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.

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.

The Trading Company- 99.95% ready to go- need your help w/ the sign.

The sign is not up at The Downtown Trading Co., yet- that's a computer-generated overlay by the sign guys to show us what it will look like when painted. We have two options of fonts, etc., that we're kicking around. If you want to give us some feedback on that, email me and let me know which sign...

Several of The Village guys have been pushing on it, to complete the painting, setting up rooms, laying out furniture, etc... And, the neighbors are all coming- even though there is no sign there, yet. 

Option #1:

 

Option #2:

FYI, the website is already up (it will have more on it later). We'll turn the phones on later this week- and add that to the sign.

The Downtown Trading Co.- almost ready to rumble

Next Saturday, October 10, UAB Into the Streets (a project fueled by Mission Birmingham) is sending 50 volunteers to assist with the last push on the grand opening of The Downtown Trading Company. Some will paint, others hang the massive sign, others will sort and fold... others will go into the neighborhood... The event will run 8 am until 2 pm, with a prayer and lunch at 11:30. Come all day- or simply come pray and eat. Either way, I wanted to give you some thoughts on the "why" of the new project:

We read that, in the Early Church, no one was in need. We read, “With great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great power was among them all. There was not a needy person among them...” (Acts 4:33-34a).

Acts 2:43-45 says that, as a result of the generosity, “awe came upon every soul.” As well, “many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And, they were selling their possessions and belongs and distributing the proceeds as anyone had need.”

We see that the Church, in this passage, did a two things (among all the other incredible ministry):

First, they shared what they had. If they had two coats, they gave one away. If they had other items, they didn’t hoard and store them- they passed them on.

Second, they even sold extra things that they had- so that the money from the sell of those items could be used to help those in need. We even read that “as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold” (Acts 4:34b). We might even say that their definition of a “need” was very different than ours. They seemed to have simplified greatly- in order to help those in great need.

Right now, we’re tackling the first- simply creating a vehicle to share, to give, to exchange...

Paul wrote, “To each is given... for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). It is our belief that everyone has something to offer- and that, at any given time, any of us could be in need. 

We also read that, “Since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up [people]” (1 Corinthians 14:12). Does this not fit with what Acts says, that there was great power... maybe because of the great grace of giving that was evident in the Church?

We’re told that we’ll always have the poor with us (Mark 14:7) and that we should open our hands to them- not growing weary or hard-hearted (Deuteronomy 15:10-11). The Downtown Trading Company is a method to not just learn these Scriptures, but to live them...

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.

The free stuff keeps coming in!

A few weeks ago, I posted a link about The Downtown Trading Company, a project that we've been kicking around for quite some time. You can read that update on this site. As well, I discussed some of the background of the project in the sermon on Mark 10:1-12 on Sunday, May 31, which is available here. 

In both cases, I mentioned the volume of free stuff that keeps rolling our way- even in the economic downturn. And, just as God said to Abraham, I believe we have been blessed to be a blessing to others (see his call in Genesis 12:1f.). 

I am determined to create a venue in which we can give this stuff away... to those who need it, and who will use it to better themselves, their family, their station in life. We've been blessed with food, furniture, clothing... it's all coming to The Village- and we've never solicited it. And, it comes through a variety of streams. Last week, I mentioned that our warehouse (where we office &: worship was full before we moved some of the items off site to a location where we have about 5,000 square feet packed three "Home Depot" style industrial shelves high of stuff. That place is now packed- and a box truck we have is packed... and this week, we received more stuff than we had in the previous two weeks- including sofas, tables, desks... two pianos... 

Please pray for the following:

1) A clearly defined leader to spearhead the project of giving this stuff away- and of receiving and transferring the stuff we will continue to receive; 

2) Space to set up "shop" to give it away.

Just this afternoon (Saturday), a manager at a local business where a few of our guys in The Village have worked called and asked about food for an employee whose family was living in a hotel, struggling (with both spouses working) to make ends meet, and simply needed groceries to get them through. Even though we are not a "food bank," it was such a blessing to see this young lady's expression as we walked through our "stuff" and filled a large box for her family.

