Jacqui White Reflects on Staff Training

I worked with Sunshine last year, and was stretched and challenged in so many ways. It’s just crazy to think of all the stuff that God has taught me and is teaching me through Sunshine. He is so faithful to correct and discipline and then in turn use us for his glory. I just feel so honored. This summer I will be teaching the kids arts and crafts at Summer Blast (Sunshine's Day Camp). I am so excited to teach the kids art and to watch them create things, as I share and incorporate lessons about the greatest artist of all time — our God! I wish the words on this page could somehow express just how much I want and desire these kids to feel close to God! I want them to know that even when their parents may leave them or their friends may come and go into their lives, that God never leaves them as orphans but embraces them as a father and a friend.

So far this week I’ve went through training, gone to the girls softball game, and to U-Turn (Sunshine's HS youth group). There has also been a lot of fellowship with the staff. The training has been so eye opening for me this week. We learned about poverty today which really convicted me because of the prejudices that are in my own heart that need to be done away with in regards to the homeless. One of the staff named Sarah spoke about this and something she said really hit home. She said that we all need stuff from other people but usually we wear masks so that we won't seem too needy. She encouraged us to imagine writing one of our own deepest needs on a piece of cardboard, and how much boldness and humility that must take. Another thing that I learned today was to have hope for our neighborhood — Woodlawn. I was encouraged to not refer it as being "the hood" or "the ghetto," and to not just see this neighborhood as being "a mess." Instead, I was challenged to see it as a beautiful place that God is working in, rather than just being a place where God sends missionaries. I really do love this neighborhood and the people that live in this community and cannot wait to watch God work all summer long!


Jacqueline White
Summer Intern
Sunshine Gospel Ministries
Jacqui will be a junior at Moody Bible Institute this fall.

T'anna Washington Relfects on Staff Training

Staff training really opened my eyes to a wide range of subjects that I didn’t know a lot about. I obtained a lot of information about youth outreach, history of the neighborhood, poverty, and how not having a father or father figure in the house really effects a child's development. If I had to pick a favorite part of the week, I would have to say Pastor Danny Lopez's presentation on "Ministry To The Fatherless." I really enjoyed his session. The topic of "the fatherless" really hit home for me, due to my past of not really having my father around.

Overall, staff training was amazing! I learned a lot, and I’m happy knowing that I can now take what I learned and apply it throughout the summer with the kids,and through the rest of my life.

T'anna Washington
Summer Intern
Sunshine Gospel Ministries
T'anna will be a sophomore this year at Western Illinois University.

Pete Blodgett Reflects on Staff Training

This past week was our staff training for our summer interns. During these week long trainings, we cover topics ranging from the history of Chicago’s south side, to the state of education in neighborhoods like ours, to issues of poverty and homelessness. I’ve been a part of these trainings since 2002, my first summer serving as a summer counselor. Although I’ve sat through most of these sessions many times, there is always something new that I learn. We added a new session this year, although I have heard it a few times at other conferences. It was called “Ministry to the Fatherless,” taught by Pastor Danny Lopez. With so many of our kids living in homes without their fathers, it was an extremely relevant topic for us.

Pastor Lopez hit on the importance of a father in the life of a child, and the devastating effect of growing up fatherless. Doing a quick word search for “fatherless” in the Bible shows us that God has a heart for those growing up without fathers. In fact, “religion that is pure and undefiled before God” includes caring for orphans (James 1:27). So many of the issues our kids are dealing with and the negative behaviors that some exhibit are directly related to growing up without a father. Being a father myself has shown me the significance of a father’s relationship with his children, but I’m still learning how strong that connection is. But the little that I do know has changed the way I view the kids in my neighborhood. Although I can’t fully father our kids, I can play a part in filling that void. I can provide a father figure and be the support that they need. I can, in small parts, attempt to be a picture of their Heavenly Father and His love for them.

