by Staff Writer Derek Hanisch

We were a well-oiled machine. A scoop of chicken-flavored protein. A scoop of vegetables. A scoop of soy. A scoop of rice. Weigh the bag. Seal it. And there you go: one meal packed for a starving family in a third world country.

As I was packing food with Feed My Starving Children, I risked a glance around me. Surrounding me were 600 people who had given their time to serve. It brought joy to my heart to see all of these people who had willingly become servants for a higher cause.

The 600 people in this community were not only giving up their time for a two hour shift to package food for Haiti. This was a 24 hour event. For 24 hours servants in groups of 600 were able to do something great. They were able to be the hands and feet of Christ, putting their faith into action. (more…)

by RTF Staff Writer Derek Hanisch

I was in the middle of Minneapolis, Minnesota, a very bustling, modern town, yet when I looked around me I saw none of that. Instead I saw a warehouse that had been converted into a marketplace, sectioned up into stalls where Somali (from Somalia, a country in Africa) Muslims were selling goods and clothing of all kinds. It was quite a sight to see, quite a culture shock.

Here I was, a in a group of white men, about to journey through a Somali Mall filled with African Muslims. Many of the women in the market stalls were wearing the full hijab (Muslim women head covering), chattering away in their own language. Man, I was intimidated, I was nervous, I was even a bit scared.

They were so unlike me. They were so different. What was I doing here? (more…)

Happy Retro Day! I hope this helps give you the courage to confront your fears. Enjoy! ~ Halee

By Derek Hanisch, RTF Staff Writer

I still remember that day three years ago. I stood in front of two hundred youth at a juvenile detention center to give a sermon. I hadn’t prayed about what I was going to say. I had done the preparation on my own. I was giving the sermon on my own. And I bombed. I bombed badly. It was a real self esteem crusher for me. Because of it I hadn’t spoken in public since. (more…)

by RTF Staff Writer Derek Hanisch

Congrats!” Laura, my supervisor from the summer, told me one day on facebook chat.

“What for?” I asked.

“You’re engaged!”

“Huh?” I replied, flabbergasted. (more…)

by RTF Staff Writer Derek Hanisch

I will always remember December 25th, 2005. It was during this Christmas that I was battling cancer. Christmas Eve had been routine enough. I had been too tired to even want to open gifts, but it was okay because I was home and among family.

It was about 3am on Christmas Day that things took a turn for the worst. My fever rose to well over 100 and I could barely move. This happened quite regularly when I was home from chemo and it meant one thing: time to head back to the hospital.

I spent Christmas day and New Year’s in the hospital. It was not where I wanted to be. (more…)

Happy Retro Day! This week’s retro piece contains a wonderful challenge and some great thoughts to consider as we grow closer to Christmas. Enjoy! ~Halee

 by RTF Staff Writer Derek Hanisch

Once, perhaps twice a month a good friend and I get a small group together and go to either a homeless shelter or soup kitchen about an hour away. We pile into my car, cramped and hot (only severely hot air comes out of the vents), praying that Sabra (my car) will be able to make the trip without dying. Somehow Sabra survives the journey, and we go and serve.

Why do we do it? Why do we serve? Thomas Merton puts it more eloquently than I ever could:

All the good that you do will not come from you but from the fact that you have allowed yourself, in the obedience of faith, to be used by God’s love… If you can get free from the domination of causes and just serve Christ’s truth, you will be able to do more and will be less crushed by the inevitable disappointments. The real hope then is not in something we think we can do, but in God who is making something good out of it In some way we cannot see. (more…)

by RTF Staff Writer Derek Hanisch

In all of my years of life, I’ve learned one fact (well, hopefully a bit more than just the one!): There is no better way to get to know a group of people than to be shoved onto a van, bus, car, whatever vehicle of choice, and travel across the country.

I’ve had the opportunity to experience the joy of traveling with a group cross-country a few times, most recently on a charter bus full of college kids as we drove thirty hours from Minnesota to Florida for a spring break mission trip.

I remember one particular moment, at about 4am ,when practically everyone was passed out in what looked to be some very uncomfortable positions, whether sprawled out across the seats or rolled into a ball on the floor.

As I was looking around, I found myself thinking about how, as Christians, we have something special: a place to belong. We have this Community of other Believers that will always be there to take care of each other, and have each other’s backs. (more…)

by RTF Staff Writer Derek Hanisch

Sunday mornings in the church is a big deal. People from all different backgrounds and circumstances come together to worship and they dress up in clothes that feel uncomfortable.

The Sinner sits on a hard oaken pew as he pulls at his necktie. The pew is old, scratched, and stained, a reflection of The Sinner’s heart. Some unseen force has drawn him to this crowded place of the masses.

The Sinner is sitting on a crowded pew, but for all intents and purposes he is alone. The masses of people present don’t affect him; they don’t distract him from The Preacher. It may be a crowded sanctuary on a Sunday morning, yet at this moment it is just The Sinner and The Preacher.

The Preacher stands at the front of the church, large calloused hands gripping the hard edges of the pulpit. Bright lights fill his eyes as he stands in the spotlight. The Preacher is the center of attention on this fine Sunday morning. Sweat slowly trickles down his neck wetting his white collar. (more…)