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The Left Out, The Least Of These & The Lambs
"Go and make disciples." Peter and Jessica Wohler have taken
those words of Christ quite literally over the last 10 years.
They started serving young people in 1995 through Source Ministries,
a dynamic outreach to skeptical, alienated young people. What
began as a passion to communicate God's love and forgiveness
to the "left out," who had little to no Christian contact, has
developed into a mature outreach. Being a friend and a voice
has resulted in serving the "least of these" and connecting
with thousands through outreaches and meals. Discipleship, mentors,
and growth groups for the "lambs" and prodigals have always
been a priority and over 150 have lived in discipleship and
community homes. Raising up and equipping leaders has been present
as more than 1,000 have participated to outreaches, trainings
and internships. Today Source's ministries range from extraordinary
seeker events such as the Fallout Art Fest, to intensive discipleship
programs such as those at the Joshua House, a residential community
designed to help young adults develop living skills and deepen
their faith. Community that reaches and includes those "left
out" is their heart cry.
The Left Out In "My
Jerusalem"
It's no wonder that Peter has a passion to reach those who seem
left out: He was the youngster who wondered what happened to
the third verse of a song when the congregation was instructed
to sing all the others. "God birthed in you the calling you're
doing now," said one of his Sunday school teachers to him years
later. "You're ministering to those who are left out." That
childhood concern was the impetus for what today has become
the focus of Source - reaching alienated young people who are
looking for answers, but aren't going to the church to find
them. The alienated, overlooked and often left out.
Peter grew up as a pastor's kid in Minneapolis.
After receiving his A.A. from Northwestern College, St. Paul,
Minn., in 1989, and his B.S. from Bethel University, St. Paul,
Minn., in 1989, he spent five years in the business sector as
a software engineer and started volunteering with at-risk teens.
"God stirred my heart," says Peter. "I was drawn to the kids
who were creative and on the fringe - the ones who didn't even
have church on the radar."
Pursuing his deepening call, Peter trained in
Amsterdam and India for a year with Youth with a Mission (YWAM).
After that, he asked, "God, what now?" He remembered Acts 1:8,
where Jesus commanded his disciples to "go to Jerusalem, Judea,
Samaria and the uttermost parts of the world." Peter knew then
where his training and experience could be used. Not to reach
those across the globe, but to serve those he knew best - the
young people in Minneapolis. "I had a strong sense that God
was calling me to go to 'my Jerusalem,'" says Peter. "The city,
culture and lost young people who were in my own backyard."
Discipling The Lambs
In 1994, Peter returned to Minneapolis to follow
his passion to reach street kids and disenfranchised young people.
He began spending time in places where Christians seemed scarce:
night clubs, coffee shops, and 24-hour restaurants. As God blessed
his witnessing efforts, he faced new issues: How can you effectively
disciple a 19-year-old who is homeless? How do you help a 20-year-old
get a fresh start when he's living with the friends he's been
using drugs with since he was 11?
Peter started looking for a new opportunity --
a place that could meet physical needs and provide an environment
for growth. Where nurturing relationships would encourage positive
choices rather than tempting alternatives. A place to make a
break from the past and set a foundation for the future. Not
a drug rehab center, but a safe haven for discipleship. "God,
show me someone with a discipleship home for these young adults,"
Peter prayed. But there was no one to be found - not yet. 150,
including staff & interns, have lived in discipleship homes
since '95
And So it Begins
In 1994, Peter started building a relationship with Dave and
Donna Heinrich. They had founded Source Ministries in 1987,
but were focusing energy on a church plant. Once the three began
sharing their common vision of what Source could be, the possibilities
grew. Soon the couple invited Peter to lead the ministry, cultivate
the vision of reaching to at-risk young people and develop a
discipleship home.
Following God's lead, Peter joined Source Ministries as its
director in 1995. By June, one prayer already had been answered:
the first residential Joshua House was launched. With no budget
and only a handful of supporters, Peter and two other men rented
a house, laying the foundation to offer transitional housing
and mentoring for young people who had been "left out."
