsthat I value so much, and
that's getting to know otherstaff members that I don't get
to interact with all the time.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Like on the team, on our team Like.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
Scott right Like.
I know Marcus pretty well.
We're in meetings together allthe time, but I'm not with Scott
all the time, and he and I hadthis opportunity to actually get
to know each other on adifferent level, so I don't know
that I could ever describe thepower of that and what the Holy
Spirit can do in that, too, andas we think of what home looks
(15:02):
like and who the people are thatwe can look to, for that
comfort that you were talkingabout, part of it is sitting
around this table or with any ofthe people that have actually
gone with us, because we get tointerface in such a different
way.
I'll tell you, though, what'sso interesting.
I'm listening to Lamanda andwhat she got from the very first
person I mean Barry.
(15:23):
It literally started from thejump, and it's fascinating to me
how, in this room of a thousandpeople, the Holy Spirit still
speaks to us all individually,and what our takeaways are are
all so different.
So this one, the very firstsession, for me, was incredibly
convicting because she made aremark.
(15:43):
Her name was Megan FateMarshman, and she was phenomenal
, but she made a comment aboutsaying that, and I wrote it so
that it was pertaining to me.
If I keep things to me, itreally means that I don't trust
him.
It's not that I don't believein him, because I know he can.
(16:05):
I'm just not sure he will,because he expects me this is my
head language, this is not theLord.
He expects me to be able to dothese things.
Well, no, he doesn't.
He really doesn't.
And so every time I'm holdingon to things and not just giving
it back to him because he'swatching me.
He's watching for me to turnback to him, and when I don't,
(16:30):
it really is an indication thatmy trust is not at the level
that it should be.
Not because I don't believe,but because I don't know.
Right, and there was so much,she said so much, and that's
just what happens every singletime.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
So what do you do with that?
I mean, you get that there.
How does it translate here?
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Well, it causes me to constantly ponder on this, or
it causes us, in different ways,to ask each other different
kind of questions on a regularbasis.
You know, marcus and I were insome sessions where it said X, y
and Z, and I'm getting textmessages for him every Sunday at
this point Miriam, are you X, yand Z?
(17:08):
So there is an accountabilitythat can happen.
But part of it is too, barry,that it weighs on me and it
causes me to think it's likeokay, miriam, you're holding on
to this, you think you're incontrol of this, you know what
that means, right?
And so then I have to go backand seek the father again.
(17:29):
Right, I have to go back home,because I'm out here somewhere
doing something stupid, becauseI think I can do it and I need
to turn back.
So I think, barry, it's justthis confirmation that when I'm
here, I have to continue to goback to all this stuff that I
wrote down, that was applying tome at that point, because the
(17:49):
Lord needed me to learnsomething, because this is what
I wrote down, right?
So, okay, I have to.
Either that or nobody should beinvesting for me to go.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Right, no, that's very good.
You know, to put it in a kindof a sports vernacular, the
teams that win the most are theones that spend most of the time
practicing the fundamentals,not the special plays, not the
Hail Marys and those kind ofthings, but the ones that go
over and over and over and overto ground themselves so that
they're ready to get on thefield.
And that's the same thing withwhat we do in this kind of work
(18:21):
and we do in our relationshipwith God.
We've got to go back to thosefundamentals and we need to
remind each other Marcus Scott,you've both been on the podcast
before.
You've shared some of your storythat you came to the Topeka
Rescue Mission without a placeto be and you were a guest here
at the Rescue Mission and yougot on different programs at the
mission and really excelled inthose.
And now today you guys bothhave leadership here at Topeka
(18:44):
Rescue Mission.
So, being this the first timethat you walked into this room
and you talked about the feelthat you had, what does it mean
to you to know that around theworld, and especially in this
case in North America, thataround the world, and especially
in this case in North Americathere's this kind of team
(19:04):
pulling for you, or was pullingfor you, learning from each
other to equip each other, tohelp each other, so that Topeka
Rescue Mission could be a betterplace for you.
And what does that mean for theother folks walking through the
door that are where you used tobe?
I don't know if that makessense, but you know to walk in
and go.
Man, this is not just a smallthing, it's a big thing.
Speaker 5 (19:27):
It's a big encouragement for folks Like
they're, the examples that wehave followed to get where we're
at.
There are, I know Jesus is thelight of the world, but Jesus
through them is the light for us.
I guess that's how that worksReflection of the light.
(19:48):
Yes, yes, Reflection of thelight.
Very encouraging, veryaccountable, and they truly have
hearts for doing this kind ofwork which, yeah, their
leadership is just.
