the Journey

Mind-dump: November 8, 2009- on time, 2 weeks in a row : )

Really quick this week, as I'm trying to finish a presentation that I have to- scratch that- I get to- give in Kansas City this week. Seems like I've been putting that one off- and, in all likelihood, will be completing it as the airplane lands on the tarmac later this week...

* So, let me start right there. A few weeks ago I received an invite to "city transformational missions" roundtable discussion. Those are like conferences- but different. Better. Less people, more focus, more interaction... more practical take-aways. I was honored they asked me to attend (and that they offered to pay for it, too).

* This week I was at The Lego Store at The Galleria, waiting on the free monthly build that I take the kids to each first Tuesday... received an email right then and there, while we were all killing time on the iPhone. I had been invited to not only participate... but also to present. Doubly-honored. Will look forward to meeting with pastors and other thinkers and leaders this Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss what we can do to make our cities look more like the Kingdom of Heaven.

* I'll post my thoughts on the thing here... and, if I get the presentation canned before I get there, I'll post the slides on this site, as well.

* Enjoyed our worship service this morning at the warehouse. We need more chairs.

* More than that... I feel that people are "getting" what we are teaching... that the Gospel is going forth and intersecting people where they are, and that they are seeing the grace of God open up a whole new world to them. I love those moments.

* Be sure to come pray with us on Sundays at 10:00 am. That time is an incredible time of sharing- and it is growing. Each week, there are more of us there praying. We pray fast- and we pray strong. If you're wanting to learn more about prayer, this is a great on-ramp to participate.

* This week, Thursday, a few things happen... The first is the monthly planning luncheon for Prayer Force United. The last walk of the week takes place on November 21 in Norwood. Directions are on the PFU site. Be sure to attend. If you haven't experienced one of these yet, you need to. This will be the last opportunity for 2009- as there is no walk in December.

* Had an impromptu meeting this morning at Park Place about some future ministry there. I will write more about that in the next week or two. But, let me go ahead and toss out that we're working with a few people outside of our church who have been feeling God's call towards downtown for quite some time. We'll be meeting to pray, bi-weekly, at the Jenkins casa (my house) beginning the week before Thanksgiving. Time TBA. We'll post it here.

* Ohhh... back to Thursday. This week, Theo Soul, a new friend of mine, is coming to the warehouse as part of the men's Thursday study. I'm excited that we're going to be partnering together for long term ministry (as I mentioned above) and short-term ministry in the "now." He'll lead two songs each Thursday before the class that I've been teaching on grace. Then, after class, beginning in December, he'll open up a practice time for a choir and a band. Yes, you heard that. We're creating a band and a choir- open to the men that come to the study. In two weeks (i.e., beginning on Tuesday November 17th, the class will shift to Tuesdays... class will run from 7:00 until 8:15. Band/ choir will run from 8:30 until 10:00. If you're a man, you can make a night of it. 

* We have, as of now, about 60 men signed up for the class... I'm praying for 20 to stay for the choir / band "thing"  we will be doing. Those 20 (or more) will have a chance to lead in worship at various locations throughout the city beginning in 2010 (just a few months away, mind you), prayer walks, etc. And, they'll be cutting a CD about that same time.

* The Downtown Trading Company receives its final touches this week, as well. Once done, we will (finally) hang the sign, open for business... and make some good things happen on the north side of downtown, in that northwest quadrant of the city. There are so many gracious people already there- and I'm looking forward to what the Lord has in store for us. Make note, next year, that will host a thrift store, a church (yes- you read correctly), a computer lab, and more.

* Finally, Pastor Rodney and I had an excellent meeting with Pastor Tom Cannon (from Red Mountain Church) this week on-site at Southtown. We've been laboring up there; they've been laboring... We're going to pool together and create something incredible. Stay posted. It will raise the level of everything that's being done up there by resourcing together. FYI, we need him from our monthly lunch meetings that we host with the downtown pastors... it's amazing the incredible opportunities that present themselves when we simply all hang out, eat, and dream about what could happen.

