Externally Focused at Watermark

Join us on Sunday, May 2, as the entire Watermark family and other area churches gather to love and serve people throughout our city on Service Day 2010!

On May 2, instead of meeting for our regular time of worship, we’ll hop aboard buses at the Watermark campus and serve from 9 am – 12:30 pm at locations across the Metroplex. We’ll serve at schools, neighborhood ministries, transitional homes/apartments, food pantries, educational ministries, homeless shelters, orphan care facilities, recovery centers, and other places where our help is needed. The goal of this day is simple: to share the love of Christ with others through service!

“Service Day is a great opportunity to show the love of Christ to folks throughout our community,” said Watermark Director of External Focus, Jeff Ward. “Last year, our work at schools and many other organizations in Dallas blessed people we never could have expected. This is also a great opportunity to serve alongside our children and with community groups, as we demonstrate the importance of selflessly serving people in the name of Christ. It’s also a wonderful way to get to know other people in the body as you work alongside them.”

This year, we are collaborating with at least 40 other area churches and World Vision, to serve the city on the same weekend. We’re calling the project “Go and Be.” Read more about it at www.goandbe.org and the Facebook Groups page. We’re anticipating that 25,000 folks will be serving on May 1 and 2 as we plan to “be” the church in action as opposed to simply “going” to church. There are several sites where Watermark members will work alongside members from other churches and with people from the surrounding neighborhood.

One of our larger projects that day will be a collaboration with a West Dallas church and Builders of Hope, which has joined with Watermark to work on six houses in West Dallas. Watermark will also partner with World Vision and Dallas Independent School District to do a major painting project at Edison Middle School. It’s exciting to think about the kids at Edison being greeted by a much brighter and cleaner school building on Monday morning.

Please don’t miss this opportunity to share the love of Christ with people throughout our community on Service Day.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

1. Arrive next Sunday dressed in your comfortable clothes before 9 am. Buses will depart as soon as they are loaded. On the way, a bus captain will tell you more about the place you are serving and where your help will be needed. Each site will also have designated site captains who can answer questions and help with any other issues.

2. Drop off young children at the Watermark Tower. Watermark Children’s Ministry opens at 8:30 am and will serve children birth through four years old. Parents must leave their cell phone numbers with Children’s Ministry teachers if they plan to serve off-site. Volunteers are needed in this area, so please email Jinger Lord at jlord@watermark.org to serve our children on that day. Kids 4 years and older are invited to serve with their families. Note: There will be a few buses along the LBJ service road that are headed to projects that are designated for kids 12 years and older only.

3. Serve! Your work will bless others. Don’t forget to take some time to learn more about the ministry or place you are serving and develop relationships with those around you.

4. Get back on the bus around noon. We’ll return to the Watermark Tower by 12:30 pm. Remember, there will be no 9 am, 11 am or 5:30 pm services on May 2.  There will be a Raise the Mark service from 7 – 8 pm.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING?

Your family. Kids 4 years and older are invited to serve along with their families. This is an excellent opportunity to model the importance of serving others as a member of the body of Christ. If you have a small child who may need your attention during the morning, please consider serving in the Children’s Ministry in the Watermark Tower. We will also have two on-site projects for you to participate in.

Your Watermark friends and Community Group. This is a casual, fun way to build relationships while serving others, so spread the word to your Watermark buddies. Also, remind your friends and community group that Watermark Service Day will take the place of all our regular times of worship on May 2. If you want to do a project alongside your community group, please arrive by 8:30 to load up on the same bus.

Guests. Many people who don’t typically attend church are interested in serving the community. This is an ideal opportunity to introduce your friends to Watermark in a relaxed, informal way.

A heart that’s ready to care and serve: Throughout the day, people will see our Watermark family at work and will be curious as to why. Serve with enthusiasm and be ready to tell people why the Lord has called us to serve our community.

If you have other questions: Please email externalfocus@watermark.org. Thanks for being part of Watermark Service Day! 