I would say it's just great tobe a follower of this kind of.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
I know this is going on even outside of here.
Yes, Scott.
Speaker 6 (20:16):
Just it breaks chains in so many ways.
I'm seeing so many like-mindedpeople doing the same thing
we're doing.
Also seeing people that werelike us, that were homeless.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
It's not all double master degree Amanda's out there
doing this kind of work.
There's people of all kinds ofwalks of life, yes, and so you
met people who have been whereyou have been.
Speaker 6 (20:35):
Oh, definitely yeah, there's a lot of learning to be
had.
It's kind of overwhelming attimes because there's so much to
take in in such a short amountof time, sure?
It just just so many blessingsand broke chains of me that I
didn't know need broke.
So amanda, of course, told methis too, and I didn't listen.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
You don't have to get really personal with that, but
what do you mean by broke chainsin you?
Speaker 6 (20:58):
um, I, I had hardened my heart pretty bad in my
addiction and it actuallybrought my smile back.
I sent my wife a picture andshe's like you're smiling and
usually I kind of have a smirkon my face, but she's like you
have a full smile and so now ithas brought my smile back to me,
which sounds kind of silly, butif you know my past, that's a
huge thing for it to be able towarm my heart back up, which is
(21:20):
one of the hardest things to do.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
So, scott, you came through a lot of things.
You ended up here at the rescuemission, you got on the program
.
You learned a lot of tools.
You elevate because of thegreat work that you do in
distribution services.
I can remember way back when,when, you know, you were very
beginning on this.
Now you are the assistantdirector of this ministry's
distribution services, so thatsome people say, well, that'll
(21:45):
be enough, that'll bring a smileon your face.
What was different about thatexperience?
Speaker 6 (21:50):
that your wife said Whoa it just brings so much joy
to your heart Seeing all thesepeople that are doing the same
thing and just such a mass, andit's it's not even everybody in
the country that is there.
There's so many more peoplethat we don't even see.
Thousands stayed home,thousands stayed home, thousands
could go, that's right.
And just seeing us, just rightwhen you walk in, it's just.
The Holy Spirit is so strong inthere, it's overwhelming, it's
(22:14):
so much to take in and I thinkit brings us all closer to the
Father, instantly, almost, whereyou're just like your faith is
just like awakened, instantly,just because there's so much
power in all these people withall the stuff they do with the
rescue missions.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Yeah, so you get those things and, miriam, I
think you maybe mentioned itsome things you get and you
leave there, but some thingsstay with you.
So this particular aspect,obviously, whether it's
facilities or back office stuffor executive director stuff or
distribution, that there werepeople around with some
different workshops on that orsomething that was even bigger,
(22:52):
and that is just the wholeculture of rescue ministry and
Christ being the center of that.
So you go, you get it, you comeback and, marcus, things break
down still, oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
That was happening while we were gone, While you
were gone of course, the day wewere leaving.
Speaker 5 (23:10):
Yes, the day you were leaving.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
So nothing stops in regards to problems that the
world faces.
So how do you retain this, howdo you keep it going?
You can't replicate being in aroom with a thousand people, but
how do you glean from that andstay?
Speaker 5 (23:35):
You strive to abide in.
It.
To take back from theconference is um.
So when, example, when jesuswas um healing the lepers I
believe was either healing thelepers or performing miracles he
took the time to rest eventhough he was worried they can
(23:58):
wait, because I know what I cando he took the time to step
aside to rest and pray to thefather and and all that.
So, because he needs to befilled as well, to fill into
other people.
I think that's a good.
That's one of the main staplesI'm going to take and strive to
(24:23):
abide in is staying.
Now, it might not be an idlerest, it'll be a mobile rest or
whatever, because we need to getthings done, but as a leader, I
need to be filled, you know,during that rest period to fill
into my guys, my guys, okay.
(24:47):
So I can get a little cranky attimes.
Oh, no that pretty much meansI'm on E.
My guys will tell you aboutthat.
He broke a chain, but it's atrickle-down thing and it's the
reflection thing.
So if I'm not rested or filled,my guys aren't rested and
(25:08):
filled.
So I think that's a big thing.
I'm going to try to stay in andpractice.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
And I think you know, to piggyback off of this, and
they'll probably both just stareat me which means they're mad
that I say this as a little bitof my CEO hat, but probably more
so, just as their sister inChrist is.
I saw Marcus and Scott be ableto be in a room full of servants
(25:46):
and leaders and leaders, andthat they now realize they're
the leaders, and both of themare struggling to walk in that,
which is why I'm kicking theminto it.
