the Journey

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.

"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.

Leave- and keep- the neighborhood better than you found it

Last Saturday (10/17), Pastor Richardson mentioned that when the Children of Israel walked around Jericho, when they blew the trumpets and the wall came down... it wasn't enough. They then had to "go up" into the land that was given to them. They had to complete the job. 

The parallel was this, he said:

We walked through the neighborhood, tearing down strongholds and praying... and shouting for the walls to come down. And, they did. However, it would not be right for us to simply walk away- there must be follow-up. We must now take possession of the territory.  

In fact, if we do not take possession, the condition of the place could get worse- worse after we leave than it was before we ever came (see Luke 11:24-26). 

That said, here's some ways to follow-up in Southtown:

1) GED classes are every Tuesday evening. Right now, we have a high demand for male teachers. To teach, you need to simply be able to read- you can, then, lead the student right through the lesson...

2) This Saturday, we have an event called "Bless the Streets" with Short-Tee-, other Gospel Hip-Hop artists, and the people at T.R. McCoy, who have recently taken over the community center in Southtown. FYI, the event will run from 2:00- 3:30 pm on Saturday, October 24, 2009.

A few months ago we walked... and prayed... and are seeing the fruit of it. Let's go in and do the work that needs to be done.

The Trailer- in action (22-second video)

Here's a few seconds of the Linn Park service from this past Sunday. This is before everything really begins... I shot 20 seconds, after I figured out how to use the video function on the phone. Then uploaded, without editing, straight to YouTube from the phone. 

At this service (which begins at 8:00 am each Sunday, usually in Linn Park- under the 19th Street cross of Interstate 20/59 near the Civic Center if it's raining, such as this past Sunday), we worship... someone preaches... then we serve food off the trailer... I'll get an edited version up soon.

Gospel Hip-hop, Pastor Short-Tee, & Southtown

Today, Pastor Rodney & I met with Ronald Mitchell. His organization, T.R. McCoy, has the contract for the Southtown Community Center- as of this coming Thursday, October 1. He was a very gracious man- and eager to work with us. Moreover, he is wanting to move ahead with the GED classes, the job development classes, and the worship services... in the gym!

This will take some time, and some planning. We'll be able to talk more about the details after Thursday, when he receives his contract- and the keys. Keep praying.

There's more...

A few months ago, I was approached by Pastor Short-Tee, a short rapper who loves Jesus and speaks faster than the micro-machine man of the 1980s. He heads the Gospel Hip-Hop awards- and was looking for some street projects for his army of musical artists to do on October 24th. Moreover, they wanted to do something that would 1) support an existing ministry, and 2) be an ongoing effort that would last. They wanted to invest in something that would be standing a year from now, when they all come back...

So, at the meeting today, I proposed to Mr. Mitchell that we bring these guys in, set up the fabulous Trailer that The Village men built, and throw a small block party- complete with Pastor Ron's grilling, some rapping by Short-Tee & the others... and the opportunity to share some time with the neighbors- and let them know the whats, whens, hows, etc., of everything yet-to-be-determined.

It's a go! 

Mark that date down. Set it in stone. 10/24/2009. Time: TBA, Location: Southtown.

And keep praying. God is good.

Mind-dump- week of September 27, 2009

 [A snap of The Downtown Trading Co.'s garage.]

It's a bit difficult to believe that the final full week of September has come- and gone- but, alas, it has... I am enjoying the Fall (when it's not as humid as it was this past week), the falling leaves, and (dare I say it) football. Here's what else is rolling around right now:

* We have been praying about moving full speed ahead with ministry in the Southtown neighborhood- about 1/2 mile from our church facility. What seemed like an open door was met with resistance early this year. Now, the doors are open again. And open more than ever before. I have a meeting tomorrow to iron out some of the details- and will be sharing more about what, when, how, etc., as soon as possible.

* Pastor Rodney is back from Taiwan (and blogged about the trip thoroughly). He said that he felt he needed to go there in order to learn more about what to do here- specifically in Southtown. Ironically, while he is away praying and seeking the Lord, the doors open. God's timing is great.

* There is discussion, too, as to what to do in North Birmingham.

* We have The Downtown Trading Co. (the website is abysmal- but will be working in full form soon) set to open around 10/10. That's a pic above on this post. This will be a great opportunity to see- and live- Acts 2 & Acts 4 in real life. I'll post more about that later this week. Check back.

* We are a bit overwhelmed with that project right now- in a good way. Monday, we began moving everything to the site (corner of 15th Street North, 8th Avenue North). In the process, our "stuff" doubled. Literally. We received donations that we weren't expecting. 

* I was blessed to attend the 50-year reunion celebration for Hilldale this weekend. I had no idea how much that church has meant to me. It was good to see everyone. Really good. God has been so good to me through them.

* One of the best points about that church were some of the traditions that were created while we were there. I will be talking about this more in the near future, too. I'm now anxious to bring some of them downtown... Sounds odd, I know... but is incredible in actuality.

* It was good to be away and rest. God is stirring something in me, already, though, for next Sunday!

* I am grateful for the new staff hires (Sasha & Pastor Ron) that have taken a great deal of the load off me. This has freed me to study more, to learn more, and to slow down more. Pastor Ron is pastoring the men at The Village; Sasha is directing the day-to-day operations and leading the staff.

* I am enjoying teaching the Thursday night studies for The Village more than ever before. Probably because I have time to prepare, plan through, and pray... Five men were saved this week, during the class. We're going to be baptizing on the first Sunday in October. By the way, we upload all of those classes online.

