Christmas Shoes

I have never liked the song "Christmas Shoes." I don't really don't know why. It may be due to the fact that Christmas is supposed to be a happy ocasion with family and friends and that song focuses on a more depressing event. However, I now understand that song with an understanding I wish I didn't have. To use the lyrics from the song...

My Grandma went to meet Jesus this morning.

I have cried a couple times today already and I am sure that I will cry some more. But as my mom said this morning when she told me, "Grandma got the best Christmas gift of all...she went home." I miss her already. I miss that she will never know her great-grandkids that Amy and I will have one day. I miss her warm smile and unconditional love. But I am thankful that she is not suffering. To borrow the lines from another song--I can only imagine the joy that she has right now. I can only imagine the peace that she has. I long for the day when I will see her again.

I love you Grandma!

Grandma Update

I spoke with my mom a few minutes ago and she gave me an update on my Grandma.

It doesn' t look too good. The cancer has spread and is confirmed now in the pancreas, liver, abdomen (pressing against her small intestine), and lungs. She also has a tumor on her elbow and hip. The tumor that is pressing against her small intestine is not allowing any food to pass from her stomach and the reason she has not kept anything down recently. She is having a procedure today to put a stint in her small intestine that will not collapse as the tumor continues to grow.

They have made the decision to stop all chemotherapy. The two chemos she has taken to this point were the best for treating pancreatic cancer (where hers started) and they have not done anything. They are talking about radiation for the tumors on her elbow and hip. Those are the only one causing her any pain. If they can shrink those tumors they are hopeful to get her off morphine and not need pain medication until the end.

Although the doctors are not giving any specific time line, they are also going ahead and setting Grandma up with hospice care. My sister (who has her nursing degree) has said that in her experience patients who are expected to live longer than six months do not receive hospice care.

Please continue to pray for my Grandma, me, and the rest of our family as we go through the next several months that God will help us endure whatever he allows to come our way.

Christmas Store

The thing I have heard over and over about this year’s Christmas Store from those who were there is that it was “the best Christmas Store we have ever had.” This is coming from church members, repeat volunteer workers, and community members. Officially the Christmas Store served over 100 adults who shopped for over 300 kids. That is over 300 children who will wake up Christmas morning with a gift under the tree to unwrap.

I need to take a minute and give out a special, “Thank You,” to all who made it possible for me to be away from the Christmas Store and be with my family. To Ann Rodgers (Wonder City Church member and Servant Leader) for running the Christmas Store. To Rodney Smithers, Phil and Barbara Clothier, and Sue Cash for coming down from Missouri Street to lead a hand. To Ryan and Emily Fowler for coming from Memphis Urban Ministry to lead a hand as well. To my wife Amy, who was unable to be with me in Indianapolis (although she wanted to be there), who took care a some last minute details and made sure that I was where I needed to be this past weekend.

I wish I had a story from someone from the Christmas Store about what it meant specifically to them, but I don’t. What I do have is a quote from Ryan Fowler (the Memphis Urban Ministry Administrator) who helped work the store. This is what he said.

Well, to me, the neatest part of the entire day wasn't necessarily all of the toys that were handed out. I found it even more special to see the Wonder City Church members who were there, some of whom could have easily been on the other side of the checkout counter, but instead were there serving their neighborhood and community by working at the store. The church members from Wonder City did an incredible job of running the store and making sure that everything went the way it needed to. And while Emily and I were happy to be there and to help out, there's just something extra special about neighbors helping out neighbors. That's why I appreciate Wonder City so much - it's a church that connects to the community that it is in, and that's something that all of our churches could do a better job of.

That is exactly what the Christmas Store is all about—connecting the church to the community. Serving those whom we are called to serve. Blooming where God has planted us. And isn’t that also what the Christmas season is all about—getting out of ourselves and giving. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than receive” (Acts 20:25). I don’t know that there has ever been a time in the nearly six years that I have been here that I have been prouder of Wonder City Church than I am over what they accomplished through this year’s Christmas Store.

Therefore the biggest, “thank you,” goes out to God. For loving us enough that he sent his son to earth. Born through a virgin. Whose “birthday” we celebrate in just few days. And for his continued work in and through Wonder City.

Merry Christmas!

Grandma, Grandpa, and New Memories

This past weekend I was able to be in Indianapolis with my family for Christmas. I enjoyed being there and making new memories. Some of my fondest memories growing up are being at Grandma and Grandpa’s—especially at Christmas. I have shared how my Grandma has cancer and how this may be here last Christmas (for more information see my previous post Grandma).

Grandma isn’t doing too well right now. Her cancer continues to grow and spread—now confirmed in her pancreas and liver and likely in her lungs and lymph nods. My mom shared with me that when she and my dad arrived on Wednesday that my Grandma “looked like death.” She was in pain and could not keep anything down. It was reported to me that Thursday she was doing some better. By the time I arrived on Friday, Grandma was up and about helping get ready for the evening dinner and gift exchange as much as she could.

However, Saturday was not a good day. She was back in bed and could not keep anything down again. She didn’t get out of bed until around dinner time. She came out into the living room and enjoyed a movie with the family who was still there. I left to return to Memphis on Sunday morning in time to be back for worship at Wonder City. Sunday night about midnight they took her to the hospital. Yesterday, they drained 4 liters of fluid off her abdomen.

It is amazing to me how the day that all the family was there, she felt well enough to be up and be with the family. Before we had the gift exchange Friday evening my aunt asked the family to share their most memorable Christmas gift. The gift I shared was our new home (although we moved in several months ago). However, as I have had time to reflect on this weekend, I believe of all the gifts that I have received or will receive this Christmas or any other, that gift from God will be the one that I will always remember. The fact that he allowed my Grandma to have her one good day over the course of the weekend on that specific day—the day that all the family was together and the day we celebrated Christmas as a family—is a gift that I will never forget.

I know that many of the people who read this blog are people of faith and prayer. Please add my Grandma—Emma Colglazier—to your prayer list. She is a special lady to me. I don’t want to lose her. Selfishly I want her here for many years to come. However, I don’t want her to suffer either. So pray for me also—that God will give me the strength to deal with whatever he has in his plans.

Blog Reading

Recently I have read several blog posts that need to be shared. The points made are too good not to be passed around. They were written by two men (Mike Cope and Larry James) that I have a huge amount of respect for (although I don't know either personally). In my opinion, these are two blogs that you (especially those in Churches of Christ) need to be reading on a regular basis.

Go to Mike Cope's Blog and read his posts titled Leroy, Richland Hills, and Instrumental Music and the one titled A Cappella Music.

Also, read Larry James' Urban Daily post titled Rick Warren and his critics.

Grandma

My Grandma is a very special lady to me. I love her dearly. Earlier this year she was diagnosed with cancer. My Grandparents live in Indianapolis, IN, so I don’t get to see them very often. However, with my Grandma’s cancer and not knowing how much time she has left, it has become very important for me spend as much time with them as possible. So, back in October, I went and spent a couple days with my Grandparents. I really enjoyed my time there. I was able to relax, get a little work done, and just be there with my Grandma and Grandpa. They know how much I like Indian food, so they took me to an Indian restaurant for lunch one day. We watched TV together and were just present with each other.

Due to holiday availability of the larger family, the date for the Christmas get together was changed over Thanksgiving from Christmas weekend to December 13-17. Amy and I had planned on being there. However, she doesn’t have any vacation days to use for the new dates and this was also the scheduled weekend as our major holiday outreach—the annual Christmas Store. When I heard these new dates, my heart immediately sank. Who knows if this will be my Grandma’s last Christmas—and I won’t be able to be there for it. I even spent some time crying (something which is rare for me!). My sister recently sent out a holiday questionnaire asking some of her family and friends some of their holiday traditions and favorite memories. Some of my favorite holiday and childhood memories are the ones spent with Grandma and Grandpa. I spent some time grieving the loss of making more memories this year.