Let's create a venue for this to happen for those who, like this young woman, are trying to make life work but simply need a bit of a boost.

The Downtown Trading Co.- a project in process // the background

Here's the background on The Downtown Trading Co., and what we're about to do with it...

About a year-and-a-half ago, I launched a 501c3 in the downtown area named "The Village." The name was derived from the Bible, actually (people often ask), from Jeremiah 29, in which the People of God are told to live not in opposition to Babylon but to serve and pray for and help and assist and to love the city in which God has placed them. In fact, He tells them that they will find their good when they find the good of the city. In a real way, He told them to function as a small city with-in-the-city that lived and served and did things differently than the big city (Babylon) for the benefit of the big city. Hence, the name "The Village," a small city within the city that serves the city.

One of the needs downtown is the large influx of ex-prisoners to the area. When they "EOS" (End of Sentence), they are given a ticket on the bus back to the county of their offense. Since Jefferson is the largest county in the State, we receive the most prisoners. And, since the Greyhound station is downtown, they arrive there. Most have no identification- so they can't get a job. And, they don't have money, so they can't find a place to live. Without that address, they can't get identification... which costs money, anyway... which means they need a job first... which they can't get because...

You see the dilemma. 

Anyway, I thought and prayed about starting a thrift store to help assist in the funding of this endeavor, of taking men off the streets and out of prison and helping them get on their feet- just as we had done with others in our church that needed help. 

And, donations began pouring in- even though we never solicited them. We filled a basement of one of our houses... and, then the shed... and then some of the extra rooms in houses... We finally took much of the stuff to the warehouse at Christian Service Mission- nearby- where the good people there were gracious to give us storage space while we searched for space to open the store. 

In the process, we even received a Jeep (that we gave to a staff person who's car just bit the dust), we received a van (that took men to work until we killed it by putting over 140K miles on it in the last year), we received a Mercury Capri (that we're going to do some engine work to- then it will be good as slightly used), we received a Turtle Bus... 

But, we could never find a place to store the items.

I finally found a location, and thought we had everything worked out to open the store. The location was great- not far from my home or the office, or the other ministry things we are doing. And, it would have been at a great price. I even signed a lease- but the owner never did. So, it never materialized.

All the while, I had been praying... "When and how is this thing going to open!?!?!"

I even had the logo and sign ready to go- the design was there, it just needed to be painted. In fact, I have the domain to TheDowntownTradingCompany.com so that we can promote it. But, I could never get the final pieces together.

My wife continued telling me, "Maybe you just need to give all of the stuff away. It keeps coming in faster than you can do anything with it..."

I wasn't so sure. After all, even though the remainder of the ministry is now funded, this would bring more money into the ministry that could accomplish more ministry... and help more people. So I thought. I mean, I really, really... really... thought this.

So, today, I'm at the Pastor's Prayer Summit, a once a quarter prayer gathering hosted by Mission Birmingham. We meet on the 20th floor of the Regions Tower, overlooking the city from high above.

A friend of mine, Victor Brown, who leads Business Development as a VP at the local Chamber of Commerce and is a board member for The Village, stands to speak briefly and to lead the group in prayer for the businesses in our region. After all, if one fails, it doesn't just affect the people who work there, it ripples to suppliers and vendors and others... 

I sent a tweet out from my phone that said something like: "listening to my friend @victorbrown lead at the prayer summit. Praying for business leaders in these economic times."

In less than 2 minutes, someone "facebook-ed" back to me: "Pray for the unemployed." 

So, I offered, "If you need a job, reply back to me and I'll have people at my table pray for you right now."

What happened next, floored me... 

I began receiving immediate replies from both Twitter and facebook- and text messages (I have all of the accounts linked) of people I knew and didn't know all needing work. Some were requesting part-time work; some full-time. Some were speaking of being laid off, of work slowing down... of various situations...

