Our Community, Our Mission
Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #283 – Loving in the Gap
What does it truly mean to love someone through their darkest moments? In this episode of Our Community, Our Mission, Mike Schoettle, TRM’s Director of Spiritual Wellness and Discipleship, explores the transformative idea of “Loving in the Gap.” The gap is the space where people find themselves trapped in homelessness, addiction, or trauma. Instead of offering help from a distance, true ministry means stepping into that space, walking alongside others with patience, dignity, and compassion.
Guided by TRM’s seven biblical pillars, this conversation shows that loving in the gap is not about quick fixes but about unconditional acceptance and recognizing the image of God in every person. Practical acts such as meals, shelter, and case management become living expressions of a deeper truth: every life is worth standing with, no matter how difficult the journey. This same theme of Loving in the Gap will shape TRM’s Night of Praise happening this Friday, September 12, at 6:30 p.m. at Fellowship Bible Church. It will be an evening of worship, gratitude, and community you will not want to miss.
To learn more about Night of Praise, Click Here!
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Gracious Heavenly Father. We thank you, Lord, for this day and your blessings and your provisions. God, we thank you for this time to record this podcast and all of our faithful listeners. Lord, pray that this conversation would bless them and encourage them today, Lord, to continue to stand in the gap for those who are just needing your love, and we just thank you, Lord, for our supporters and thank you for this time In Jesus' name, amen.
Speaker 2:In Jesus' name, amen. Hello everybody, thank you for joining us, for our community, our mission. A podcast of the Topeka Rescue Mission on a rainy Tuesday, september the 9th of 2025, episode number 283. I'm your co-host here today, barry Feaker with Josh Turley. First time doing co-hosting here, I think yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean I've been on the mic but you know, we've got Miriam and Lamanda out on assignment today, so you got me in, so I got you. I'm so sorry.
Speaker 2:No, that's great, that's great. So we've got Alec down here that's ready to push the button on or off for us here, so we got quite the ability to do this today.
Speaker 1:Oh man.
Speaker 2:So we talk about the research and development department of the Topeka Rescue Mission, and that's you and Alec, and so you're right here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, nancy's actually helping me out now. If you call Nancy, yeah, so if you call the Topeka Rescue Mission Tuesday, wednesday or Thursday, you're going to hear the lovely voice of Ms Nancy. She's our front desk receptionist here at the palace and she's wonderful and so she's actually kind of helping me pull some of these days doing this too.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, we got quite a team and we interviewed her.
Speaker 1:So if you've listened to the podcast, you know, nancy. So we have a, we have a complex problem.
Speaker 2:Here today we do our first international day. Yes, we have a debate on what it's called yes.
Speaker 1:So Well, there is only one correct answer, and so which one is it? It's International Sudoku Day Sudoku.
Speaker 2:Sudoku yeah, sudoku, sudoku, yeah. So everybody that knows what that means, raise your hand. You can't see, but everybody's hands are raised. No, I was talking to the audience. Can't you see everybody out?
Speaker 3:there. Yeah, if you're driving, keep your hands on the wheel. I got my magic mirror.
Speaker 2:I'm looking out there, there's Billy and there's Susie, never mind, so anyway, what is this Sudoku? All right, I got it right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sudoku, it's a numbers puzzle. It's like a nine by nine grid and it's I don't know, it's kind of hard to explain. It's a puzzle. It's a numbers puzzle. It's I don't know, it's kind of hard to explain. It's a puzzle. It's a numbers puzzle.
Speaker 3:And it's for people a lot smarter than I am. It's incredibly frustrating.
Speaker 2:It is. So why would we have an international day for that? Is that just kind of the condition of the world right now?
Speaker 3:I think, so I think, people, it's just so that people who are good at Sudoku know that they're better than anybody else. Like those people that can spots they probably could do so as well.
Speaker 1:So it's also you, I mean.
Speaker 3:No, no, no.
Speaker 2:No, no, no. Okay. The other voice over here is Mike Schottel. We're going to talk to him later, but probably while we're doing this too as well. Mike, how are you doing?
Speaker 3:I am fantastic. This day really is the most loveliest weather in my opinion. I love the rain. You do yes cool rain, yes, thunder lightning yes, oh man, yeah, that sends all the feels, just want to curl up and read a good book. Yeah, but you're here with us, but I'm here, yeah, not reading a book, not doing sudoku you're not doing that back into the parking lots, or I just get really frustrated with sudoku, just like no that's not your thing, like no I didn't get it.
Speaker 3:And then I throw the book across the room and then cry eat some chocolate I have an episode of the Closer and I'm good to go.
Speaker 1:I've used the app. There's a Sudoku app, but it also gives you hints.
Speaker 3:Like it tells you that you're wrong. No, you're wrong, okay, erase that Just button mash numbers Got it First try.
Speaker 2:So if Sudoku is not your thing, we also have another day for you. Yeah, it's national, it it's national, it's not international. Don't know why it's not international, but it's National. Win Pigs Fly Day. Now, shaddle with all your jokes and everything you do. There's got to be something in here about this particular day for you, on September 9th, what comes to your mind? Win Pigs Fly Day.