Last Thursday- Pastors' prayer breakfast; this Thursday- praying on my own : )

Last Thursday (October 29), I attended the Pastors' Appreciation Prayer Breakfast at the 280 Marriot- hosted by Scott Dawson Ministries. I was invited through my relationship with Prayer Force United- as Chief Roper (a friend of the group) was speaking and going to be invited other churches to participate with us.

The invite was limited to the following: the lead pastor and one other person. Since Pastor Ron has been leading the main effort at the monthly prayer walks in terms of The Trailer, food, sound... and getting the twenty or so men who volunteer there each month, it seemed fair and right to take him along.

Being Birmingham, we were the only black & white duo- and I'm growing more and more aware of how unique the opportunity that God has set before us truly is, by the way. He has allowed us to cross barriers of race, and is doing even more in an already hurt city...

Michael Farrin, from Pocket Full of Rocks, was on cue for the musical portion of the "show"- and was incredibly humble, theologically stout, and gracious- all at the same time. And, the Chief, as usual, was... well... he was the honorable man we've come to know him to consistently be. By the way, in Sunday's paper, John Archibald (who is usually cynical and distrustful actually proposed that Chief become the next mayor).

I digress...

Chief's main points were:

* The role of the church must change. Jesus mentioned in Luke 4:18-19 what He came to do, what the Spirit of God had anointed him to do: proclaim good news to the poor, set captives free, give sight to the blind, set free those who are oppressed, declare the Lord's favor is now... Yet, the church is noticeably disinterested in these things that Jesus was most involved with.

* Chief went to active combat duty- in Afghanistan- and actually gained 15 pounds! When he was moved to Kuwait soon thereafter, he lost the weight, didn't take a shower for 3 months (still dreads baby-wipes and moist towelettes), and saw his vision and scope change. Maybe, the church, too, would live leaner and meaner if we saw where we really were.

* No comrade was ever left behind. What if the church was that way- if Christians were that way with each other- and if churches, even, were that way with (get this!) other churches? What if we moved to a Kingdom-mentality and saw that everything rises... or everything falls...? What if we were all truly in the mission of God together...?

Still thinking... more to come.

Reflections from the Gospel Hip-Hop Awards

The video above is from the Gospel Hip-Hop Awards (at the BJCC, on October 31, 2009). I was invited to participate as a presenter of the first award- as well as to make an appeal to all of the artists and attenders present to help became a lead / launch team that will do some things that the Lord has been stirring in my Spirit to expand our work downtown for quite some time. As I have handed off the day-to-day operations of The Village, my time is freeing to pray and dream of other things.

One of the highlights of this night was the exposure to so many brothers & sisters in Christ who sing, dress, and look differently on the outside... but have a common calling in Christ. 

I imagine what my grandparents must of felt the first time they heard someone hit a snare drum in the sanctuary- or the first time "As the Deer," "From the Rising of the Sun," and "I Love You, Lord" (if you remember those songs) came through the sounds of the "praise team." The new sound takes some getting used to- but it is holy and reverent- even if loud and rhythmic all in one.

I never envisioned having a team of co-laborers with names like 4-Given, Short-Tee, Theo Soul, Major, D.J. M-Pack... but that is what the Lord is putting together... I've been praying for 50 leaders, many of whom will start praying together with us in the near future.

I'm excited about leveraging the gifts of many of these leaders to take the Gospel to the streets of our city, allowing to cross cultural barriers we have not been able to cross before. And, I'm learning so much from them about the various cultures downtown, even in a city I already knew relatively well.

Mind-dump: November 1, 2009- On time : )

Here it is- fresh, and on time.