As I have shared these events and feelings with those who are close to me, everyone has said how important it is for me to be in Indianapolis for the Christmas get together. I am trying not to live in the future too much, but rather live in the present. But it is hard not to think about the possibility that this may be the last Christmas with Grandma. Even my Grandpa admitted in a family email that their time may be coming soon. It is a reality that has to be faced. So right now I am trying to figure out how I can get to Indianapolis for the family gathering—one more chance to make special memories. I have talked with several individuals about the Christmas Store and covering for me. I am looking at flights from Memphis to Indianapolis on Friday and returning on Saturday evening or early enough on Sunday to still be able to preach at Wonder City. All the details haven’t been worked out yet, but it looks like I may make it after all. Should I make there, I want to be there and enjoy the family and make new memories without thinking the entire time, “This may be the last Christmas,” but I don’t know if I can or not. Either way, I imagine that this will be one of the most difficult holiday seasons that I have ever gone through.

Needed for Growth

God has done some wonderful things through Wonder City in the indigent community of West Memphis. However, Wonder City is in need of the following things in order for the church and the ministry to grow and be effective in the years to come. One is additional staffing and the other is a larger space to worship and conduct ministry.

Urban ministry is too demanding for one person to effectively minister alone. Every week I have to make decisions about what tasks will not get done or what visits will not be made. Sometimes these are easy decisions and sometimes they are difficult ones. Everyone who is in ministry knows that there is a certain amount of administration and tasks that need to get done. Unfortunately, ministry is not just being with and ministering to people. Bible classes and sermons are just one example of tasks that must be done weekly that take time away from being with people. There are also budgets, planning, organizing volunteers, and many other things that require time and attention. At the same time, ministry is about people. Urban ministry especially is about being with the people. One person can’t make sure adults are discipled, teens are taught and youth activities planned, families are ministered to, crisis are addressed (in urban ministry there is a crisis every week—real or perceived), sick are visited and evangelism takes place. More people are needed to make sure these needs are met.

The other area that needs to be addressed for Wonder City to grow is our worship facility. Our current facility is no longer adequate for the task of ministry. First, being in a storefront is a hindrance. Many in the African-American community do not view storefront churches as “real” churches. Despite all the good that Wonder City has done for the community, there are many who still do not see Wonder City as a real church because of our location in a storefront. Also, our location itself between a fish market and laundry mat is a hindrance. Imagine the smells that we receive in our space between those two businesses. However, the biggest factor is that we have simply outgrown the space. We need more space to adequately minister to individuals and the community. We have rearranged the walls inside our storefront space to add classroom space, but more is needed. We would like to offer our community a clothes closet, but there is no space. We would like to expand our after-school program—again lack of space. (Side note, we are not currently offering an after-school program due to a lack of staffing.) We would like to make Wonder City a safe place for teens to hang out after school off the streets playing games and listening to holy hip-hop, but we don’t have the space (or the staffing).

However, God is faithful and he has provided Wonder City with the opportunity to purchase the current facility of the First Church of the Nazarene. They have a 10,000 plus square foot church building with plenty of room to address all of our space needs. Two weeks ago (Sunday, November 19th), I presented the elders of our supporting church (Missouri Street Church of Christ) with a proposal to purchase the First Church of the Nazarene. They are actively discussing the purchase of the building as a group and with those involved with Wonder City. I will also be meeting with the elders in the coming weeks to discuss it with them and answer any questions they may have. I am hopeful and prayerful that the elders will approve this request and that Wonder City will be in a new home in the spring. Please be praying for this process and the decision that is to be made. Should you wish to donate to our building fund, checks can be mailed to

Wonder City Ministry Building Fund
c/o Missouri Street Church of Christ
1600 N Missouri St
West Memphis, AR 72301

Also, pray that God will be as faithful and provide additional staffing in the near future as well.

Amazing

(I orginially wrote this post last Monday, Oct 23. I then left town on Tuesday to spend a few days with my Grandma and Grandpa before I got this up online. The events described in the post took place October 21-22.)

I have fond memories of my youth camp experiences growing up. They were always fun. In fact, one summer I worked a session of camp doing kitchen cleanup, so I could afford to attend multiple sessions of camp. Camp was a very important part of my spiritual formation.

With that being said, I work hard to make sure the urban youth, that I now work with, have the same opportunities to attend camp and make their own memories. When the youth minister at our overseeing church invited our teens to attend their fall retreat at Camp Tahkodah I jumped on the opportunity. Last year (the first year we joined with them) I took approximately 10 teens. This year, I took 18. There were a total of 140 teens from Missouri Street and Wonder City. We left West Memphis at 5:45 Saturday morning and returned at 4pm on Sunday. The two days were packed with activities—both fun and spiritual. Most importantly our teens learned just how AMAZING (this year’s theme) God’s grace truly is.

But this weekend retreat also provided a time of growth for Wonder City. This was the first Sunday since Nathan and Jenni left (August 1st) that I would not be there. Additionally, our Servant Leader that normally leads worship had to work and the only other individual who can drive the church van was also supposed to work. I had arranged for a guest speaker. I had coordinated with our Servant Leaders about worship. But it was going to take the church stepping up as a whole for worship to come together Sunday. People were going to have to find their own way to church and others were going to have to do things they were not accustom to doing. So, what happened? Our van driver thought is was important to be at church and took off from work to drive and be there. Worship also started 45 minutes late. But I was told that it went very well. Some of those who participated in worship, I would have never guessed would do the things they did.

This weekend has reminded me just how amazing God’s grace is. God’s grace is always amazing. It was amazing to me through my camp experiences. It was amazing by providing the opportunity for our teens to attend the retreat. It was amazing to our church as members stepped up and made sure that worship happened. God grace is also amazing to Wonder City as this Sunday was our 7th anniversary. Seven years ago this past Sunday, Wonder City held its first Sunday worship service as a church.

I am reminded of the psalmist in Psalm 136 who recounted all the mighty acts of God—all the ways that God had been gracious to his people. And after recalling each gracious act the psalmist states, “His faithful love endures forever.” God’s grace has abounded and will abound for all time. He is always working to show his grace in our lives.

Technology Woes

Technology is a great thing…until it doesn’t work like you want it to. For the past two weeks I have not been a happy technology camper. Right before I left for 4 days to attend the Christian Community Development Association Conference in Philadelphia (Sept 27-30), my ethernet connection on my computer went bad. Thankfully, my computer is still under warranty. However, I needed to take my laptop with me, so I packed it up and carried my wireless card with me to Philly. Last year at the conference they had a wonderful setup with a free wireless area. So this year I was hoping (and expecting) for the same. I get to Philly and no wireless. In fact the Starbuck’s in the hotel lobby wasn’t even a hotspot. So as soon as I returned to Memphis, I called Dell. However, it was noon Thursday last week before my computer was fixed and I could check emails and do other business. In fact, for two days I had to use my secretary’s computer because mine was completely unusable.

Hopefully, now that I am back in business, my technology will continue to function properly and my updates will not be so far apart. See below for a new post—“Broken Doors.”

God Bless

Brooken Doors

The following is taken from Tony Campolo’s book Revolution and Renewal: How Churches are Saving Our Cities with stories by Bruce Main (Louisville, Westminster John Knox Press: 2000), 16-18.


