Holipedia Part 1 On-Line

The first week of our Holipedia series is now on-line.  It was a doozy of a beginning.  We were answering questions submitted by the Living Stones Church.  In the first week’s message we talk about the tension between science and faith, dinosaurs, evolution, tattoos, piercings, whether or not God has a dress code, can you be friends with non-Christians, and do I have to speak in tongues to be saved.  You can hear the message here.

If that weren’t daunting enough, this Sunday we will talk about Satan/demons/angels, homosexuality, why do bad things happen to good people, how do we view or respond to other religions, etc.  Ohhh baby….don’t want to miss it.

Good-Bye Don Pablo’s

Don Pablo’s (in Mishawaka) has closed their doors!!! 

For the past several years its service and quality has been in decline.  It was amazing how empty the restaurant was at peak meal times.

Figured it was inevitable.

My wife and kids loved it (but they also want a puppy – so how much can you really trust their opinion ).

Long live Fiesta Tapatia!!!

Touring the Southside

For our staff meeting today we jumped in the church van and drove through some neighborhoods on the south side of South Bend. If you are familiar with the area, the streets we drove through are those north of Ewing to Indiana Ave. and Michigan to Miami Street.  For a long season of time I drove through the neighborhoods about 2-3 times a month.  It has been awhile since I drove through the area.  I could tell a big difference.  It was disturbing.  Here is what we noticed:

• There used to be an abandoned (and boarded up) home here or there, now, there are literally areas of 6-7 houses in a row (virtually an entire city block) abandoned.
• The overall look of the neighborhood tended to decline the closer you got to Michigan Street.  Now, the deteriorating condition of neighborhoods seems to be advancing eastward.
• The amount of litter and blight in some areas was amazing.
• Code Enforcement could be employed full-time for months to come just in this area.
• High percentage of working-aged adults loitering in the area.
• The look of a neighborhood changed dramatically from street to street.
• Lots of vacant lots (most overgrown and full of trash)

The area seems to be in a serious state of decline.  I know years ago the city attempted to help deal with abandoned homes by offering to sell them for $1.  The condition was that you had to invest a certain amount of money into the property (which was totally over the possible value of the home given its location), and a bunch of other restrictions.  The result…not a single home sold.  Now what?  What do you do with all the abandoned homes and the miserable condition of some of the neighborhoods on the south side?