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Here’s an article about church/school partnerships. So pleased by Principal Love’s comments about Watermark!
http://www.texastribune.org/stories/2009/nov/24/soul-search-part-two/
We recently did a break out session at the Community Group Leadership Conference on the issue of how to help your group engage and connect in service in our community. The session is brief (less than 30 minutes) and is very practical.
Here’s the link to the audio: http://www.watermarkradio.com/index.php?id=153&channel=371&series=167&message=0
Here’s the link to a video interview of one community group and how they serve and connect in service: http://www.watermarkradio.com/index.php?id=153&channel=371&series=167&message=0
If you’d like a copy of the Power Point presentation or any of the handouts or other resources, please e-mail us at externalfocus@watermark.org.
I just returned from another trip to Africa – this time Kampala, as well as several areas in Northern Uganda, where the communities that we serve are located. We were there to conduct some diligence in preparation for an orphan care/sponsorship program that we’re rolling out after the new year to connect 600 children with individual church sponsors. We also saw and documented water wells – both new ones that have been drilled recently and proposed sites in preparation for Watermark Conspiracy, which is rolling out next Sunday. We also saw progress on the trade school that we’re building in Pader and visited widow groups where micro-finance programs have had a huge impact, including the development of a pigery, that will bless thousands of widows over the next 5 years. We also met with ministry partners on the ground to learn more about their discipleship/mentoring of the children in the program. It was a tremendous trip and opportunity to see first-hand what God is doing through his church.
I thought I would also summarize a few of my personal takeaways:
1. There is a great joy in Jesus when you realize you have nothing to offer Him.
The folks we met, widows, orphans, child soldiers, and others had none of the trappings of success – no cars, boats, degrees, homes, money, jobs, or even food – yet, there was great joy in their hearts at the generosity of a great God that loves and values them so much that He would send His Son for them. On the other hand, we have all of that “stuff” and whether we admit it or not, there’s a small part of us that believes that the “stuff” we have accumulated somehow gives us value and makes us worthy of God’s attention…
As I walked hand in hand with one of the young girls away from the rock quarry in Kampala, where she had previously worked all day every day busting rocks by hand for 50 cents (and the hope for one meal a day), I’m convinced that until we view our own spiritual poverty in the same way we see the visible material poverty of these people, we will never fully understand God’s grace and love..and therefore cannot truly live to serve Him.
2. There’s a healthy line between guilt and conviction.
At one place, we met a child headed household – a family of 4 – who lived in a hut about the size of my master bathroom (and I don’t live in a huge house) along with spiders, no light, and little food. Something is simply unjust about the fact that because of these kids’ longitude and latitude, they have no access to even the basics – clean water, food, shelter, and school.
I left there thinking that we can’t feel guilty for what the Lord has blessed us with, BUT, we can and should live in a continuous state of tension and conviction as to whether we are properly stewarding God’s resources. Why do we continue to pursue and collect things that: 1) don’t satisfy us and 2) don’t help the lives of others? I repent.
3. When he help folks who are materially poor, we must be careful in what we say, how we act, and what we do, so that we don’t unintentionally make things worse….or create new problems for the communities that we serve or our ministry partners who are there 24/7. Rather, we must focus on oppportunities that:
- develop people and build leaders;
- invest in strategies where folks are empowered, achieve, feel their value/dignity; and
- share the gospel each time there is an opportunity, which is the true hope for the world.
I’m reading a great book right now on this very subject, called “When Helping Hurts”. I highly recommend to everyone.
Also, if you’re interested in viewing the pictures from this trip, here are two links:
1) link to selected portraits of some of the people that we met – http://picasaweb.google.com/jeffsterlaw/Africa2009SelectedPortraits#
2) link to the complete album (800+ pictures) – http://picasaweb.google.com/jeffsterlaw/Africa2009Complete#
Enjoy!
WCC member Kristi Lichtenberg is the principal at Cornerstone Crossroads Academy in South Dallas. CCA exists to expose at risk high school students to the hope and abundant life found in Christ, equipping them to know God and serve Him forever, while at the same time advancing academically. While other schools may have rejected students, we take them on and engage with them in an effort to address their physical, social, intellectual, and spiritual needs.
Interested in getting involved? CCA is looking for mentors who want to invest in the lives of these students, ages 16 – 19. CCA students have a variety of interests, including basketball, fishing, music, and art. They are also looking for people to use their talents and skills to improve the educational programming at CCA. Some areas of need are: technology trouble-shooting, teaching students simple repairs for lawn equipment, providing transportation to school basketball games, and helping with grant writing, among others. If you have a skill, CCA will put it to work!
CCA is located on the campus of Cornerstone Baptist Church, in South Dallas, at 2815 S. Ervay. For more information, contact Kristi Lichtenberg at 214-426-5468 or kristilichtenberg@yahoo.com.
This past Saturday was an incredible success. 2ndSaturday’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity created a cohesive machine that yielded TREMENDOUS results. It was awesome to watch (and be a part of) a concrete slab becoming a framed structure (that honestly was a home) in less than 8 hours. Thanks to all who served. Another neat experience was when the prayer walk came by our home and 2ndSaturday along with Habitat stopped and prayed for this new home and the community. The prayer walk was mainly made up of West Dallas residents and pastors; it truly was a powerful experience. You could see in the faces of the West Dallas residents - that they truly appreciate all of your efforts to transform their community.
LET’S KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!
If you’d like to see the rest of the photos from this past Saturday, check it out at: http://picasaweb.google.com/secondsaturdayboh/BlessWestNov72009#
As for this Saturday – November 14th we will continue work at 1830 Pueblo, Dallas. We have a fairly full roster, but there is still a spot or two open, so if you would like to serve, let me know ASAP. I will actually be out of town for the weekend, so your leadership team will be David Mangrum(214-578-7407), Chris Avary (904-300-7273), and Nancy Fields(214-707-5060). Feel free to contact me at anytime until Friday evening, and then David, Chris, and Nancy will be your Saturday contacts. Finally, there is a food drive associated with BlessWest, so I encourage you to bring non-perishable food items to the site if at all possible.
by Todd H. Fields
serve@2ndSaturday.org
214-558-8079
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