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Boots on the Ground
Everyday ministry stories and blessings

Erica Koser
Sep 4, 20223 min read
The Heartbeat of Shelter Church
Part Two in a series on Shelter Church. When we began to explore what Shelter Church would look like, we knew that we wanted a rhythm to...
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Erica Koser
Aug 25, 20223 min read
A Simple Beginning
In the next several blog posts, I am going to take a deep dive into Shelter Church and explore how intentionality, prayer, and intuition...
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Erica Koser
Aug 18, 20223 min read
Try Something New
Last night, I decided to try something new. It was way out of my comfort zone. You see, I was born into a family that is great at...
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Erica Koser
Aug 16, 20223 min read
The Story of Stuff: Of magic and unicorns
While we never like to see families need the shelter, staff and volunteers usually love having kids around. Even most guests enjoy the...
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Erica Koser
Aug 13, 20222 min read
What Lies Ahead
I am spending what is likely my last summer weekend at the lake. It is a cool and quiet weekend, with the clouds hanging low and the...
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Erica Koser
Aug 10, 20223 min read
His Name was Randy
I first met him at the Breakfast Church. He was a tall, lanky man. Probably in his mid to late 50's, although it was hard to tell...
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Erica Koser
Aug 4, 20223 min read
A Window on the World
This week, we moved our shelter offices out of the shelter and into a street level strip mall on the fringe of the downtown core. The...
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Erica Koser
Aug 1, 20223 min read
The Story of Stuff
We get lots of calls at the shelter. Many calls are asking about space and resources, but many people call asking if they can donate...
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Erica Koser
Jul 29, 20224 min read
Bindweed Lessons
Have you ever sat in a corn field on the front range of Colorado with an ex con and some youth, pulling bindweed off of corn stalks? No?...
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Erica Koser
Jul 19, 20223 min read
Beloved
I got my first tattoo on a mission trip. I was the leader. I went with two youth. For those of you in youth ministry, this likely sets...
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Erica Koser
Jul 13, 20223 min read
There is Plenty
On Sunday afternoons, Shelter Church, the little congregation I co-pastor, meets for a meal and worship. Some days we are in the parking...
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Erica Koser
Jul 8, 20223 min read
A Place of Rest
It is early July up North in cabin country. The days are warm and sunny, but the nights are still cool. The painted turtles have...
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Erica Koser
Jul 5, 20223 min read
Survival Sleep
Sleeping Rough The first time I heard the phrase, it made me cringe. I don’t know why, but the semantics of it immediately made me...
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Erica Koser
Jul 2, 20222 min read
Beginnings
It's funny to look back on life and try to pinpoint the things that lead us to our most fulfilling callings. For me, the work that I am...
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Erica Koser
Jul 2, 20223 min read
Hard to House: Not Our Choice
This is the last week in the series on Hard to House. We hope that you have learned a little as we have shared some of the barriers our...
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Erica Koser
Jul 1, 20222 min read
Hard to House: Criminal Records
Have you ever made a poor choice? Gotten tangled up in a bad situation? Done something stupid and lived to regret it? For most of us,...
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Erica Koser
Jun 29, 20222 min read
A June Lullaby
It was such a hot June day. The wind swept across the fields bending the growing soybeans toward the ground. The trees swayed and...
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Erica Koser
Jun 22, 20223 min read
Hard to House: Mental Health
This is the first in a series on what can stand in the way of getting those experiencing homelessness housed. I have known ‘Ben’ for 10...
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Erica Koser
Jun 6, 20223 min read
ALL are welcome
ALL are welcome Jolly, Princess, Bailey, Tala- these are the names of some of my favorite congregants. Upon meeting them, you might be a...
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Erica Koser
Jun 1, 20224 min read
Goodbyes are hard
In this work, we say a lot of goodbyes. Goodbyes wrapped in mystery or confusion. Goodbyes that were full of celebration and the promise...
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