Speaker 3:I will complete a Sudoku square. Win Pigs Fly Day. There we go, there we go.
Speaker 2:I'm with you there, brother. I'm with you there, brother. I'm with you there, brother. So how many times have you seen pigs fly?
Speaker 3:With wings, or like from a trebuchet A catapult. Sorry, that's French for a catapult.
Speaker 2:All right, all right, we're going to have people who are very upset with us now. So, anyway, pigs don't fly. But it is National Win Pig Slide Day. Which means what? Josh?
Speaker 1:Yeah, just when you see the miraculous, when celebrating the things that you don't expect to happen, like Mike completing a Sudoku puzzle, yes, or like it ain't going to happen day.
Speaker 2:It's not going to happen, Okay all right, all right, so anyway, but you never know. So finally down to something that's more acceptable to most people. We have Teddy Bear Day. Teddy Bear Day, teddy Bear Day, Teddy bear day. Do you have a teddy bear, mike?
Speaker 3:Actually, yeah yeah, it's like a four foot teddy bear. Uh-huh, uh-huh, we call him.
Speaker 2:Mr Bear. Yeah, mr Bear, yeah, yeah. Why do you call him Mr Bear?
Speaker 3:Well, because if we called him Barry, that'd be kind of weird. But why is that? My bear was called?
Speaker 2:this is Barry. I looked at talks all the time you didn't call me hey, me yeah, sort of.
Speaker 3:Josh, did you ever have a?
Speaker 2:teddy bear?
Speaker 1:oh yeah, I had. I had lots of stuffed animals. I don't. I don't think I had like a teddy bear, though I remember. Do you remember the, the animated movie Aladdin? Oh yeah, aladdin had his little monkey Abu Abu, yeah, I had a little stuffed Abu that I carried Wow, I carried it everywhere, me too, and he had a little tuft of hair that stuck out of it and so I'd carry him by the tuft of his hair. That's a weird childhood memory that just like unlocked really quick. We better stop right there. My kids, though my my youngest, he just turned four. He has he calls them his stuffies, but they're all kinds of things all over his bed. I don't even know how he sleeps, but he loves exactly how my daughter is yeah, uh, shoot.
Speaker 3:I think she's been sleeping with probably about 10 lately. It's a lot, yeah, and a lot of them have been care bears like those are coming back, which that's a whole other thing. If they have care bears, does that mean that there's don't care bears? They didn't do as well.
Speaker 2:It's really a discrimination thing. It's the only bears that care and they sold a lot of them because they care. Yes, yeah, the rest of them don't care.
Speaker 3:Even the rainy bear, like he, even cares. There's a rainy bear, I'm pretty sure.
Speaker 2:Like, like he even cares. There's a rainy bear, I'm pretty sure Like a storm, I don't know. None of them top Yogi Bear. That was my bear. Hey, yo boo boo. And until just recently, when my wife said, do you have to get rid of Yogi Bear? I kept Yogi Bear in a trunk. What about Winnie the Pooh? Well, winnie was another friend of mine. Yes, whole, not other story. There's actually a video about Winnie the poo bear and me. That's actually how I got hired. That's right. Josh does such an amazing job on this video.
Speaker 3:Someday that might be one of those short foreign films Is that the safari poo bear.
Speaker 1:He's on adventures. Yes, he's on adventures, yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's about the. Yeah, I had that one in my driver's seat. I was told to take it down to 206 once. When I first started I was like okay, a lot of people wanted to kidnap that bear, but we kept him around, he made his rounds, he did, he really did.
Speaker 2:It's a great video and that's why Josh got hired. Hey, you know what? Lamanda's going to listen to this and never let us do this again just ourselves, because we're way out there. But let's pull it around. We got some really special thing finally coming up this Friday.
Speaker 1:This Friday We've been talking about Night of Praise for feels like months, but it's probably been a couple months. Night of Praise this Friday, September 12th, Doors open at 6, events at 6.30, and we really hope to see you there. Fellowship Bible Fellowship Bible Church. Bring some food with you. Yeah, free admission. We don't charge anything for you to come. We just ask that you bring canned food item, non-perishable food item, to help stock our distribution center.
Speaker 2:And then obviously it is a fundraiser, so we ask for it. So if you don't know anything about, it until now.
Speaker 1:You don't listen to podcasts like Topeka Rescue Missions. You don't read anything.
Speaker 2:You don't get a newsletter, so on and so forth forth. But now is your opportunity to come. Night of Pray is going to be some different music groups there, some testimonies, opportunities for people to praise the Lord together and participate in helping raise funds for Topeka Rescue.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, it's an awesome night. I'm really excited. This year We've got band members from different churches making up a couple of different bands, and so it really is an all church effort, which I love, and so, yeah, we've got some amazing stories of the Lord's provision and his work, and so, yeah, come be a part, come join us in doing the thing, so it's going to be a lot of fun.
Speaker 2:And so there's been a theme that's been going on all year, and we got Mike here today, mike Schottel, who is the director of spiritual wellness and discipleship. That's correct. What's that mean?