• Want to learn more about our Haiti plans and how you can get involved? Join us this Thursday at 6 p.m.! #
• Ideas on how to cram 8 hours of restful sleep into one? #
• Any ideas on how to cram 8 hours of restful sleep into one? #
• Love the Porch! 200 folks helped us get ready for "Go and Be" weekend…and the service was true worship. Way to go! #
• Looking forward to tomorrow's meetings with the mayor, superintendent, and others about some new educational models/potential partnerships. #
• Don't forget to join us tomorrow night @ 6 to learn about how you can be part of our Haiti efforts! See you there. #
• Loved learning about how to push W. Dallas schools toward excellence with Leppert, Hinojosa, & David Hornbeck…and Trey Hill won an award! #
• Two years in & really starting to see that ministry changes you – either for the better or the worse. Difficult to stay alert to those chgs #
• Great mud bugs today… Thanks @beaufournet and @howsurdoin! #

This event is not just for Watermark families.  If you have a child that you mentor, let his/her parent know about this event and invite them to come celebrate with us!

• Sitting in a continuing legal education course today…yuck. #

As you plan your upcoming weekend, don’t forget that we have a work day on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until Noon at Exodus Ministries (4630 Munger Ave).  We will be cleaning and organizing their donation “closets”, which are actually apartments full of clothing and furniture.  You will also have opportunity to tour the site and meet some of the residents and their children.  Come for whatever part of the three hours you can afford.

Roxann Ehrhart is the Watermark member coordinating this event so if you have any questions, please contact her at 214-641-7125 or renewedspirit06@hotmail.com. 

For those of you not familiar with Exodus Ministries, they operate a twenty unit apartment complex.  Twelve single family units are completely furnished to serve resident families (moms released from prison, plus their kids) who stay for up to 12 months and participate in an extensive reentry program.  Residents get to keep the furniture and all accessories when they graduate from the program.  Opportunities exist for Watermark members to prepare apartments for new residents, adopt / mentor a family, and provide Bible Study for the kids.

In prison, I needed someone to tell me that God was real. Robert didn’t just say it, he showed me. – Harry McDonald

Robert Green: A couple of years ago, I scored very low on caring for the poor and less fortunate on my Spiritual Growth Assessment. In the past, I worked with a homeless ministry; but, once we had kids I became too busy. By the summer of 2008, my youngest son had graduated, and I asked the Lord what He wanted me to do with my extra time. I talked about it with my community of friends and was directed to Richard Smith, who helps run a transitional house for released prisoners at Cornerstone Baptist Church in South Dallas. He informed me of the great need for outreach and mentoring to prisoners and ex-offenders in our community. Later, I completed some training and was on my way to volunteering with the prison ministry.

Harry McDonald: Although I spent a lot of time ‘out in left field,’ rejecting God and doing what I wanted to do, I didn’t think I would end up in prison. I have never been a thief. I served six years in the US Army. I owned my own business. I was a married man with a family. However, after several incidents of driving while intoxicated and being found guilty of assault with bodily injury, I was incarcerated.

When I got to prison, I went to every kind of worship service I could find, met with the chapel clerk and survived okay. But, when I was transferred to Dawson State Jail in Dallas, I was in limbo. I didn’t know where I would go next; how long I would be there; or, what I would do when I got out of prison. I wondered where God was, and my struggling faith in God waivered.

Robert: I was a little nervous walking into the Dawson unit for the first time. I thought Harry and I might not have anything in common. But, he’s only five years younger than I am; we’re both from Texas; and, we have many similar life experiences. We had a connection the first time we hung out, and our love for Christ was the common factor.

Harry: It was amazing that I was ‘in the pen’ trying to get out, and guys like Robert were trying to get in and witness to convicts. He spent his valuable time helping me, and we built an instant friendship. Truthfully, I had been a stubborn red head all my life and never had a mentor or someone to hold me accountable. It also surprised me to learn that a guy like Robert had accountability in his life too, and that seemed like a whole different kind of lifestyle to me.

Robert: I learned very quickly how well many men in prison knew Scripture. Many men spend time reading God’s Word while they’re incarcerated; it is definitely Romans 8:28 in action. Harry and I talked about God’s promises, and I sent him Scripture in the letters I wrote him. I saw how something as small as a note of encouragement could be used to change someone’s life.

