Externally Focused at Watermark

Have you ever gone without lunch or dinner and felt that rumble in your stomach…how about for a whole day?  A whole week?  Did you know that kids right here in Dallas are without enough to eat – a place where I am told that we have more restaurants per capita than even New York City!  As you know we’re STUFFING THE TRUCK the next 3 Sundays, so bring your food to the big yellow truck between any of the services.

Here are the video highlights of last year!  Also, because we want to do more than just bring food…because we want to ENGAGE with our community and serve, I wanted to tell you about our work with several community partners who are dedicated to meeting the nutritional needs of children and others in need here in the metroplex: 1) Network of Community Ministries (http://www.thenetwork.org/) provides emergency services, meals, clinic, and other services to folks in the Richardson area.  Our first and third stuff-the-truck loads will go to benefit Network and there are many opportunities to volunteer with them.  For more information contact info@thenetwork.org; 2) Brother Bill’s Helping Hand (http://www.bbhh.org/Home.html ) works to meet the needs of folks in West Dallas.  Our second load will go to to benefit Brother Bill’s and Watermark folks serve there in the pantry Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10:30a-12:00p.  This is a great opportunity to get kids involved as well.  For more information contact Felicia Matthews at feliciamatthews@gmail.com; and 3) North Texas Food Bank (http://www.ntfb.org/) works to bridge the “hunger gap” and provides food for hundreds of community ministries in north Texas.  Every dollar donated provides 4 meals.  There are many service opportunities available for individuals or community groups.  For more information, attend our service day on August 22, but sign up now because space is limited!

Come serve the women of Nexus Recovery Center and the Dallas hair/makeup industry on July 13!  This is truly one of the best events of the year.  The details are there to the left…but if you can’t make it all day, come for 1/2 the day.

And….be prepared to be blessed as you serve!  1 Peter 3:3-4 – Do not let your adorning be external – the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear – but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

Recently a team of 55 young adults traveled to Galveston to help rebuild and restore some of the homes that had been affected by Hurricane Ike. Many people are unaware of the extensive damage caused to the city. Homes, businesses and lives were torn apart by this disaster. And although it happened in September 2008, the effects are still very much evident and it will take many more months to repair and rebuild the city.

We worked with a great organization called EFCA who partners with a local church - Galveston Bible Church.  Both EFCA and Galveston Bible’s heart is not just to rebuild the city, but to rebuild lives through the love of God. While we were there we worked for two full days on 6 different homes.  We roofed, framed, sanded, power washed, and painted several houses, and completely tore down another house. We had a lot of fun working hard, getting dirty and being able to serve the community of Galveston but what was even more impactful for our team was being able to talk to the homeowners and their neighbors about the reality of why we were there. Doing this allowed our team members to see the impact of the hurricane on someone’s life and it brought humanity to what we were doing. Each board we painted, each wall we tore down was a part of someone’s home…part of the life they had built for themselves.  To walk around the street and talk to others about the love of God and to be able to show them that love with our actions was truly a growing experience for our team. And being able to share the gospel and pray with and for several people within the community was a joyful experience. 

We challenged our folks with the words of Paul in Philippians 2:14-16: “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life – in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.” We pointed out that we only “shine like stars in the universe” as we “hold out the word of life,” not merely by doing good things. We challenged them that it was imperative that they not merely do good works, but declare the Name by which we were doing those good works, namely Jesus Christ. This led to many conversations with neighbors and passers-by to make sure the name of Christ was glorified by our work and not our own.

It was a great weekend all around and we’re looking forward to taking another team in early fall.

Submitted by Lori Michael

Anyone who has been to The Porch, or any other Young Adults event at Watermark, has probably met “Big D”. Big D lives with his grandmother. Due to diabetes, she now needs a wheelchair to get around safely. Though a government program provided her with a wheelchair, she had no wheelchair ramp at her house, and no means to build one. So, she and her wheelchair were largely confined to the inside of her small house.