Speaker 3:wellness and discipleship. That's correct. What's that mean? So when I took over the position, uh, we wanted to do something a little bit more than just the chaplain. Um, one of the things with working.
Speaker 3:Spiritual wellness is even better than a job title right there, sorry, um, yeah, so one of the things while I've been going through the process of of taking this position uh, I just finished my master's, uh got my uh master's degree of Christian ministry and leadership with a concentration in Christian counseling Um, so one of the things through that entire process of doing doing my schooling, I really wanted and felt led that we really need to focus on our spiritual health. How are we spending time with the Lord? What are we doing to help our relationship with him grow deeper? So if we're not spiritually well, if we're not filling ourselves with the love of Christ, then how are we going to reciprocate that to the people that we come in contact with?
Speaker 2:Why is that important?
Speaker 3:to speak, a rescue mission. Well, I mean, we're a city on a hill. We're shining brightly, and if we are called to speak up for those who can't speak for themselves, we're not able to be in tune with the Holy Spirit. Jesus teaches in John chapter 15, I am the vine, you are the branches. Abide in me. If you do not abide in me, then you will produce no fruit. So if we're not abiding in him, we're not going to produce what he wants for us. So it's been a challenge, been a challenge.
Speaker 3:Um, I've been in this position for a year and a half or now. So a year and a half. So, yeah, there's a tongue tied right there, um, but it really just it's like what the Lord's doing in me. That's what I, that's what I feel like I need to then reciprocate and help the staff of the rescue mission work on too, because I'm not going to tell people to do something if I'm not going to do it.
Speaker 3:Um, yeah, so, with us digging deep in our faith and being intentional with drawing closer to him, when we draw close to him, we start acting like him, we start living like him. So when we're living like him, he moved with compassion. That's what brought up the whole loving in the gap when LaManda wanted to introduce that for this year. Yeah, loving in the gap is it's 1 John 4.10, straight up. This is love, not that we love God, but that he first loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. And then verse 11 says for God, so loved us. We ought to love one another. We can't say that we love God and then not love our neighbor as ourself.
Speaker 2:So, mike, not everybody, but most people that um have a position at Topeka Rescue Mission. Uh, attend a church, um, have a pastor. Yep, maybe you're a part of a Sunday school class small group, uh, maybe very involved in their church, right? So, um, one of the things that uh that I think um some people don't know is that it's not a denomination here, it's not a particular brand of Christianity. There are people who have worked here Presbyterians, catholics, baptists, nazarenes, assembly the list goes on and on and on and on and on, right, right. So why wouldn't that be good enough that they go to church and then come to here kind of prepackaged, ready to rock and roll with the scriptures that you just talked about? Not that there's anything wrong with the churches, but why is it important to have a person in your position here to be able to help guide that for the ministry of Topeka Rescue Mission?
Speaker 3:We're all the body of Christ. We all make up different parts of the body. The hand's not going to tell the nose what to do, because what does the hand know that the nose doesn't know? Vice versa. So there are different denominations, but we all work together as a core to be the body of Christ.
Speaker 2:So specific assignments here may be different than the church I attend. Yes, yeah, so the church has a unique role wherever it's planted, whether how God has called that church to present the good news of Christ in their neighborhood, in their community. Topeka Rescue Mission has a unique call. Yes, that's not necessarily, it's not one size fits all. No, yeah, so I just wanted to help people to understand you know why this position?
Speaker 2:And so a spiritual coach, kind of keeping people on the field and keep them moving the right direction, not that they don't know anything, right, we have people come in at all different levels. We have people that work at the Pika Rescue Mission who have spent 10, 20 years on the streets and this whole thing about a job and a home to live in, right, and this relationship with Christ. They're all new to them and so sometimes they don't feel like they fit in church, traditional church, very well, and so we have that opportunity here. So this Loving in the Gap is the theme. It's been going on since the beginning of this year and it's going to be the theme Friday night, right, josh, absolutely. So we hear about, we think about, standing in the gap, uh, living in the gap, being in the gap, what does loving in the gap have in a relationship to any of those?
Speaker 3:We can't do anything of what we do here at the rescue mission without the love. We can't do anything of what we do here at the rescue mission without the love. There are very hard to love people, but we can't just put somebody in a box and be like you know what they're hard to love, so I'm not going to reach out to them because we ourselves are hard to love. I brought that up a couple couple days ago with some staff members Um, we're working through, uh, protecting the self-esteem and dignity of everyone we come in contact with, because we are the Imago Dei. We were all created in the image of God. So when we put labels on people thinking, well, they're weird, or they're broken or I wouldn't be caught dead, you know spending time with them because you know that's just, they're them, I'm me. I'm not going to do any of that.
Speaker 3:And one of our staff members, when I brought up the the question of you know, how do we look at people without thinking, man, they're weird? And this individual said well, what makes us think that we're normal? Right, look at the mirror. Right, define normal. Nobody's normal. So it doesn't matter where we're at, it doesn't matter where we're from when we look at people when we pray to the Lord. Lord, let me see your people through your eyes. Our flesh is going to obviously put those barriers up. We're not going to look at people with a loving, compassionate way, because it's the fleshly side of us.