We  have been placing people in jobs for the last 18 months... and have been picking up more work, in some of the companies we have started to hire people we run through one of the programs we started (we did this, in part, because of the slowing economy- if others weren't going to create jobs, we thought we would take a shot at it. Since we are a non-profit, with lower-overhead... and already had our staff salaries covered, we were able to do this, somehow, with God's blessing and favor... for which I am humbled and grateful). I thought, "I wish we could hire all of these people, but it's impossible..."

I'm processing this the entire time during the prayer meeting, mind you... and even as I'm leaving... In fact, I'm riding down 20 floors on the elevator with two of the staff guys I brought, Mike & Tyler. They won't quit talking and laughing... and I'm trying to process mentally... so I have to walk off to the coffee shop to get something to drink, just to get the quiet for a minute while I walk away from them...

I think, "Why do people need a job...?"  

And, it comes down to the fact that we need to purchase things like food and drinks and clothes for kids that outgrow them... and we need to pay for someone to fix things that break that we don't know how to fix...  And, though there are other things for which we need money, this was a start...

I began thinking over all of the guys we've had to help find community service for court orders and restitution... and began thinking about all of the stuff we have piling in our "barn," just waiting to be used. We just moved a staff guy to focus only on local hands-on community development...

And  I remembered that just Tuesday, I had driven to a local furniture dealer. They called and said they had two sofas (new) to donate. The give us a great deal of their "seconds," so this was a routine thing. I decided that since it was a smaller load that would not take much time, and since I had not been out there on the donation pick-up run in a while, I would go myself to shake the warehouse manager's hand and see him face-to-face.

I pulled up and he greeted me with, "Come back here. I had two. But this morning they released four more. And I have a dresser and all of these chairs." He led me to two sectional sofas (really nice ones), about twenty chairs (for various dining sets), and a kids' dresser. "You can take all of this."

What we were going to do with it? We hadn't been able to get the space for our store...

It all crashed in this morning: I understand it, now (I think?).

We're not opening a store. We're not getting a business license. We're not setting up a cash register. We're not going to pay taxes (though I'm OK with paying taxes when we do owe them). 

We're "trading" all our stuff away. Just like the name of the what-was-going-to-be-a-store says. We're trading (and bartering- in a very, very organized way).

So, I'm in the process of writing the plan. Here's, roughly, how it will go.

• If you need groceries, you'll be able to trade something for them. You can bring in clothes that don't fit, an old bike, or you can volunteer for a short amount of time. You can volunteer with us, or we can send you a list of people that have needs that match what you can do.  

• If your kids have outgrown their clothes, give us the old ones, we'll give you new ones.  

• If your car is broken, someone will fix it. You just need to bring some old clothes, an old bed, a dresser, or something else that someone might need and can come trade something else for. 

• If you need furniture... come get it. But, bring something with you, be it food, stuff, or a skill...

You get the idea.

The Village has a warehouse full of stuff. And, we've had a ton (literally, tons) of food come in. We can help with food, clothing, furniture... we actually have contacts with job training and development (we've received a grant from The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham to do this)... I believe the only thing we are not equipped to do right now is utility assistance. But, maybe in the future there will be a way. 

At least right now, though, we can do what we can do- and get the ball rolling.

It will all be fair and equitable, which is why I can't pen it all right now. But, soon, it will be up. And, I'm confident that now that I know we're not selling it... it's being given away... we're going to need a larger space than what I previously saw (God is going to send more stuff our way & we're going to have more people to help).

The funny thing, too, is that Monday, in a staff meeting, I told one of the guys (not the community development guy, another one) to clear his desk of what he was working on. He's extremely gifted and compassionate, but was getting burnt out in the previous role. "Finish the day," I told him, "and slide the stuff to my desk... I'll delegate it. Get some rest and start checking with me each day for the following day's assignments. We'll slow you down for a while and see what falls in place that you need to do next..."

I need free space- and I believe it will open soon. It will happen. Tomorrow, I'll have one of my guys check on this.

More details soon.