I once met a Catholic priest who had a fascination with doors. He believed that the front door was the most important part of a church. The door, he claimed, should be something that beckons people to come in. It should be something intriguing, something that “whispers the mystery that lies beyond it.”

The door of our church used to be white, shiny, and metallic, smooth and new looking; it could have graced the cover of a church supply catalog. The door was seldom used. As a matter of fact, the door reflected the church that existed inside the door—unused. With only a couple of hours of use each Sunday, the door had little chance to tarnish its beauty. It just sat there, not living up to its calling as a church door—that is something that used to allow people to enter a place where the mysterious Divine dwells.

But last week we had to replace the door. Since our rambunctious youth program arrived at the church three years ago the door had changed. The shiny, white metallic finish had been dulled by the continual touching and thumping or dirty hands. There were gouges, dents, and holes in the door created by kids who were late for events and needed to be heard. The bright brass trim around the mailbox had been ripped off. The inner core of the door could now be seen and had begun to spill its contents onto the surrounding sidewalk. Perhaps the brass had been stripped to be sold or taken off in an effort to rob the church. Whatever the case, the fancy trim was gone. All that was left was an ugly, roughly cut metal hole, through which the mail person could shove the mail each day.

Days before the door was replaced, it would hardly open. The only hinge connecting the door to the frame was the top one. And even that hinge had been reset a number of times. The other hinges had long ago been ripped out of their home and tossed in the scrap pile. As the door was opened, shut, slammed, a propped over the last three years by children, teens, and staff, the door collapsed. Finally the screws gave way, and the wooden door posts disintegrated.

So the door was replaced. The cost: eight hundred and fifty dollars to put in a new frame and metal door. Unfortunately the trustees in our church didn’t share in the same door theology as my priest friend—that a door should create a sense of mystery and intrigue. We got a new, white, shiny metallic door.

Although I grimace over this expense in our budget this year, I do have to chuckle over the fact that we wore out a door. Children broke the door! Not intentionally, but because they wanted to get into the church. Something was happening inside these walls that was calling them off the street to come into this place where God lives. The door began to serve its purpose. Despite its lack of ascetic intrigue, the door had began to live out its calling as the threshold leading to the one place where God dwells. What was taking place on the inside had become intriguing and a mystery to the little ones who desperately wanted to get in.

The more I thought about our door, the more I have wondered how many churches in America can boast over the fact that they had to replace a door because of the dents and holes made by young people trying to get in.

But if the church really lives up to its calling, should it not be replacing its doors more regularly? Wouldn’t it be exciting if churches across America all of sudden had to start ordering custom-made doors to replace all the doors that were being broken. Just think how wonderful it would be if churches had to start hiring special “door ministers” just to keep door knobs from falling off and hinges from snapping. Right next to Minister of Music and Christian Education Director in next year’s budget would be “Door Minister.”

Yet if the church really does become that “beacon of light on a hill,” those who surround her should be lured and drawn in through the doors. If the church becomes a vibrant and integral part of the a community and if spirituality does begin to intertwine itself with everyday life, doors should wear out. The church should become a place of traffic.

What changed in our case? Why did the church begin to change from a mausoleum to a beehive of activity? Why did children from the community start coming to a church that had lost its voice in the community? One of the reasons is that we started going to the community and extended an invitation to its people to come. But the invitation was not just to come and fill our pews for an hour on Sunday morning. Children were invited to come and express themselves through dance, play like creative children, study things that were fun and interesting, sing crazy songs, eat ice-cream sundaes, go on trips to out-of-the-way places, and produce their silk screened tee-shirts. In short, we tried to make what was behind the doors of the church intriguing. We tried to evoke the curiosity of our children and teens. Since 50 percent of our city’s population is under the age of eighteen, we decided to make children our focus. After-school programs, evening Bible clubs, computer classes, and dance class are just a few of the events we designed to make the church an appealing place to come. And they have come. And, Lord willing, they will continue to come. And, quite probably, a few more doors may be broken before its all said and done.


For anyone who has been to Wonder City’s building you can relate to what Bruce Main is relating through this story in Campolo’s book. Wonder City has replaced doors, repaired holes in the walls, and had to do other maintenance because of kids and teens in the building. I have to admit, I usually have gotten upset when damage is done. Like Main’s kids, I know they didn’t intentionally break it. But it is money that has to be spent. I used to look at the damage and just see kids and teens that needed to be corrected, trained, and disciplined. Yes, some of our kids need to learn some discipline.

But when I read this the other day, my whole perspective changed. I now look at the holes that still need repaired and I see the lives that have changed. Don’t ask me why, but Wonder City attracts kids and teens. Teens who attend Wonder City invite their friends—who come and invite their friends. It is not uncommon to have more teens in a church service than adults. I am glad they are there. I am glad that we are offering something that intrigues them. I am glad they are finding something at Wonder City they can’t find on the streets of West Memphis and they find it valuable enough to invite their friends to come and experience as well. Our building is not perfect and it could use some major work. While I would like to have a nice building to use that does not need repairs, I would rather be known as a church that is active and alive. I would rather be known as a place that welcomes those who are not welcome in other places. I would rather have some kids and teens that need to learn discipline accidentally doing damage to our building than have them running the streets. I would rather replace doors and repair walls than be a church that doesn’t welcome children (Mark 10:12-14).

Family Stories

Several Wonder City families have recently found themselves in difficult situations.

One family of 9 lives in a small two bedroom house. Some go to other family members’ homes to sleep at night. However, those who do sleep there typically sleep in one bedroom—the only air conditioned room (with a window unit) in the house. 10 individuals (4 generations) lived in the house, until late July, when the patriarch of the family passed away from complications with his diabetes. Unfortunately, he was the main source of income for the family. His veterans and disability benefits paid the bills. Now that he has passed, the family has $300 a month in food stamps—and that’s it. I don’t know how this family is going to pay the rent or any of their other bills. To add insult to injury, the water line that brings water into the house has busted. They contacted their landlord who told them to have it fixed and take it out of the rent. As the mother/grandmother told me last night, when there is no money for rent, no one is going to fix it for free.

Another family was placed in a difficult situation when the husband of the family walked out on his wife and 4 kids just a couple weeks ago. Bills have gone unpaid for months. The family was in a rent-to own situation and the rent/mortgage payment alone was $2000 past due. Yesterday (9/13), the family left their house. They put most of their belongings in storage and left some with friends and family. Now there is a “For Rent or Sale” sign in the window of their old house and they are staying with family until they are able to get an apartment. The mother is partially disabled and doctors want her to undergo weight loss surgery. She does, however, receive some money through disability and food stamps, but it is going to be difficult for her to make ends meet on her own.

These stories are just the tip of the iceberg. Another church member is not sure about her job. Another works 2 jobs just to make ends meet. Another had to go back to work early off her unpaid maternity leave so they would have some money. These are the daily realities of life for most of those I encounter in this ministry. I can’t help but think of Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:34.

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. (NLT)

Our families do have enough to worry about today. Many struggle just to eke out a daily existence. Many have a hard time dealing with the trouble that today brings.

9/11 Reflections

It is one of those moments in history that those who lived it will always know where they were when it happened. September 11, 2001. For me, I was in the shower when the first plane struck the World Trade Center. I came downstairs (we lived in a townhouse apartment in Memphis at the time) and had ABC's Good Morning America on TV. I watched the live shot as the second plane came into view and hit the other tower. I sat there frozen on the couch. I know I watched the images for at least a couple of hours. I don't remember anything else I did that day.