Speaker 2:Well, why not? I mean, if you want to work at Topeka Rescue Mission, you want to be on staff, you want to volunteer here, why would that even be a question?
Speaker 3:Nobody's perfect, absolutely nobody is perfect.
Speaker 2:So we may come with good intentions here. We want to help people. We want to talk about what gap means here in a minute, but we want to come help people. But, for whatever reason, from things that I've experienced or haven't experienced in life, I'm going to look at people through my lens and sometimes that may be helpful to them or may be harmful to them, as well as myself and the people I'm working with. And so the love aspect of this is some people might call it secret sauce is what makes the it's, it's the ingredient that takes it over to the next level. So what? What is the gap? What was loving in the gap? Standing in the gap? What do we mean by being in that place, in the gap? What's the gap?
Speaker 3:The gap could be anything from unemployment to homelessness, to addiction, addiction to past trauma, whatever it is. We will get down in that dirtiness, that filth, that, whatever they're stuck in, and sit with them in it, not really to be like, hey, give me your stuff, because we don't have the power to take what they are dealing with, but we do have the power to show them what love we have, and that is of Christ.
Speaker 2:So you've named some different things that people face that take advantage of the services to be a rescue mission homelessness, unemployment, other things. It could be addiction, mental illness. The list goes on. The list is almost endless. Yes, so how okay, these are the other things. It could be addiction, mental illness. The list goes on. The list is almost endless. Yes, so how okay, these are the different things. So when we think about gap just kind of taking us to the next thought process here a gap generally means that there is a gulf between where I'm at and where I need to go. Yes, there's the gap. So how is it that Topeka Rescue Mission helps be in that gap that is making any kind of a difference in somebody's life that unemployed to employment, to homelessness, to house, to suffering from addiction, mental illness, whatever the case might be, to wellness, on and on and on? How does Topeka Rescue Mission practically be the bridge that crosses from where people are to where they need to go?
Speaker 3:I mean, the first person that comes to mind is Kenny Ball. He's been on the podcast multiple times. You've talked with him that it was a cold day or whatever and he was walking to work and you turned around that was one of my many encounters with Kenny. Right, I said we'll pay you to not go to work.
Speaker 2:Going to work at the wrong place?
Speaker 3:Yes, and that gap is just trying to fill in what they're trying to get through and it's not working. The gap is hope, and if we don't have the hope to offer them, then they're just going to continue to be in that cyclical downward spiral of what it is and it's. It's not a one-time deal, it's not a well. This is your only opportunity and if you don't take it, the ship has sailed. You're done. Sometimes it's multiple times and that's what it was for Kenny. Sometimes for Kenny it was hey, you can't be coming in here high, you cannot be picking fights with the front desk, you can't be jumping over the counter, trying to kill the guy at the front desk, trying to kill the guy at the front desk just because he called you.
Speaker 3:Sir, you have to see that you have such potential, um, you have to see that you have such potential, a potential that we see in you because we see that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Yeah, and that gap sometimes takes years, and sometimes those years turn into decades and they're still out to lunch. But when you have somebody like Kenny Ball, it finally clicks.
Speaker 2:According to him, 100 times Yep, 100 times that he was in and out of speaker rescue mission over a period of years.
Speaker 1:I think that's part of like the loving piece, right. I think that adds another layer of versus just standing in the gap. I think a lot of us think standing in the gap and that love is kind of what keeps it coming back. You know, I think a lot of people might come to the end of that where their Kenny is like all right, you're at your 50th time, which is generous, but loving keeps you coming back. Right, it keeps us coming back and saying we're going to keep loving you, no matter how many times you're walking through that gap. And that's like the difference in the loving is that's what Jesus has called us to is to love people.
Speaker 2:So what does that mean? Love? You know people could say, okay person is homeless, I'm going to love them and be kind to them and have empathy for them. I'm going to try not to judge them. Does that help them to get to the other side, or is that all that it takes to get to the other side? What is love?
Speaker 3:The love is defined 1 John 4.10. 1 John 4.10. I have it tattooed on my forearm In that this is love, Agape Love. It is unconditional. There is absolutely positively nothing you can do to deserve that love. Okay, so the love that we have. It is unconditional, Meaning it holds no record of rights or wrongs. It holds no record of rights or wrongs. It sees through the lens of no matter what you choose to do. I'm going to show you dignity because you are created in God's image.
Speaker 2:Does love sometimes have hands and feet? Yes, does it actually do something?
Speaker 3:Yes. Other than abstractly care about someone or just be like just oh, I feel your pain, that's my point. Yeah, it's not just empathetic, it actually works. It does something with it. It's not, excuse me, it's, it's it's action. Yes, agape isn't just a noun, it's not or it's not a, it is a verb Um. But it's not just a word that describes how I feel, um but it's not just a word that describes how I feel.
Speaker 3:Um, I can say that I love my wife, but if I'm not showing action in how I love my wife, then it's a subject matter versus an action.
