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Bringing the hope of Jesus to the Milwaukee Police Department

4/20/2022

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PictureChaplain George Papachristou
The MPD Chaplaincy Program is embedded in the Mental Wellness Team as a key component in addressing officer mental health and wellbeing issues. I serve as the lead chaplain of the program along with Andrew Stallworth, Steve Olson, Dale Racer and Ted Jansen who serve as assistants. All of us are former MPD officers and members of the International Conference of Police Chaplains. ​

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I work with the 1800 officers of the department and their families regardless of rank or religious belief. I am able to provide spiritual guidance or counseling at the request of individuals and visit the various police districts offering support and when asked, pastoral care. In the course of my duties, I ride along with officers as they perform their duties with the purpose of forming relationships and to offer support. God has also allowed me to openly pray over the officers before they hit the streets at their daily roll calls.

​Over the past several years I have been blessed to officiate at the weddings, baptisms and funerals of our officers, sadly four of whom died in the performance of their duties. The recent riots and anti-police narratives have caused many officers to question the purpose of their profession and their spiritual faith.

In an effort to provide officers and their families a source of hope and the love of Christ, I have created a Bible study group for the men and women in law enforcement. Additionally, there is now a “Blue Line Chapel” gathering held twice a month for area officers and their families. This chapel is offered on a weeknight since many officers are unable to attend Sunday services due to work schedules. 

I also offer all officers a prayer card which has a prayer of protection on one side and a reminder of their mission on the other side which is spelled out in Psalm 82:2-3:
“Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
I have seen God work in the hearts of many officers who have fallen away from their relationship with God. When they are at the lowest point they have reached out and asked for spiritual counseling. It has been a privilege to offer them the hope of the Gospel and then watch the restoration of their spirit as the Holy Spirit moves in their lives. There are also officers without any belief in God. I have seen what I can only say is His hand arrange a “chance” meeting with some of these officers allowing me the opportunity to share the Gospel and plant the seeds of faith that prayerfully will grow in His name. 
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I appreciate all prayers for this ministry because the evil one would like nothing better than to see our officers struggle with their mission to protect and serve. 

​All of these contacts and opportunities have confirmed to me that the hand of God is upon this ministry - God is faithful!


Join us in praying for George and his ministry with the MPD
  • Pray for protection for our officers. 
  • Pray for protection from the schemes of the evil one.
  • Pray for strength for them to stay on the mission.
George was recently featured on Fox 6 - the Milwaukee Fire Department is creating its own chaplaincy program and will be modeling it on the MPD Chaplaincy with George's help - click here to check out the video!
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Front Row Seat - Bridging the Gap

3/10/2022

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By Nick Galezewski
"Now when Jesus realized what they were thinking, he said to them “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and no town or house divided against itself will stand.” Matthew 12:28
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Greater Milwaukee is the most segregated major metropolitan area in the United States. This reality is reflected in both our neighborhoods and churches. But let’s be honest – Racism is not a skin problem, it’s a sin problem – and it divides us. 

For the first time in the U.S. there are more people who identify as non-religious and unchurched than those who identify as Christian – and we can definitely see the effects of racism in our predominantly unchurched society.   
But among those who identify as Christian, who worship the same God and have been saved by grace through their faith, instead of faithfully living out the love of Jesus, it often seems that there is even more divisiveness. Jesus warned us that a kingdom divided against itself is destroyed and no town or house divided against itself will stand. If we, who are Jesus followers, fail to bridge this gap between the dominant group and minorities within the Church, the world outside the Church has no chance!  

Bridging these gaps begins by building relationships and building relationships begins with a conversation.
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Front Row Seat, a ministry supported by BASICS, serves to do just that - to build relationships between people through conversation where minorities and non-minorities can gather in a psychologically safe place to engage in Spirit-led conversations and together, face the sin of racism.

On February 19th, for the first time in nearly 2 years, an in-person Front Row Seat took place when Eastbrook Church graciously opened its doors to host the event.

A diverse group of 8 panelists gathered together to model an honest, transparent, and vulnerable conversation surrounding racial justice, racial equality and racial equity.  

The 70 participants then broke into multi-ethnic small groups to continue the conversation.  