Pete Blodgett
Youth Pastor
Sunshine Gospel Ministries

Safe Families & Youshare.org

Safe Families For Children (SFFC) & Youshare.org

SFFC and Youshare.org have become household words within the walls of Sunshine. Through these ministries, Sunshine hopes to become more airtight in fulfilling its goals to reach the community. We have begun integrating these programs into the ministry by working with pastors, community leaders, school counselors, principals, welfare agents, foster care agents and the like.

We believe the evidence that shows over 1000 volunteer families served as many as 1000 children and families last year alone with the same prediction for this year. We also believe the evidence from national and local video clips about SFFC and the testimonies of others who have served as “safe families”, as well as those who have benefited from the programs will be enough to encourage others to become involved.

SFFC and Youshare are two programs that work best when people truly understand what they are about. Youshare was born out of a need to help struggling moms who need help with some basic needs for their children. Safe Families is under the umbrella of Youshare.

A brief definition of these three terms will help...
Safe Families For Children is a faith-based program that intervenes before children are separated from their families and put in state run foster care.
Host Families are volunteers that come alongside moms and dads to help during the crises—helping them to keep their families together, by opening their homes to the children.
Youshare.org was created to help fill the need of caring moms needing items like mattresses for the kids, or clothing, etc. Youshare.org not only meets immediate needs, it helps foster personal relationships that will help families in crisis build a better life. Youshare.org is a national organization based in Chicago, IL.

Youshare.org is the program you need to become involved in if you have a heart to share at any level. You can register by going online to Youshare.org. There are four basic categories of involvement when you go online to register at Youshare.org. You can start by sharing your “Goods,” things that you have and are not using and perhaps are about throw out. Secondly, you can share your “Services” under such categories as medical (dentist, Hygienist, etc.). Thirdly, you can share your home, that is becoming a “Safe Family” (hosting children). Finally, you can share by donating your money. Youshare.org takes donations. You can do this by clicking on donations. When you go to Youshare.org to register you should register as a neighbor. In short you become a neighbor to those with whom you share your goods.

The above post was written by Roosevelt Gibson, “Hub Manager” for Safe Families For Children & Youshare.org. If you would like to speak to Roosevelt more about this you can email him at Roosevelt@sunshinegospel.org.

You Share

Do you admittedly have too much "stuff"?? Are you looking for a way to give to those who might need it? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you should check out Youshare.org!

What is Youshare.org?
The idea for youshare.org began when a caring mom simply needed two mattresses for her kids. Recently employed after a period of homelessness, she was trying to furnish her new apartment. Local social service agencies knew there must be extra mattresses out there somewhere — but found it difficult to hunt them down with their other responsibilities weighing on them as well. She eventually found the mattresses on her own, but it wasn’t easy.

Youshare.org was created to serve people in this very situation. It goes one step further than simply meeting immediate needs. Youshare.org helps foster personal relationships that will help families in crisis build a better life.

Youshare.org's values include:
• Relationship building — Relationships are key to moving families from vulnerability to self-sufficiency.
• Compassion — Compassion is defined as a “deep awareness someone else’s suffering coupled with the wish to relieve it.” That is the heart of youshare.org!
• Stewardship — All of us can use our time, talent and financial resources to encourage and serve others

We are now Youshare.org "Administrators" at Sunshine. This means that families experiencing a crisis or need can share their need with us, and we can connect them with a "resource match" through Youshare.org. If you are interested in more information about this, contact Erica Avery at eavery@sunshinegospel.org.

Some New Editions To The Team

Mike Avery


Brittney Rost


CW Allen




This school year the Youth Outreach department at Sunshine will be adding 3 new staff persons to their roster: CW Allen, Brittney Rost, and Michael Avery. CW & Brittney will be pioneering a new high school student ministry, while Mike will be helping coordinate our after school programs for 2nd through 8th graders. We are very excited for all 3 of them to join our team! Each of them have unique gifts, talents, and passions in the area of youth ministry.