* I missed the Talledega races this weekend. Was planning to go, for a hot-minute. We sent 28 of the Village guys to watch the last hour of the last two days of the race. They were treated to a seven-truck crash on Saturday- and more. The more includes a broken-down Turtle (again), riding back with twelve bags of crushed cans that "someone" had to keep to cash (making The Jesus Van smell like beer), and... well... more. In the end, glad I missed.

* Spent the afternoon (Sunday), instead, picking the kids up from my parents (who took them to the Fall Festival at my Dad's church last night). Then, went to attend a surprise birthday party for Eric Felty, one of the- scratch that- THE coordinator for Prayer Force United. You remove Eric, the machine falls apart. It was an honor to pray for him after celebrating his life. 

* I thought Eric was old, by the way. Then, tonight, someone asked him how "old" he just turned. "Thirty-six," he replied. Ouch. He's only a few months older than me. I must look as old as he does : )

* There is something that stirs in my Spirit when my wife and I pray with several like-minded people with whom the Lord has knit our hearts. God is doing something amazing in the Body of Christ... in Birmingham.. and my prayer is to be part of it- and to see it come to fruition. This is, overwhelmingly, one of the thoughts that kept coming to me tonight as I left the birthday party.

* Eric is a prophet. He may not know it yet. But he is. As odd as that sounds to simply post here... He is a prophetic intercessor. It is a mere matter of time until that comes out of the can.

* Later this week, perhaps tomorrow, I'll post a bit about the Pastors' Appreciation Breakfast I attended on Thursday. It relates to the thing above about God doing something here...

* Was honored to present at the Gospel Hip-Hop Awards on Saturday. I was the only guy there with a normal suit on. I mean that. But, wow- what an amazing group of artists and ministers and brothers & sisters in Christ that God is pulling together. 

* I will post more about that later, too. 

* Today, we baptized four more men!

* Anxious to hear the audio from the sermon today. It seemed like I was preaching against an invisible wall of... something... so, mid-sermon, we stopped, prayed, and then moved forward with a new freedom and openness and sense of the Spirit's presence. I think it was the right thing to do and have been hearing good things about the day. God is good and is so gracious to us.

* Today, as well, I know that another man was set free in our service. I could see his face breaking while I was preaching... and, then, I saw him began sobbing as I spoke of God's calling on each of us... He came to the front for prayer and ministry at the end. I will get the full report later this week.

* Was good to see Kenny back. This dude walked in... wanted to apologize for abandoning church for the past 18 months... and, then, during our response time, he got up and prayed for a man that needed prayer. Evidently, he did an incredible job of allowing the Lord to use him, b/c the man to whom he ministered came and spoke with me afterwards for quite some time.

* I'm too busy, again. This week, we're bringing on a full-time admin assistant who's going to be a great asset at The Village. And, our husband is an out-of-this-world guy, too. Sasha and I actually "interviewed" him in the process, since we're getting the family when she comes to work, in a real way. Excited about what God has in store for them...

* I'm going to take the kids to the free Lego-build at the Galleria (we built the pumpkin at the head of this post last month; this month we build a turkey), help Noah expand the playground in the back-yard, and run about 30 miles this week in the free time that I create. That's the goal.

* And, I'm praying for revival in our city. 

If you're free early on Sunday morning... church on the streets

That's our gear right there for the 8 am service in Linn Park. The van was donated- and then painted. The Trailer was built from scratch (see the video below). 

Each week, we take church outside to the streets before our 10:30 service at the warehouse, inside. There are many homeless in Birmingham (2,400, according to The Birmingham News), and so we go to them, and to many families who know that we will be outside and will be available to assist whatever needs may arise. 

In the past year, we have used this venue to take people off the street and provide them with housing and jobs. Others have been placed into the program at The Village. Others have been assisted in other ways...

If you're free that early, feel free to join us. It's one of the highlights of Noah's (5) week. And, at this age, he is already convinced that he can help a homeless person find Jesus, find housing, and find a job... b/c he's been with me when I've done it. 

(You can email me if you want more info.)