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Of the 45 survey respondents, 89% agreed that this event changed their thoughts on racism, 90% said they were motivated to seek further resources to help them understand racism better and 100% said they wanted to engage in some sort of “next step.”​
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Through a generous donation, Front Row Seat was able to help foster that next step by offering coffeehouse gift cards to participants who agreed to meet within 10 days after the event. 1/3 of the participants took advantage of this offer! 

The impact of Front Row Seat is making a real difference in Milwaukee. Since its inception, Front Row Seat has engaged over 700 people with representatives from nearly 30 different Churches in the Greater Milwaukee Area!   But , as Levar Burton says: “You don’t have to take my word for it.” Here are things participants are saying about Front Row Seat:
  • The table discussion was great. I heard a variety of voices and built new relationships.
  • The most meaningful moment for me was the perspective of Jesus’ call for unity as one body.
  • Hearing about others experiences is a safe setting helped to remove apprehension and promoted growth.
  • The most meaningful moment for me was witnessing courage from my table-mates to be vulnerable and share personal experiences with race. I enjoyed connecting with people and it was refreshing to hear from similar perspectives, different perspectives and the perspective as Christians as it relates to race.
  • The discussion we had around white people’s discomfort with racism and how black people tend to just expect incidents of racism was eye opening.
  • I loved that the common thread today was our belief in God. Using this a foundation will helps us have better awareness. 

While progress has still been made, there is much work left to do! 
Join the Conversation!

To find out more about Front Row Seat, click here

If you would like to be a host site for an upcoming event, please contact Laurie Hendrickson at laurie@basicsinmke.org or Nick Galezewski at nick@basicsinmke.org

There are a few dates still available for the Fall, but spots are filling quickly! 

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Miracles in MPS

2/16/2022

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By Jane Turner
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

This has been a challenging time for MPS school staff. Educating students amidst the challenges often found in the city is difficult enough. Adding the complexities of the COVID era, teachers and administrators are often overwhelmed and discouraged.  
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When I took on this ministry, we served 3 MPS schools. Previous coordinators had laid a solid foundation, setting this ministry up for success. As a result, we’ve been able to grow and connect with 10 schools (with more potential schools waiting in the wings!)
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A key factor in our growth has been our responsiveness to the principals and their individual school cultures. Rather than going in with a set program or Bible study, we ask the principal “how can we best serve you in prayer?”

​This shows honor to the principal; after all nobody knows the staff and their needs better than the principal! We partner with the principal to help them support and encourage the staff in the way that works best for them.

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God has worked in so many ways in each of our schools – we’ve had one miracle after another!
  • In one school, we prayed for one of the staff members who had suffered a stroke. In November doctors said he’d be wheelchair bound for the rest of his life; in December not only was he released from the hospital, he walked out on his own – and he came back to work in January!
  • One staff member wanted a safer home for her and her son. Their apartment was unsafe, and they’d been looking for a new home for 2 years. Our team prayed with her to find a place; shortly after, not only did she find a safer home, she was able to buy a duplex for her mom to live next to her!
  • A school serving at-risk youth had struggled with their test ratings when they first came on board at the beginning of the pandemic. Test scores for the school went up 2 levels during the pandemic, even through virtual schooling!
  • Following a Saturday prayer walk when no teachers or students were present - on Monday the staff questioned “What’s different here?” They could feel the peace from the prayers we offered!
  • We’ve seen God provide food for 250 families, hats, mittens and scarves for kids, boxes of supplies to all 10 schools, more than enough for their needs!
Why are we seeing so many answers to prayer? Prayer is more than asking for something, it’s standing in agreement with God’s purposes. When we bring our team to stand in agreement with the principal, harmony is created. When we’re in agreement with God and one another, it’s powerful! Teachers are asking our team to stop by their room – they say “don’t leave without praying for me!” One principal said after we prayed “I felt something different. I felt healing, love.”
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Join God at work!
  • Come check out a prayer walk and help bring words of encouragement, love and hope! This awesome team encompasses those of many different church backgrounds and walks of life. We’ve built a culture of honor with each other, even with our theological and prayer style differences! I’m so proud of my team and would love to have you participate!
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  • BASICS’ goal is to host Teacher Appreciation Luncheons in the 10 schools in which we’re serving. Our prayer is to provide lunch, prayer and encouragement for every staff member in each school, a total of 575 people! If you can help to make that possible, click below to give a gift to support Teacher/Staff Appreciation Luncheons.
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​Feel free to contact me with any questions!