CW is a native of Cleveland, OH. He is soon to be a junior at Moody Bible Institute. CW was active in youth ministry at his home church in Cleveland, as well as in the area youth for Christ. He is also a Christian hip hop artist, and continues to write music and minister at various church and community events throughout the midwest. You can read more about CW at his blog, and you can also listen to his music on his Myspace page. Although CW is a Cleveland Browns fan, we will not hold that against him.

Brittney is a native of Elkhart, IN. She graduated this past spring from Moody, earning a degree in Urban Ministry. Brittney has been actively serving at Sunshine throughout her four years at Moody. She has assisted at AWANA, at our after school program, as a mentor to our young girls, and as a camp counselor one summer. She will join our staff with many ministry relationships already established! You can read more about Brittney at her blog entitled "City Light".

CW & Brittney will be part of a unique collaborative effort between Sunshine and Young Life. We are pooling our resources (financially and ministerially) in order to bring on this staff tandem. In addition, CW and Brittney will be raising a 1/3 of their salary as well. They are both currently seeking monthly supporters who will come alongside them in this endeavor. If you have any questions about how you could join their support team, shoot me an email at dave@sunshinegospel.org

Mike grew up in Chicago, approximately 30 blocks southeast of Sunshine. Mike recently completed a multi-year discipleship program in Arizona known as the Master's Commission. He began as a student there, and then transitioned into leadership. During his time there he used his dancing ability as a vehicle to share the gospel with teens at outreach events. He was a great intern with our summer staff this summer, and will now be doing a one year internship with us in partnership with TechMission.

Please continue to keep our Youth Outreach Team lifted up in prayer. We really desire to see the Gospel transform the lives of our kids, their families, and our neighborhood!

A quick Youth Outreach update...

Safe Families

Erica Avery is still hard at work networking, as she seeks to mobilize churches, Christian families, and social service agencies to take part in the ministry of Safe Families. SGM's network hub is one of the top performing hubs (amongst the new hubs trying to be established). Please continue to lift up Erica Avery and the ministry of Safe Families in prayer.

Summer Blast

Last week was SGM's final week of Summer Blast! The program has averaged between 30 and 40 kids each day, including a good group of returning day campers, and new kids and families with whom we have developed relationships with. The summer staff has done well, and we are thankful for all of them serving with us this summer.

Summer S.W.A.G.G. (Students Worshiping a Great God)

Last week was also the final week of Summer S.W.A.G.G.. We have averaged 20 to 25 6th through 8th graders on Monday and Wednesday nights! We have also made some new relationships, as well as strengthened some existing ones. Brittney Rost and CW Allen have done a great job!

Miracle League

We had a Junior High and High School basketball team this summer! The Jr. High team, coached by Dave Clark, ended the season with a record of 1 and 10. They also bowed out early in the season, ending the tournament. Although their record wasn't ideal, the time spent with the young men was amazing. We look forward to following up with them in the weeks to come. Seeds were definitely planted in each of their lives.

Montana Trip

We will depart on our annual pilgrimage out west on Sunday August 1st (returning on Tuesday August 10th). We will be taking 6 young men and 4 young women. Dave Clark and Mike Avery will be the counselors for the young men, and Sarah Murphy and Erica Avery will be the counselors for the young women. The Blodgetts will also be helping with both the ladies and the guys. Praise God for the church from Montana who is sending us a $2,000.00 check to help with various trip expenses!

Fall Staff Editions

We have revamped the 2-5-2 Director position, and are hoping to fill this vacancy by mid-August.

Brittney Rost is heading back to Elkhart Indiana during the month of August to continue to raise support. Lord willing, she will join our staff in September.

CW Allen may be coming on in the fall to work with Jr. High/High School students.

We continue to work through a potential "youth staffing partnership" with Young Life to help leverage our collective resources in order to bring on a youth staff team. Please pray for all of the above concerning staffing.