Speaker 2:Yes, and I think that that's the point here. Um, josh, you well know, and there's been many things and you see it on trucks faith with its sleeves rolled up. Faith with the sleeves rolled up that word faith. Is about the Topeka Rescue Mission. It's a faith ministry. There's two kinds of faith. There's one, a subject of believing in something, and there's another thing that does something. So where does, in your opinion?
Speaker 1:you've been around the mission for a long time now where does that word faith and love come together in this gap? Yeah, I think to kind of piggyback off that. It's also the practical. Like you know, yes, it's one thing to say I love you, but here is a meal, here is a bed, here is a case manager to walk through you know difficult things with you and help you get a driver's license, help you get a birth certificate. Here is an education program to help you know how to write a resume, to help you know how to interview and get a job. Here is a housing resource to help you pay off bills that you're needing to or debt you're needing to get paid off, pay off bills that you're needing to or debt you're needing to get paid off. And that's one thing I've loved working here is TRM is in the practicalness of it.
Speaker 1:We're constantly reevaluating and saying how is this helping the person? And if it's not us, who's filling that maybe gap somewhere else? And saying, all right, well, we, baby, we're not doing that here, but you know this resource over here is doing that, so we're going to get you connected and plugged in with them. And those are like the practical aspects of like love, right, we're going to be here with you in it and we're going to help you walk through it. And, like, those are the stories you know that we're going to be talking about at Night of Praise, right Is? There is definitely the practical aspect of it because, like you said, it is definitely one thing to love and say I love you, I'm here to be with you in this, but it's another to say we're going to figure out how to get through this together. Um, and that's really what's so cool about here is there's there's multiple approaches to say, all right, how can we help the whole person, um, get to where they need to go through that gap?
Speaker 3:Mike, who's our best example of loving unconditionally and go on the distance. There are multiple people, but the one I really have to pick on right now, the first person that comes to mind is, honestly, nancy johnson.
Speaker 2:Um she, uh, I've been behind our front desk lady, by the way. Yes, so she'll answer the phone tuesday, thursday, lady but there it was actually last week.
Speaker 3:Um, we were, I was printing off the donation envelopes for the night of praise and you could only feed what there were 500 envelopes, that's what we printed and you could only feed like 15 at a time into the the bypass tray on the printer. So I was in the office with her for about an hour and a half and it was a Thursday, so that means that we had our Hope Center guests coming in at that time for their trauma class and the way that that woman just personifies just a motherly love and sees these ladies that are coming in who have not been, honestly feel like they have not been seen, like seen. And one of them in particular. She comes in, just no smile on her face, looks like she's just had enough. And she looks up at the clock and Nancy says how are you this morning? And she just went, eh.
Speaker 3:And Nancy goes oh my gosh, look at your nails, who did those? And the gal goes, huh. And she goes who did your nails? They're gorgeous. And she goes well, I did them. She goes well, you should come in here and do mine sometime. Holy cow, look at how good. And she's like really, you really think this is good and she's like, yeah, I think you, I think you did great. And I mean I don't know anything about doing manicures or anything, but yeah, her nails look nice. But Nancy takes her time to see people where they are at and it's almost like the Holy Spirit leads her to like to pinpoint something, because there's always something. And I believe this that we can find a commonality. It doesn't matter what somebody is dealing with, it doesn't matter where they've been, what trauma, what addiction, whatever it is. There is a commonality that you can find in somebody and then immediately, once you get that connection, you can't let go of it.
Speaker 2:And then immediately, once you get that connection, you can't let go of it. So the picture with this is we have these women and men coming to the education center, children's Palace, required classes to be in, not always happy about my homelessness, nor am I required to go in and learn about job skills and this, that and the other thing. And they meet Nancy Johnson about job skills and this, that and the other thing. And they meet Nancy Johnson.
Speaker 2:Just right before we started the podcast, there was a long line of folks coming in waiting to get checked in. And here's the first person they see is Nancy, and some of them are really excited to be here. Some are not so excited to be here. But to your point, here is this retired lady who I've known forever and ever and ever. Used to be the director of the Community resources council in Topeka for many years. Um is now, uh, come to the rescue mission. Um, and is standing in the gap to even look at someone's demeanor and saying your nails are beautiful to build a bridge for a hope there there was.
Speaker 1:There was one, because she's off Monday and Friday, and there was one Friday. She wasn't here and had one of the guests from the shelter come in and goes. Is Nancy here? I was like, oh no, she's not here today. He goes. Oh, I just wanted to come say hi to her because she just makes every person feel special and loved and that's what it's about and Nancy will very humbly and she's going to die when she hears we've been talking about her Deal with it.
Speaker 2:Very humbly, will never say I'm doing anything special.
Speaker 3:No.
Speaker 2:And that's really the kind of love that just emulates in the people that we hope come, whether they volunteer or work here, to be a part of this. So we've kind of taken a little bit of deep dive. You know what in the world is love and who's an example that you've looked?
