Shameless Plug

By now many of you know a little about our outreach ministry to the rockers, tattooed, pierced... really to any who are never, ever going to enter a standard church building. Soul Space is about to occupy their storefront where they will talk to people about Jesus, give tattoos (No. Really), and counsel those who have no other place to go. Pete Grant is our lead minister for this work. He and his wife, Rudi, are wonderful people who have a heart for the "others" in our midst. Go to www.sacredink.blogspot.com and read their story.

[Quick note: when I was in Wichita this weekend I went to the mall for a quick haircut and a sandwich. They had one of those temporary Halloween costume shops set up and, as I watched. four Goths walked in a shopped for something to wear on Halloween. Cracked me up. I wanted to ask them, "What are you going as? Me? An insurance salesman? Your parents?"]

Anyway... the Soul Space people are a ministry of the Rochester Church but they are doing this ALL on their own dime. These are people without any real funds and who barely make it week to week but who have mortgaged their lives to the tune of $20,000 to get this ministry off the ground. Some of you who read this might want to help them pay that off so they can lose that burden and be blessed. I have no hesitation to ask you to send a check to "Rochester Church of Christ" at 250 West Avon, Rochester Hills, MI 48307 and we will get it to them within a week of its arrival here. I will also do a running tab on this blog, but gift givers will remain anonymous. I will send you a letter from the church thanking you for your gift and that will satisfy the IRS (yes, both the Rochester Church and Soul Space are IRS approved non-taxable entities).

If you want something tangible for your money, two of Soul Space's finest are Josh Turner and Lance Handyside. These are remarkably talented young men who formed a group known as Bar 12. I have always loved the blues and have a very large collection of it... and these two are up there among the best of the best. To raise money for this ministry, they cut a CD that absolutely rocks and blows the doors off anything at Best Buy. If we genetically engineered two babies from the DNA of the Marshall Tucker Band, Pink Floyd, Robert Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Lynyrd Skynyrd it would be Bar 12. I bought a pile of their CDs (and I'm Scottish, remember! When I open my wallet George Washington blinks; it's been so long since he's seen the light) to give out as Christmas gifts. Some covers and some originals are on the disk and you will love it.

Send us a check to the Rochester Church for $15 and I'll send you a CD. All proceeds will go to Bar 12 and Soul Space.

Here's a promise -- if someone out there gives the whole $20,000, I'll tell you. If we sell that many CDs, I'll tell you. You will know every amount every step along the way.

If we can make this work, souls will be saved and the church -- not just here but worldwide -- will change as others see these pioneers and follow in their footsteps to reach outside our church buildings to those Jesus loves in the shadows and corners of our culture.