Two, Two, One

I apologize for the long delay since last writing. However, I am in the middle of a major life transition and I had to make sure that certain people knew what was going on before writing anything here. This transition and the issues leading up to it have been the topics on my mind the past several months. I wasn’t sure that I could write anything without reflecting on these issues or the transition. Now all decisions have been made and all who need to be personally informed have been notified.

There were two dinners this past week that summed up the past several months. Both of these dinners had its own very different meaning. However, both pointed to the transition Amy and I are going through.

The first dinner was Thursday night. Amy and I invited the Wendel family from SouthPoint Church (the lead pastor’s family where we have been worshipping since the beginning of April) over for dinner. We had a great time. We sat around the kitchen table and talked well past 9pm. The kids played with the dog and watch cartoons on TV. I imagine that we could have talked several more hours had they not needed to go put kids in bed. Amy and I are excited about what God is doing through SouthPoint and the ways that he is already connecting us to that body through service and leadership.

The second dinner was Saturday night. All of the Memphis Urban Ministry staff had been invited over to one of my co-workers house’s for dinner. However, this dinner had a very different feel for Amy and me. Part of what was done that night was to honor Amy and me for our years of service with MUM (since 2001). We were given gifts and prayed over. I left that night knowing an era of my life was drawing to a close.

All of the issues that have led to this are too great to put into this post right now. I will summarize them all by saying the longer I stayed the more I felt life being sucked out of me. Although not diagnosed by a mental health professional, I felt that I was slipping into a slight depression. I saw how I was using food as a coping mechanism (I have put back on 45 lbs. of the 60 lbs. that I lost several years ago). The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. I was definitely practicing a form of insanity. I “woke up” and realized how unhappy I was and how little life I had. I knew that if I didn’t do something different things would just get worse.

I am not going to work for SouthPoint Church. That means that I am looking for a new job. I am now doing well with all of this. It has been a long time coming and I believe that it is for the best. Being completely honest, I probably should have made this move when I moved from Wonder City to the main MUM office in the spring of last year. However, fear of the unknown is a powerful motivator and hindsight is always 20/20. There is still some fear. I am still working for MUM, but a final day of July 31 has been set (unless I am able to find a new job before then). I have a couple of leads that I am working. Pastor Craig said yesterday that God loves surprises, but he often waits until it is a day late (according to our timing) so that we know it is him. I sure hope God does wait until after July 31 to provide a new job and source of income. However, one thing I do know is that he has always taken care of us in the past and he will do so in the future as well.

Two dinners, two different meanings, one major life transition. Praise God that he is in control.


On a different note – this is going to be my official last post to this blog. I set this up as a place to reflect on what God is doing in my life and ministry. Part of that was to keep financial supporters updated on what was going on in my ministry. Another part of it was for this to be like an open diary. I really don’t want or need that anymore. If I decided to continue blogging, I need to create something different. For me that means I need to start from scratch. I will check back here for about a week to read any comments you may want to leave.

So to use an old radio format, “This is Mack on Reflections Blog signing off…”

Tutoring

Since leaving Wonder City last December I have not been as involved in direct ministry. Although I am still teaching and preaching, I am not doing these activities on a set regular basis. My ministry has been more through developing new relationships and helping out where needed.

Yesterday, I started attending “1 Up” as a tutor to elementary age kids. “1 Up” is Memphis Urban Ministry’s after-school tutoring program in the downtown community. This program was started earlier this school year. Although, I am needed, this will now become a regular part of my ministry with MUM post Wonder City.

I enjoyed yesterday. Although different from the after-school program we had at Wonder City, it was good to hang out with the kids and help them with their homework and subjects where they need to improve. Yesterday, I was helping Tameesha, a kindergartner, with matching and phonics. Her phonics homework involved looking at a picture, saying what it was, and writing the letter that made the final sound in the word (ex. one picture was of a fan and she needed to write the letter “n”). No matter what word I used to indicate the final, last, end sound of the word, Tameesha kept saying the beginning sound of the word. Eventually she got the hang of what she was supposed to be doing and finished her homework quickly.

So far “1 Up” is enjoying success. Yesterday the student brought their second report cards. All the students were able to improve at least one letter grade in most of their subjects. I don’t remember any student who had an “F” on their report card for this previous grading period. I believe this is due to the quality of volunteer tutors our Outreach Minister, Dorn, has put together and the one on one tutoring the students have been receiving two days a week. SAY YES! at Wonder City didn’t enjoy this level of success for a couple of reasons: 1) only one day a week and 2) 5 students to one mentor/tutor. I hope and pray that God will continue to allow us to see this level of success at “1 Up.”