Speaker 1:at. I'll piggyback off that, too, real quick. That's the majority of staff here, like the majority of staff, will stop what they're doing and talk to people and love them where they're at. I've seen it time and time again. It doesn't matter what position they're in, it's all of them there's. And volunteers, and volunteers, absolutely Volunteers staff there is this, you know, culture and I think that's why it's so prevalent is this culture of love. We all understand this innate thing that we all say here is Imago Dei, everybody is made in the image of God, and we're all in that, and so it's. I don't know. It's really cool to see that.
Speaker 2:And we started talking about Mike, your position here as a director of spiritual wellness and discipleship. I want to kind of come back to that again about how important that is. As Josh said, pretty much most everybody is in that vein here, but it takes keeping the team moving forward in that because we're humans. But I want to point out that there are a lot of homeless shelters in the country all around the world, but not everybody feels comfortable coming to a homeless shelter and there are a lot of street homeless around the world, including Topeka, kansas, and not too many street homeless feel comfortable coming to where there are other people that are going to provide services and so a lot of reasons for that disappointments, fear, don't feel valued, they feel like they're a number. But you look at a full house at Topeka Rescue Mission 260, some right now, maybe more creating more space as we speak and trying to figure out how to get more people off the streets. You look at the mobile access partnership, which some of our more broken individuals last week had 88 people found it. Today it's raining. Not sure how many people are going to come, but they come.
Speaker 2:And there was a big question yesterday in a group I was with. Why are those people coming off the streets when they won't come anywhere else? And it came down to one thing they feel valued and they know it's safe and they're loved. And so that takes people, whether they're working at the Stormont Vale Mobile Clinic or the Vallejo Shower Trailer, the Rescue Missions Clothing Trailer over at the let's Help Building right now. For people to feel that they are important, valued, safe and loved, accepted. Same thing here at Topeka Rescue Mission, hundreds and hundreds of people come through here has to have a team that is doing what we're talking about today the value of the coach to help steer this, with the direction of the CEO Lamanda, to be able to get the team not get the team, but keep the team focused in the right direction. So what are some of the ways you do that?
Speaker 3:So, excuse me, at the beginning I talked about spiritual wellness. Now I'm going to talk about the other part of the director director of discipleship, director of spiritual wellness and discipleship. Discipleship is plain and simple. It means a learner to lead people to learn. So if we're not willing to learn, then we are not willing to grow, and through the entire process of discipleship, I myself need to learn in order for me to teach. Okay, so about a year, about a year ago, um, I was in one of my classes, I was in new Testament survey, uh, with the university that I went to and they wanted us to begin to create a curriculum or a culture, something that we could implement in our work. And what I started to do was the five biblical pillars of the Topeka Rescue Mission, and I just needed approval from LaManda to say that it is for TRM, and I was just going to do a five off, five week devotional series. That's all that it was going to be. We're going to kick it off and then boom. So I did the intro and, like our, our, our, uh, calendar wasn't lining up, so I did the kickoff. And then that week, when that lesson for all staff was sent out because I send these lessons every single week for people to read, to study, to discuss sent it out and then LaManda went. I don't know, I don't think it's five. I think the Lord's working on you that there's seven, because seven is a complete number. I went okay, well, what are the other two? And she goes I don't know, you're in school, that's you. You're the one that needs to figure them out. But I think one of them needs to be trauma related, because if this is the, if these are the biblical pillars of TRM, you're the one that's doing it. Figure it out.
Speaker 3:And I was like, oh, crud. And then, not 15 minutes after we adjourned the meeting, boom, the two came just right to me, texted her and she said there you go, take it and run with it. Uh, you're going to talk with the board. And I was like, oh, excuse me, record, scratch, what she's like. You got to get that approved, because we're also going to be putting this in the handbook. I was like, excuse me, what? So now HR has got to be involved. She's like yeah, you're going to have some graphics too. I'm like excuse me, what she's like after january I just need to pass this class I just need five.
Speaker 2:I just needed the credit.
Speaker 3:That's all I needed. So that turned into waiting until the beginning of this year and implementing these seven biblical pillars, which they are seek first to understand. We cannot do what we do until we seek first to understand the person that's in front of us. Doesn't matter if it's a guest, if it's a community member For crying out loud, if it's a staff member.
Speaker 2:We need to seek first to understand where the person is that's coming in front of us and I want to just pause right there, because so oftentimes people who are needing help because of the magnitude of the number of people needing help, not just at the peak rescue mission but throughout this whole nation the frontline workers don't have time to find out about the person. So they find out what the problem is and they prescribe or they say you're eligible for this, take a number, move on through it. But they do not feel seen and heard and you have to see and hear to understand. There's the beginning. That's a huge right there.
Speaker 3:And that's where Nancy, why she has such a long line for every single class, because she is taking time to remember people's names to see them. If she doesn't, if she isn't greeted with a smile with somebody who initially greets her with a smile, she's going to call them out on it. All right, why was I not greeted with a smile this morning? What's going on? Yeah, like you're taking your time from not answering the phone's ringing and you're going to talk to me. Yeah, because you're in front of me. You are my job because I love you. So seek first to understand. Once we understand, we're listening and responding with empathy.