Right, they've both lovinglykicking them into it, and so
(26:09):
when you're talking about, youknow how, how does this carry
over, right?
This feeling, this learning,sometimes what Scott's
describing as chains breaking,or Marcus talking about this
Holy Spirit movement.
Part of what I'm doing istrying to connect, which is why
(26:32):
they were selected for this.
There's a lot of intentionalplanning that goes into what we
do with CityGate.
When we come back, whoeverattends presents to the board,
because I view it as aninvestment.
It's not a trip, but that wasfun, right, scott?
Speaker 2 (26:49):
We haven't done it yet.
It's coming.
Got speech ready.
Speaker 4 (26:52):
Yeah.
So there's a lot of thought andprayer that goes into who's
going, why are we going?
We do team builders while we'rethere.
They all love that one.
I'm sure they'll talk aboutthat and all of this stuff.
But part of my role, then, tocome back, is to continually
remind them that when you werein there yes, your lived
experience is a part of yourstory, but that is not the
(27:15):
chapter that you're in and thatI believe in them, and that they
have to continue to walk in theredemption and not be held to
what they both view as failuresthat you can't be at home with
the father and stilluncomfortable because of the
(27:38):
past.
Otherwise the cross is null andvoid.
So I think they have differentlearnings that happened, from
practical things to really deeprooted stuff.
But one of the things, too,that's my role is to ensure what
the Lord laid on my heart ofwhy these three were even chosen
to go, is the season that theLord is trying to reveal to them
(28:02):
and open that up, and somultiple opportunities will
continue to come for thesegentlemen to continue to walk in
being very strong leaders, anddoing that because they are very
strong servants.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Well, there's an intentionality that, LaManda,
you get there and you don't haveto be the leader, you're a peer
.
Everybody's at the same level.
When you go into these meetings, somebody else is leading.
You get to be led, which Ithink is a great value, and then
you come back and you're astronger leader, just about that
rest.
You were talking about Marcus.
(28:37):
Well, I think for the listenerthat is familiar with our
community, our mission you knowthis is a big part of Topeka
Rescue Mission is the faith,faith in Christ.
If this is maybe you're not thatfamiliar this is a really big
central driving force behind thewhy of Topeka Rescue Mission
(28:58):
and some people aren'tcomfortable with that and some
people don't get it and somepeople are very comfortable with
that, but it is what it is forover 70 years now and then to
have these opportunities andpeople to invest in Topeka
Rescue Mission to not only helpmeet practical needs every
single day, but to keep the teammoving forward and helping meet
those practical needs everysingle day.
(29:20):
There are a lot oforganizations, social services
in our country and around theworld that are doing great work,
but oftentimes they get burnedout very, very quickly and don't
know what to do.
And then who suffers?
The people they're trying toserve.
The thing about this it givesus an opportunity to see every
person that walks through thedoors of the rescue mission, or
wherever they are getting a foodbasket, to know that they are
(29:43):
valued by God the same as theperson that's handing it out.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
Mary.
You know it was interesting.
Scott and Marcus and I were allin one session together, not
one of the general sessions, butone of the breakout sessions,
(30:07):
and it needs to remember,because we do see so many people
that our hearts are filled withwanting to help them.
But his comment was if the kingof the universe didn't heal
everyone, why do we think wehave to?
If the king of the universedidn't heal everyone he
(30:27):
encountered, why do we think wehave to?
And I would encourage all of usto think on that one right.
So what does our work reallylook like?
It's not necessarily about howwe're going to fix people or
heal people or doing that.
What is our actual role?
Is our actual role and I'm notsure that I fully have the
(30:50):
answer as I think through that,but we hold it is exhausting for
each and every one of us whenall we see is need in front of
us and think that theexpectation of the Father is
that we will fix it all.
Mm-hmm that we will fix it all.
That may not be the case.
And so now, how do we take timeto rest, not mobile rest, not
(31:18):
rest while we're doing, buttruly rest in the Father,
because that's the only way thatwe'll be able to continue to
work on His behalf and go wherehe leads us and understand that
it's not about what we can do.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Yeah, Henry Blackaby.
The late Henry Blackaby wrote abook called Experiencing God
and in that it was reallycentered around that Jesus was
doing what the Father was doingand so he was in connection with
the Father, um, to the degreebeing the son of God, being the
God man, but in flesh on theearth.
(31:55):
A little confusing sometimes,wrap your brain around that one,
but that's what we understand.