 jane@basicsinmke.org or 414-303-3593
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Bringing Hope on NYE

1/13/2022

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By Nick Galezewski
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and cloth you?’…The King will reply, ‘Truly, I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’" Matthew 25:37-40

For many of us, New Year’s Eve serves not only as a renewed reminder of the Hope that Jesus gave us, but hope that this next year will be better than the last – a better self, developing better relationships and becoming a better follower of Christ…in short, it renews our hope to thrive. But for many of us, the hope to thrive is a luxury superseded by the hope to simply survive.  
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This New Year’s Eve, as most of Milwaukee’s Soup Kitchens were closed for the day, BASICS Minister to Milwaukee and Executive Director of Genesis Lighthouse, Frank Woods, with the help of dozens of volunteers, once again served the City of Milwaukee’s homeless population during its annual New Year’s Eve Outreach #NYEO. ​


​In addition to providing dozens of meals to Milwaukee’s most vulnerable and marginalized, Genesis Lighthouse was able to hand out warm coats, gloves, hats, scarfs, thermal underwear, socks and clothes to those in need.  
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​Three distinct stations, each playing its own role came together for this event. The Kitchen volunteers led by Sherry Quakkelaar prepared the meals. Jane Gobeli oversaw volunteers at the Distribution Trailer who greeted neighbors with not only a meal but a hot cup of coffee. 
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​Finally, a Heated Tent provided a space to warm up, housed hundreds of clothing items for those that needed them, and had a prayer team available to anyone wanting prayer.  Said one minister, 
“this is like the Church body…each individual station has its own mission and each is critical for the success of this outreach...we first must meet a person’s physical needs before we can share with them the message of Hope that only Jesus provides.”   ​
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Volunteers Serving in Unity
Of the dozens of people assisted that day, 3 stood out:
Carla, an elderly woman, who the night before slept outside without warm clothes, was blessed with a coat and shelter for the night at Joy House, a Christian Homeless Shelter. As she was leaving, she could be heard thanking God for his provisions.   

Bea, a homeless atheist was also blessed with a warm meal and clothing. Despite prayer and gospel sharing she refused the help of a faith-based homeless shelter instead choosing to remain with friends. ​


​Finally, William, after receiving a pair of leather shoes, an overcoat and gloves – with tears in his eyes, and exclaiming “Thank you LORD!” wanted to give back…and give back he did! He gave all that he had to offer with his gift of vocal worship.
Listen to William's Song here!
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Nick G. and Frank Woods


​Said Frank who shared two Gospel messages – one tailored to the non-believer and the other to those laboring in the field:
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“These stories are the ‘why’ behind doing this. If someone is a believer or not, they are children of God and we need to help and be a blessing where we can…our job is to share the message of Hope and we let the Holy Spirit do the rest.”  

​If you would like more information on how you can get involved with BASICS or Genesis Lighthouse, please visit: 
www.basicsinmke.org or genesisinmke.org ​
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Our BASICS Family is Growing!

12/9/2021

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We are excited to introduce the newest member to our BASICS in Milwaukee family: Nick Galezewski. 


Nick joins BASICS for an internship while he completes his Masters degree in Theological Studies from Trinity International University.  

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Prior to joining BASICS, Nick spent 20 years in operational management for a variety of firms; most recently serving as a Regional Manager for an independent self-storage facility.  ​
Aside from his secular work history, Nick has also worked with both suburban and inner-city churches. In addition to serving as a resident at Southbrook Church in Franklin, WI and interning at Ephesians Missionary Baptist Church in Milwaukee, Nick has served as the Chaplain for the Milwaukee Milkmen – Milwaukee’s “other” professional baseball team since their inception.

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Nick proudly comes from a diverse family. He is Lucia’s husband (a Latina immigrant from South America) and together they have 4 children – 2 of which are biological and 2 of which are adopted…but as Nick says…”I don’t remember which ones are which…all I know is they are Black, Brown and Beautiful and I’m honored that God has given me the privilege to be their dad.”

It should then come as no surprise then that Nick has a passion for connecting people and building bridges that most accurately reflect God’s creation. Black, White, Latinx, Asian, Middle-Eastern…”if we love Jesus, we need to bridge the gap that divides us”.  Nick is fond of saying that “If we as followers of Jesus can’t get racial reconciliation right, the world outside of His Church stands no chance.” Nick believes that we need to build reconciliation and it starts within the Church to model to the rest of the world. 