Six months later (March, 2002), I stood at Ground Zero. It was an overwhelming place to be. The makeshift memorials that were still up. Standing on the observation platform looking into that huge space where the towers once stood. Seeing the steel cross that had been found in the rubble and erected by the workers. Passing the little church just yards away that was the base of operations for the cleanup effort. Wanting to go in and knowing that I would not be allowed.

This morning I again was tuned into ABC's GMA. I again was in the shower at the moment when five years ago the first plane struck. I again was back in front of the TV when the moment of silence was observed at 8:03 (central time)--the moment five years ago the second plane hit the south tower. During that moment of silence I said a prayer. I prayed for all those who are still hurting, suffering, or grieving because of the events five years ago. Many are still hurting.

What I also saw this morning was a nation (and a city) that is healing. All the buildings surrounding Ground Zero that were damaged have been repaired. World Trade Center Tower 7 has been rebuilt and is open. The World Trade Center subway stop is reopened. They said that by the year 2012 (just 6 short years away) all the reconstruction at Ground Zero will be completed. But I also heard healing. Healing from the from those who survived. Healing from those who lost loved ones. Healing has been a theme leading up to this anniversary. Last week GMA brought America up to date on the kids who were born post-9/11 to dad's who died on 9/11. Some of those moms have remarried. Healing is taking place.

As you remember and reflect on the events of five years ago, please pray with me for the continued healing of our nation. Pray that we will never forget the One who does the healing.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
and that the time of the Lord's favor has come.
(Jesus; Luke 4:18-19 [quoting Isaiah 61:1-2]; NLT)

May God Bless you!
May God Bless America!
May God Bless the world!

Blog Potato

I have a couple of friends—and one in particular—that I have harassed as being blog potatoes. I must confess that I have become a blog potato over the past six weeks. And it’s not that I haven’t wanted to post or had things to talk about. Rather, it has been my extremely busy schedule that has caused me to put posting on the back burner. In fact, I now have a new respect for those who post regularly. I am astonished by guys like Larry James who post daily. Larry is a phenomenal guy with phenomenal talents and compassion for the poor. He is extremely busy and how he manages to make the time to post something of note on his blog every day is simply beyond me.

So let me quickly update you on what has been going on over the past six weeks or so. I promise to try to get more details up with pictures next week.

July 23-28—Youth Camp at Crowley’s Ridge Youth Camp
July 29-August 4—Kids Count Camp (our annual day camp for kids 3-12 years old)
August 6—Nathan and Jenni Bills last day at Wonder City (leaving me as the lone minister at Wonder City currently)
August 11—Closed on our home and moved in (this does not count all the inspections and meeting we had prior to our closing)
August 17—School Store (our annual school supply giveaway for kids entering K-6th grades)
August 18-20—Took 3 days off and went to Chicago (Amy was there on a business trip since the 13th)
Augsut 20-24—My parents were in town (and really helped us get our new home in order!!!)

Then for the past two weeks I have been trying to catch up and clean off my desk. So, I hope that you will forgive the lack of posts over the past several weeks. In addition to these events, there are several stories that I want to pass along. So check this space regularly the next couple of weeks for updates.

Camp Fun

July 23 through August 5 were two very busy weeks for me and Wonder City. The first week was our annual youth camp and the second was our annual Kids Camp. Both weeks went very well.

During the week at youth camp, out teens spent time in Bible classes and worship learning about God’s Young Heroes. The last night of camp we offered an invitation allowing the teens an opportunity to respond to anyway that God has touched them through-out the week. Several teens took advantage and went and spoke to a counselor. Immediately after worship was over, one of our teens Kisha R. came to me and told me that she wanted to be baptized. Kisha has been coming to Wonder City longer than I have. I had no doubt that she knew the importance of the decision that she was making. We pushed back the rest of the evening’s schedule and I had the privilege of baptizing Kisha in the pool at camp. She called her mom and her mom was shouting “Hallelujah.” Kisha’s older brother was also at camp and as I took Kisha under the water he shouted out “Goodbye Kisha.” Both Kisha and her brother knew that Kisha was dying to herself and was asking God to live through her in that moment. Kisha in that moment became one of God’s young heroes. (Sadly, Kisha and Jonathon experienced a low in their life the very next day when their grandfather, who lived with them, passed away.)

Kids Camp also inspired many great stories. One kid always answered the question, “What do you have to do to go to heaven,” by responding, “Get bubbatized.” There were many kids at camp who used to attend Wonder City regularly with their parents but now for whatever reason their parents don’t come—so they don’t come. One of those is a 6 year old young girl that I have known since she was about 3. Every time I see her she would run to me and give me a hug, even though her family hasn’t been to church in over a year. On the last day of camp, all she wanted was a Bible. We give the kids several things to take home from camp, but all she wanted was a Bible. When she received her bag of stuff, she immediately tore into it looking for her Bible. (I now have a Bible to take to her.) She and her 2 older siblings who also attended Kids Camp were going to go home and ask their parents if they could start coming to church again.

Love for God and the desire to live for him—that is what both of these weeks of camp are about. Even if these two were the only ones who benefited from these camp (and believe me they were not) then they were worth it. These two weeks were stressful and tiring. But, I would do them all over again—in a heartbeat.

Just to let everyone know, with youth camp this week and kid's camp next week I will probably not get anything posted until the week of August 7th. Amy and I are also supposed to close on our house on July 31st. I will get posts up about both camps and our house ASAP.

God Bless

Comments

Unforntunately, due to some comment spam, I have had to turn on the "word verification" function in comments to help end the spam (blogger's suggestion). I still want to encourage comments and discussion about anything that is posted on my blog. I am just trying to keep the spam comments out of my inbox. Thanks for understanding.

Youth Camp

Sunday kicks off two solid weeks of camp. Immediately following church Sunday our teens will leave for MUM Youth Camp at Crowley’s Ridge Youth Camp between Jonesboro and Paragould, AR. For most of our teens this is the only time of the year they are able to leave the city. This is the only time they spend in the outdoors (other than their yards). It is a time to relax and leave the pressures of the city behind. For some of our youth camp is “home.” Several years ago one of the teens at camp said that for one week of the year he was at home, and the other fifty-one weeks he was “visiting.” Camp is a safe place for our teens. For that reason, and many others, every year I am ready to step up to the plate and give whatever it takes to make youth camp happen. Youth camp is too important.

This year’s theme for youth camp is “God’s Young Heroes.” We will be looking at the young people in Scripture that God used to accomplish his purposes. People like young Samuel, Josiah, a young David, Daniel, Timothy, Queen Esther, Ruth, and Mary. Our teens will hear that God still uses young people today to accomplish his purposes in this world. Our young people will hear that God will use them, IF they will let him.

Please pray for us at camp this week. Here is a list of specific items to pray for.

1. God will meet us at camp.
2. For our Directors and counselors—have patience with the teens and get needed rest.
3. For our teens—that they will hear God’s call on their life, will have fun, and have a positive attitude all week.

Unemployment and Underemployment

Weekly I hear people in the neighborhood talking about employment. Most of them are seeking a job, but I also know of several individuals who are working multiple jobs because one job just doesn’t pay the bills. Unemployment and underemployment (having a job that is insufficient to meet basic necessities of life) are chronic issues in our neighborhood.

The 1st problem is a lack of jobs in our area. There are not enough available jobs for all of the individuals seeking employment. There is an urgent need for new businesses and industries to come into our area. Thankfully, we are beginning to see signs that growth is coming (a new Toyota parts facility which they say will eventually be converted to full scale automobile production; a new inter-modal and warehouse facility; and several new restaurants.) While many individuals in the neighborhood are not qualified for jobs that require a certain level of education and experience—the simple fact is there will be a trickle down effect. As more businesses and industries open service sector jobs should also increase. This is where many of the individuals in our neighborhood will find employment.