Speaker 3:So that's the second one listen and respond with empathy. Number three is speak the truth in love. So you hear, the truth hurts. Well, yeah, the truth does hurt, but the truth should be spoken to people to build them up, not tear them down.
Speaker 2:So if you really really want that job and you really want to have the ability to live on your own, we've got to address the addiction. Yes, we have to address the hygiene. We have to address the way you dress, maybe the way you talk those are hard conversations to have sometimes that we maybe have to look at a whole way of doing things a little bit differently than what you've been used to, and not judging them for the way they've done things because they've been the best they can Right, but speaking truth and love means maybe we need to look at something different.
Speaker 3:Yes. And then after that, um, while we're speaking, the truth and love brings us to the next one. When you're doing that, protect their self-esteem and their dignity. And the one that I really drive home on that is when Jesus is at the well in John, chapter 4. You have a Jewish man interacting with a Samaritan woman. Whether it was a Jew and a Samaritan, that is a cultural faux pas. You do not do that. You do not talk, absolutely not. And then a man and a woman absolutely not. And he is the or she excuse me, she is the first one that he publicly announces that he is the Messiah too, and then he tells her Took some time to do it, though didn't it?
Speaker 3:Yes, he did. And then he tells her Took some time to do it, though didn't it? Yes, he did. He saw the need, that she was thirsty, that there was shame in her thirst, and coming out, he saw the brokenness. He knew the brokenness. He knew that she was married five times and the man that she was living with was not her husband, because he's the Messiah. But he didn't condemn her on it. He showed the restoration, the possibility of the restoration that can come forth with it. And then, of course, you know what does she do? She runs away with her arms flying, saying I've had it, I've had it.
Speaker 3:No, she goes into the town and says let me tell you about the man who told me everything that I've ever done in my entire life, and what happens from that. The town comes and sees Christ, and then they say to the woman we now believe, not because of what you have told us, but because of what we have seen in him. So when we protect the self-esteem and the dignity of the people that are in front of us, covered in their puke, covered in their filth, with their track marks from their needles and shooting up, we're loving them. We're protecting their self-esteem and dignity because, no matter what, if they're a junkie or whatever, they are created in God's image. The lies that they have believed through their entire life, of family members who they should trust, telling them that they're worthless, that they are scum, that they might as well just be dead there's no truth in that. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Let me show you how loved you are. You have a potential.
Speaker 2:You have a meaning to be here and so much value and potential. You don't have to stay doing what you've been doing. That's the other part of that bridge the gap. How can we help you see your value and it's not going to be fully realized when you're doing this Right. So try this.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and then it all makes sense. And then, finally, this was my fifth one. This is what I was going to end on, boom done. And then LaManda's like no, and I was like, yeah, advocate for the lost and broken. Proverbs 31, 8 and 9. Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. That Proverbs 31, 8 and 9. Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. That's what we do here For those of us who love our job at the Topeka Rescue Mission. You know why do those people? Why are they camping underneath a car wash? You know what's the deal with that? It's just an eyesore. Well, what is the deal with that? Let's see why they're doing it and what we can do to help, instead of just throwing the rocks. When you've got a plank, there's two completely. You know you're throwing, you're you're calling them out for the speck of dust in their eye and you got a two by four sticking out of your eyeball.
Speaker 2:That's so oftentimes what the people who are in that situation have heard, what they've received and what they've owned, and that then perpetuates more of the downward spiral Right To no hope, right.
Speaker 3:Gap, big gap, a gorge. So that's where I was going to end it. But there's got to be a side up on all of those actions, because these actions are also for us to do for ourselves. So the sixth pillar, uh, heal and restore through compassion. The Lord moved and felt compassion. Um, the, the Greek word is splankna, uh, meaning that it is a guttural intestinal churning that you feel so broken for the person that is in front of you that you can't do anything other than need to help them.
Speaker 2:That's where we get the word spleen from. Yes sir, hit him in the spleen Wasn't just an emotional feeling. Yep, hit him in the gut. That's true compassion. Oh, I got to do something for them.
Speaker 3:So heal and restore through compassion something for them.
Speaker 3:So heal and restore through compassion. And then the final one was uh, which? This one's a doozy, because how often is it that I? You know, I'm the director of spiritual wellness and discipleship. I have a graduate degree from a university, so I have a master's of Christian ministry and leadership with a concentration in Christian counseling. Uh, from a very loving family, but I've messed up a lot in my life. So who am I to feel totally adequate to be in this position? Because I don't feel adequate. I feel like there's somebody else who could do a better job than me. Why? Because I'm not trusting in the Lord's redemption, I'm not trusting that he has set me apart to be in this position to point people to him.
Speaker 3:In positions here at the rescue mission, there are people who are fighting to get their sobriety back, that are believing the enemy's lies of you are worthless. Remember what you were told when you were six years old that you're never going to amount to anything, that you're just a screw up. So quit asking stupid questions. No, no, the Lord has said I have redeemed you. I came, I lived, I died, I conquered death and came back for you. He would leave the 99 to go for the one. We have to trust in his redemption. Because when we trust in his redemption, that's when the shackles come off, that's when we're going into the fisticuffs and we are going toe to toe with the enemy and saying you know what, not this one. We're going to fight, we've got the Holy Spirit on our side, we're fighting for this person, and that's just what brings up the whole.
