Chilly Outside, But Warm Vibes Inside

Our congregation, St. Johannes Lutheran Church, has partnered with Next Steps of South Carolina and The Navigation Center to support a vital ministry in the Charleston area. The Navigation Center is a non-profit that began by serving military veterans and has since expanded to help anyone in crisis. The Center's mission is to empower our most vulnerable neighbors by helping them navigate the complex system of services needed to rebuild sustainable, independent lives.

By providing a volunteer counselor and financial assistance from St Johannes and Next Steps of South Carolina, we join a powerful, collaborative network of over 70 organizations dedicated to this work. It is through this partnership that we can be part of true, lasting life change. Here are a few more stories of our neighbors who have been helped by this shared work.

Walking with Melanie Through Crisis

Melanie (black cap with baby) has become a familiar face at The Navigation Center. She's a mom to three boys, and one of them was in a terrible accident where he was caught in a car door and dragged. The injuries were extensive. You can imagine how that kind of trauma affects a family, not just emotionally but financially too.

She fell behind on rent and was facing eviction when The Navigation Center stepped in to negotiate on her behalf. She's caught up now, which is a huge relief. But then her electric bill became the next crisis. Her service was set to be disconnected the very next day. Melanie is employed, but The Navigation Center is helping her find more reliable work so these emergencies don't keep happening. We were able to pay enough to keep her lights on for another month. Sometimes loving our neighbor means showing up in the middle of the storm and saying, "You're not alone. We've got you."

Fighting for Katie's Fresh Start

We didn't actually get to sit down with Katie. She had been at The Navigation Center but had to rush out to pick up her grandson because of a sudden problem. But her story stayed with us.

Katie was evicted from her subsidized housing because her oldest daughter, who didn't even live with her, caused disturbances. Her daughter is now in jail. From what we heard, Katie got very poor representation from her pro bono lawyer. So now Katie's belongings are in storage while she lives with her sister's family. The Navigation Center is working hard to help her find housing again.

She needed help with her storage bill to keep her possessions safe. We covered another month for her. It's a small thing, maybe, but it matters. This is what justice looks like in the real world. It's not always dramatic. Sometimes it's just making sure a grandmother doesn't lose everything she owns because of someone else's mistakes.

Standing with Gina in Her Grief

When we met Gina (black bonnet), we could see the weight she's carrying. She's a mother of three, ages 15, 13, and 2. Until recently, she had good family support raising her children. But both of her parents died, and that loss left her not only heartbroken but completely alone in raising her kids.

Gina is disabled but able to work, and she recently started a job at a convenience store. She's doing everything she can. But her electricity was about to be disconnected if she couldn't pay a portion of the bill. We paid enough to keep it on for another month.

Here's what struck us about Gina: she's grieving deeply, and yet she's still showing up for her kids every single day. That takes courage. And when we show up for people like Gina, we're not just paying a bill. We're saying, "God sees you. Your community sees you. You don't have to carry this alone."

God Showing Up for Lisa

Last week we helped Lisa with her water bill. She had been homeless for four years, and with The Navigation Center's help, she finally got an apartment. We paid enough to avoid having her water disconnected. We didn't see her that day, but this week she came back.

She wanted to thank us for the help. As we talked, though, she told us she was facing eviction if she couldn't pay her entire electricity bill. The amount was way too much. We had to tell her we couldn't help with that. She was terrified of being homeless again. We could see it in her eyes.

So we prayed together. She thanked us, and we started to leave. But as we were walking out, we stopped to talk with The Navigation Center staff about her situation. And right then, they had just found out that a small payment would be enough to avoid disconnection. It wasn't the whole bill. Just enough to keep the lights on.

We called Lisa right away and told her. She broke down crying. Tears of joy. That's what this ministry is about. It's about being the hands and feet of Christ in moments when people are at the end of their rope. It's about showing up, praying, and trusting that God will make a way. And sometimes, God does it right before our eyes.

If you would like to know more about this ministry or how you can help, please let Tom or Pastor Aaron know.