Redeemer in the City

RCC Communuity updates

2009-12-14T13:12:00.003-05:00

Here are a few things going on in the life of our church and community:

Woodlawn Sports Christmas Party

Tonight at 5:30, we are having a Christmas party and grill-out with the boys that we play ball with every week. If you are a guy who is interested in playing ball with young guys in the community, come join us at the Willow Wood Rec Center @ 5:30!

Christmas Slippers

If anyone is still interested in buying a pair of slippers for a Christmas gift for our friends at the Hospitality House, we have a handful that have not been taken! Email Dwight (dwight@rccbirmingham.org) if you are interested. Slippers can be delivered in one of two ways: bring them by the RCC office sometime this week, or bring them to church next Sunday. Please include the name of who they are for with the slippers.

Two Cornerstone Events

-Tomorrow, at 11:30 there is a Cornerstone Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. If you have helped in any way at the school, you are invited to come to this lunch!

-Also, Wednesday morning at 8:30, Cornerstone students will be performing their annual Christmas program! If your schedule allows, come out and see how the students are celebrating the holiday season. The program will be held at East Birmingham Church, which is on 1st Avenue North and 56th Street North.

Tuesday Fellowship Meals

We are still providing and sharing a meal every Tuesday night with our friends at the YWCA Hospitality House, and want YOU to get involved! This is a great way to offer only a few short hours of your time to help others in need and build relationships with those in our community. We currently need people for next Tuesday, December 22, at 6:00, so if you are interested, email Dwight.

Cornerstone Bible Studies

At the start of the new year, we will begin a girl's Bible study for middle school girls at Cornerstone. If any more women would like to help with this, we can get you involved. Additionally, we really want to have a Bible study for the middle school boys as well, but do not currently have any guy leaders. We need guys to help lead this study and invest in the lives of these young boys! If you are at all interested, let Dwight know!

Entering into Advent

2009-12-07T11:00:00.002-05:00

Well, due to travel, support raising, and the holidays, it has been quite a while since I have posted, so please forgive the interlude. Since we are in the season of Advent, I have been spending more concentrated time really contemplating and reflecting on the coming of Jesus. This long-awaited, long foretold coming of the perfect Messiah to an utterly imperfect earth is truly a mind-boggling concept. That the very son of God, in fact God Himself, would leave the perfect peace and love and holiness of his heavenly dwelling and come literally take on human flesh and live in a broken, selfish, warring, unjust world is remarkable. He gave up this fullness to come reach into our emptiness and fill us- not with any thing or allusive feeling, but with Himself. And in his coming, he began to bring light into the darkness, justice to injustice, truth to lies. This process would one day be entirely completed, when he comes again and brings all things into full redemption, making things again as they were intended to be. As I have followed our church's Advent readings, I was struck by how Christ's coming extends beyond what we may initially associate it with. In Psalm 72, the coming Royal Son is prophesied to bring peace, justice, and a loving rule that heals and rights all of the wrongs we now know:

¹ Give the king your justice, O God,

and your righteousness to the royal son!

² May he judge your people with righteousness,

and your poor with justice!

³ Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,

and the hills, in righteousness!

⁴ May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,

give deliverance to the children of the needy,

and crush the oppressor!

⁵ May they fear you while the sun endures,

and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!

⁶ May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,

like showers that water the earth!

⁷ In his days may the righteous flourish,

and peace abound, till the moon be no more!

⁸ May he have dominion from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth!

⁹ May desert tribes bow down before him

and his enemies lick the dust!

¹⁰ May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands

render him tribute;

may the kings of Sheba and Seba

bring gifts!

¹¹ May all kings fall down before him,

all nations serve him!

¹² For he delivers the needy when he calls,

the poor and him who has no helper.

¹³ He has pity on the weak and the needy,

and saves the lives of the needy.

¹⁴ From oppression and violence he redeems their life,

and precious is their blood in his sight.

¹⁵ Long may he live;

may gold of Sheba be given to him!

May prayer be made for him continually,

and blessings invoked for him all the day!

¹⁶ May there be abundance of grain in the land;

on the tops of the mountains may it wave;

may its fruit be like Lebanon;

and may people blossom in the cities

like the grass of the field!

¹⁷ May his name endure forever,

his fame continue as long as the sun!

May people be blessed in him,

all nations call him blessed!

I encourage all of us to slow down over this busy holiday period and allow the truths of Christ's first advent to this earth to touch our often aged and calloused hearts. May his promise of a final advent with a final redemption not only encourage our hearts, but may it also urge us to joyfully labor to this same end of bringing light to darkness, peace to unrest, justice to injustice, and truth to falsehood.

Let there be a playground...

2009-11-10T09:51:00.005-05:00

This was truly one of the most efficient, productive endeavors that I have ever witnessed/participated in. At 8:30am, there was nothing but a gravel parking lot, with several intimidatingly large piles of dirt, wood chips, and sod.

With the help and expert direction of over 100 Home Depot and Kaboom coordinators and volunteers, the nothingness soon began to take shape. There were drinks, food, music, encouragement, and an overall sense of anticipation that seemed to fuel everyone's work ethic and spirit. By the appointed completion time of 2:30, the playground had long been finished, complete with adult and kid-sized picnic tables, large hand-painted chess boards, a mini stage, and plenty of newly painted artwork.

As we all stood back and admired the work of many diligent, willing hands, it was quite impressive to see what had been accomplished and to think of the positive impact this would have on the area. The day was finally concluded with a board-cutting ceremony that highlighted some of our young friends from the YWCA House who would enjoy the new playground. I would encourage you to drive by (1st Ave and 59th St N) to see this new neighborhood resource and find ways to build relationships with the locals through this awesome facility!

Woodlawn is getting a Community Playground!

2009-11-02T13:48:00.004-05:00

This Thursday, Nov 5th, there is a very exciting community event going on in Woodlawn! The YWCA is partnering with a nonprofit called KABOOM! to build a brand new community playground. KABOOM is associated with the Home Depot Foundation, and they work to build up communities by joining local businesses, organizations, and individuals to construct new playgrounds, skateparks, sports fields, and ice rinks across the US. The Home Depot Foundation has contributed $61,000, and YWCA has added another $7,500 for the creation of a new playground in the community of Woodlawn.

As part of the process, individuals and groups from the community have been highly involved in the planning and designing of the playground, and now, we all have an opportunity to be a part of the actual construction! The goal is to get somewhere between 150-200 people from the community to come help and invest in what will hopefully become an incredible asset to the community. The playground will be built at the site of the new YWCA Interfaith Hospitality House (the address is 5916 1st Ave. N. Birmingham, AL 35212). It will start at 8:30am, and the board cutting ceremony will take place at 2:30pm. If anyone is able to either come by and help for any amount of time, or just observe for a moment, please feel free to come join us!

Focus on Fairfield pics

2009-10-27T11:49:00.003-04:00

Several weekends ago, we were able to help with the quarterly Focus on Fairfield community workday. Although the rain prevented us from working on the original outdoor paint project, we were able to help a local resident, Ms. Ruthie, by cleaning and painting several rooms of her house. It was a blessing for us to talk with her and hear her story of the Lord's faithfulness through many difficult times in her life. After the work, we all enjoyed a meal at the local Magic City Grille 2, which was delicious!

Weather update for workday

2009-10-09T22:39:00.003-04:00

We have decided that we will proceed with the workday in Fairfield tomorrow morning, regardless of the the possibility of rain. If weather permits, we will continue painting Miss Ada's house as planned, but if not, we will help with several other work projects that are not hindered by the rain, as part of the greater Focus on Fairfield . So, hope to see you all out tomorrow morning at 8 either way!

Fairfield Workday this Saturday!

2009-10-05T13:47:00.005-04:00

This Saturday, October 10th

8am-12noon

Community Workday in

Fairfield

The time has come again for RCC assist in the quarterly Focus on Fairfield Community Workday! We will continue the ongoing paint project on Miss Ada Riggs's house, so come ready for any possible mishaps (see picture for reference).

We have been working on her house for several months and would love to finally complete it, so we could really use all of the help we can get! We will provide all of the paint and supplies necessary. We will also provide babysitting at the Brooks House so that you parents and families can make it too, but you must RSVP if you will need babysitting. If for some reason, you despise painting more than anything in creation, or if we somehow get too many people, there are other work projects going on that day that you can help with too. In other words, you have no excuses, so don't miss this great opportunity to serve alongside your friends and community!

Meet at Christ Episcopal Church in Fairfield at 8- You can show up and leave at any point you need to throughout the day. Here is a link with directions. Hope to see a multitude of peoples there on Saturday!

Official Move-In Day

2009-09-30T13:11:00.003-04:00

After chapel at Cornerstone this morning, I spent a while helping our friends from the shelter move into the new building! It was such an exciting time for them and they are thrilled about their first day in such a nice facility! Here are some pictures of the move-in and the new building:

the new dining room!!

Lonnie, proudly in her new room

Change is in the air!