Speaker 3:The final charge of above all else we need to abide in Christ. John 15, abide in the vine. So pillar number seven is Pillar. Number seven is trust in the Lord's redemption. So I guess there's kind of eight, but the eighth's the roof, the eighth is the roof, the eighth is the roof Above all else. Abide in Jesus. But it all boils down to it's a calling.
Speaker 3:Is this an easy job? Absolutely positively not. But is this the best job that I've had my entire life? You bet your bottom dollar, little orphan Annie. It is. I love it. I love why? Because I'm doing what the Lord called me to do. I didn't even know that I would be in Topeka, kansas.
Speaker 3:But Luke, chapter 10, verse 2, says the harvest is plenty, the labors are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send labors into the field. Since, before I was born, the people who were intentional in my life and my spiritual growth prayed at 10 o'clock, at 10.02, every single morning. Lord, your harvest is plenty, your labors are few. There's people who don't even know. There are children that don't even know that they're going to be called into the ministry. Work in their hearts, work in their families to have them be called into this ministry and their families to have them be called into this ministry.
Speaker 3:That prayer started in 1986. I was born in 1991. I am now here in answer to that prayer. So when I found out that that prayer was being prayed over me, that's now my intentional responsibility that you can be darn sure that at 10.02, what time is it? Right now we're close to 10.02. My alarm is going to go off on my phone. It's going to say 10.02 prayer time. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest. The harvest is plenty, the labors are few. Pray to him that he would send laborers into the field.
Speaker 2:So that prayer was pretty powerful. I started here in 1986, and here you are. What took you so long?
Speaker 3:I had to be born, I had to grow up, barry, I guess so I guess.
Speaker 2:so we have an eternal God who sees the before, the beginning, the beginning, the current and the future, forever and ever, and so we're invited to be a part of that. And, without a doubt, anybody knows anything about Scripture, from the very beginning of the Bible to the very end, and it's about God's love for mankind. And if there was ever anything that you don't want to do, it is to turn your back on the poor, to treat the poor wrongly. People are judged for it, nations are judged for it. Countries, communities, cities, counties are judged for how they take care of the poor.
Speaker 2:And there's a standing in the gap for the city of Topeka, and it is the body of Christ. It is those who have stepped up and stepped in to reflect the heart of Christ. When you were talking about the woman at the well, she took off to go tell people. Because of what she said, they came to see him, and when they saw him, they became transformed themselves, and so standing in the gap is to help people to see. Just like night of praise is going be on Friday is an opportunity for people to connect with what Mike's been talking about here, not necessarily in the full detail we've walked into here, but just bits and pieces of glimpses of what it means to love in the gap. And so, mike, thank you for what you're doing, thank you for saying yes. If anybody knows Mike Schottel, he's a pretty ornery guy, has a lot of jokes.
Speaker 2:I do want to have a one-liner before we leave here, but before that, or one joke, excuse me, my pen, josh. Once again, what's happening Friday night.
Speaker 1:Yeah, friday night, night of Praise. If you've heard this and it's moved your heart, come to Night of Praise. If you're not sure where to start, there's going to be opportunities for you to learn how to volunteer, to learn what prayer needs we have to donate financially. There's going to be ways for you to learn how to love in the gap. And so come, enjoy some amazing worship, enjoy some hearing the incredible stories and get involved. That's what it's about. So yeah, night of Praise, september 12th. Doors open at 6. Event starts at 6.30 at Fellowship Bible Church at 10th and Urish Yep.
Speaker 2:It's going to be good and it's going to. You've heard a little bit of what it's all about, so loving in the gap. So, mike Schottel, before we leave here, if anybody knows you and dad jokes, mike Shuttle invented them, um, even before he was a dad. So, uh. So what do we got here? About the unicorn and the horse?
Speaker 3:No, no, tell another one. Why are relationships like algebra?
Speaker 2:Because you look at your ex and wonder why. Thank you very much, mikeottles. Yikes, we were going to end on spiritual, but nope, we not now. So anyway, but we all have come short of the glory of God, and that's why we're all here.
Speaker 3:So finally, yes, why should you avoid marrying a tennis player? We got the US Open going on right now, so why should you avoid marrying a tennis player? Because love means nothing to them.
Speaker 2:That's good. There you go, all right. Mike Schottel, josh Shirley, thank you very much. Thank you for listening to our community, our mission. You've heard about Loving in the Gap. You've heard about our Director of Spiritual Wellness and Discipleship, how this all ties in together, and you've also heard one more time about the Night of Praise coming up this Friday, september 12th. Doors open at 6 pm at Fellowship Bible Church, 6.30 pm. It's going to be a night that you will not want to miss. Thank you for joining us. If you'd like more information about Topeka Rescue Mission, you can go to trmonlineorg. That's trmonlineorg. Thank you for listening to Our Community, our Mission.