New Ministry Partner

Part of my job in my role with Memphis Urban Ministry is to cultivate relationship with existing area congregations and find ways that they can partner with MUM to serve the poor in Memphis. Ross Road Church is a church in southeast Memphis. Southeast Memphis is an area of town that over the last couple of years many of the poor have been moving. As the City of Memphis has closed appartment housing complexs and dispursed the residents across the city many have found a new "home" in the neighborhoods aroudn Ross Road Church. This church that used to be full of young professionals has been in decline over the past several years as the community around it has changed. However, those who remain have a heart to reach out to those who have moved into the community. They are located next door to an elementary school and have partnered with the school. They have also hired a new minister recently from Texas who has been involved in urban ministry work (in particular drug rehab work). This congregation has decided this year to partner with MUM to give away the fixings for Thanksgiving dinner (turkey included) through our Turkey Giveaway. After Thanksgiving, they will also partner with us to provide toys to the neighborhood children through the Christmas Store. We are excited about this new partnership. This will give MUM an inroad into that community and church home to point the poor to in southeast Memphis.

New Job & Vision Dinner

I haven't talked a lot on my blog about my (relatively) new job. I am now the Development Director for Memphis Urban Ministry (MUM). This is the same organization that I was very closely connected to for my seven years at Wonder City. MUM is one of the groups that helped start Wonder City and that still blesses the ministry at Wonder City. My role in Development here involves two primary tasks--fundraising and public relations. Of course, Amy and I are still involved in ministry. We have started attending worship at Raleigh Community CoC--another of the urban churches here in the Memphis area. We are both still adjusting and getting to know the people at Raleigh.

One of the Development pieces that was already being planned when I started this job was our annual (although we have missed a couple years recently) Vision Dinner. This year marks a big step in process for our Vision Dinner. For the first time all the planning is being done by a volunteer planning committee. I am the liason between them and the rest of the MUM staff. This year the MUM staff will not have to be the volunteer setup and clean up staff. Also this year the dinner is being moved out of one of our sponsoring church's gym/family life center. This year's dinner will be at Opera Memphis. I would love for as many of my blog readers as possible to come join us on Saturday, September 6th from 6-8 pm.

Where does the time go?

Wow! February 3rd. One twelth of 2008 is gone. Where does the time go? It is amazing how quickly time flies even when one is not working full-time. After finishing my ministry at Wonder City at the end of the year, I have taken some time off from ministry for some much needed refreshment and renewal. One of the blessings and curses of this past month was being able to worship wherever we choose on Sunday. We have visited various churches and experienced some different styles of worship. It was a blessing to be able to worship and not have any responsibility for what is happening-just to be there and be able to worship. As someone who is the process of planting a church recently wrote it is the difference of attending worship verses doing worship. The down side of it was that Amy and I were basically visitors in a number of churches over the past month. There was no connection with those we were worshiping with. We were not really a part of that particular body. There was a vertical connection, but no horizontal connection. I have learned the value in being connected to a body of believers.

Being on this time of renewal and refreshment is not to say that I have been sitting at home doing nothing. (Despite what Amy may think-I only took one nap this past week.) I have been doing some work around the house. I have also already "started" my new job as Director of Development for Memphis Urban Ministry. Although I have not officially started the job, I am working 2-3 days a week from home; attending meetings, scheduling appointments, and doing whatever else I need to get done. This week I will be geting a mailing out, working on a document for the MUM staff meeting (Tuesday), and attending a couple of meetings. This coming Sunday Amy and I will reengage our leadership roles in the urban churches in Memphis-churches where we have both vertical and horizontal connections.

On a lighter note, the SuperBowl is tonight. New York vs. New England. I am going to enjoy the game, and in the first time in a couple of years not care who wins or loses. I would love to see history made and the Patriots go 19-0 humbling the '72 Dolphins. Even as I have been sitting here watching the pre-game this afternoon Fox has interviewed several members from the '72 Miami team and they have said they are actively looking for someone to beat the Patriots. On the other had, I would love to see Eli and the Giants win. I would love to see the underdog pull it out. My prediction is that New England will win by 10-14 points. Kickoff is now less than 30 minutes away, so I guess the outcome will be final in about 4 hours or so. For Amy, she is just glad football will be over!