2009-09-23T15:13:00.003-04:00

Yesterday afternoon, Joel and I had the privilege of attending the official ribbon-cutting ceremony of the brand new family homeless shelter building! Though they only moved about a block away from their old (and I mean old) building of the last 20 years, they may as well be in an entirely new location, for no expense was spared in this $9 million project. The shelter is run by the YWCA and after multiple generous contributions, a full-on fundraiser, and government funding, everyone involved in this process was finally able to see all that they have been working towards!

As I stood among a hundred influential people who had worked so hard and invested so much to make this dream a reality, I wondered about the significance of my role, of our church's role. I wondered if what we were doing really mattered or made any difference. I wondered if there was any clear fruit that we could point to and see how the Lord was using us. Right then, I heard someone yell my name and turned around to see Felicia, one of the residents at the shelter, coming my way. With a big smile on her face, she exclaimed how glad she was to see someone she knew, and then proceeded to simply stand with me, off to the side. Over the next few minutes, several other residents, house managers, and even a former resident from many months ago sought us out and seemed to take comfort in our presence and simple conversation. I realized in that moment that I had all of the evidence I needed of how the Lord has been using Redeemer in the community. While there are certainly many vital roles in caring for our neighbors, the Lord seemed to reiterate and encourage the role that he has currently given us, and how he alone deserves glory for it!

Last night, several RCC folks shared the last Tuesday night meal ever to be had in the old shelter building, and the feeling of excitement for what's to come is undeniable. In fact, next Tuesday is the actual move-in day for the residents, and we have the distinct privilege of sharing their first meal with them in their new home! I am so excited to see how the Lord is going to deepen and expand our involvement and relationships through this new facility.

If you have any extra time on your hands Saturday morning (9-11) or especially Sunday afternoon (1pm- until) and would like to help move stuff to the new shelter, email Dwight (dwight@rccbirmingham.org).

Missions

2009-09-18T12:51:00.003-04:00

This past week was our quarterly missions team meeting. We had special guests, via the internet. Harold Andrews and his family shared with us about their time on the mission field here in the U.S. The amazing part is that they reach muslims throughout the middle east through a simple radio program. I was encouraged to focus my heart on missions here at home, with less dependance on those overseas, counting myself worthy to share the gospel. Every opportunity throughout the day to share the gospel is often dismissed because I loose sight of "missions", the Great Commission.."go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all creation." {Mark 16:15} Be encouraged as I was, hearing the testimony and continued good work for the kingdom by our missionaries. Pray for them and lets help one another turn our hearts to Christ and His mission field in our lives. (you can find a complete list of our missionaries here.) Amanda Blake

Saturday morning bball/football

2009-09-04T12:28:00.004-04:00

Every Saturday morning in Fairfield, a couple of Restoration Academy guys on faculty organize some pick-up basketball (in the spring/summer) or flag football (fall/winter) for youth from the area. We have been playing basketball at Restoration Academy's gym for the last several months and consistently have anywhere from 12-30 guys from the neighborhood and school make an appearance to showcase their talents and to get in some good games.

This Saturday, we are beginning the initial switch over to flag football, which will be played in the park in the center of Fairfield, right next to the school. We start around 9am and it last for around 2 hours, but you are free to come and go whenever your schedule requires, so if you enjoy playing and hanging out with some kids in need of good role models, then please show up! You don't have to be great at the sport, just willing to get schooled. If you want more info or are interested in coming, call Ben Sciacca (the principal who heads it up)-205-215-5212 or me (336-831-4489). Spread the word to anyone who may be interested and hope you take up the challenge to invest in these kids' lives (and to avoid getting taken to the house)!

Very belated Woodlawn Summer Festival Pics

2009-09-02T12:00:00.004-04:00

I know you all have been waiting anxiously on the edge of your seats for this very moment, so wait no longer-it is here! Although the Woodlawn Summer Festival took place over a month ago, I have just gotten my hands on some of the pictures. The morning started with a workday at Cornerstone Christian School, which consisted primarily of painting two bathrooms and a hall, building a dividing wall between two classrooms, and preparing Elaine Davis's classroom.

Then, we moved out to the front of Woodlawn High School, where non-stop balloon animals and face-painting ensued. There were all kinds of games, activities, and food for the opening of the Dream Center across the street.

All in all it was a great day, so thank you so much to all who were able to come help! If you want to see more pictures from this day, click here.

Come play ball in Woodlawn!

2009-08-31T12:56:00.002-04:00

For some time, we have been trying to find the best way to get involved in Woodlawn through the means of sports, and the Lord has recently provided an open door for us! Through some mutual friends, I was recently introduced to a man named Dave Anderson, who has been involved in Woodlawn, East Lake, Gate City, and even Fairfield for some time. More specifically, he has been building relationships with the youth of Woodlawn for nearly the last ten years, through the shared love of sports. The great part is that he has invited us to come alongside him and help with this weekly ministry.

Every Monday night, Dave and a few leaders from his church and the community put on a flag football/basketball night for the kids from the local communities. This takes place from 5:30-7:30 at the Willow Wood Community Center, and involves about an hour of organized play, a Gospel-oriented devotion, drinks and/or snacks, and then more pick-up play. I have been able to help for the past several weeks and think that this is a great opportunity for RCC to help out with and develop relationships with local youth. As we become more involved and consistent in their lives, I believe that the Lord will not only prepare their hearts for the Gospel message, but also the opportunity for deeper discipleship.

If you enjoy sports and/or would like to help with this new opportunity, email dwight@rccbirmingham.org or just come out on Monday. I hope that this will only be the beginning of our sports ministries in Woodlawn, as it is such a relevant activity and easy relationship builder, so if you cannot help on Monday nights, feel free to email me anyways and let me know that you would be interested in further sports ministries.

Interested in getting involved at Cornerstone?

2009-08-26T11:25:00.005-04:00

Much to the dismay of every child and the overwhelming relief of every parent, the end of summer is nigh, and the school year has just started back. Regardless of the cries of disbelief or the shouts of joy, this means that our friends at Cornerstone are back in action and as always, there is no shortage of need or the opportunity to help! Here are a few new ways that RCC is already planning to come alongside Cornerstone this year:

-The RCC staff will be doing the speaking at the weekly chapels

-We are helping to provide basic school supplies for each classroom

-We will host regular "workdays" to help with bigger projects

-We have provided possibly our greatest asset in our own Professora Elaine Davis, who is spearheading a new Spanish program

While these means of helping are already being set into action, there are several new ways that you can help this school year:

-Tutor a child- subjects and times are varying/flexible

-Help start a middle school Bible study/discipleship time- we are looking for 2-3 guys and 2- 3 girls to help once a week for students who want to learn and/or grow spiritually

If you are interested in learning more about these opportunities or would like to get involved, comment on here or email dwight@rccbirmingham.org because we need volunteers and this is a wonderful way to invest in the lives of children who desperately need to be loved, shown a good role model, and taught about the Gospel!

Breaking Bread

2009-08-22T20:23:00.003-04:00

This past Tuesday night, the Brooks, Sarah Dunn, Dwight and I shared dinner at the family shelter in Woodlawn with around 16 of its residents. Amidst the passing of homemade jambalaya, cornbread muffins, salad and Milo's sweet tea was the steady stream of conversation and laughter.

Ms. Todd, the house manager who lives and works at the shelter, was sitting to my right. In between incoming calls from people inquiring about the shelter, she shared her life story with me and explained how she came to Woodlawn. I thought about all the faces she has seen come ago and all the stories she has heard, and I hoped that our weekly dinners at the shelter were a great encouragement to her.

At the next table, Joel spoke with a family of five who had just arrived that day, and I wondered what change in life circumstances had brought them to the shelter's front door.

Sitting in a room full of people who most would consider the down and out, what struck me and humbled me the most is the irony of how alike we all are. Despite the fact these people would put their heads down in a homeless shelter while the rest of us would leave and drive to our respective homes, we are all broken, hurting people in desperate need of a Savior.

In his blessing, Dwight declared Christ as the one who gives all of us purpose on this earth. I've mulled that truth over and over again in my mind this week. Yes, it is Christ who is the great equalizer. He and He alone gives us purpose. Whether we are homeless or pay a mortgage each month, jobless or fully employed, Christ remains as the sole purpose for our existence. And, again I was reminded that it is because of Christ that we serve.

~Laura K. Womble

Woodlawn Summer Festival

2009-07-13T11:18:00.004-04:00

Join us on

Saturday, July 18^th

for a

Woodlawn

Summer Festival

located on 1^st Ave N and 57^th St N

9am-12am: RCC work projects at

Cornerstone Christian School

135 54th Street North Birmingham, AL 35212

12-4:00pm: Festival activities including:

free lunch, art walk, games, prizes, music,

professional advice and DIY help,

yard/clothes sale, and more!

-RCC needs volunteers to help with balloon

animals and face painting in the

front yard of Woodlawn High School!