And if Jesus was healingsomebody, he was causing a blind
to see, he was feeding the5,000, whatever.
That's what the father wasdoing at that time.
So like, hey, son, go feed them, I'm feeding them through you.
And then Blackaby says at thesame time in John 15 and 16,
(32:17):
where Jesus says if you love meand keep my commandments, I will
be in you and you will be in me.
That's a pretty closerelationship in each other.
And he basically was sayingthat the works that I do, you
will do.
And so when Jesus wasn't fixingevery problem at that moment
means that maybe that's not ourassignment at the moment.
(32:39):
It doesn't mean forever orsomebody else's assignment, but
it indicates that's not what theFather's assignment is for us.
And so, yeah, we can't fix theworld.
It gets very frustrating.
I've tried for a while.
I'm still trying, but beatingmy head against the wall Can't
do it.
But that doesn't mean it's notgoing to be done, because God
loves the whole world at thesame time.
(33:00):
Sometimes we have to turn thatover to the Father.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
Or maybe healing doesn't look like what we think
it looks like.
Isn't that true, isn't?
Speaker 2 (33:07):
that so true Maybe?
Speaker 3 (33:07):
healing doesn't look like our vision of healing.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
So before we end today, I want to roll back
around to the theme Lead Me Home, that scripture that we briefly
talked about, where there was afather and he was a father of
means and he had two boys and anolder one and a younger one.
And the younger one he ran awayto take the inheritance in
(33:31):
advance and he went out and hesquandered the inheritance and
found himself really in badshape, really in bad shape, and
so he's either going to die inthe streets broke, or he's going
to humble himself and come backto the Father.
And so how many of us havereally squandered different
things in our life?
To where we look back and,scott, you look back and you
(33:58):
needed the chains broken oflooking back and they were
broken to where you can moveforward now to know that, just
like in this story that Jesustold, is that the father was not
going to reject his son if hecame to him.
He was actually waiting for him.
He was waiting for him, andwhen he saw him a long way off,
he not only said oh, I'm overhere, you can come find me here,
he ran to his son, really ranto his son, and his son
(34:23):
immediately just humbled himselfand says I'm not even worthy to
be called your kid anymore.
And he says nah, you're my kid,matter of fact.
We're going to celebrate thatyou're back home.
You're back home and kind ofjumping into that home that you
talked about Lamanda, into thefather, and um, and so, um, uh,
the father brought him home andrestored him to what he was
(34:44):
originally, uh, supposed to be,and that was a son of the father
and all of you who arelistening that same opportunity
to be a son or a daughter of thecreator of the universe because
he loves you so much.
And that's the main theme,that's the main story.
There's another person in thatstory and that was the older son
who didn't leave.
(35:05):
He stayed where it was safe, hedidn't go out on his own, he
didn't squander money, but hewas very jealous of his younger
brother and while he hadeverything at his disposal, he
really didn't know the father,like the father was trying to
show him through his broken son.
And so all of us are that wayand you know, we have an
(35:28):
opportunity to judge those whoare broken and fail to realize
our own brokenness.
We have the opportunity to helpor turn our way the other way
from those and say I'm not them.
The reality is, we're all them.
We all are them, Whether you'veever made a bunch of mistakes
or you haven't, whether you'vegot a past that would be
(35:48):
something you're ashamed of oryou haven't.
We all need the Father, becausethe Father wants all of us, and
we're at different levels, andso, when you see the Topeka
Rescue Mission, others reachingout to the broken, and sometimes
those broken have made unwisedecisions Not always, though,
things happen in life, andhealing isn't the same every way
(36:11):
, but the Father is drawingeverybody to himself, because
that's where the comfort is,that's where the joy is, that's
where the purpose is, that'swhere eternity is.
Folks, anything else you wantto share I mean we could go on
about CityGate and anything elseyou want to share today,
listeners.
Speaker 6 (36:28):
Just real quick, I think.
Sometimes we think because ofthe flesh it's easier to run
from God and that we should runto God Because he always will
take us back, just like theprodigal son.
We have to remember that heloves us more than anything we
could ever imagine.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
Pretty cool, isn't it , scott?
Yes, yeah, that's a gamechanger.
So okay, and one more thingyeah, that's a game changer.
Speaker 5 (36:48):
So okay, and one more thing when you're praying, be
honest, because he knows and hewants to hear what you're going
through.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
He stole mine.
No, it's so true yeah she hadtalked about.