The 2nd problem is with the jobs that are available. In many cases these are the lower paying type jobs with a high turnover rate—fast food service, hotel cleaning, etc. These jobs are providing work and income, but seem to have a detrimental impact. When an individual in our neighborhood finds employment (in one of these type jobs) their government assistance is drastically reduced -- to the point that the individual is receiving less money and benefits than if they had not accepted the position. They are “punished” for finding work. And with the way welfare is now structured, they are also punished for not finding work—again through the loss of benefits.

An answer to the underemployment issue is addressing the minimum wage. The federal minimum wage has been frozen since 1997! (See Larry James’ blog post Minimum Wage More than Frozen in Place--Part One) Thankfully several states are not waiting on the federal government to act before they take action. This includes Arkansas. Arkansas recently passed legislation increasing the minimum to over $6.00 per hour. However, an effort to amend the state constitution through a vote of the people to tie the minimum wage to inflation based on the Consumer Price Index was defeated. This is exactly the step that the state of Florida has taken to address the issue there. (For the results of what has happened in Florida since that law passed see Larry James’ blog post Minimum Wage More than Frozen in Place--Part Two.)

However, more must be done. As we all go through the remaining political eletion season, I want to encourage you to support canidates who support the poor. That includes a possition for an increase in the minimum wage.

Conflict

I hate conflict. I really hate conflict! I tell people that my usual practice is to run from conflict like it was the plague. My motto is “Can’t we all just get along.” Unfortunately, this hasn’t always served me the best. Over the past several weeks I have been dealing with several issues that involve conflict—and require my leadership as the Director of the ministry and minister of the church.

The first is that two church “members,” who used to be best friends are not getting along. Their interpersonal conflict has spilled over into and has affected the life of the church. To me it is very much a Philippians 4 situation. We don’t know what happened between Euodia and Syntyche, but it was big enough that Paul knew about it—and he wasn’t even in Philippi. Paul told them to “iron out their differences and make up. God’s doesn’t want his children holding grudges” (The Message). While we knew the things that broke these to ladies apart, they seemed unable to work beyond them and iron out their differences. Unfortunately, we are still working to resolve this situation.

The other situation, which erupted last week, is too delicate to describe here and requires an investigation through the Arkansas Department of Human Services. Right now, I don’t see how there can be a happy ending with this one. People have been hurt and lives have been affected. While we are letting the authorities sort out the legal issues, there is a moral stand that must be taken by the church as well. In fact, our Servant Leaders made the decision last Wednesday (with my recommendation) to ask an individual to worship somewhere other than Wonder City, until the investigation could be completed and the results of that process were made available.

God must have some kind of humor. It has only been since the first of May that I have fully made the transition from the youth guy to the one leading the church. Right out of the blocks we have these two major issues. I wish I knew what God was doing! One thing is for sure though, I believe God is teaching and working on me just as much as others in these two situations. I believe that it is only through pain that we as individuals grow. When we are comfortable and things are going well, we have no reason to stretch and grow. It is only when life is tough and we are not comfortable that growth can occur. For me this has meant that I have had to fight my natural tendency to run from and avoid these issues. It has not been easy staying in the struggle. I wish I had the perspective on conflict that one of my good friends has. He views conflict as a sign of health. For him, the absence of conflict means that apathy has set in. But conflict means that people still care and are willing to work. Maybe one day I can have that view of conflict. But until then, I will fight. I will continue to fight the tendency within me to run from and avoid conflict. I will stay where God has put me until I have learned what it is that he wants me to learn. So pray for me. Pray that I will learn to value and accept conflict for the growth opportunity that it is.

And pray for those involved in these two situations. Pray that God will work them out to His glory!

Uplift

Over a five day period from June 24-29, Nathan Bills (my ministry partner) took 11 teens to Uplift (a camp for teens at Harding University). The following is an article he wrote for the Missouri Street Church of Christ bulletin. Missouri Street made it possible for our teens to attend Uplift.

This past week at Uplift eleven Wonder City teens were encouraged to reflect upon different relationships—family, friends, the world, God. In our Tuesday night devotional when the group shared some reactions to the week, their comments demonstrated that they had indeed been reflecting. I asked them about their fears, successes, dreams, and weaknesses. They responded by talking about relationships. And I was reminded once again about how much negativity these kids experience in their lives.

The speaker on Tuesday night, though, spoke from a text that gives these kids a turning point: “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you…was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes…” (2 Cor. 1.19-20). God has said “yes” to these kids in Jesus Christ. I think that message encapsulates the week at Uplift for these kids. Many of them did not look forward to returning home in large part because their environment says “no” in more ways than one. Yet, this past week they were able to hear God’s “yes” in classes, activities, and daily worship. Missouri Street made this trip possible, and we want to thank you for being a part of God’s “yes” to us.

Workcamp

Fist, I apologize for the delay on getting anything of substance up on the blog. I could give you a long list of reasons (read “excuses”) for why I haven’t had the time… Anyway, I am sorry!

For the second year in a row Wonder City youth participated in Memphis Workcamp, June 5-9. Workcamp is a week of service. This week teens from churches of Christ all over the Memphis area (and a few from other places) come together, to go into the hoods in Memphis to serve. Workcamp crews scrape and paint homes for those who can not afford to have it done and/or are physically unable to take care of it themselves.

Last year six teens participated. This year we had nine participate—with five returning participants from last year. Our teens love the time to get out and serve others. An interesting fact is that many of our teen’s homes are in worse condition, than the houses chosen for Workcamp. While they occasionally mention that fact, they talk more about the fun (that’s right—fun while they work) they are having. In addition, our teens are picked up from their homes about 6:45 in the morning, and almost without exception they are always ready to go when the van arrives.

Many people think that those in the hood are lazy and don’t want to work. Many believe those in the hood simply want to live off the hard work of others through their government check. However, these kids proved otherwise during Workcamp. These kids were ready to work. They wanted to work. All they needed was the opportunity. (If you are interested in learning more about/or having a discussion on the poor and unemployment/under-employment visit and read Larry James’ Urban Daily—see link to right).

Later this summer, our teens will have another opportunity to serve. August 12th will be the first annual Day of Service. Kyle Strickland (youth minister at Missouri Street Church of Christ) and I hatched this idea after Workcamp last year. On August 12th both Missouri Street and Wonder City will come together to serve in the hoods of West Memphis. We plan to do yard work and light general maintenance for individuals similar to those served through Workcamp. I have no doubt that Wonder City will be ready to serve—this time in their community.

Another house update

Here are a couple more pictures of our house (taken today). They are saying we should close either the first or second week of July.

Senior Blues

The following article was written by my lovely wife-Amy.
(Graduation was Friday, May 19.)

Over the past five years, I have not had the opportunity to witness one of the youth from Wonder City graduate from high school. This year was different. I was prepared to attend graduation, but I was not prepared for the lack of “senior pride.” For Brenae (our only graduating senior this year), graduation was definitely something to look forward to, but she missed out on many of the highs of graduating. She was unable to purchase her senior pictures, her Senior Book, and Class Ring. I know, I know, these are material things, but they are also rights of passage for a teenager in today’s society. I remember what it felt like knowing there was a good chance I would not have the funds for these things as a senior in high school. My Grandfather eventually purchased them for me, and I had to pay him back as soon as I was able. For many, there is pride in inserting a photo in a graduation announcement, and many people expect the photo to be there. I have heard the phrase “No photo, no gift,” so many times that I too expect to find a photo when I receive a graduation announcement. So I received Brenae’s announcement, opened it up, and what? There is no photo. I knew she had her pictures taken, but was not sure what had happened. So, I called her. There was pain in her voice when she told me she could not afford them. I too was pained when she spoke these words. Not because of what she could not afford, but because of what I was reminded of. I was reminded that we as a society take so much for granted, and that our expectations of individuals tend to be based on our own standards, financial ability and upbringing. While Brenae graduated with “Pomp and Circumstance,” I watched her with a case of the Senior Blues, knowing that I am guilty of taking the little things in life for granted.