Email (dwight@rccbirmingham.org) if you want to help

Fear and Mercy

2009-07-08T16:31:00.005-04:00

I have recently been working my way through a book by Tim Keller called Ministries of Mercy: The Call of the Jericho Road. Actually, I started the book quite a while ago and after a bit of a lapse, have just picked it back up and am really digging into it. The book is based on the "Good Samaritan" passage in Luke 10:25-37 and is a fantastic discussion of what the Bible says about a believer's role in helping the needy, poor, and "least of these". Keller addresses all of the very tough questions and circumstances that are common to "ministries of mercy", including how we balance our responsibility to help those in need with their level of responsibility for their own circumstances. Having read many books on this issue, I feel that this one (at least through the 1st half that I have read) really looks at the heart of the issue, allowing the wisdom of Scripture to shed light on what is often a very difficult mandate for believers to both understand and to obey.

As I was reading in Chapter 8 today, I was reminded of the one of the greatest hindrances to reaching out to those in need: fear. While some of us can immediately identify the presence of fear in our hearts, others are far less aware that this is what cripples us from action. I truly believe that behind all of our excuses and busy schedules and reservations and dormant intentions lies fear. We all have asked the questions: How do I know that what I am doing will actually make any difference? Will this guy go spend this money on alcohol or drugs? Is it even safe for me to go in that area? How am I supposed to give to others when I barely have enough money for myself? What do I really have to offer these people?

Even when we are aware of our responsibility and do see the great needs around us and do desire to help, we often ourselves doing nothing, because we are paralyzed with fear. Why is this? Keller points out that two of the biggest hindrances to action are that we don't know how to make contact (we are afraid of breaking the ice) and we don't think we have the resources to help (we are afraid of failure). As I reflected on these two statements, I realized the truth in them, and how these very fears so often keep me from fruitful, joyful obedience. And yet how silly these fears look in light of how much greater our God is! Even when we feel totally inadequate to respond, it is in our weakness that His Great Power is made perfect! Next time you see someone in need and you feel the Spirit prompt your heart to respond, take a moment and ask the Lord to reveal your own heart to you. See what the real fear is behind your hesitation, and ask the Lord to help you overcome this fear. He is faithful to supply all of our needs, to enable us to do what he calls us to, and to do more than we can even ask or imagine!

A relevant, thought-provoking movie for only $1

2009-06-29T14:34:00.003-04:00

Last week, I went to the dollar theater, Carmike 10 (off of Lorna Road), and saw the movie, The Soloist. Now, this movie was actually in major theaters a while ago, so you may recall seeing trailers or hearing about it from that time. However, if you are anything like me, you can manage the delay of a few months for the $9 savings.

I was very impressed with this movie and the awkward, yet touching topic that it breaches. The basic synopsis is that Robert Downey Jr. is a Los Angeles journalist searching for another story to fill his weekly column. By following a random lead, he befriends a local homeless man (Jamie Foxx) who is an uniquely talented musician. While Downey's character has initial "success" in helping this needy man, he soon finds that it is much more complicated than than he had anticipated, bringing him to the brink of frustration, hopelessness, and apathy.

I was pleased that this movie took such an overlooked, but relevant topic head-on. I mean, every one of us has seen a homeless person on the side of the road or outside our window at a stoplight, and questioned what we should do. This movie tells a story in which these questions and potential problems are directly addressed, and I think just facing these thought-provoking issues is very productive. While it may not leave you with the emotionally satisfying, but false impression that you can go out and solve homelessness, I think that The Soloist presents an accurate and helpful depiction of a harsh reality and forces us, as Christians, to take seriously our role in reaching out to the least of these.

The Soloist is still at the dollar theater this week, and I would really encourage you to go check it out! Here is the IMDB page on it and here is a trailer.

Paint, rats, heat, and magic (city grill)

2009-06-22T12:08:00.004-04:00

Thank you to all who were able to venture out to Fairfield through the blazing heat this past Saturday! We had another great day of helping a local resident, Miss Ada (see below), to do some much needed painting on her house (see below below).

We were able to finish priming her house, despite several factors that were pitted against our success, which I believe are best conveyed through picture:

(falling paint buckets)

(dead rats that almost made it out of the house)

(yes, that is the sun...97 degrees and 105 degree heat index. let's not talk about the humidity)

Anyways, it was a great day of serving in the community and spending some time lending a hand to our friends. After we were done working, we enjoyed some great home cookin, compliments of Fairfield's own Magic City Grill 2. We hope to finish painting Miss Ada's house with another day or two of work in the future, so don't fret if you couldn't make it to this one.

Workday Rescheduled-this Saturday!

2009-06-15T16:44:00.003-04:00

As most of you know, due to the terrible weather this past Saturday, we had to postpone the workday. However, this coming Saturday, we are going to try again! I realize that while this change may keep some of you from coming due to prior arrangements, hopefully it will allow even more to come who could not have this past weekend. And hopefully we will get some great weather to finish painting Miss Ada's house. So here is all of the important info, I hope to see all of you on Saturday! Call or email me with any questions...

When: Saturday, June 20th, from 8am-12 noon

Where: 4517 Debardeleben Ave. Fairfield, AL 35064 (next to Christ Episcopal Church and Fairfield Park)- mapquest it

What to Bring: Nothing! We will provide all supplies and paint, so just bring a friend

What about lunch after?: Good question- After the work is done, we will head right next door to the local food joint- Magic City Grille 2 for some good home cookin!

This is how much fun we had last time:

Art and Food

2009-06-10T12:40:00.003-04:00

Ladies- I know that many of you have been seeking more ways to be active and involved in our community and these are two amazing ways for the women of our church (and women from outside our church, as well) to use a few specific talents and skills to build and grow relationships. Amanda Blake and I have been coordinating and planning these for a while, so she will be helping to organize and lead both:

Summer Art Classes at Restoration Academy in Fairfield

-will take place for the next three Wednesdays, June 10, 17, 24, from 10am-12noon

-each art lesson will revolve around a theme and consist of a Bible verse, prayer, and an art project

-the lessons for the three weeks are:

(1) painting portrait : paint brushes, paint, old shirts, 2 buckets, water cans, palettes or cartons (Made in the Image God)*

(2) drawing flowers : large paper, pencils,colored pencils, plastic flowers (God's Creation)*

(3) sculpture crosses : sticks, hemp rope, paint, paint brushes (God's Gift to Us)*

-we hope to display the artwork in school's or central locations in that community

-we need 2-3 volunteers for each Wednesday- you are welcome whether or not you are artistic!

Cooking "lessons" at the Family Homeless Shelter

-for several months now, the mothers and women at the shelter have been very interested in spending an evening learning to cook more meals, while spending quality time with RCC women, so one Friday a month (usually the 3rd or 4th Friday of the month), we will cook with these women

-We also sense an opportunity to teach some of the older youth to cook, so one Friday a month (two weeks offset from the women's cooking night, usually the 1st or 2nd Friday of the month), we will also spend quality time with the youth through cooking

-We need 2-4 volunteers for the each youth night and 2-4 for each women's night, so if you are specifically interested in one of these groups, or are comfortable with either, we would love to have you help!

-This Friday, June 12, from 5-6:15pm is the first youth cooking night

-Friday, June 26 from 5-6:15pm is the first women's cooking night

While art and cooking are great activities, we see both of these as opportunities to build relationships and would love for you to help as your schedule allows!

For more info or to let us know you want to help, contact Amanda Blake at ablake.amandablake@gmail.com or 266-6772.

"What then shall we do?"

2009-06-08T17:07:00.003-04:00

This morning I was reflecting upon the passage from last night's sermon (Luke 3)- it was a very interesting passage about how John the Baptist was preparing the way for Jesus to come. He preaches repentance, but when people came to hear him and to be baptized, he did not simply accept their lip service and their outward form of half-obedience. Rather, he saw that they were only partially committed to what he spoke of: They liked the talk about a coming King, a Messiah. They like the idea of being forgiven of their sins. They even put up with John's abrasive manner and harsh moral guidelines in order to find this foretold "salvation of God" (vs. 6). However, were they really willing to pay the price of giving up all for this new lifestyle? Were they ready to give up themselves and their tradition and their culture and their expectations to receive true salvation from these entangling things?

In 3:8-11, John exhorts the people to go deeper, saying

"Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. An the crowds asked him, 'What then shall we do?' And he answered them, 'Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.' "

As I read these words, I am convicted of how similar I am to those in John the Baptist's audience. I realize that I, too, so often want to be saved, want to be forgiven, and want to be a part of what Jesus is doing, but I don't want to have to give anything. I don't want to change my way of living, or sacrifice my time or schedule or comforts. And yet this is what we are called to do, if we consider ourselves to have any part with Jesus and what he did.

Lord, help us to bear fruits in keeping with repentance and to continue to ask of you, "What then shall we do?"

Local Church Fire

2009-06-04T15:11:00.002-04:00

In case any of you have not heard, this past Sunday, there was a disastrous fire that burnt down a local church. The church building, home to Woodlawn United Methodist Church, was 97 years old, though the church itself began over 120 years ago. At one point in the 1950s, it was one of the largest Birmingham churches, with over 2500 members, though in the recent years it has dwindled to far smaller numbers. For a full story on the fire, read this or to see an actual video of the fire, click here. Here are some pictures of the fire taken by James and Steph Kling, RCC folks who live close to the church.

