Our little church in Salem, MA has developed one of the most unique Christian Outreach projects in the world over the last 14 years. The video describes a few of the things we do, and needs we have. You can contact me for further information at philwyman (at) salemgathering.com or visit our donation page.

The Gathering, Salem | Fundraising video from Phil Wyman on Vimeo.

The Waiting Game and the women at the tomb

"It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. And their words seemed like idle tales, and they did not believe them." (Luke 24:10-11)

The seasons of our waiting come are often the result of waiting for other people. Like the women who came to the tomb, and first discovered that their witness to the miracle was treated skeptically, we find ourselves with seasons of waiting, because we are waiting to be taken seriously.

It may be that others are turning our waiting into a game. We are treated like fools. Our experience is disrespected. Sometimes the game is closed because the players have created a closed circle of bias and prejudice.

What are we doing while the Waiting Game is forced upon us by others? Are we patient? Are we unfaltering in our pressing forward with our dreams and goals? Those two questions appear to be opposites to one another, but they are not. Patience and conviction should exist together if we want to make our Waiting Game  a positive experience.

At the Gathering we are playing the Waiting Game between Easter and Pentecost. What this means is that we are considering the subject of waiting: what we are waiting for in life, how effectively we wait, whether we are waiting for the proper things, and perhaps even if we have given up and stopped waiting. Jesus told his disciples to wait for "the promise of the Father" in those 10 days between His ascension and Pentecost. We have extended this time from Easter to Pentecost with the desire to learn about waiting. We all do it. We might as well play the game together.

Faces of the Smear Campaign

The Smear Campaign - week 1

The Smear Campaign Begins