Nick will be focusing on Front Row Seat -we will be resuming in-person Front Row Seat events in early 2022 - click here to find out more about Front Row Seat and to be notified when registration opens for these events!
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BASICS Mini-Golf FUN-Raiser a Success!

8/21/2018

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On Thursday August 16th, we had our first ever Mini-Golf FUN-raiser at Tee-Aire Mini-Golf in Brookfield, and it was a blast! The forecast promised rain, but God was faithful to hold it off until the moment we were just finishing packing up our cars!

​We had a time of dinner and fellowship, worship and heard about the ministry of BASICS, how God has been working in Milwaukee.

We had special putting contests, a raffle, then it was time for Mini-Golf! While they were golfing, the attendees also had a chance to learn more about BASICS - there were facts about our ministry posted at each Tee Box, and each person was able to complete trivia questions based around those facts and turn in their sheet to receive a BASICS mug at the end of the evening. 

We are so grateful for our friends, new and old, who attended and helped make our first Mini-Golf event a success! And special thanks to Alisa Novak who organized and planned this event for us as well as the other volunteers and staff who served!
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Charity the comfort dog came to visit us along with her friend Mary!
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We are grateful for our event sponsors!!
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Key Benefit Concepts
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Upcoming Webinar

4/30/2018

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ShareWith1 - New Outreach Initiative!

3/20/2018

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BASICS is thrilled to participate in the launch of a new online initiative to reach Milwaukee and beyond with the Good News of Jesus Christ! 

ShareWith1 will be a national movement that is launching out of Milwaukee, WI! ShareWith1 is challenging you to perform 1 Random Act of Kindness and/or Share your Faith in God with 1 Person. No matter which you choose you are making a positive impact in someone’s life!
  • Step 1: Go to www.sharewith1.com
  • Step 2: Watch the video
  • Step 3: Click on “Join the Movement” and select which challenge you will accept
  • Step 4: Once you have performed 1 Random Act of Kindness or Shared your Faith in God with 1 person go back to the website and click on “Share My Story.” Then share your experience of what happened and how you were able to impact someone. These stories are powerful and will inspire others to become part of the movement and make a difference 1 person at a time!
  • Step 5: Please share www.sharewith1.com with your family and friends!

Follow and like ShareWith1 on Facebook.www.facebook.com/sharewithone
Or email sharewith1@sharewith1.com

**Are you interested in learning more about how you can easily launch ShareWith1 to your church? Please click here to download and fill out the form and then email it back to deanna@basicsinmke.org

May the Lord bless you richly as you draw near to Him and reach out to others! 

Laurie & Gary Hendrickson
Co-Presidents
BASICS in Milwaukee
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Mark Mallwitz' testimony at No Regrets

2/21/2018

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Our very own Mark Mallwitz gave his testimony and it was shown at the 2018 No Regrets Conference. Check it out!
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Message from the Co-Presidents

1/8/2018

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At our core, BASICS is brothers and sisters in Christ serving together through prayer, care, share and prepare, bringing the hope of Jesus Christ to Milwaukee.
 
Following God’s direction, Arn Quakkelaar and Mark Mallwitz have laid a strong foundation to impact Milwaukee, building relationships of trust and serving, linking urban to suburban, breaking down walls of racial divide and misunderstanding, and in their place building bridges of unity, friendship and love. 

​We see BASICS as the hub of a spinner, seamlessly connecting kingdom-minded churches and ministries, through ongoing relationships, fanning into flame their calling, helping them to fulfill the Great Commission, through connections, resources, experience and encouragement! ​
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We need to continue to bridge bridges of opportunity to serve, where God can see His body gather together in unity.  As we practice loving others in both practical and spiritual ways, the result will be changed lives and transformed families and culture.
 
Our objectives are to:
  • Share the good news of Jesus Christ with a hopeless generation
  • Equip Christ-followers for ministry
  • Develop Leadership for the next generation of BASICS
 
We are excited to work with this amazing team of staff, volunteers and Ministers to Milwaukee that God has put into place, as well as those He is about to bring for His Glory, in the city of Milwaukee!  It is truly our privilege to serve with BASICS in every way HE allows!
 
“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to the building up of one another.” Romans 14:19
 
- Gary & Laurie Hendrickson, Co-Presidents

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