Learning to Serve

2009-05-26T11:08:00.002-04:00

This morning I am reminded of how faithful the Lord has been to our church in so many ways. As He continues to grow and mold us into the corporate body of believers that He desires us to be, He is all the while working in each person's heart. I have been so encouraged to see how he has expanded and matured our relationships in the community and how he chooses to use us to accomplish his purposes. Yet recently, I have been just as encouraged to see how Lord is transforming our own hearts by simply being willing and obedient in this service. This is evidenced to me as I talk with RCC folks who are serving, as I read on our blog of their experiences, and as I see people begin to catch the vision of taking the Gospel to and living the Gospel among the needy. I pray that the Lord will continue to lead us as individuals and as a body to selflessly give of ourselves and all of our resources for His name's sake. And I pray that as we learn to submit, we will not miss the blessings and sweet lessons that His Spirit is teaching us.

Matthew 16:24-26

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

He will finish the work he began...

2009-05-21T14:17:00.008-04:00

I’m short on words to describe how I feel and what I’m thinking after sharing dinner with the families at the homeless shelter Tuesday night, so this will be brief. I kind of feel like I should have some really intense and profound feelings about it, and I confess – on the way home, I drove in silence – praying and waiting for the Lord to whisper to me what he wants me to understand from this night – digging for some deep, illuminating revelation.

I’m pretty sure the only thing I heard was an invitation to keep coming back to find out, for the treasure lies in the heart of real, deep, lasting relationship. That excites me, partly because I am so intrigued by the people I met – but also because it became evident to me in just a couple of hours that they understand something about the experience of living, and perhaps something about our God, that I cannot.

I can only say that after meeting these precious people, particularly beautiful, radiant, eleven-year-old Keaira, I am humbled by my lack of understanding of what real hope, courage, and love look like. I am thankful for the truths in this verse from John Newton's hymn, "No Sweeter Subject" and for what it means for these families, myself, and our church...

Grace reigns to pardon crimson sins,
To melt the hardest hearts;
And from the work it once begins
It never once departs.

I am thankful for the opportunity to meet them and engage in fellowship and community with them, and I am filled with a hunger to know more – more about them, more of what they know, more of Jesus, and more of the joy that is here as we get to enter into his work together.

claire hardin

Fear. Thankfulness. Hope.

2009-05-14T13:04:00.003-04:00

Fear. Thankfulness. Hope. Those are the three words I would use to describe my emotions over the past two days since I served dinner at the Family Shelter on Tuesday night.

The first…Fear. Could my family end up there someday? How did they get there? What choices led to this? Could my choices ever land me there? How are that mom and dad with four kids going to get out of there and make it back to paying all their bills? Will her husband be healthy and able to get work? And on and on. Fear for myself but also for the mom of four whose story poured out in the one hour we spent together. We are both just moms trying to meet our baby’s needs and I hurt for her. There is no bigger fear for a mom than not being able to meet you children’s physical needs while keeping them safe.

The second… Thankfulness. I am thankful for my bedroom that seems so big after seeing a four bedroom house with five families living in it and sharing one bathroom. I am thankful that my kids have never missed a meal. I am thankful that I don’t have to feel guilty for what I have yet now have perspective on what I really need to live. I am thankful that I have the best neighbors and church friends that have become family and who wouldn’t let us fall off the edge. I am thankful for a pastor who can remind us of God’s heart for the poor and oppressed and encourage us to be gripped by that. I am thankful that I can serve Jesus just by offering a meal to those who need it. I am thankful that I serve a God who really can meet all my needs as well as the needs of those living at the shelter.

And the last… Hope. I am hopeful that I can do practical things to encourage the mom of four who lives at the shelter now. I am hopeful that as a church we can aid in breaking the yoke of injustice and poverty. And I have the ultimate Hope of knowing that Jesus died to give a heavenly home to people like me and for those who have no place on earth to call home.

-Ashley Johnson

For Joel's podcast on God's Heart for the Poor and Oppressed click HERE

Spring Festival Pics

2009-05-04T14:15:00.004-04:00

Check out some of these great pictures from the Woodlawn Spring Fesatival this weekend. Despite some inopportune rain, the day was a great success and a cool chance for the community to come together. For more amazing pictures of the fun day, taken by Lori Dill from Church of the Highlands, go here.

Woodlawn Spring Festival

2009-04-30T14:23:00.001-04:00

Come to a fun-filled community event for the whole family!

WHAT:Woodlawn Spring Festival

WHEN:This Saturday, May 2, 10am-2pm

WHERE:Woodlawn High School

5620 1st Ave N

Birmingham, AL

There will be games, food, prizes, music, sports, free health screenings, local artwork, and much much more!

RCC will have a booth with info for our church, as well as our bouncy castle, face-painting, and balloon animals for the kids. We would love for you to swing by and visit or help us throughout the day! Tell your friends and hope to see you there!

Focus on Fairfield Pictures!

2009-04-27T13:13:00.005-04:00

This past Saturday we were able to take part in a large community workday in Fairfield. Many churches, organizations, and individuals came together and united to accomplish quite an amount of work! There were 6 overall work projects with a variety of focuses, including scraping and painting residents' homes, doing yard maintenance for elderly women, planting trees and plants for a church and restored homes, cleaning the local Christian school, and much more! The RCC people worked predominately on the gigantic task of scraping and painting a large house owned by a lovely woman named Miss Ada Riggs. It was an awesome day, and though it will require another workday to finish, we were pleased with the amazing progress!

Here are a few pictures:

Cornerstone Workday Pics

2009-04-20T15:56:00.007-04:00

Our workday on Saturday was awesome! We were able to get all of the projects done that we needed to and in the perfect amount of time. About 15 Redeemer people were able to come help and they were ballers! Although the day started off with a few kinks and problems, the Lord worked it all out and we had a great day! Here are some of the pictures:

These were some of the rooms/areas inside to which we did drastic cleaning and organizing:

Outside, we weeded and cleaned their two playgrounds and then re-mulched them:

We also pressure washed their sidewalk:

And we moved about 75 desks and chairs up a flight of stairs:

Focus on Fairfield Workday

2009-04-15T13:03:00.005-04:00

On April 25th RCC will be taking part in another Focus On Fairfield workday, in conjunction with several other area churches and ministries. Restoration Academy helps host this event quarterly and our church was able to have the joy of assisting with the last one in January. During that workday we were split up into about 5 different groups and did a variety of tasks including painting interiors of houses, trimming trees and yards, weeding and gardening, mowing grass, assembling cabinets and furniture, playing flag football with local kids, and much more! It turned out to be such a blessing for the local residents who were the recipients of the labors, as well as for those of us who were able to help. Here is a video of a lovely lady named Ms. Ruthie, singing for us as we were painting her house:

This upcoming workday is again geared towards helping some of the local residents of Fairfield with maintenance and upkeep on their homes. These are individuals that the local churches have working relationships with, and our help is an investment in their lives that will continue to show them the love of Christ. Since this is a joint effort by many churches, it is also a great opportunity for the body of Christ to unite on a larger scale and demonstrate to an unbelieving world what the Gospel of Christ looks like in action. In addition to helping others in need and working with others to accomplish this, we have the opportunity to form relationships with those involved, as well. I am so excited about the work that will be accomplished for the kingdom through this day and how lives will be impacted for the Gospel!

Please mark you calenders and invite your friends! It will be an opportunity to bless others and be blessed!
Important Info:
-Saturday, April 25th, 7:30-11:30, with a cookout after
-Meet at 5600 Carnegie Ave. Fairfield, AL 35064- mapquest it and someone will be there to guide you
-Wear work clothes and gloves and bring any gardening and yard tools you may have
-Good opportunity for the whole family-bring the kids and let them see the importance of serving others
-If you have any questions, contact Dwight-dwight@rccbirmingham.org or 336.831.4489

Cornerstone Workday

2009-04-13T12:49:00.002-04:00

This coming Saturday, April 18th, RCC is going to be having a workday at Cornerstone Christian School in Woodlawn. Over the past year we have been building a strong relationship with this school and love its mission and heart for the community. They are dedicated to helping break generational cycles of poor or no education for inner city children, and their desire to do so through the Love and Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ matches the heart of Redeemer. Here is their website. We have been able to come alongside their efforts thus far through tutoring, leading chapel services, and helping with school supplies. We are about to provide their young students with Bibles suitable for their reading level, as well as providing their kitchen with more adequate cooking supplies. Next year we are planning on helping take over their chapel services, starting a guys' and a girls' FCA, helping with field trips, providing more school and kitchen supplies, increasing tutoring and mentoring, and even providing them with some new teachers (yay Elaine and hopefully Amanda Blake)!