Upon learning of this problem, several of Big D’s friends decided to do something about it. Though they admittedly knew nothing about designing or building a wheelchair ramp, they found an organization, the Dallas Ramp Project (www.dallasramps.org), which specialized in doing exactly that. The organization readily agreed to design and even provide building materials for the ramp, as long as Big D’s friends could provide the volunteer labor and, preferably, the $300 or so needed to cover the cost of the materials. Emails went out to friends and community group members, describing the situation. Within just a couple of days, another email had to be sent requesting that no more help be offered, because they literally had “more than enough”.

On service day Sunday, a collection of young adults skipped the buses lined up at Watermark and drove directly to her house, where they met up with a representative from the Dallas Ramp Project. Following his instructions, the group built the 20+ foot ramp in under 3 hours. A few other volunteers went inside, and served her by cleaning the house.  Her reaction said it all: “I can now go anywhere I want to go!”

Here’s a few excerpted responses from the various Service Day sites the External Focus Team wanted to share…  If you have particular questions about how you can serve with any of these organizations, please contact us.

BUILDERS OF HOPE   

posted by K.D. Mar 29th 2009 at 5:59 pm edit this

Today was awesome! I loved seeing what the Lord is doing in West Dallas. Mr. Henry’s [Norm Henry is the Founder and Director] work in the community is amazing! Better than providing affordable housing, they are transforming lives of the young men in the community. I went to a building site for Builders of Hope. Many of the Watermark volunteers helped to tear down an old house, but we had more volunteers than necessary, so many of us set out on foot into the neighborhood to pick up trash and talk to the neighbors.

The best part of the day was hearing the testimony of one of the men employed by Builders of Hope – Mohammad. Mohammad grew up in the neighborhood we were working. He told us the house we tore down was a drug house and the men who ran the house had a very profitable business. Mohammad was envious of the men who ran this house and wanted to find success like those men. Although the house looked like it was worth very little, he used to look at the house as if it were worth a million dollars. Mohammad was running with the wrong crowd and engaged in inappropriate business endeavors. After spiraling down, he ended up behind bars. About a year ago, Mohammad started working with Mr Henry for Builders of Hope. Since getting a second chance, and having good men surrounding him and encouraging him, Mohammad found a relationship with the Lord.

What an amazing day! Builders of Hope will have opportunities for volunteers to help on the build sites the second Saturday of each month. Come out and help transform West Dallas by building new houses and transforming lives.

And here’s a note from Norm Henry:

Thanks for allowing us to participate with your church. The volunteers from Watermark came to work, and everyone exceed our expectations. The Lord blessed us with beautify weather, and most of all, with beautify friends. We met some old and new friends. We accomplished everything that we had planned.

Please thank your Pastor and the leadership team for allowing the Church members to share your worship day with us.

The community of West Dallas witness a new day of Hope and Transformation. Thanks for being concerned about the least of these in our city. May the Lord richly bless your church for giving a day of service to many people.

Norman

TEXAS VISION HOUSE

from J.P.:

How can we thank you…for opening the doors for the blessings we all received today with the fine women at the Texas Vision House. Tabitha, the Executive Director, and her husband Will have such gentle, humble spirits and a missile-lock passion to help these wonderful women. The women were amazed at the love that was expressed today through our Team’s tenacious service….painting the kitchen (we are going to finish painting Tuesday night), massive cleaning overhaul of the dining room as well as the common areas of the home, and the extensive grounds cleanup and tree and bush trimming/sculpturing. One of our workers offered to donate a huge area rug for the dining room – the heart of the fellowship in the home. Mothers and fathers alike worked alongside their children – these kiddoes viewed firsthand the selfless focus on others. Countless kids came up to me and said, “What can I do next?”

I saw some of our folks ministering to the women quietly in private – tears of despair and past hopelessness were mixed with a glimmer of renewed dignity. Hearts dared to be vulnerable. Jesus was clearly present among us all and His promise of renewal and love will bless all involved.

