I know that many of my friends think I am crazy to pursue something that may never be financially sustainable without continued partnership from outside New City. This last week marked the startup of our second year of doing mercy work in our neighborhoods where we worship, work and witness. I have been part of five church plants over the years and I know one of the fears of a planter is about the first worship service and whether many will come. What is even more scary is once you get started and it is still a small group with you doing most of the work when you burn out your most prized helpers. (These are usually your good friends.)
As I reflect back on our tutoring club and our painting projects it is amazing to see what can happen in one year. The reality is that New City is a very small church that has lots of partners; both individuals and churches that help us impact our neighborhood. So when we finished our tutoring club in April and did our summer program I didn’t know whether I would have many volunteers to get our program going in September. We had a great summer because we had five commit to help with connecting with 30 kids. We did a simple Bible study format and then did sports in the park. Because of our connections we had two groups help do urban missions in the summer. We did a 2-week outdoor Vacation Bible School in one of our painting families’ front yard. This also helped connect our tutoring kids with doing projects and then connect with another neighborhood just a few blocks away. The end result is that we started our new tutoring year with over 30 students coming our first session and then a group of new helpers that numbers over 30.
Listening to one of my core helpers this week in church it was clear God is at work. The level of enthusiasm and sense of getting it together does impact everyone. We painted Herminia Perez’s house this last Saturday. I had initially thought we’d have about 20 painters, which is minimal for doing one house. The night before the project I get a few e-mails and it is obvious that we are going to have over 40. I now have a few special helpers that make everything flow more smoothly. So we prepped the house and were ready for our massive group. I had a couple of leaders that kept everything going so we finished in about 1.5 hours. We were also able to finish a house across the street. We then left and handed out 300 bottles of cold water to the homeless that live around the downtown.
God has taught me that the kingdom is bigger than anyone person or church. It is so easy for me to become dependent upon a few so when they are gone I do get a little anxious. I am discovering that God is the one who is faithful to supply all of our needs and the right volunteers to lead. Let me give a couple of examples. I had about 40 people respond to my e-mails for tutors for this year’s program. One of the moms who was interested was obviously too busy between her own job, home schooling her kids and being involved in her church. Yet, after our training session she sensed God’s call for her to dive in with her kids. She has turned out to be an incredible leader who can get the attention of little kids without screaming or losing it. I had another guy show up to help from one of our partner churches that is primarily African American. Ray was like this angel who dropped out of the sky. He quickly jumped in for our painting project and had everything rocking as the groups showed up. He had a smile and the strength to carry around 5 gallon buckets full of paint. He didn’t lose it when some of the teens got a little crazy helping everyone to finish our house without any major messes.
What truly showed the fruit of what we are attempting is having a dinner and service for New City that invites the families we are helping. One of my favorite families is an older African American couple that has taken in their grandsons. They let me do the outdoor VBS in their front yard not once but twice. I decided to get Sarah and Jr. to seriously consider getting involved. I had asked numerous times for them to come to church. Then it struck me to bring Paul or Bookie, their grandson, to come to our summer activities and now our tutoring program. Now Bookie is coming to church with his grandpa. I do walk a fine line in reaching out to people who have serious flaws that the average evangelical would have serious issue. I was jazzed to see one of the ladies whose mom has become a good friend come to our dinner. She is someone who grew up in this primarily Black neighborhood that is now in the middle of a gang/drug war between the Hispanics and Blacks. She is someone who is presently living on welfare and many of her brothers and cousins are in jail for drug dealing. I discovered that we share the same birthday.
I have many stories now that help me look back and admit that God is the one who draws and impacts people’s lives. I still try at times to force things to happen only to discover that God always brings surprises in my life that help me trust him more and more. I know that I will still have anxiety attacks on occasion because of my sin and my passionate attempts to get believers in the burbs to see the great need in the forgotten part of the city.
Yeah, I am starting to learn about Phil. 4:6-8
Dave
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