The opportunity this coming Saturday will become the first of regular workdays with the school, in an effort to get large amounts of work done in a short amount of time. As the old adage goes, "Many hands make light work", so we are hoping to have a lot of RCC people come out! All of the work will be done outside for this workday and will consist of tilling and planting their urban garden, landscaping, trash pickup, cleaning up the playground, and many other similar activities. This type of work will be great for people of all ages, including children, so please bring your whole family out and serve our community together. We recommend you wear suitable work attire, and if you have work gloves and gardening equipment, please bring them! We are so excited about this opportunity to help partner with another hand of the body of Christ and to be a growing light in the Woodlawn community. The day starts at 9am and will last til around noon. The school is located at 135 54th St N Birmingham, AL 35212 and is an easy turn directly off of 1st Ave North onto 54th St North. If you have any more questions, feel free to contact Dwight. We look forward to seeing you there!

Updates and Shelter Schedule

2009-04-10T11:14:00.002-04:00

The last several weeks have been very productive and encouraging as we continue to build our presence and relationships in the community. The Lord has been so faithful in providing continual opportunities to expand our outreaches and relationships with new individuals, churches, and partners as well as deepening the existing ones. Every day I am taken back by how he makes connections and seems to show up in ways I never would have expected. This week alone, every day I had multiple meetings with Cornerstone Christian School and Restoration Academy about our involvement with them throughout the rest of this school year and into the next year. They are beginning to trust and love our persistent desire to join in ministry with them and we are overwhelmed with exciting ideas of how this will play out in the near future. I also met this week with a pastor of a church in Woodlawn who has desire to reach out into the community, and we were able to share the heart and vision of our churches and begin a relationship that we hope will continue to grow. The new health clinic in Woodlawn, Christ Health Center, has just started seeing patients and it was so exciting this week to meet with their staff and see how we can assist their ministry with their patients. The many other meetings and activities of this week are too many to elaborate, but some highlights were: judging a student talent show at Cornerstone, attending the monthly Woodlawn Business Association meeting and hearing genuine desire to help the needs of the community, working at a neighborhood community cleanup day in Woodlawn, helping with a multi-church outreach event in downtown Birmingham last weekend, planning upcoming workdays at Cornerstone and in Fairfield, moving into our new office, finally having health insurance (praise the Lord!), and much more! The Lord has been so faithful to gently guide our young church in the way that we should be part of this community and to grow us closer to His heart. Pray that he will continue to give me and the rest of the church wisdom and discernment as we seek to be faithful and obedient to serve in the best ways and to give of ourselves selflessly.

As a reminder, we are continuing to serve meals at the Family Homeless Shelter every Tuesday night at 6:30 and are always looking for more people to volunteer some time this night of the week. I helped this past week and was able to have some great conversations with several of the residents and really felt like they were beginning to open up to our people. There are 5 families staying there again and this a great opportunity to build a consistent relationship with all of them. This is an updated schedule of who is serving each week and what dates are open:

April 14: Eli Johnson, Bill Rowe, and friends
April 21: Loudon Family and Greg Robinson
April 28: Glass and Pittmans
May 5: deVillenueves and Amanda Blake
May 12: Johnsons and Sizemores
May 19: Michelle Reid and Claire H.
May 26:
June 2:
June 9:
June 16:
June 23:
June 30:

Opening Doors

2009-03-26T12:41:00.004-04:00

To any faithful blog readers who may or may not exist out there, don't worry- I am not dead and I have not given up entirely on sharing what is going on. I have been out of town for a week, and then upon my return, immediately got the flu and have been bed-ridden for three days. Never fear, we are back in action. And the good news is, great things have been going on the whole time in our church body and in our local community!

We have continued our Tuesday night meals with the families at the homeless shelter, and it has been going so well! They continue to express how much it means to them to eat a home-cooked meal and to just sit and share with people who care to get to know them. Each week, they seem to become more accustomed to our presence as a group, as well as the recurring faces they are beginning to know and trust. One of the exciting parts of this weekly ministry is that the Lord is already beginning to provide more opportunities to get involved in these families' lives on a more intimate and consistent level. Angie, the lady who heads up the shelter, explained that many of the women in the home don't know how to cook and would love the opportunity to learn. As soon as I mentioned this idea, several women from Redeemer expressed interest in teaching the mothers and women to cook. We are also assembling a recipe book of all the meals we prepare each Tuesday, as well as other manageable meals. Recently, Angie expressed to me that the men in the shelter also desire some form of community and would be interested in meeting with men from Redeemer! How exciting! We are brainstorming ways for this to take form now. Also, one of the daughters in the shelter is getting ready to leave for college, which is an unbelievable first for her family and for the shelter! We are planning on helping her with school supplies, as well as throwing a Going Away Party! These are only some of the ideas that have been sprouting up from Tuesday night meals, and I am confident that many more will continue to come. It is so exciting to see how the Lord opens up the door for ministry and asks that we are faithful in obedience. It doesn't require outrageous feats of sacrifice, vast amounts of funds, or visions to solve major world issues. It requires simple obedience to reach out to those around us in everyday, personal ways and the faith to believe that the Lord will work through our feeble efforts. And YES, he is able to accomplish more than we could ever ask or imagine. Yes, he will continue to open up more and more opportunities to serve and to obey and to trust. Let's continue to take him at His Word, to offer ourselves as he leads, and to trust him to do what we know we cannot.

Consequently, we are in great need of more people to sign up to serve meals for this upcoming month, starting immediately! If you have not yet had the opportunity to serve on a Tuesday night, please try to make this a priority-not only will you be a blessing, but you will certainly come away blessed. If you have already had the privilege of serving, we would love for you to serve again! If you enjoyed it the first time, sign up again! Email me (dwight@rccbirmingham.org) or call me (336.831.4489)! Live purposefully today and seek the simple, small opportunities around you to serve and love!

Like sheep without a shepherd

2009-03-18T11:00:00.002-04:00

Here are two challenging passages to meditate on today. Pray that the Lord reveals new meaning in these passages and teaches us how this should affect our lives:

"And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.' " Matthew 9:35-38

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean, because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:1-5

If anyone is interested in preparing and serving a meal some Tuesday night at the family homeless shelter, please let me know. Right now, we have it covered for two more weeks, through the month of March. However, from the start of April and on, there is no one signed up! So, if you have done it once and want to do it again, or if this is your first time, get involved!

Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

2009-03-06T08:06:00.013-05:00

"looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, " Hebrews 12:2

Tuesday night felt somewhat like a short-term missions trip, except there wasn't a departure to somewhere thousands of miles away, it was just down the street from my house. Along with three others from church, I helped bring a home cooked meal to the Homeless Shelter. Immediately upon arrival kids were running to our arms and wanting to play. The families, five total, were more than welcoming, and easy to talk with during dinner. It occurred to me that being homeless is not always a lonely person sleeping under a bridge in a box, or a guy holding a sign on the side of the highway, like I so often imagine when I think "homeless". Rather, families that resemble those you stand in line with at the grocery store, or see playing at the park. My perspective on the poor continues to be challenged as I learn about what the Bible says and Jesus teaches. The moment I remember it's not me who can change their situation, is the moment prayer and hope for their future enters my heart, thus a series of dialogues with God begin, as if I had to remind Him of His power and strength. He reminds me He is able to do "more than we can ask or think according to the power at work within us," [Ephesians 3:20]. How amazing it is to be part of Christ's body and a testimony to the grace He showed us who "were once dead in our trespasses." The gospel came alive to me Tuesday night, more than words on a page, or a prayer, but a group of Christ followers extending mercy and kindness to strangers. Now my heart whispers salvation awaits, after listening to the young lady share her doubts and issues with Jesus. Understanding that each day for these families is the hope of redemption, I'm convicted in my own heart of searching for "deservers" of grace, wow. I would encourage everyone to pray specifically and fervently towards reaching these families with the love of Christ. Our goal isn't to be a group of "do-gooders", but to genuinely care and have compassion through Christ to each of these families. To conclude, two verses come to mind, one in which Jesus teaches from Matthew 25: 35 "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me," and the other that seems to be a lot like the greatest command from Jesus "love your neighbor as yourself", from [Hebrews 13:2] "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unaware." The best part about this is that they have "received us"[Matthew 10:40]in their home, the needs are endless, and friendships are on the horizon. It's not another outreach, it's the living out of what scripture has called us to do; become benefactors of God's kingdom, set the captives free,repair the broken places, and namely to "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,compassionate hearts,kindness,humility,meekness,and patience.." [Colossians 3:12] I'm so humbled and thankful, Amanda-Blake Coile

R.A. Luncheon Tomorrow!

2009-03-04T14:59:00.002-05:00

Hey, just a quick reminder to everyone that tomorrow afternoon is the monthly Restoration Academy luncheon! PLEASE try to come if you can- it starts at 12 and only lasts an hour, so it can be a long lunch break. They provide a complimentary meal and explain the heart and vision of the school and where the Lord is leading it recently. Several students usually share a testimony of how the school has impacted their lives and you also get to meet many other people who are investing in the Fairfield community and school. If you have never had a chance to attend one of these luncheons, I highly recommend it and am more than willing to either carpool with people, give you a ride, give directions or more info, etc... If you cannot make this one, keep in mind that they have one the first Thursday of each month. Hope to see you there!