* The Gospel Hip-Hop awards are at the end of this month (yes, you read that correctly). Pastor Short-Tee (you read that correctly, too) has asked if he can come do street ministry with us, perhaps in an area in which we are trying to break new group. HIs group will partner with us somewhere downtown over the weekend of 10/24. Not sure where... we'll plan it this week. God is good- and He did say that if we asked for Him to send laborers into the harvest that He would. Let's keep praying that He sends more like this.

* Pray for God's resources to flow. There is much work to be done; and He has the means.

Doors kicked wide-open at Southtown!

I just got off the phone with Robert Mitchell, a man who is fast becoming a friend. He leads a group that just received a grant to run the programs out of Southtown, where we tried to do much ministry before. I will be meeting with him on Monday- hopefully, with Pastor Rodney, who will be back from Taiwan (and recovered from jet lag?) (Fyi, you can read about his trip on his blog).

Here is what we are discussing (that has already been verbally agreed to on the phone):

1) Picking back up with everything that we had started in Southtown, including the weekend worship experience in the community center.

2) Duplicating everything in Collegeville (the site of one of the previous monthly prayer walks).

If all goes as planned, I will have Mr. Mitchell in a church service with us soon, introduce him to you all... and we'll pray together, and get ready to go!

We're working on details Monday morning (the 28th) at 9:30 am at our offices!

For now, pray for...

1) Continued progress on the vision...

2) Pastor Rodney to make it back safe- and to get the apartment for an on-site ministry hub at Southtown.

PING no longer controls the Southtown gym // Now, an open door?

(To keep the post short, I have linked to other posts on this site we have penned about the progress and impediments at Southtown. Now, we're praying that we have an open door...).

We have been praying for sometime about an open door at the Southtown Community Center. At the beginning of 2009, we actually moved a worship service to that gym- one that reached out to the neighborhood, one that would provide directly for the needs of many of the residents (i.e. we offered job development classes and GED programs before the service, etc.). Everything went incredibly well- until four weeks in the service, when PING, the group that had control of the center- and had let us come in- decided that they no longer would allow us to be there (since we were a church).

We have prayed for open doors- and even hosted one of the Prayer Force United prayer walks in the neighborhood- all seeking to knock open the doors.

Classes have continued on other nights- but we have longed to get everything going full speed, again... 

Today, I received news that PING, as of Friday, no longer has control of the gym. They have lost all funding for their programs, etc., in that area- and the staff will be gone. 

I am not happy about this- but, at the same time- they openly opposed the Gospel and all attempts to work with them. Be in prayer, continued prayer, as God may be giving us a door that cannot be closed. I really believe that what they tried to close, He is now opening...

Southtown update: tonight GED, in the near future...?

[Posted by Andrew Jenkins]

Tonight marks the weekly routine of heading up to Southtown for many of our good people to teach some of our neighbors reading, writing... math... all things that make up the GED/ High School Equivalency test. We're working and praying towards many people in that neighborhood (just 1/2 mile from our warehouse) having a better life than they dreamed possible- spiritually, physically, financially, relationally. We believe the Gospel changes everything.

Many of you know that we actually planted a worship service in the Southtown gym in January- and held it for one month (which PNG's blessing), until PNG shut it down (citing the need to have their staff on-site during that time for liability issues). We're still praying that the doors will open- as we often remind you- to having that service there and having an ongoing spiritual presence in the neighborhood. The police chief has called for it; the mayor has declared it should happen... now, we're waiting for PNG to open the doors.

Here is what you can do, now:

1) Consider teaching a GED class. We have almost 20 students there that we teach each Tuesday. Soon we will need to address childcare and other aspects, as well. This is an incredible opportunity to build relationships as we move ahead. Janice Calfee is heading the teaching efforts and organizing the crew there. You can reach here via email. 

2) We're starting a few house churches in the area. Since the prayer walk, the doors have opened wide, wide open... The neighbors have been gracious and hospitable, and we're making more headway now than we ever were even while having services there. Pastor Rodney has taken over the house church efforts. Be sure to send him an email if you are interested in serving in this area. As well, Tyler Shadix frequents the area to continue following up. Either one of these men can- and will- put you to work.

3) Read this article about the prayer walk that was run in The Birmingham News on July 4, 2009. Then pray for Frank Horn and PNG and our relationship with them. Frank Horn, the Director of PNG, mentions in the article that "He is eager to work things out and move ahead..." Let's pray that we can make something happen!

Prayer Walk update

Posted by AJ 

I just left the meeting re: the prayer walk on June 20th in the Southtown neighborhood. The meeting was attended by Tyler Shadix (our staff guy leading our side of the effort), as well as other in the Prayer Force United Ministry, the chaplain of the Birmingham Police Force, two other nearby pastors, and Chief A.C. Roper. I was impressed by the humility and sincerity of all of the men- including the police chief, who fervently prays for God's protection and for safety in our community, even as he seeks to deploy officers to fight crime. He truly works in the natural and in the supernatural. This is likely why crime is, in fact, dropping in the Birmingham area.

The prayer walk will be much like that- a natural walk (we're physically walking) that will seek to do something in the supernatural. We're planning and praying for the Holy Spirit to accomplish through this effort something that only He can do!

Here are some highlights of what's happening- and will happen:

• We'll walk through the Southtown neighborhood, where many of us have ministered before. A stage will be set as our "checkpoint" in the middle. We'll begin with worship there- and return with worship. 
• Many neighbors are excited and are planning to join us that day! 
• City stages is promoting this event on their home page here.  Go to the bottom left hand side of their page.
• We will be working with several groups and churches in this effort. 
• The group is returning to the downtown area in August- to the northside. Yes, we're going to walk through Linn Park, where many of you serve early on Sunday mornings at the homeless service- and we will walk through Park Place, where the Day to Make a Difference events have been happening.  The next prayer walk is 08/22- the third Saturday in August.