Harry: You wouldn’t believe what a letter means to a guy in prison. Many men don’t get letters, and some have never heard that they matter to God or anyone else. When I received one particular letter from Robert, I was on the brink of falling apart. I was looking forward to getting out when suddenly, I was faced with a restraining order by my ex-wife and more time without my kids. Robert’s note reminded me that a trial could either destroy me or make me stronger, and the only way I could be stronger was with Christ.

Robert: When I decided to start serving in prison outreach, I had no idea what God had in store. In fact, one of the first things Harry asked when we met was, “What’s in this for you?” I told him I wanted nothing, but that the love of Christ compelled me to be there. Going forward, we had many great conversations, and over time, our relationship moved from mentor to friend. Harry is a believer whose faith is growing, and he’s someone I want to hang out with. Our friendship reinforces my belief that you often get much more out of anything God calls you into. God’s shovel is always bigger than mine.

Harry: There are many people in the system who are looking for hope. Getting out seems like a fearful thing because ties have been broken and there’s nowhere to go. That’s where I was. In prison, I needed someone to tell me that God was real. Robert didn’t just say it, he showed me. The day I was released from prison, I wondered if anyone would be there. Robert was there, and it was like God saying, “I have not forgotten you.” After that, other Christians stepped in and offered transitional housing and mentoring – even a computer where I and many others could work on resumes and search for jobs. God gave me a group of folks who love me and wish the best for my future. This has given me a strong desire to give in service to the Lord and let all of this be to His glory!

• He conquered the grave! We have much to celebrate! #
• So sad finally getting rid of my 12 year old 4Runner today. Great memories tied to that car… Every petrified french fry tells a story! #

Hello All,

This is just an update on some progress that Hopeful Solutions has made and another call to help. A few weeks ago, several of us had the opportunity to go and move in 3 of the 8 apartments we have to fully furnish for these mothers who are about to move in with their kids. Much fun was had by all, the apts looked amazing, some of the guys got schooled in backyard football, and we all celebrated with delicious burgers from the Twisted Root.

If you’re in town this Saturday from about noon to 3, we’ll be running the same show, and getting the other 4 or 5 apartments ready. This simply includes moving furniture (where you strong men with muscles come in) and making the homes welcoming and arranged nicely (where the ladies usually excel). These units will be bigger, so we’ll need more people. Then, if you’d like to join, we’ll work up an appetite so will finish off the day eatin’ some burgers down at Angry Dog, which i have been told MIGHT be superior. I am excited to find out. 

As a refresher, or if you’ve never heard of HS, here’s a brief description of what is needed, and what HS is all about.

Go to http://www.hopefulsolutionsinc.org/ to see what this terrific organization is all about.

HS empowers homeless, single mothers who are overcoming the challenges of substance abuse with the resources they need to reduce the chance of relapse and increase the chance of self-sufficient living with their children. HS has been able to increase the amount of funding it receives, and has already opened up 8 new units for tenants to live in. HS has been blessed with some generous donations in the form of furniture. These units are ready to go, which is terrific because there are mothers and children WAITING to fill them.

Furniture is heavy, and we need people to help distribute the collected furniture to the different apartment units. Not only does this mean hauling things back and forth, it also requires people to help arrange the furniture within the rooms and decorate a little as well. It is also a tremendous opportunity to simply reach out and speak into the lives of single mothers who have gone through a lot and are trying to now walk the straight and narrow.

Things that would be tremendously helpful to this initiative are:

• Dolleys
• Flatbed trucks
• A tool set in case we have to get Ikea on some stuff
• A sense of interior design
• Happy hearts

The date for these things to happen is April 10th, from 12:00PM until 3:00PM.
If you think you might be able to come join us, let either LongDa Yin or Mindy Leichter know through e-mail: LongDa.Yin@gmail.com, mindyleichter@gmail.com

- Mindy Leichter

“Out 4 Life” Prisoner Reentry Conference, June 28-30, 2010.  Take a look at the invitation link below.  Go online and register if you think you might be interested!

 TX O4L Evite 1