Redeemer at the Family Homeless Shelter in Woodlawn

2009-03-02T16:46:00.010-05:00

Last Tuesday night we were so thankful to be able serve alongside the Kling's and Dwight for our first week of making dinner at the family homeless shelter in Woodlawn. It was a wonderful evening, and we are looking forward to continuing to serve there and really get to know the families. We just wanted to share with you some practical things we learned, as the "guinea pigs," as well as what the Lord has been doing in our hearts.

Tuesday night was awesome :) The kids are fabulous. So much fun. We found that we were so busy cooking that we didn't get to talk to the adults as much as we would have liked, so one practical tip would be to prepare the food ahead of time so you can just heat it up there. Also, we love the idea of getting to offer them a nutritious home-cooked meal, because that's not really something they get very often. So the more good 'ol comfort food the better! Steph brought brownies and ice cream sundaes and that it was SO fun and special for the kids. Be sure also to bring drinks, maybe juice or milk because I think they get a lot of crazy colored cool aid.

On to the heart stuff. It was really cool to experience such conviction after Joel's sermon on Sunday, and then be able to take little baby steps of faith into putting that into action on Tuesday. The biggest thing that hit me about Joel's sermon was when he talked about how when one person serves in extraordinary ways, we have a tendency to point to that person, label them as "extraordinary," and I know in my case, often think "wow, that's amazing that they serve like that, but I don't think I really have it in me." We write it off as personality thing. Not only do we use it as an excuse as to why we don't or "can't" serve like that, we also miss giving the glory to God. BUT when an entire community, a body of believers, begins to give their lives to serve others, people are pointed to see God as the one who transforms hearts and compels us to serve and love. And believers are encouraged to take part in what God is doing.

Our prayer is that the Lord would so transform Redeemer Community Church, and make us a people whose lives are given to loving and serving Christ, and as a inseparable part of that, to loving and serving the poor. That we would not just dabble in service projects, but really form deep relationships with the poor and let their lives become intertwined with our own. A level of involvement that is potentially messy, inconvenient, and dangerous, but that has deep roots in the gospel and in the love of Christ who gave his life, not just in his death, but in the way he shared his life on earth with sinners, prostitutes, widows, orphans, and beggars--and calls us to do the same.

In serving the people at the home on Tuesday, our hearts were to simply to begin the process of forming relationships. It was peaceful and fun. We played with awesome, beautiful, hilarious kids. Chatted with adults. Listened to stories. Knowing that the aim was to be obedient to serve and form relationships in which to love these people over time, we were really freed up from the pressure to "hit 'em with the gospel." Our hope is that we will be able to built trust over time as they see us coming back, and that the gospel would be communicated meaningfully and naturally in that context.

Talking about all of this in our community group, we discussed that since not everyone can go every Tuesday night, we could potentially drop by and bring cookies or something whenever we can on other nights. After all, they are our neighbors! Dwight just called the director of the home to check that out and she was thrilled! We are welcome any time to come by and hang out, bring dessert or not, and follow up with relationships that we're forming. She also let Dwight know that the people at the home have been raving about last Tuesday and ask about three times a day if we're coming back. There are already clear ideas emerging for how to further relationships with the people we met on Tuesday. Pray for us that we would be obedient as God calls us to continue walking in faith to serve. Above all, that we would look to Christ! We're praying for you all who are going tomorrow night, and in the next few weeks!

Love,
Elaine and Keith Davis

Need of a Physician

2009-03-02T13:50:00.003-05:00

Luke 4:16-21
"And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.' And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, 'Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.' "

Luke 5:27-32
"After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, 'Follow me.' And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, 'Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?' And Jesus answered them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.' "

Is this not the fast that I choose? "(Is. 58:6)

2009-02-23T12:36:00.005-05:00

Well, it is the start of a new week and after yesterday's message at church, I am both healthily convicted and excited about being intentional and responsive to the needs of those around me. If you were not able to be at church last night, Joel preached from Isaiah 58 about the fundamental responsibility of Christians to minister to the poor, the needy, the less fortunate, the orphans, the widows (you can listen to a podcast of the sermon here). In other words, we are to love and care for our neighbors as Christ did...and if we need clarification on who our neighbor is and what this looks like, go read Luke 10:25-37. One of the most vital parts of the message last night was the realization that such sermons and passages in Scripture should not guilt us into action. Guilt alone condemns and offers no framework for lasting, heartfelt change. Rather, we should reach out to the the poor and needy as a response to the Gospel. Our outreach and ministry should be an overflow of the mercy that Christ has extended to us, as we wallowed in our sins and had no merit or reason to be shown love and mercy. If we as Christians, if I as a wretched sinner saved by grace alone, allow this to sink in, we would have no problem at all extending this same mercy and love to "the least of these". And to keep in mind that this outreach is supposed to cost us, for giving something that costs us nothing is not true sacrifice. It may require stretching, discomfort, time, money, and many more ways of dying to self. I pray that the Lord will allow these truths to give us a holy conviction, and transform our hearts and lifestyles to more closely align with his.

Yesterday we had several more families and groups sign up to provide and share a meal at the Family Homeless Shelter on Tuesday nights. For more information about this weekly opportunity, read this. If you are interested in signing up for a Tuesday night, you can either leave a comment or email me at dwight@rccbirmingham.org. Right now, this is what the signup schedule looks like:

2/24: The Klings and Davis's
3/3: Eli, Ryan, Kate, Amanda Blake
3/10: The Brooks and deVilleneuves
3/17:
3/24:
3/31:
4/7:
4/14:
4/21:
4/28:

Have a great week and may we today embrace all that the Gospel means to us!

Family Homeless Shelter

2009-02-17T12:53:00.006-05:00

Well, as promised for some time, we finally have one of our first consistent ministry opportunities as a church! Over the past few weeks and months, I have been forming a relationship with a family homeless shelter located in Woodlawn. This shelter is a very unique ministry for several reasons: First, it is designed to specifically house families as a unit, which is very uncommon. In fact, this is the only shelter in Birmingham that allows families to stay together! Most places split up the men from the women for safety, space, and to deal with gender-specific issues. Additionally, many places cannot house children at all, which obviously creates a problem for parents. So, to start, this shelter offers the very rare blessing of allowing families to remain intact, as well as ministering to all family roles in the same place.

Another one of the main "pros" to this place is that it trains the families in life skills, in addition to offering a place to live. As I have been reading and studying about urban ministry, I have been learning about the absolute necessity of accomplishing something called empowerment instead of enablement. There are many, many organizations and ways to reach out to try to address the needs of those around us, but unfortunately, one of the biggest problems with most of these remedies is that they offer short-term solutions for deep, long-term problems. In a very real sense, they attempt to put a band-aide on a very deep, festering wound and expect everything to be better. However, the reality is, that while this is often a genuine attempt to reach out and to help, we really are not helping the heart of the issue. In fact, we often make the problems worse by creating a dependency amongst the poor and needy, where these acts of kindness are not only expected, but become a necessity for their survival. I admit that I have been part of such outreaches. And while these simple "acts of kindness" had some merit in them and made me feel better, they did little to help solve the greater issues. Therefore, the type of ministry that we want to be part of is one which seeks to go deeper-we want to help address the problems behind homelessness and poverty - Problems like poor money management skills, lackadaisical work ethic, lack of opportunity, and many more. Therefore, when you find an organization that goes beyond the surface, that doesn't just give a handout, but seeks to empower people to create life changes, it is a breath of fresh air! This shelter is one such organization. Each family that lives there stays for several months at a time, rather than a fly-by-night or occasional stay. They are put on a strict time-management schedule, the parent(s) must hold a steady job, and they must maintain appropriate lifestyle and conduct for their families and the house. Since all is provided at the shelter, they must save every penny they earn, thus allowing them to also pay off debt. All residents must participate in a communal dinner every night, to give their family some routine and interaction. All of these things are absolutely vital to help empower people to overcome their difficult problems rather than fall back into a cycle they soon cannot escape.

Since each family is required to all eat together every night, we want to take advantage of this opportunity. Every Tuesday night, we want a family or small group of individuals to prepare dinner for the residents, and then to spend meal with the families. Not only is this a great opportunity to feed these families a meal and for them to spend time together, but also for a family from our church to minister together, as a family, to families, in the least intimidating form. In this organic way, we can begin to form genuine relationships in a laid back, small group setting, with the hope of consistency. If some families or groups from our church commit to making this a regular occurrence, true relationships will form and Christ within us will become very evident.

We will begin this ministry next Tuesday, February 24th, and continue every Tuesday evening, so if you are interested in signing up for a certain week as a family or small group of individuals, please email Dwight (dwight@rccbirmingham.org)! We want to be faithful with what we start, and so have taken our time in choosing which ministries to take part in. Now, as we begin to introduce more ways to get involved, ask the Lord what part He wants you to play in being his hands and feet to those in need! We are so excited about how the Lord will work through this opportunity!