Christmas Store

We had our annual Christmas Store this past Saturday. The Christmas Store is an event where people from our community can come and purchase toys and gifts for their children at 25% of the regular cost. We receive our toys and gifts from our partnership with Memphis Urban Ministry. They receive them from churches and individuals across the Memphis area who care about the poor and want to ensure they have a blessed Christmas as well. We had 63 individuals come through this year and purchased gifts for 258 children. This outreach allows these families to purchase toys for their own kids at affordable prices without forcing them to accept another handout that strips them of their dignity. Here are some pictures from this past Saturday.

MUM Marriage Retreat

September 28-30, Amy and I along with Troy and Linda Rodgers attended the 11th annual MUM Marriage Retreat in Gatlinburg, TN. While Amy and I benefited and enjoyed being there, the real story is the Rodgers. Linda Rodgers is one of Wonder City’s Servant Leaders and coordinates all of our mercy ministry. Troy Rodgers on the other hand rarely attends Wonder City or any church event. So, this was a big commitment for him to attend a marriage retreat over three days. I could tell on the van ride to Gatlinburg that Troy was a little nervous about it. Troy is quiet most of the time to begin with, but he was being extra quiet on the way. However, the games on Friday night loosened him up and he admitted that he was enjoying himself. The split session on Saturday’s was a “tear-jerking experience” for Linda and Troy. Both had to speak for two minutes and Linda had to admit that it was hard for her to be quiet during Troy’s two minutes to speak (which he started off by asking to be excused so he could blow his nose). However, when it came time for the couples to read their scripture it was Troy who read for him and Linda (because he wanted to read it). Amy and I spent some time Saturday evening with Troy and Linda walking up and down the main street through Gatlinburg—getting ice cream and fudge together. Both of them were very glad they came and were asking at the end of the weekend when the next marriage retreat is. Linda also said that she believes we will be seeing more of Troy around Wonder City.

Mountain Top Experience

(the following was written by my wife: Amy)

This past weekend Mack and I had the pleasure of attending Memphis Urban Minsitry’s annual marriage retreat. We along with Linda and Troy represented Wonder City at the retreat. While I can’t tell you about the sessions or what was said (because what happens at the marriage retreat stays at the marriage retreat), what a wonderful time it was to be in God’s presence in the mountains at the retreat with the other couples.. In similar style to the song Have you seen Jesus my Lord, “if you have ever stood on a mountaintop looking at the majestic view – then I say you’ve seen Jesus my Lord.” For Linda and Troy this was their first experience seeing mountains and attending a marriage retreat. While I know Linda well, this was my first opportunity to spend time with Troy. I found out that when he is on the 14th floor of a hotel he gets nervous. That his quiet reserve keeps him laid back and peaceful. That once you get to know him, he opens up and shares some of his story. More importantly I found out that he loves to have fun, he loves beautiful scenery, and he truly loves Linda. In spending more time with Linda, I found that she loves looking at the mountains, she loves worship, and she prays for God’s purpose in her life and in her marriage. While I went to the marriage retreat to focus inwardly on my own relationship with God and my relationship with Mack, I found myself taking the time to continue to build relationships with my brothers and sisters at the retreat. This past weekend I experienced a 9 hour van ride to some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen. I experienced what it is like for someone to face their deepest fear, and was able to help that person through my trust and faith in God. I experienced what it is like to see God in the beauty of his creation. I experienced what it is like to strengthen relationships with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I experienced what it is like to be moved by the spirit in worship. More than anything I experienced a deeper relationship with God by taking the time to focus on him in my life. I have stood on the mountain, in awe of the power of God, and prayed to God that he will continue to be my guide on my journey to the Mountain Top of my life. I encourage you to take the time to be still, to admire God’s beauty in people and in your life, to strengthen the relationships with your Christian family and to focus on the opportunities that lie ahead of you to deepen your relationship with God in your service to him.

Web Page

Take a minute and check out Wonder City's page on the Memphis Urban Mininstry website.

http://www.memphisurbanministry.com/WCCpage.html

Our website has been delayed due to the inability to find a volunteer who knows enough to put together and maintain a good website for Wonder City. In the meantime though, this website along with my blog here will serve as our source for web information about Wonder City.

Currently on this webpage is a short video I did for a church in Memphis about our need for a new facility to call home. (Actually, I didn't do any part of it. Someone came and taped me speaking and then went and put it together.) Check it out anyway!