A Divine Appointment

On the way back (5/21) from a conference in California, I had to fly from L.A. to Atlanta (a long flight I don’t recommend). I sat next to an older gentleman and his wife who were traveling to Rome. We got to talking and I told him I was on my way home from a conference in Azusa. He was slightly puzzled. I told him about Urban Youth Workers Institute—a conference for those who were doing religious based urban youth work. He inquired whether I was involved with youths in gangs. “Yes,” I replied. At this point he revealed that he was a prosecutor, and he had prosecuted some gang members. What he relayed next continues to stick with me: he added that what I was doing (thus also others who are involved in the same work) is where the real and lasting difference is going to be made.

In other words, if real change is going to come about in our cities, it must involve the work of the church and blood of Jesus. All the government programs in the world may help, but they are missing the key “ingredient” that can sustain lasting change. In that moment I was extremely proud. What a huge privilege that God has allowed me to be apart of this ministry. Yet, I also felt overwhelmed. What a huge responsibility! There is so much work to be done. Jesus said it this way, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Mt. 9:36-38; NIV). If the church is the answer to the problems in our city, the change this prosecutor was pointing towards will only come about if we all answer Jesus’ call to go into the harvest field. Will you?

Apnointing Leaders

What a great day Sunday, May 7th, was at Wonder City! It was a day that I have been anticipating in general ever since I have started working at Wonder City and more specifically since this past fall. It was the day when, for the very first time after six plus years, Wonder City Church has officially recognized leaders from the community. This does not mean that we have not looked to the members for leadership. It does not mean that important decisions have been made without considering the church’s input. But, now there is a recognized group of individuals from the church who we can go to for ministry and important decisions.

The process started this past fall when we preached through the book of Judges. Our tag line for that study was “God’s Search for Faithful Followers and Legitimate Leaders.” We talked about what it means to be a faithful follower of God and what God is looking for in his leaders. Then in December, based on the voice of the congregation, we put forth 3 ladies who would become our Servant Leaders. These three ladies—Ann R., Linda R., and Linda L.—then went through a lengthy more in-depth study on what it means to be a leader. These ladies took a profile that helped them identify their spiritual gifts and several discussions about how they can work well together based on their gifts. This 8 month process culminated Sunday, when we apnointed (appointed and anointed) these ladies as our Servant Leaders.

Ladies recite their commitment as leaders to the church.

Ann signs the Leadership Covenant as Linda L. waits her turn to sign.

Church gathers around our new leaders and prays for them

We continue to look forward to the day when God provides others, men in particular, who will join these ladies as leaders. We also continue to look forward to the day when we have men who are spiritually mature to become elders. Please be praying that God will bless these ladies and the leadership they will help provide to Wonder City. Pray that God will use them in ways we can’t even imagine. Pray that God will provide others, especially men, who will join these ladies as leaders.

Combined Worship With Downtown Church from Memphis

Several months ago our church members decided they wanted to invite the Downtown Church (another urban church plant located in downtown Memphis) to come worship with us. The date of April 30th was agreed to by both congregations. Since April 30th was a 5th Sunday it was also Everybody Bring Something Sunday (EBSS). EBSS is based on 1 Corinthians 14:26 which says, “What shall we say then, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.” So we encourage all of our church members on the 5th Sundays to bring something to praise God and strengthen the church—a song, a scripture reading, a prayer, a word of encouragement, a poem, a Christian hip-hop rap, etc.

So on April 30th, over 100 from the Downtown Church (DTC) and Wonder City came together for a rousing Spirit filled worship service. It started with a time of worship lead by two men from the DTC in which the church was “transported” the throne of God. Nathan delivered a short message from the book of 1 Corinthians on using our gifts to glorify God and strengthen the body which was followed by our time of members from both churches standing and sharing what they had prepared to glorify God and strengthen the church. The pictures below are from some of the members sharing their gifts and words of encouragement through song, skit, and testimony. This was followed by a time of response where the church could ask for prayers for struggles in their lives. Here is what Anthony Wood wrote about the response time.

I was blessed to lead the response time. Some made general confessions and requested prayer, while others blessed the church with good words. But, one lady in particular stood to confess a very specific sin, "I’ve got a problem with cussin’, and I need God to help me quit!" Her resolve and determination shocked us all, and I said, "You know there’s a difference between cursing and cussin’ someone. Cursing is saying words you shouldn’t say, but cussin’, that’s different. When you cuss someone, you have evil intent, and you mean harm. You know the difference. Our sister has blessed us with a good confession, and I know there’s got to be someone else who wants to confess their sin of cussin’."

At that point, nearly everyone in the audience raised their hands, quickly, with vigor. Then a lady said with a loud voice, "Well, I guess we got us a cussin’ church here." The church roared in laughter, not so much at being a "cussin’ church," but because we could be honest and believed that God would bless our confession and repentance. He does, and because of the blood of Jesus and His resurrection, we can continually be forgiven, and renewed.

It truly amazes me at what God does when his people in honesty and sincerity “confess their sins one to another” (James 5:16). After this time of confession we were able to take of the Lord’s Supper as a family who was right with God. We had laid ourselves bare before him and we were allowing the blood of Jesus to cleanse us.

The time of worship and fellowship was concluded by a meal together where everyone enjoyed visiting and the continued words of encouragement. But as my ministry partner said, “Our real joy left of the conviction that our guest of honor, the Lord’s Spirit, showed up. And we were built up.” It was truly a blessed Sunday.

Update on House

Here is one of the latest pictures of our house. As you can see through the garage, the sheet rock is hung and most of the exterior work is done. We are currently being told that we should be in around the middle of June.

Kevin's Story

Meet Kevin (not his real name). Kevin is 16 years old and is unable to attend school. He started the year in the 9th grade (already a year behind). However, he had trouble making it to school on time and was usually about 15 minutes late. Instead of marking him tardy and sending him to class, the office would tell him he had to go home and try again tomorrow. Now he has missed too many days and will not be allowed to pass to the 10th grade. He was also told that he would have to re-register in order to complete the school year.

Kevin though, is not dumb. He is one of the smartest teens in our youth group. He is emerging as a strong leader among our teens and is a positive example to our younger kids. He almost always knows the answers to the questions in Bible class. He knows how to be a regular teen and can hang out, goof off and have fun with the rest of the teens. However, Kevin knows when it is time to be serious and pay attention (something others his own age have not yet learned). Kevin knows he doesn’t have to show out to gain the attention and approval that all of our teens desperately want and need. Kevin is willing to do anything someone asks him without complaining about it. A lot of the times he will volunteer to do the “dirty” work just to have something to do and someone to hang out with. (This is definitely not typical of a 16 yr old boy.)

I was thinking about all of this Wednesday night on my way home after church. I nearly started to cry—it broke my heart. Here is a young man with so much potential. Yet, like so many young African-American men, he is being pulled down by societal forces around him. Sure he could have made some better choices, like getting out of bed earlier or not falling back asleep. But couldn’t we all have made better choices growing up! Here is a young man who needs someone who can step up and advocate for him. Be the voice that fights on his behalf. Unfortunately, there is a limit to what many of us can do. Not being his parent or guardian, there are many places (including schools) that are not willing to discuss Kevin with me, or even begin to work out a solution that is in the best interests of this young man. I want to fight for Kevin. I want to scream and shout, “This isn’t right!” There are many Kevin’s in our neighborhood. Please pray for Kevin and all the young men and women in our neighborhood just like him.