Recent Happenings

2009-02-13T14:31:00.003-05:00

Well, I am finally back in town...and with a regular internet connection! It is so good to be back in Birmingham and to really dig into the relationships and ministry here. My last few days of catch-up have been very exciting and fruitful! Here are a few highlights:

-during my trip to L.A., I was able to visit a place called the Dream Center, a HUGE inner city ministry, and gain several contacts and ideas for ministry
-attended a Woodlawn Business Association meeting and met several people that I had been praying for opportunities to meet-isn't the Lord good?!
-spent more time building our relationship with the Family Homeless Shelter in Woodlawn, and nailed down how our church will be getting involved VERY soon!
-met another pastor from a local church
-went by Cornerstone Christian School in Woodlawn and was finally able to sit down with Nita Thompson, Executive Director and Principle, and Shannon Bottoms, Volunteer Coordinator, and finalize specifics with them as well!
-had a great meeting with Joel and Jeff, in which we narrowed down all of my "research and relationship building" and determined how we should get involved in the community
-met with Adam Keller, who is going to do his Beeson internship with Redeemer, and will be able to help out a lot with the urban ministry end of things
-the Lord provided an opportunity for me to do a small side project for a week or two for some extra income

Well, that's the main points from the last little bit! We are about to kick off a whole bunch of new ministries in the next week or two, so stay tuned for the new updates! I have been trying to upload a video of Ms. Ruthie (one of the ladies we were able to help during Focus on Fairfield) blessing us with her voice, but it won't work...I'll keep trying...

Focus on Fairfield Pics

2009-02-04T00:05:00.004-05:00

Yay! I finally got to a good internet connection! As I said before, we had an incredible time at Focus on Fairfield this past Saturday. Over 40 people from Redeemer came out to help, which was a HUGE help and encouragement for everyone involved! We were able to help many families from the community, as well as several people from Restoration Academy. Thank you to all who took the time out of your busy schedules to come serve those in this community. Here are some pictures from Saturday. More to come in the following days...

Pictures to come...

2009-02-03T09:57:00.002-05:00

OK, so I am out of town this week, and internet is absent, or inconsistent at best. I have been trying to upload Focus on Fairfield pictures for over an hour now and it won't work. However, as soon as I am able to find more reliable internet, I will be posting pictures and videos and updates of how Focus on Fairfield went this last weekend!

Focus on Fairfield

2009-01-29T14:17:00.004-05:00

This Saturday morning, Redeemer will be taking part in a community event called Focus on Fairfield. Restoration Academy hosts this event quarterly, with the assistance of several other local organizations and churches, including CityWorks, Christ Episcopal Church, and Church of the Reconciler. Here is a breakdown of all the info about this day:

-Projects that Redeemer will assist with will largely be landscaping/gardening/yard work, as well as painting. However, there are several other possibilities including demolition, minor construction, and working on abandoned houses. NOTE: No construction or work experience is necessary, just come ready to serve! Also, there will be family-friendly work opportunities, so bring the kids too!

-We will be interacting directly with many Fairfield locals, which gives us a unique "foot in the door" to begin relationships that we hope, as a church body, to continue longterm

-We will also have the opportunity to interact and grow with students, teachers, and faculty of Restoration Academy

-Following the workday, Restoration Academy will have a very affordable lunch for everyone to purchase, which will go a long way in supporting the school. Restoration Academy is also playing against the #1 seed in the state a very important basketball game at 1:00 that we highly encourage anyone who can, to stick around for!

-In summary, this will be great for our church in several ways:
-kick-off our involvement in Fairfield with this introduction to the area and our partners there
-the opportunity to begin lasting relationships with Restoration Academy and neighborhood individuals
-good church-wide event
-good for community groups to serve together

-Important Info:
-THE DAY STARTS AT 7:30, not 8 as we had previously announced. Please try to be there at 7:30 if possible! The work will last til around 11:30, with lunch and basketball game to follow
-Meet at Church of the Reconciler--located next to Restoration Academy and Fairfield Park (at the corner of Gary Ave. and North Plaza )
-Dress in work appropriate clothes
-If anyone has any gardening tools or painting supplies PLEASE bring them!

We are SO excited about this opportunity and hope to see many people from Redeemer come out to actively live out the Gospel in Fairfield!

Be Reconciled To God!

2009-01-26T12:07:00.003-05:00

"From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Praise the the Lord for reconciling himself to us. He who knew no sin was made sin for us! What an unbelievable gift-what an exchange-that we might become the righteousness of God! May we, as a result, bring this message of reconciliation to a needy, dying world! Lord, may we be found worthy ambassadors of your message!

Last week was full of wonderful provisions by the Lord, in the form of scheduled meetings, (less scheduled) divine appointments, financial support for my position, ideas and opportunities for outreach, growth in knowledge of the Word and how to preach the Word, and overall joy for all of this! One of the most exciting parts of this past week was a meeting that Joel and I were able to attend together. We met with Robert Record (who is heading up a medical clinic and community center in Woodlawn, both currently under construction/renovations) and Tracy Hipps (head of Mission Birmingham) to explore Woodlawn. During this time, we heard the exciting vision and heart of the medical clinic and the community center, met several great leaders at Woodlawn High School, and were introduced to the InterFaith Family Homeless Shelter (the only homeless shelter in Birmingham that provided facilities and means for whole families). It was so exciting to make these connections and see the Lord allow us to get our foot in the door. Tonight I am attending a community meeting at Woodlawn High School, so pray that the Lord will open the door for more relationships and discernment in how we can use this to advance his Kingdom.

Pray this week that the Lord will continue to teach each of us what it means to be part of the Body of Christ: What it means to be part of a community of believers that challenges, encourages, teaches, corrects, loves each other as themselves. What it means to reach out to the local community around us, as the hands and feet of Christ's Body- to love the unlovable, to be pushed outside of our comforts, our normal lifestyle, our own wants and desires and schedules. What it means to preach the Gospel so fervently that we determine to know nothing but Christ and him crucified. What it means to learn to die to self, to be crucified with Christ, that we no longer live, but Christ lives in us. What it will mean to live as New Creations- to be messengers of reconciliation! Lord, we ask you to teach us to know and be these things for Your Kingdom this week- that it may be on earth, as it is in Heaven!

Want to read a challenging book?

2009-01-21T13:57:00.006-05:00

I just finished reading a very insightful, very challenging book about urban ministry and helping the poor. It is called Compassion, Justice, and the Christian Life: Rethinking Ministry to the Poor by Bob Lupton, one of the most respected and experienced trailblazers in this area of ministry. The book is actually a nearly identical reprint of one of his earlier books titled And You Call Yourself a Christian. If the former title isn't enough indication of the convicting nature of this book, let me assure you, it is hard to walk away unchanged after reading. However, while the book is unapologetic in its sometimes-harsh approach, its urgency and force is not without cause or firm Biblical foundation. This book has caused me to rethink almost every single model of outreach to the poor, including many of which I have endorsed and taken part. It has caused me to examine not only my heart motivation for reaching out to the physically and spiritually needy, but it has also forced me reexamine the the ways that I do this. And particularly for our church, how will we reach out to those in need in our communities? I challenge each of you to find and read this book if you ever want to know how to best obey Christ's commands to care for the "orphans, widows, and the least of these". It is a short book full of personal examples and stories of Lupton's own failures and incremental growth to reach the point at which he now is.

On the topic of Urban Ministry and community development, I am also currently reading Theirs is the Kingdom by Lupton, Restoring At-Risk Communities by John Perkins (widely considered one of the grand-fathers of urban ministry in America), and Ministries of Mercy by Tim Keller. Each of these books is proving very helpful in my personal growth in knowledge and experience of urban ministry, but especially in regards to how we, as a church body, will approach the harsh realities of Woodlawn and Fairfield with the Truth, Love, Mercy, and Justice found in the Gospel. I will be sure to keep you updated on each of these reads, as well.

What a week!

2009-01-15T13:36:00.003-05:00

This week has been a whirlwind of exciting activities, meetings, studying, and much more. At the start of the week, I don't think I had anticipated this kind of week, but it seems that at every single turn, the Lord provided the start of another vital relationship, another opportunity to grow and learn, and continual direction for ministry opportunities. Here is a basic breakdown of how my week has looked:

Monday: meeting with Joel and Jeff, study time, email/call contacts, blog, met with supporters

Tuesday: men's Bible study, meeting with Tracy Hipps (an incredible man of God involved in every facet of ministry in Birmingham, 30 years experience), made church contacts in West End, meeting with Restoration Academy staff, spent time in Woodlawn, spent time with Joel and Jeff, picked up a temporary computer that the Lord provided, completed paperwork and gov. info for church position, phone interviews with supporters

Wednesday: Meeting with Sonny Culp- actively involved in Birmingham ministries, especially in Fairfield (actually was moved to next week), attended a Benevolence Training Meeting at Faith Chapel in Ensley with Tracy Hipps, contacted supporters, coordinated with Cornerstone School, extensive study time

Thursday: Disaster Relief Meeting with Tracy Hipps, Christian Service Mission, and Mission Birmingham; attended Woodlawn Business Association Meeting-met several great people including Woodlawn High School representative, Woodlawn City Council Members, Police Dept. Crime Prevention Officer, and several other Woodlawn business representatives interested in RCC; about to go to meeting with Robert Record, Tracy Hipps, Joel Brooks, and Wayne Owen-this will be the biggest meeting yet, where we will discuss every opportunity to get involved in Woodlawn; meet with Cornerstone

Friday: Meeting with Benjamin Smith, spend time in Fairfield, coordinate with Gates Shaw and CityWorks

Saturday: Flag Football in Fairfield--LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO PLAY-WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO COME OUT!