Transitional housing continues be a priority at Source. "It
takes a lot of work and resources," says Peter, "but it's important
to provide young adults with both relationships and an environment
for growth." Peter also has maintained mentoring relationships
with the leaders and teams at the facilities. More than 150
individuals, including staff and interns, have lived with or
in discipleship homes overseen by Peter and Jessica.
Jessica's Journey
At a young age, Jessica felt a calling to missions. Her artist
parents had a heart for at-risk neighborhood kids and she remembers
writing letters to missionaries on Sunday afternoons. Discipled
in her local church in Omaha, Nebraska, Jessica was a leader
both in the high school and college-age groups. "I always knew
I would be involved in full-time ministry some day," she says.
Sensing God's voice leading her to move to Minneapolis, she
prayed about what would need to happen over a year's time to
make that possible, and then made a detailed list. That night
a friend called with an opportunity for her to take over a cleaning
business which would provide needed income -- the first item
on the list. To her surprise, within two months the list was
completed. She moved to Minneapolis in 1992, began sharing her
faith with co-workers and customers at her new retail job, and
helped with a church plant from 1993 to 1995.
Soon she felt God prompting her to become an art student. Although
she felt inexperienced, she was accepted at one of the Midwest's
best art schools - the Minneapolis College of Art and Design
(MCAD), and began taking classes in 1994. There were no Christian
student groups at the time, but Jessica became part of a prayer
group for MCAD students that Source still sponsors.
In early 1995, Jessica joined a Mardi Graus outreach to homeless
youth that included several individuals who later became part
of Source. During the outreach, she saw how her artistic gifts
helped her interact with hurting young people. That fall, Source
hosted its first Gloria Dei Gathering, an outreach event that
included a performance art band - the Urban Monx, led by Peter.
Jessica became one of the creative drivers who excelled in turning
sanctuaries and fellowship halls into welcoming, creative, and
safe environments for these events.
Peter & Jessica Join Forces
With their callings in sync, Peter and Jessica were married
in 1996, and have dedicated their lives to serving together.
Through Source, the Wohlers have provided for the physical needs
of young people from many subcultures. Their passion to reach
"those who are left out" has cultivated a unique outreach to
those from broken homes and the fringe; who were homeless or
high-school drop outs. Some were artists or liberal urban activists,
with backgrounds that included the occult, paganism, alternative
religions, prostitution or drug use. Others were prodigals who
just wanted to return to the faith.
Making Contact & Gaining Trust
Since the beginning, Source has been committed to a philosophy
of "being a friend and a voice," to a skeptical culture that
isn't seeking contact with the church. To make contact and gain
trust, Source has developed a creative outreach that includes
both going where they're at, and hosting safe and welcoming
events. Meeting people where they're at includes being present
and interacting where they gather, moving into and serving the
neighborhoods where they live, and impacting the music and arts
that make them think. It also includes bringing teams to celebrations
and festivals: Mardi Graus, Satanist-run Rave fests, and Rainbow
Gatherings of more than 20,000 hippies and homeless youth travelers.
Staff then begin to develop relationships, and serve physical
and emotional needs. This builds trust and earns them the privilege
of speaking God's love and forgiveness into people's lives.
It provides the shelter within which individuals will begin
to consider life-changing messages.
The story of Source is both a testimony of seeing fruit result
from perseverance, and seeing miracles in the moment. Hosting
outreach events was never dependent on having a building. Local
churches, city venues and coffee shops all provided space for
events when Source was in between facilities. The original Gloria
Dei Gatherings were open-mic, interactive, coffee-house events
that attracted many alternative, hurting young adults. Make-a-Difference
events and spiritual discussion groups were all held locally,
and a drug-free Rave was hosted on a farm 30 minutes from Minneapolis,
drawing more than a thousand.
Many other weekly events flourished at Source-operated buildings
(see Source 1995-2005 summary on back page), including The Dwelling
coffee house ('96 - '00), FUSE (Focused Underground Spiritual
Environment) Rave Outreach House ('97 - '99), Fallout Urban
Art Center ('01 - present) and the Annual Fallout Art Fest ('03
to present).