Here's what The Trailer looks like from concept to implementation:

As well, here's a short overview of what we did with the Trailer one Sunday when it rained and we had to take the thing under the bridge, under I-20/59 near the west side of the Civic Center/ 19th Street)- yes, we do this rain or shine, regardless of how hot or cold it is....

Rewind of the 10/24 Southtown event / Bless the Streets

There's Lenny hanging with some of the kids during the Southtown event. I posted a bit about this on Monday, in which we featured the video of Trey dancing... here's a few more thoughts:

* Short-Tee did announce that we were looking to put a Hip-Hop Church downtown, somewhere. It will most likely be at The Downtown Trading Company site if/when it happens- due to the proximity it has to "foot traffic" and people that can walk to it from their homes. That announcement raises more questions that provides answers, but he tossed it out- and I've gotten 17 questions a day on it... so, I'm giving my 2-cents. 

* I had prayed that this event would allow us to interact with Southtown- but that it would also help me network with other leaders to carry forth the vision that God has given us for the city. I'm praying for 50 leaders (not participants- but LEADERS). We have a few. Saturday, God brought more:

    Pastor Short-Tee and his bride, Paula.

    Theo Soul, and his wife Marsha.

    Major. (LIsten to him here: 02 Track 02

    Jimmy & Krystal.

* We were also blessed by a group that Chief Roper sent our way : )

* Here's what this group committed to doing- they're going to loop the city, hitting a few key spots every 2-3 weeks, consistently. They will take the church outdoors to get a presence in the community, meet the neighbors... building the church outside of the four walls.

* I know. That sounds exciting and vague- all in one. More details to come.

The Downtown Trading Co.- thrift store, community center?, and church?

OK. Actual picture taken this week. You can provide the caption. I didn't know if we were getting a ticket... if the officer was just sitting there... or what. It happened after we couldn't park directly in front of our trading co. building due to city workers on the street cutting through gas lines...

The end result was not ticket. But, still...

Here's the latest on the trading company- I'm sharing so that you can pray.

1) We are moving towards opening soon. In fact, we need to actually get rid of some stuff immediately so that we can open. However we organize it, there's stuff stacked on stuff. And, our garage (that was supposed to be a sorting area where we could also park work vehicles) is now full. Look for a "yard sale" blow-out, give-away- or something like that very soon.

2) We're going to use the space for more than just the "store." It's evident after being there for just a few weeks that we can use it for meetings and other things... like a community center might be used. This means the following:

* We will likely begin holding a women's Bible study there on Saturday mornings in the near future. And, 

* Pastor Short-Tee and others have spoken of launching a Hip-Hop Church (not a typo- I did use the word Hip-Hop) before "church" out of the space in the near future as well. If we do it, we'll gather a launch team, etc., and look at a Sunday evening blow-out. Odd thing is... we already have the sound equipment that can stay there, we have been given furniture that works perfectly... we have the space... This would be a no-cost launch!

Pray. These are all incredible opportunities.

Mind-dump- week of October 25, 2009 (just expect them late)

I always try- in vain- to get this thing up on Sundays. It seems each week, something happens to let it slide... then, Monday... the same... 

* First things first- this Sunday, the Lord was very clear with me to lay out a simple message of the Gospel- in a unique way. The result: twelve men were saved! Praise the Lord!

* The picture above is Pastor Ron and "Sweet." From the Bless the Streets event in Southtown last Saturday (25th). We missed the first half of the Alabama-Tennessee game for an event that was incredible, opened up many doors, and showed us many new things. I'll write more about it later this week. 

* The Downtown Trading Co. is getting in order. And, there are many exciting new developments with it. Check back for future posts on that bonanza, as well. Signs go up this week, by the way!

* I'm currently praying through some things that would be, at the same time, big changes and small changes all rapped in one. Maybe... I'll write more on that, too.