Growing Leaders

Being in a ministry long term at the same location allows you to see all kinds of stuff—people coming and going (all for various reasons); people struggling with the same issues over and over; friendships in the church going south; etc. But one of the most rewarding things to witness in long term ministry is watching people learn and grow. Wonder City is now just a few weeks away from appointing our first group of leaders. I sat down with two of these individuals Wednesday night after church to discuss a mercy ministry request. (A requirement to be a leader is that they have completed our financial literacy program.) That is an awesome feat in itself—that I could sit down with two of our members to discuss such an issue! More importantly, I was able to ask these ladies if one of them would be willing to visit with this church member about her financial situation. A couple of years ago it would not have been possible for me to do this. What surprises me even more is that the one who volunteered is currently going through some financial difficulties of her own. The most exciting thing about this is that the volunteer, having been through our financial literacy program, knows what to do when in a tight situation. What a blessing to have leaders who can, and are willing, go and minister to a brother or sister in need!

Update on House

Last Wednesday framing started on our new home. Here are a couple of pictures.

A Wardrobe Full of Clothes...

The following was written by my current ministry partner, Nathan Bills, about an incident that took place in church on Sunday, March 12th.


We jump-start every Sunday worship service with a time of testimony, confession, sharing, and prayer. This period is an opportunity for the church to get honest with itself about the struggles, the victories, and the places where God’s hand is at work (or needs to be at work). I never know quite what to expect, but we often have church members bring a range of emotions—joy, grief, anxiety, thankfulness—peppered with supportive “hallelujahs” or “help’em Lords.” It frequently becomes something of a faith rally for many of our members who feel burdened and beat up by last week’s events. We aim to give each other encouragement and comfort, especially to those whose self-esteems have sustained deep wounds. Yet, it was during this period of time a few Sundays ago that I had to laugh at a church member who began to self denigrate herself.

“I can’t hang,” she said as she launch her self assault. She went on to narrate an embarrassing experience that teenage girls would deem a nightmare. She had decided, with another church member, to put on some new clothes (i.e., get fresh) and find a club in Memphis where the duo could hang out on a weekend night. Now, West Memphis has it share of clubs, but these two ladies, like two kids sneaking out of the house against parental consent, both reasoned that by going to Memphis they would remain in cognito, avoiding the potentially awkward situation of explaining their little Christian lights in a nightclub (all around the nightclub scene, I’m gonna let it shine!). They had no intentions of participating in questionable behavior while at the club. They just wanted to hang out. They merely had a hankering to hang out…like they used to every weekend years ago.

The daring escapade was a disaster. They discovered they could not “hang.” The two felt so out of place that they retreated to their car soon after they arrived. Before declaring defeat, they discussed attending a club in West Memphis, but they could not muster enough courage even to venture into the parking lot. So, in an act of surrender they raised their white flag and went to Waffle House. There they sat, two women decked out in their finest passing each other the syrup. Not exactly the hot spot in West Memphis!

After lamenting her experience to the congregation, we all laughed. I like laughing with church members who are no longer in vogue, no longer hip, in the words of our youth—“lame.” She ended her statement by praising God for changing her. It was not too long ago, she recalled, that she lived for that kind of excitement. However, God is doing his work in her life, and she has found her previous lifestyle to be unfulfilling, to be nothing compared to “hanging” with the Christ. She is being transformed, and her fleeting flirtation with her old ways just confirmed for her how “out of this world” her life has become. But this has created a new problem for these ladies: they now have “a wardrobe full of clothes and nowhere to go,” as they phrase it. I disagree…they have clothed themselves with Christ and are set foot on the narrow road that few find.

Different Sights

If you were driving around West Memphis last week you may have seen some unusual sights on Wednesday and Thursday (March 15-16). Both days there were almost 30 individuals who were out in neighborhoods on the east side of town going door to door knocking and simply asking those at home if they could pray with them. Thursday afternoon if you drove by the park at S. 14th between Polk and Broadway around 4:30pm you would have seen 25 young white individuals hanging out playing games with kids from the neighborhood. If you drove by the Wonder City building about that same time you would have seen about 30 people lined up outside waiting to come in and receive clothes from our annual spring and summer clothing giveaway (a total of 66 families came between 4:30 and 6:30).

These different sights have several things in common. First, they were all possible because a group of college students from Oklahoma Christian University gave up their spring break to come to Memphis and serve in the MUM church plants. Second, they all showed the community that we (Wonder City) are in their community and we care about the community. We care enough to come to your home and sit down, listen to what is going on in your life, and pray for you. We care enough to go to your park and hang out with the kids from your neighborhood and play with them. We care enough to provide clothes for those who don’t have the clothes they need.

That is exactly what Jesus did. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood” (The Message). He moved into the neighborhood because he and the Father care about the neighborhood. We are in the neighborhood because we care about the neighborhood. Nathan (my current ministry partner) and I were talking the other day that all many people want to know is that someone cares about them. We were able to do that on a larger than normal scale thanks to OCU kids who gave up their spring break. I challenge you to reach out today to someone who may think no one cares about them and let them know that you do care specifically about them?

I Need to Rant

About two weeks ago a couple of events were brought to my attention that absolutely floored me and made me very angry. What is sad is that both of these events involve the same basic type of situation and age “appropriate” (read inappropriate) consequences. Neither of these events was just nor helped the individuals involved.

First, I was told about a four year old who was suspended from pre-school for four days for scratching another kid. The situation was basically this. A little boy in the pre-school class had been picking on one of our member’s daughter. At one point a couple of weeks ago he bit her. This day he was pulling on her arm. She retaliated by scratching him. For that she received a four day suspension from school! What!?!?! Do we not expect kids to be kids anymore? Do we not expect little children to not retaliate when they are being picked on by other children? Do we now as a society expect four year olds to be perfectly behaved little people? I am not saying there should not be consequences for actions. But I don’t remember kids being suspended for days when getting into trouble when I was in school—especially being suspended for something like scratching another kid.

The other event involved an older teen student. This young lady I was informed spent a few days in jail a couple weeks ago for fighting at school. I have not heard most of the details involving this situation, except that she was arguing with a teacher. The problem I have with her revolves around this specific young lady. She is currently staying with her aunt. Her mom’s boyfriend was sexually abusing this young lady and mom took the boyfriend’s side in the matter. To top it off she is pregnant and there is a chance that the baby is mom’s boyfriend’s. I can’t imagine being in that situation. I can only image how much anger is inside her that she has to work hard at every day to keep under some kind of socially accepted control (many times she doesn’t do a good job). Please, someone tell me how jail helps her situation? She doesn’t need jail. She needs counseling—lots and lots of counseling. She needs love, grace, mercy. She needs men in her life who will not take advantage of her. But instead of those things, when her anger explodes out, she is sent to jail!?!?!

