All throughout this school year, we've been sharing stories of students from the INN community. This is Emily's story.

For more, check out theinnaftermath.tumblr.com

Announcement:
The men of the INN University Ministries are gathering together to spend time in community and brotherhood.
This isn’t “Collide For Men.” It’s a night to do the things that brothers do (eat, compete, share, laugh, live) exploring what what it really means …to live our lives as “brothers in Christ.”
There will be food, games, a big ol’ bonfire and a lot more.
This is a day for all men, and we hope you will join us.

The Dirty:
- $10
- sign up at the INN starting April 24
(sooner rather than later, you procrastinators)
- meet at the FPC parking lot at 5pm on the 18th to carpool out
- we will be back in town late Friday night
- we highly recommend that you take off work and plan to come

Take us out to the ball game!
We’re going to a Seattle Mariners baseball game on Wednesday, May 9th! Join us as we cheer on the M’s against the Detroit Tigers in a big section full of INN folks! Tickets are $20 and include a ticket, hot dog and drink at the ballpark. Order tickets at the INN on Tuesdays starting April 17 and ending on May 1!

(If you’re an INN alumni, email D.J. the intern for details on how to order your tickets from afar!)

Go M’s!

Join us as we spend the afternoon serving our Bellingham community! We will be meeting at the INN office to have a quick devotional time together and then will break off into 4 different opportunities to serve for the afternoon.

First Presbyterian Church clean up
—–We have been blessed to use this beautiful facility every Tuesday night for the INN. Join us in thanking FPC by helping clean up the church. We will be helping out with various projects around the church both inside and outside. This is a great opportunity to serve this wonderful church community that cares so much for students! Bring a friend!

Salt on the Street homeless ministry–clean up/organization
——Salt on the Street is a ministry of Cornwall Church reaching out and caring for the homeless population of Bellingham. Even though their weekly outreach ministry takes place Saturday evenings, we will be helping clean up and organize their facility which is utilized to distribute food and clothing. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to serve behind the scenes and help out a local ministry. Invite a friend!

Food not bombs–cooking/meal prep. and distribution
——Do you enjoy cooking and preparing meals? Food not bombs is a weekly event that prepares food donated by the Food Bank and serves this prepared meal free to the marginalized people of downtown Bellingham. Food not bombs promotes non-violence through building community around food. Grab your apron and invite a friend!

Hang out with the elderly community
——Join us as we travel to Bellingham Healthcare and Rehabilitation Services to spend time with the elderly. We will be spending our time there visiting there visiting and playing games with folks of this facility. There will also be other projects available to participate in. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to spend time with the elderly of our community who need fellowship and visitors. Bring a friend!

Questions? Email Danielle Schulz

We’re excited to announce next years interns at the INN!

Chris Finch, Nate Goldizen, Kevin Eyer, Charity Hestead, Rachel Smith and Brenton Lafeen!

As many know, this year we have been in the process of searching for a permanent director for the INN University Ministries. We are happy to announce that we have hired Jon Epps to be the INN Director. Jon and his family will be joining us in Bellingham starting this summer.

The INN staff and students are excited to have Jon join us next year and look forward to continuing to serve students in the Bellingham area with our new director.  

BLACK MESA, ARIZONA

We spent a week repairing homes, teaching Kid's Club to local Navajo kids, and building relationships on the Navajo Reservation in Black Mesa, Arizona. Our group did tiling and foundation work, dug trenches for melting snow, and participated in worship with the House of Joy church congregation. Through it all, we continually saw God moving in big and small ways in our team and with the Navajo people that we had the joy of meeting, and we're forever changed by this amazing experience.

VANCOUVER, B.C.

In Vancouver, B.C. we worked with multiple organizations including Portland Hotel Society, NightShift, and Agape. It was so powerful to see all of the organiztions striving to meet people where they are now, just as Jesus did. We walked alongside people, listened, prayed, and through it all saw God's power of reconciliation. We were challenged in multiple ways and learned that we are all a part of God's Kingdom. As perfectly stated by a NightShift leader, "There is no 'us and them,' just 'us and God.'"

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANNA

Working with Project Homecoming, our work teams spent the week bringing new life into places of destruction brought on by Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flooding. We tore out and built up, tiling flooring, replacing wall studs and framing windows, all in order to bring homes to people who have been without for six years. We saw God moving in our team as he allowed us to learn about this city and its resilient people and to see his continuous work in a disaster-laden city that people have soon forgotten. We were amazed.

TRENTON, NEW JERSEY

Trenton is a forgotten city, marked by abandoned warehouses, dilapidated homes, and downtrodden people. Our team worked with the Center for FaithJustice, discovering ways to put our faith in action, being Jesus' hands and feet by entering into daily life with Trenton's forgotten people: the elderly, at-risk children, the homeless, the disenfranchised, and adults with disabilities. God challenged us to be a people who are fully present with each other, especially in places that are often glossed over or avoided, because in Christ, if one part of the body is hurting, we're all hurting.

This Saturday night is a big night at the INN! We’re celebrating four successful mission trips and Missions Night and saying goodbye to Stead & Sarah Halstead at a farewell party afterward!

Missions Night will include stories and videos from our trips to Vancouver, B.C., New Orleans, Trenton, NJ, and Black Mesa, AZ. It’s a great time to experience a little bit of what these trips looked like and listen to the stories of the students who have great things to share!

Missions Night will be at First Presbyterian Church (1031 N. Garden St.) at 7pm THIS SATURDAY and the Stead & Sarah Halstead Farewell celebration will start afterward around 8:30pm! All are welcome!

Join us for the INN’s Annual Soup Cook-Off! We will taste, sample, and vote on fantastic soups made by some very talented members of the INN and First Presbyterian communities. Come and spend time with friends and family over a delicious bowl of soup and help support the INN’s spring break mission trips!

$7 per person
$4 per child
$20 per family

Questions? Email jenni@theinnministries.org or call our office at 360.733.7704.

Check out the Facebook Event to invite your friends!

We love having a good time and not taking ourselves too seriously. Here’s a few videos our students have made this quarter so far. Enjoy!

How do you spice up normal life? Tylor puts INN stickers on things!

It’s cold out. What better to keep us warm than excessive facial hair and dancing.

When Jon wakes up in the morning, he knows what he’s going to do… create an oasis in the snow.