Tabitha, God is clearly working through you, Will and others in your home to lovingly care for these fabulous women. You clearly heard God call you to service at a young age of seven and have obediently followed His calling. God bless you for your passionate pursuit of these women’s hearts. It is so apparent that you radiate Jesus’ love and His compassionate caring ways.

Thank you for the gift of being Jesus’ hands and feet. It stirred a hunger for more in the hearts of several folks.

Response from Texas Vision House Director, Tabitha

To God be the glory!!!!!!!  Thank you guys so much for the opportunity.  I’ve been in ahhh all day. The women were so emotional, they tend to feel that they are forgotten, so for them to see people in their home serving them it encourages them to keep believing in themselves…….thank you so much!!

We encourage the women to believe in the Lord, and to know that people do care and believe in second chances… your team confirmed that this morning. WiIl and I and 36 women are so grateful…..  

…

Tabitha Pennon
www.texasvisionhouse.org

Here’s also a great 3.5 minute You Tube video showing photos from the day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhhiOhdHDkI

HOPEFUL SOLUTIONS

Hello there!

Some of you I know, some I don’t – but I am so excited to share with you all what God did yesterday at our place of service! I would really like to speak to one or two of you … about our experience serving the Hopeful Solutions ministry in South Dallas, with our point person there being the lead volunteer, Natalynne Walton….

 These women are enrolled in a number of recovery programs, but don’t have any that teach them the healing and restoration that comes from a relationship with our Savior. As we know, that is the only true way to full recovery and sobriety….

M.L.

And here’s another one from a Watermark member who served there:

I wanted to thank you for giving me and my family the opportunity to serve and be the hands and feet of Christ.

We jumped on a bus that took us to a ministry called Hopeful Solutions. This organization serves women who are single parents who have battled addictions but are striving to live a life free from drugs, alcohol and prostitution. As part of our service, we set up homes for these families so they land well and can focus on critical things like leading their families, staying clean and getting back on their feet.

I was witness to the generosity of people who had donated so much stuff for people they did not know be it mattresses, dish sets, kids toys, and furniture. I witnessed the amazing people who attend Watermark who did not judge why the people we were helping were in a precarious position in life. Rather they jumped in and loved these folks (who we may never meet) with the hope and joy that Christ showed. It was truly an empowering day.

Beyond that, while there was so much generosity on display, we all saw there is more to do. A drive is on to dig deeper into our own lives and provide more for this worthy ministry. If we all continue to extend, we can really help these families out and make God more famous.

Again, my thanks to you. The day was humbling for me and a reminder of how blessed I am and how much more I could be doing to further God’s kingdom on earth.

M.C.

CARR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

What a blessing today was for our school, students and staff.  From
changing light-bulbs to organizing our book room… we were truly
blessed.  Too many volunteers is not a bad thing!  I had to apologize to
your volunteers a few times, because I kept crying through my thank
yous! 
…
Thank you seems so small compared to what I feel happened this morning.
And as for prayer…I truly believe this happened this morning because
of people praying for our school to receive these blessings…so I
appreciate the prayer especially for our students, our teachers and my
leadership.

Thanks again,
Mrs. Christian Ruiz
Principal
C. F. Carr Elementary School

SEQUOYAH ELEMENTARY

THANK YOU!!!!!!!

The staff and students appreciate all the time and energy you put in to
cleaning and praying over our building.  Your generosity is
immeasurable, and it also serves as a special example of what we strive
to teach students each day. 

Too often, our children are brought up to believe in extrinsic
motivation – that is, the idea that unless there is something tangible
in it for them, they will not help.  I believe that “caring for persons,
the more able and the less able serving each other, is the rock upon
which a good society is built.”  Compassion and selflessness are traits
which define great people. 

So thank you for your compassion and selflessness and generosity!

Also….the students would like to say thanks…and would like to know
to whom they address their letters.