* Last Wednesday, we had our monthly leadership meeting at The Downtown Church. We hit, last month, a financial shortfall in the church. And, it was incredible to see many people in that room simply meet the need- by almost double what the need was. I am blessed to walk with them.

* I've got two invitations on the table. The first is to present an award at the Gospel Hip-Hop Awards this Saturday evening at the BJCC. 

* The second is to attend a round-table discussion on City Transformation in November (10-11) in Kansas City. I'm looking forward to both.

* The Village has been blessed lately with a slew of work coming in that has taken a few crews all the way to Atlanta, GA- and others straight to UAB. We've got men, right now, working on a renovation at the hospital, as well as a community center in Norwood- and a Jail in Talladega- thanks to the trust and opportunity granted to us by a local contractor. I am grateful for them; all of the superintendents and foremen and office managers I have met have been extremely gracious and top notch.

* This Thursday, I'm rolling to the Pastors' Appreciation Breakfast with Scott Dawson Ministries. I'll post more about that later, too. It's supposed to be off the chain- so, I've been told. If you're a pastor, I believe you can sign up right here and they'll hook you up.

* Thursday is also the the time we meet- and eat- with the other pastors downtown. It's our hope to create a strong church together than spans denominational and cultural and all other boundaries...

* Again, twelve men were saved on Sunday! We'll celebrate with baptism this coming week- November 1!

"Bless the Streets" in Southtown- 10/24 re-cap... kinda...

Saturday, October 24, 2009, we hosted a "Bless the Streets" event in Southtown. The event lasted 1.5 hours (from 2:00 to 3:30 pm), and included 3 rappers, a dancer- see Trey above- and about 300 hotdogs). The event was a combination of three things converging: 

1) PING has been eliminated from the Southtown equation- and there is a new group, T.R. McCoy (think, "The Real McCoy") that is in. They are very friendly towards us- and wanted to set up a time when they could announce to the neighborhood the new things they would be providing. The line-up they have planned is excellent.

2) We have been providing GED classes every Tuesday evening at Southtown- and still do- and we hosted a Prayer Force United prayer walk back in June... this was a good time for us to come back and publicly, outside of class on Tuesdays, say, "Hey, we're still here... we haven't forgotten about you."

3) Pastor Short-Tee is hosting the Gospel Hip-Hop awards this Saturday evening (October 31st- yes, on Halloween) at the BJCC. A week of ministry leads up to that event- and he wanted to bring some artists to do some street ministry. By the way, I've been asked to "present an award" at the main event on Saturday : )

All three of these factors converged- and it seemed like a good idea to set Pastor Ron loose with The Trailer again (which is now getting all kinds of ministry mileage, thanks to his efforts). I'll blog some ideas from the event later this week. For now, enjoy Trey dancing on the video above.

The irony: former inmate swaps sides, now renovating the police station

OK. Sounds odd. But, it's true. Last night, around 11:00 pm or so, Pastor Rodney and I swung through The Village and I ran into a guy I'll simply refer to here as Thomas. I asked Thomas if he was ready to start the construction job tomorrow (remember, it was Tuesday night when I asked him- he is starting on Wednesday).

I was referring to a job he's doing, where we've got a crew joining a Birmingham-based commercial contractor to extensively remodel the Talladega Police Station. 

"I sure am!" he replied. "Strange thing... I got my start there..."

"Your start?" I asked. "Didn't know you've done construction before... thought this was your first time..."

"No," he clarified. "I caught my case there... That's where I first got locked up."

Then the pieces all came together. 

"Well, go tell them that you've flipped sides. Joined the other team. Say hello to the officers... to the secretaries..."

Then it hit him- that he had come a long way. Moreover, that God had brought him a long, long way. The fact that this man who had once been running against the Law was now helping and serving those set in place to help serve and protect us...

This same man was baptized a few weeks ago at The Downtown Church on Sunday morning. All things, for him, are becoming new... This is part of what I get to see everyday at The Village. God is so good, and His mercies are real.