A fellow minister hit the nail on the head when I was talking about these events to him. He said, “Common sense has become uncommon!” That couldn’t be any truer. It seems in many areas of society our answer to situations is not to deal with them. We push them off on someone else (suspend from school or sent to jail—“anything so that I don’t have do dig deeper and find out what is going on”). We ignore the deeper problems hoping they will go away on their own, and all the time they are tearing individuals, families, and society as a whole apart. What we need is some more common sense. What we (Wonder City, the church, society) need is caring individuals who will look beyond the outward signs of anger. We need people who are willing to dig a little deeper and find out what is really going on and then get the appropriate help. Next time you encounter a difficult and angry person, please don’t just brush them off and pass them off to someone else. Please take a minute and show some care and compassion. That’s what Jesus would do.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Those letters spell respect. Defined as “to consider worthy of high regard” by Webster’s online dictionary. We have all heard that respect is something that has to be earned. In the poor African-American community one way a young man earns respect from other men is by fighting. When someone disrespects you, puts down your momma, or does something else that offends—if you want respect—the proper street response is to fight. Believe me one of the things African-American men want and need more than almost anything else is people to respect them. Therefore, if someone does disrespect you and you don’t challenge that person to a fight, you are only inviting more disrespect and names like “weak”, “whimp”, etc.

This past Wednesday night at church, one of my older teen boys was not himself. He was quiet and withdrawn. He had a look of anger on his face. After class he immediately went outside and distanced himself from all the other teens. I walked over to him and asked him if he was ok. He replied that he was. I told him he didn’t look ok, he looked angry. He told me some of the other teens were talking about him behind his back (even some that he has been relatively close to in the past) and that he was ready to “click” (fight; go off; etc.). He told me that if one of them came over and said one word to him he would snap. I affirmed that I heard that he was angry. And I told him that I was proud of him and respected him for not clicking. I told him I respected him for walking away and cooling down.

What I did was flip the script (give opposite of what is expected) on him. He did exactly what we have been teaching—not to respond to those situations like the world says to respond. And what I am sure he expected to hear was how weak he was for backing down—and he may have heard that from others later. Instead what he heard from me (at least I hope) was that for making that decision he received respect.

We're Moving

Yes, you read the title correctly. Amy and I are moving. Surely none of you expected us to stay in Memphis forever!

OK, Enough sarcasm. We are moving…to Marion, AR. For those of you who don’t know, Marion and West Memphis are two neighboring communities. We are not leaving Wonder City (we may stay here forever if God allows us!). However, God has blessed Amy and I to have a house built about half-way between West Memphis and Marion, about 6-7 miles from the neighborhood of Wonder City. So far everything has gone smoothly, and we believe that the entire process has truly been blessed by God. Surprisingly, Amy and I have had very little disagreements—from floor-plan, to carpet, to colors. Right now our lot is nothing but dirt. Our agent told us that we would see construction starting this week. We are looking forward to moving sometime this summer. Take a look at the photos to see what our floor plan and house will look like when completed.

Super Fun

Last Sunday night over 40 members from Wonder City gathered to have fun and enjoy watching Super Bowl XL together. The Super Bowl Party has become an annual tradition for Wonder City. As always there were individuals pulling for different sides and harassing each other at every turn. However, we always leave that evening closer as a family having enjoyed a good game, food, and fellowship. Here are some pictures from the event.




Enjoying the game and the food!








Everyone watches intently as Pittsburg scores a TD!










Just Hangin'

Giving Honor

We at Wonder City have always encouraged our members to read the Bible at home on their own. However, it wasn’t until last year that we gave them a concrete way to approach reading the Bible. For 2005 we suggested that our members read one chapter of the New Testament (N.T.) every weekday. By doing this they would complete the N.T. in a year. This also gave our members the freedom to miss a day without becoming too discouraged.

Nathan and I knew of one lady who was faithfully reading through the N.T. She would call one of us whenever she had a question. It was also evident in her life. Everyone could really tell a difference in her.

The surprise came at the end of the year, when we asked the church who had completed the N.T. Not one, but three ladies reached the goal. After confirming each of them, we decided to honor these ladies and encourage them to continue studying, as well as encourage the church to follow their example. We decided to purchase these ladies leather N.I.V. Study Bibles with their names engraved on them. We presented the Bibles during worship services on Sunday, January 1st (unfortunately, we were unable to have their names engraved since they had just arrived in the mail). So, on Sunday, January 22nd, we re-presented the Bibles (complete with names). Below is a picture of two of the ladies (Renee H. [left]; Corrie T. [right]. Jennifer C. was unable to be present for the photo.)

As I was working on cropping the picture for this post, Corrie called me. She was so excited about her new Bible. She told me that I wasn’t going to be getting any more phone calls with questions, since she has her study Bible she can look things up for herself. Of course, I told her I always welcomed her phone calls. She is so excited to have that Bible and be using it.

This year we are again encouraging our church members to read the N.T. on the weekdays, but we have added Psalms and Proverbs on the weekends. I hope that as this year draws to close we will have many more who are reading the Bible at home.

An Encouraging Message

I had a rare experience last Monday night. In fact, I don’t remember it happening before Monday night. It started about 9:45 as Amy and I were heading toward bed. My phone beeped indicating I received a text message. The message read “remember God loves you no matter what.” The problem was, I didn’t know who sent it. I didn’t recognize the phone number it came from (I didn’t have it stored already in my phone) and the sender didn’t sign it. Through a series of text messages back and forth I found out it was one of our church members.

I can’t tell you how much that lifted my spirits. Our church members often pray for us (the ministers) at church. But that was a first for me in the five years that Amy and I have been at Wonder City. For the first time someone took a moment to let me know they were thinking about me outside of church. For the first time someone took a moment to encourage me. For the first time the encourager became the encouraged.

Winter Jam

Last Sunday night I and several other adults took 17 teens from Wonder City to the Winter Jam concert. I don’t know if it was the mood I was in that night, or what. But I was disappointed for my teens. With the artist I knew would be there I was hopeful for an upbeat show that my teens could connect to. I knew going in the lineup was short on hip-hop style music, but Toby Mac looked promising. When we arrived, the youth ministers were asked to attend a “Youth Leader’s Reception” where we would be joined by some of the artist “to pray over the concert and your youth.” It was really a time for World Changers to get our mailing address and to give us some information about how they were going to do the “alter call” (their words). While we (the youth ministers) were in that “reception” the first act was on the stage. For me, it went downhill from there. Every time, there was some momentum built with the acts and music something would be done to kill it cold. The speaker came out and spoke 10 minutes about giving before a “love offering” was taken up. One of the members of Newsong came out and spoke 10 minutes about sponsoring orphaned and abandoned kids in foreign countries. And they had a 15 minute intermission. It appeared that my kids were just as disappointed and frustrated as I was. Many of them were up and down throughout the whole thing. Several asked me if we could leave at intermission (we stayed because we knew Toby Mac was up next). It was one of those events that as I left I said to myself, “Glad we came, but don’t think I will do it again.”

I don’t think I would have been frustrated by all that stuff had my teens not been there. During the fall I had taught a series of lessons on Wednesday night using holy hip-hop. We would listen to a song and talk about the themes in the song and look at appropriate texts. I wanted to show my teens that there is music that they would like to listen to other than the junk that secular hip-hop artist put out. Here was an opportunity to get my kids even more exposure to and excited about Christian music. However, it just didn’t work. Something like this may have worked for many more sub-urban churches and youth, but it just didn’t work with my urban kids. To top it all off we had taken three new teens with us that night (none of the three had been with us for more than 2 services).

At least, that was how I was feeling when I left the concert. When I dropped off six girls at the same house, they all said how much fun they had and the two new girls that had gone with us said they were going to start coming to Wonder City. Then, I was pleasantly surprised at Bible class on Wednesday night when I asked what they thought about it. Several indicated some of the same things that I mentioned. But at the same time, they all had something good to say about the concert. They all found one act they connected with. And some of them enjoyed watching me “rocking out” (one of my teen boy’s words). I am a little more hopeful as I write this than I was earlier. God can take something that looks like it fell on its face and totally work something out of it. Praise the Lord for that.