Mrs. Love
Principal
Sequoyah Learning Center

CORNERSTONE BAPTIST CHURCH

Thank you once again for making Cornerstone a part of the 2009 Watermark Day of Service.  We thank God so much for all the work that was done to assist us in impacting the lives of the needy in the south Dallas community.  Because of this service project, the community is cleaning, the clothing closet is better organized, and Kitchen for the Homeless is much brighter.  I had plans to stop by and speak to the group but kept getting interrupted and was unable to make it over.  Thank God so much for Facebook and Kristi uploading pictures of her page as I had a chance to see the awesome team working so hard!!!!!!!!!

Thanks again so much for going beyond the walls of your church to make a difference in South Dallas.

Chris L. Simmons, Pastor

Cornerstone Baptist Church

WEST DALLAS CHURCHES – Greater Mount Hebron Baptist, Jesus Ministry, and Voice of Hope’s Church cancelled services to serve alongside us:

The Lord truly blessed this event.  We were absolutely amazed as to how everything worked out.  We really did enjoy all the members of Watermark Church and the great fellowship. Looking forward to doing something else with you.

Thanks,

Pastor Butler

The stories have already started to come in about all the ways God moved today - in the hearts of our body who served, the folks in the communities that we were serving, and even our bus drivers.  Thanks for participating and watch for new opportunities in coming days.  In the meantime, check out the Service Day 2009 video.  Thanks to Steve and his Team!

If you have stories to share about service day, please post them here in response or e-mail them to one of the External Focus Team.  Humbled to be serving with you…

The External Focus Team

Join us this Sunday, March 29, as the Watermark family gathers to serve people throughout our city on Service Day. Instead of meeting for regular times of worship, we’ll hop on buses at the Watermark campus and serve from 9 am to 12:30 pm at locations all across the city – including schools, transitional homes, homeless shelters, and many other places.  The goal of this day is simple: to share the love of Christ with others through service and move folks towards intentional, relational, and committed service as a way of life…loving God and loving and serving others.

How Can I Participate?

1. Please arrive no later than 9 am this Sunday dressed in comfortable clothes. Busses will depart at 9:15 am. Your bus captain will tell you more about where you’ll serve.
2. Drop off young children (birth – 4 years old) for Children’s Ministry in the Watermark Tower starting at 8:45. Older kids are invited to serve. Children’s Ministry volunteers are needed, so please email Jinger Lord to sign up!
3. Get back on the bus around noon. We’ll return to the Watermark Tower at 12:30 pm. Remember, there will be no 9 am, 11 am or 5:30 pm services on the 29th. 
4. Bring your family and community group. Also invite guests!

After Service Day…

Our desire is that this day would be far more than a single time of service for you this year, but rather as a platform to inspire and stir you towards service as a way of life. We have opportunities to be “on mission” in our daily lives – being salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16) to people in our workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods.  The needs of our city are great and we believe that it’s our privilege to pray for those needs and be part of the answer to those prayers.

Small “Service Days” 

There are many opportunities to get involved in regular, intentional, and relational service around our city.  You can find these here on the page for current service opportunities.  Additionally, a great way to get connected with others and hear about upcoming service opportunities is to subscribe to this blog.  It’s here for you – to learn about opportunities and share your stories wherever you’re serving.  Also, you can learn about smaller monthly “service days” where you can visit some of our ministry partners, serve with them, and learn about how you and/or your community group can get plugged in. 

“Service Scholarships”

From time to time, we’ll also be giving away “service scholarships” to individuals and/or community groups that are creatively serving the community!  So, please share those stories here on this blog.

Hope Lives! Class beginning this Summer

Additionally, be sure to watch for more information about our upcoming class, beginning on June 9, called “Hope Lives: A Journey of Restoration.”  Compassion changes everything: how you view your world…yourself…even Jesus.  This five-week exploration of compassion is aimed at both mind and heart, inspiring a new way to interact with the world.  You will learn what the Bible says about poverty, prayer, discovering the causes of poverty, and becoming part of the solution to local and global poverty.

Thanks again and happy to be ”on mission” with you!

The Watermark External Focus Team