redemption journey: Ministry Update Summer 2014

My dearest family and friends,

When I first moved to Denver I thought that when the Fellowship ended we'd be in the first moving truck back to Indianapolis. I was anxious to get back to the city that my heart loves and to reunite with our family and friends. For a while we also considered moving to NYC for a year and then settling in Indianapolis. James has never been in a rush to leave, really liking Denver. I was resistant to putting down emotional and physical roots here in Colorado.

Last fall we made a joint decision that it was best for our families to move back to Indianapolis shortly after the Fellowship. Excited about our decision we announced over Christmas to our family and friends that we'd be moving back to Indy at Christmas 2014. We went and toured apartments, trying to identify our new home.

As we looked at apartments I started to doubt our decision. It is our desire to live in the city in an ethnically and economically diverse neighborhood however, apartments in those neighborhoods are few and far between, and a safe apartment is even less probable. The apartments we looked at on the outskirts on the city near the suburbs were beautiful and safe, but to live there would be a huge compromise of my conviction to live in the same neighborhood of those I serve, the poor. I've always felt like God will eventually use me to bridge the gap between the urban and suburban church by putting me in a position in a suburban church; however, I did not feel like the time was now.

Apartment location triggered a lot of other thoughts and conversations. Where would we work? Where would we attend church? Is there a church that lives by the same convictions that we do in Indianapolis: a moderate Baptistic church comprised of people of various ethnicities, and rich and poor that are committed to doing life in a concentrated geographical area?

Near the end of our Christmas visit I drove down my favorite part of Washington Street on the eastside of Indianapolis, a street that I drove every day for four years. Tears filled my eyes as I saw a gentrified street that barely resembled the once eclectic Washington Street I knew. I felt like a foreigner in a strange land and for the first time ever I missed Denver and couldn't wait to get back.

Soon after our return to Denver I accepted the job as the Program Director at Upstream Impact that is ¾'s time until August and then full-time in August. We started to consider Denver as an option for our future. The consideration itself was very difficult for me, especially in terms of hurting my family. They had rejoiced when I announced we were moving back and I was afraid of letting them down. Thankfully when we talked to our parents they were gracious and supportive.

As time has unfolded God has blessed our life here. James and I are excited to announce that we will be staying in Denver for the foreseeable future as long as the Lord wills. He has provided a church and community for us to flourish in. We live among the rich and the poor 14 blocks from downtown. He has provided us both with jobs that we love and that will financially provide for our needs. I finally feel like Denver is home.

Someday, if the Lord wills, we will probably return to Indianapolis as it is still dear to our hearts; however, we feel settled here for now and my heart is finally resting from the question "When will we leave?"

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Thank you for the part you have played in our journey. I count myself blessed for faithful givers, intercessors and loved ones that have supported me. I could not have thrived without each of you behind me. I pray that God will bless you richly for richly loving me.

July will be the last month for you to send financial support. I pray that God will use your generosity to encourage others.

Grace and Peace,

Alysa McManus

Earlier this spring each cohort of fellows was charged with picking a name for their cohort to help specify who is in which cohort. After throwing around various ideas, my cohort had a brilliant idea. We decided to call ourselves Alpha Team

because we were the pioneers, the first fellows to ever land in Denver. The other cohort came up with some silly name. We started calling them "Beta" the next letter in the Greek alphabet and eventually it stuck.

Being an Alpha fellow has become a part of my identity. It is a great indicator of the role our cohort played. We were the first group of fellows to drop our nets and move to Denver. We are the forerunners, the pioneers that in many ways h ave paved the way for many fellows to come. When you are the guinea pigs you experience the good, bad and the ugly. After the ugly passes you have the opportunity to speak and advocate for change; for a better program, a better experience for others. We also got to help Beta team find their place here and we are passing on the baton to them as they welcome Gamma in September.

It is my honor to be an Alpha fellow. Despite the challenges that we faced due to the Fellowship being a brand new program, I am proud of the influence Alpha has had on the present and future of the program. I pray that this is only the beginning of the Fellowship and that God will continue to bless the program, the Fellows and the neighbors of Denver. I am excited to be an alum and can't wait to come back in 2037 to celebrate the graduation of Omega team!

The PCULD staff will be hosting a graduation ceremony for the Alpha fellows on Saturday July 26. We will celebrate with family, friends, neighbors and the people we have served in ministry. I am blessed that my mom, Grandma Shirley and Aunt Lori will be traveling to Denver for the occasion.

Upstream Update

It is my honor to be the Program Director for Upstream Impact. I have the privilege of directing our current programs and shaping the future of our programs. I also have the joy of being in transformational relationships with our participants and volunteers.

We are thrilled at the results we are seeing. In 2012 we started with 26 families and our currently still working with 19. By October 13 of the 19 will graduate from the initial phase from the program. By God's grace people are getting out of poverty!

Here are some exciting stats:

The cohort's Employment Income has increased by $18,230 more per month after 18 months. Over 24 months this projects to an overall increase of $437,528.

The cohort is receiving $4,608 less per month after 18 months. Over 24 months this projects to an overall decrease of $110,592.

12 of the current 19 Team Leaders started the program below the poverty line. Today 7 of the current Team Leaders are below the poverty line which is an improvement % of -42%.

Here are three main things the Upstream staff has learned over the past two years:

1. Relational Trust is the Secret Sauce of Personal Transformation. The most mentioned and praised aspect of Upstream Impact is the family component. Without the family feel there would be less buy-in to the program. Both the rich and the poor are often isolated. Upstream breaks the barrier of isolation, and offers a loving and accepting family for all of us. This atmosphere of trust creates the environment for hard conversations and for overcoming obstacles. We have adopted the phrase "There is no significant change without a significant relationship."

2. It's A Jobs Game. Full-time employment is the key to getting out of financial poverty.

3. Enact Parkinson's Law. Parkinson's Law is defined as: "The amount of time that one has to perform a task is the amount of time it will take to complete the task." Due to the climate in the poverty alleviation world we were too cautious to move at a fast pace. We have learned that just because someone is in poverty does not mean that they are incapable of rapid change. The program can deliver results faster. We can get unemployed and severely underemployed team leaders to financial stability in one year instead of two years. We can get the working poor to financial self-sufficiency in one year. This cuts our program time in half.

In January 2015 we will begin the process with 20 people under the poverty line and 20 people in the working poor. We are excited to implement what we have learned and see even greater transformation occur!