Speaker 4 (37:03):
Prayer isn't meant to be good, it's meant to be
honest, and sometimes we thinkwe have to get things all
together before we can go to Godand we're all a mess.
The only way we get better isby going to God and recognizing
that.
So, man, we could do a wholepodcast on what I'm about to say
(37:24):
, but I'm going to just do itreal brief.
Okay, josh, get ready for parttwo.
Yep, but there was BishopClaude Alexander and he was an
incredible speaker, but he didthis kind of monologue
presentation of all of thesescriptures, of the story, and he
(37:45):
did it from the perception ofthat he was the prodigal son.
But he starts off and I meanyou can just tell, right,
there's this dynamic about him,like God has definitely giving
him the giftedness of speaking,but it's like you could tell
that before he even spoke.
But one of the first things hesaid is he's explaining kind of
(38:08):
his character, right, and he'stying the scripture together.
But then he says but I neverunderstand why it was not called
the prodigal sons and he setsthis stage and I don't know why
I had never thought of that,because I've I remember hearing
stuff about both sons and thefather and things like that.
But it was just incredible thatthe emphasis as he went and did
(38:38):
this monologue was he was alsothen explaining what was
happening to the brother or whatcould have been happening,
because there was truth in thatand then there was some filling
in right of all of these, whatifs that so apply to our lives
today cannot get out of my mindis Bishop says let's really
focus on for a minute what I wasso shocked about when I was
(38:59):
running back to my father, whenI was coming back to my father,
and he talks about how thefather did not look away even
though he was far away.
The father was so focused onwatching his son come back.
And then he talks about how thefather started running to him
that his arms were wide open andthen there were some other
things that he filled in.
(39:19):
But he basically then says myfather did that Because my
community hated me and my fatherdid it to distract his smell,
his look, you know behaviors,all this stuff.
(39:42):
And then he says because therewere no rescue missions around
to help me get better before Igot to my father.
And I cannot get that out of mymind, that part of what the
(40:14):
rescue mission tries to do istake the attention off of what
so many in our community do notunderstand and then, in a very
controversial time, we aretrying to understand the
attention that is being given topart of homelessness, but then
also still bring the truth ofthese are not the things that
should even matter.
Here are the things that weshould be concerned about.
You have somebody that smells.
You should be concerned whythey don't have any access to
(40:36):
anything else.
You want to talk about thebehaviors that seem quote
unquote crazy and they'redisruptive.
We need to care about how thatbehavior started.
We want to talk I mean, I couldgo on and on and on.
And when he said that there wasno rescue mission to help on his
journey, and so he went throughall this muck and did all of
that, and then had this fatherthat did some of his own
(41:00):
behaviors, yes, out of love, yes, out of this unconditional,
unwavering father figure rightto embrace the child but that it
was also done because he wasthis prodigal son, had to go
through the community, had to togo by people that were looking
at him, go by, and then his daddid it to distract from that and
(41:25):
so often that's what we'retrying to do is we're trying to
distract from the pressures ofthe smell, the poverty, the
mental illness, the behaviors,all of these things that no one
OK, but we are trying to weedall of that out.
That's coming at these people tosay, regardless of any of this
being said about you, you have afather that's locking eyes with
(41:46):
you, that is arms wide open andis saying come back.
And sometimes we have to be thebumpers with our community
around these people until we canget them connected to the
transformation that comes inChrist.
And I don't think I will everhear that story ever again the
(42:09):
same after that.
I'm not sure I will either.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
No, that's an angle I had not really thought about.
How much are we givenopportunity and called to be a
reflection of those who run tothe broken, in spite of what
they've done where they've been,because their community may not
like them, may not understandthem, may in fact hate them, and
(42:35):
we, as a reflection, need to be, get to be the opposite of that
, to distract them from havingto look at who doesn't like them
and also show the rest of thecommunity that there are people
who love them because the fatherloves them.
That's profound.
We'll just pause.
We'll pause on that one and endtoday to think about what is
(42:59):
our reflection of Christ throughthe Father.
He does what he sees the Fatherdoing.
He did what he saw the Fatherdoing, and today we have an
opportunity to be close with ourSavior Jesus, who is close to
the Father, and to be able toreflect his light in a way that
doesn't necessarily make senseto the world, but certainly
(43:20):
makes sense when you know theheart of God.
Thank you for listening to ourcommunity, our mission, a
podcast of the Topeka RescueMission.
If you'd like more informationabout Topeka Rescue Mission, you
can go to trmonlineorg that'strmonlineorg and just know, the
Father's waiting on you and he'sgoing to run to you too.
Just come to Him.
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