Peace of the City

Peace of the City is a ministry for kids and their families on the west side of Buffalo. It's a great group of people who invest themselves through homework club for kids and teens, gospel choir, art camp, junior club, senior club, teen employment, and personal relationships. God has used the people of POTC to help kids feel hopeful again about their own lives. It's hard for me to imagine having no hope, but the kinds of lives these kids are forced to live...

Some of these kids eat maybe one meal a day. Some go home at night to find mom (because dad's long gone) stoned on the floor while her boyfriend looks to her (the child) young body for pleasure. Yeah, it really is that intense. Where's the hope in a life like that? In friends, a gang, in suicide, or in Jesus.

Diann Takens-Cerbone started Homework Club over 13 years ago. She saw a need and met it. She's been Christ to so many of these kids as they have grown from children into young adults...one even works for POTC now!

Mark is Diann's husband. He looks like a big lumberjack and takes a certain amount of pride in walking on the other side of the road. He works for POTC as the Development Director, but his true passion is public speaking on college campuses and networking in the urban neighborhood on the west side.

Both Mark and Diann have become good friends. It's a strange sort of relationship because we come from different worlds (even though Diann grew up only 30 minutes from me in West Michigan). They love Jesus and are called to urban life/ministry. They integrate their faith in ways that makes them feel "marginalized." Their thoughts have challenged mine. Their convictions and faith have both grown through life's challenges.

I met them for the first time almost 6 years ago. They came to meet with me because Christa Lee (John and Sue's daughter) made the connection. They came...Diann somewhat reluctantly. Why did she have to meet with this kid at the huge suburban white church (keep in mind that they are both caucasion, too...just more integrated in the urban context). We talked. I don't even remember much about the conversation except this...we were all committed to creating a partnership out of our relationship. Let's share life together and then let ministry flow out of that.

It's an uncommon vision in ministry partnership. Usually one organization has money, the other one needs it. One asks, the other writes a check...they say thank you, pose for pictures, and go our own ways. We committed to not doing that.

Six years later, the vision is coming to fruition. We haven't done all there is to do, but the stage has been set and the vision cast. We shared life. Out of that partnership came a strong relationship between Peace of the City and WCH. It's strong because each party brings what they have and each needs what the other one has. POTC needs the financial and people resources of WCH. WCH needs to opportunity to care for the poor like Jesus commanded. Don't miss this...WCH needs POTC more than the other way around.

Together, we've cast the vision for other organizations. Now Buffalo City Missions is stepping up, building relationship and seeing what God wants to do together -- it's going to be big, too...just wait until May when the project is announced!!

Mark and Diann have taught classes and seminars for the people here. WCH people have given time to serve the kids in Buffalo.

Last month, as the POTC Christmas part, Cliff was "honored" for his investment in the lives of 6 teen "men." Each of the young men wrote a thank you for Cliff that was presented on a plaque. 3 of them called Cliff, the father they always were looking for. A couple of them said, "I love you." to Cliff. They were hungry. And God saw fit to feed them through the willingness of a man from East Aurora.

Yesterday, during a lunch meeting, I said good-bye to Peace of the City. I have been the Chair of the Board for the past couple years. I've done some good. I've left some holes, no doubt. But it's been a good run. I'll still be advisory board...but it's not the same.

Mark, Diann, Cliff, John, Bruce, Cap...you're strong partners in a great ministry. Thank you for letting me be a part of the story. May I continue what we've started as I move to Northwest.

Peace on the journey,

Matt