Community that reaches & includes
those "left out"
Building a Home and Ministry
The Wohlers' first home together was the lower level of a duplex
across from MCAD and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts -- an
extremely diverse urban area, teeming with the arts, international
residents, poverty and urban activists. "We felt called to this
neighborhood," says Jessica. The couple has always felt called
to be a light in darkness -- a commitment that extends to their
home and day-to-day lives as well. From 1996 to 2001, the rented
duplex served as Source's urban headquarters, and a place to
host meals, Alpha groups, Bible studies, outreach teams and
staff meetings. Young adults who have needed housing have found
refuge with the Wohlers for months at a time.
The current Fallout Urban Art Center, Fallout Studio Building
and Joshua House are located within three blocks of that original
flat. The Wohlers moved into the apartment above the Fallout
in 2002, and continue to see their persistence pay off in the
neighborhood they still call home. Today, they're raising their
own young family in this diverse urban neighborhood.
Raising Up and Equipping Leaders
Source is a place where staff can nurture their own gifts. Staff
are encouraged to develop their unique talents and to pursue
individual callings. The Dwelling Coffeehouse, FUSE House, after-school
outreaches, detention center outreach and the Greenhouse Women's
Community have all been initiated by Source staff as Peter &
Jessica desire to mentor, coach, and equip. Current team-driven
efforts include Fallout interactive events, music shows, social
justice initiatives, transitional housing and training sessions.
Several leadership team members at the Joshua House also host
the "Holy Rollers," a frequent street event that includes skateboarding,
feeding the homeless and Bible study.
Over 1,000 have participated in outreaches
& trainings
Beyond Our Walls
Source staff have a passion not only for the marginalized culture,
but for the broader body of Christ. Their vision to make a difference
reaches far beyond what Source can do locally. They also work
to raise up leaders who will impact their own "Jerusalems" worldwide.
In addition to reaching the forgotten, the staff shares its
expertise with hundreds of outreach workers who have participated
in Source's Urban Mission Training over the last ten years.
More than 150 individuals participated in four Source training
sessions in 2005 alone. At the 2005 annual banquet, emails and
testimonies were shared from all over the country including
New Jersey, Detroit, and Boulder. They spoke of how the Wohler's
and Source changed their life, are apart of their spiritual
heritage, and how they bring Source with them as they are doing
dynamic, relational ministry around the world.
One eager participant commented, "I learned that there are
a lot of other Christians like me who want to reach out to the
homeless and love the outcasts." Source provides the opportunity
and the training to equip those who share a common heart to
reach the lost.
Source also partners with numerous congregations and community
organizations to host large events such as the Fallout Art Fest.
Last year, more than 100 volunteers helped run this multi-sensory
event that hosted over 50 musicians, and offered over 50 interactive
art stations and displays for the 2,000-plus crowd. "We win
the right to speak into people's lives by building trust and
showing we can relate," says Peter. "We try to be all things
to all men, to win some."
What Next?
God has built a strong foundation through Source's 10 years
of ministry. Peter and Jessica's hearts still burn with passion
to be a friend and a voice for those who are left out and to
provide a home for the lambs and prodigals to be received and
grow. Their hearts are filled with gratitude for having had
the privilege to minister alongside so many committed individuals
- those who have worked with them in the ministry trenches,
and the hundreds more who have volunteered, prayed or given
financially. God's blessing on the commitment of this passionate
team has helped Source become the dynamic ministry it is today.
Beyond growing the ministry through the years, the Wohlers
also have been growing their family. Their two children - Anna
Skye (4) and Azariah (17 mos.) - will soon be joined by a third,
due in February 2006. Their changing family will mean changes
in ministry - and a greater dependence on how God will provide.
"We've been so blessed," says Peter. "We don't know what the
next 10 years will bring, but our prayer is that God will continue
to cultivate the seeds we've planted to reap an even larger
harvest," he says. What the Wohlers do know is that Source will
continue to provide creative outreach, discipleship, and empower
the body of Christ to be a friend and a voice. It will continue
to build a network of congregations to provide environments
of growth and spiritual foster homes. And it will continue to
make a difference in a dark world. "
As more people step up to reach out to alienated youth," says
Peter, "we'll move closer to creating a community where no one
will ever be left out."
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