Anyways, as you can see, this week has been very busy and fruitful. It has been so encouraging to learn from such godly men who are very active in what the Lord is doing in the urban areas of Birmingham and who have an immense wealth of experience! Pray that the Lord will continue to grant discernment and growth with these relationships and partnerships!

2009-01-12T13:49:00.002-05:00

"Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised..." Psalms 96:1-4

It's Monday again, and the start of a new week. Thank you Lord for new life, our daily breath! Thank you for salvation, for the Cross of Jesus Christ, without which, we would be hopelessly lost! But we have hope and meaning and purpose in this New Life found in Christ! Praise the Lord for the joy that we can have with this in mind, as we go throughout this week. Lord, teach us to live every breath in faith, trusting that you hold the reigns-nothing is outside of your Sovereign hands. Teach us to live a lifestyle of worship, giving thanks and glory to you in ALL we do. We confess we do not know how to do this-our days are most often preoccupied with ME. We live to glory ourselves and gain pleasure, worth, and purpose apart from you. Teach us to find our ultimate joy in you, our satisfaction, our hope in you. May we recognize that every good thing is from you, so that we may worship you in a spirit of thankfulness, by simply enjoying your blessings for Your Name's sake. Teach us to trust your heart and plan in the times of despair, emptiness, pain, longing, stagnation, lack of desire. May we look to you for our Life and Salvation in these times, worshipping you even then with hearts thankful for a renewed dependency on you. Turn our hearts to things unseen, not what is seen. Fix our perspective on things eternal, not things of this temporary life. Show us the way in which we should go this week- guide our path. Give us wisdom, discernment, boldness in our relationships. Give us opportunities to share your life-giving Hope, the eyes and ears to recognize the opportunities, and the courage to obey. We love you Lord, we submit our lives anew to you.

"It is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God...It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philippians 1:9-11,20-21

"For who is God besides the Lord...

2009-01-09T11:16:00.004-05:00

..And who is the Rock except our God?!" (Ps. 18:31) I hope everyone is having a wonderful, joyful Friday morning! Since it seemed to work well-enough to bullet out ideas and updates last time, I think I will go with it again this time. So here is what's new:

-Bad news first-so that whole idea that I was going to get my fixed computer back soon...not so much. In fact, I got a call the other day from the Apple repair depot in Texas during which I was informed that my computer is entirely ruined. They cannot fix it and since it was liquid damage by the user (while I almost died), it is not covered by the 1.5 year of full warranty that I had left. As you can imagine, this was very, very frustrating for me to realize that this was a total loss of a newish computer of about $1500-just down the drain. Especially since it is one of the only necessary tools for my job. So, I am trusting that the Lord is working good through this, teaching me to trust Him even more, and will receive glory. I would appreciate your prayers that I will be obedient to these ends.
-On to the good news...attended the Restoration Academy monthly luncheon yesterday, and was able to bring a friend along. I would love to continue bringing more people from our church who may be free the first Thursday of each month! It is an hour long, during lunch break, from 12-1.
-At the meeting, I "happened" to run into some contacts from the area whom I had been eagerly seeking out! We are scheduling a meeting for next week to learn of more ways to get involved in Woodlawn and Fairfield
-I was able to schedule a meeting with the faculty at Restoration Academy for Tuesday, in order to nail down the ways we can help them this year. Please pray for wisdom in this meeting!
-I learned two new things at the meeting: 1. The post office next to the school had just been held up by a woman with a handgun only an hour before. Do we need a better demonstration of a needy area? 2. A local Christian doctor, Dr. Tom Edwards, has decided to open up a medical clinic in the adjoining building to Restoration Academy! This is a HUGE resource and life-giving source for the people of the area, and we may be able to help in the future!
-Last night, as I was watching the football game at a friend's house, I "happened to run into a mutual friend who I had been wanting to meet for some time. After talking to him for a while, I learned he is on the Board of Trustees at Restoration and we discussed a number of ideas for involvement! It was such a providential meeting and another blessed piece of the puzzle that is beginning to foster a beautiful relationship with this area and school.
-This morning I had an extremely encouraging support meeting with a Birmingham man, during which we were mutually encouraged by each other, and the Lord reminded me of his incredible faithfulness!

Continue to pray that the Lord will guide our church as we continue to seek His Will for the ways that He would have us seek the welfare of our city. I leave you today with this verse, "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:1-3

Catch-up time...

2009-01-07T17:07:00.002-05:00

As promised, I am about to attempt a swift and concise summary of all that has taken place over the last month or so, along with my defense/explanation for the sporadic posts, haha. Since I have found that it is quite difficult to adequately encapsulate lengthy breaks without turning them into novels, I have decided to simply bullet out the major events of said time period, including both personal events and church/city-related events. Here goes...

-First, a late Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!
-During Thanksgiving, my grandfather died and is now with the Lord, which was a very bittersweet time for my family, and kept me in N.C. for a longer than expected
-A quick (if that's possible) trip to P.A. and N.J. for the funeral followed. Again, very hard, but also a time of rejoicing
-My short return to Birmingham allowed: a meeting with Shannon Bottoms, the Volunteer Coordinator for Cornerstone Christian School in Woodlawn; several financial support meetings; attendance at a Christmas Block Party in Fairfield -made several great connections; coordinating with Restoration Academy about opportunities
-Another trip to be with family in P.A. and N.J.
-A weekend in Montgomery for Jeremiah Sizemore and Sarah Wolf's wedding
-Time home with family and friends for Christmas
-Almost died in a wreck on the way home, somewhere around 3am in Spartanburg, S.C. Escaped totally unscathed, thank you Lord!
-In near wreck, my computer was soaked in water...has been unusable since-one of the main reasons for lack of updates. Should be getting it back from being fixed any day
-Met with several supporters at home, as well as several contacts doing similar ministry in the inner city for their churches-great exchange of info/ideas
-New Years in Birmingham with friends going to, living/ministering in, coming from: UAE, Northern Ireland, Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Uganda
-Now have NEW EMAIL ADDRESS!!!---dwight@rccbirmingham.org
-More encouraging support meetings with very helpful commitments-now have about 60% of my goal committed! Praise the Lord! Keep praying that I will trust Him to provide
-Visited Southtown housing project area and learned of ministries there, church reps from Red Mt.
- Firmed up more opportunities with Cornerstone for this year
-A young girl from Woodlawn High school was shot and found dead, along with another boy the Sunday before New Year. There was a community gathering/vigil for her in the days to follow. This is out our backdoor, church. Pray for this area and it's people
-Restoration Academy's monthly informational/fundraising luncheon is tomorrow, Thursday at 12. I am taking several interested people- if you want to come, let me know!

Well, that still ended up being long. I hope it served it's purpose, though. Please continue to pray for wisdom as I may contacts and relationships for the ministries and partnerships we will be announcing and taking part in very soon! As soon as I get my computer back, you will see much more frequent updates! Have a great day!

Pray for Kate in Peru

2008-12-30T16:38:00.002-05:00

After a long holiday break, a new post...though it is more of a teaser. I will be writing very soon with a longer update, but for now, I wanted to remind everyone to be praying for Kate deFuniak, as she is in Peru on a mission trip. Pray for safety from harm and illnesses, team unity, and most of all for the relationships they are building on with the kids as they show and tell of Christ's love! Another fuller update soon to come!

How to walk...

2008-12-19T12:07:00.002-05:00

This has been one of those weeks for me where the "things" of life, and "life" itself, as we know it in this flesh-driven world, seem to grab for my attention at every single turn. The hard part is that these aren't even all bad things. They are the things that we surround ourselves with and must take part in: jobs, family, travel, holidays, relationships, details....and the list goes on. And yet it is so easy for me to lose sight of what matters in the midst of these things. And I would venture to say that I am not alone in this problem. How do I balance all of these things with living out my Christian walk in the radical way that Christ seems to demand? Or maybe a better question is, "What does my life look like when I am truly dying to self and living solely for Christ, not Christ and other things?" It seems to be something we all struggle with at times, and this week has brought these questions to the forefront of my mind. So often, I seem so preoccupied with the things that don't matter-the things that won't live past tomorrow. And I somehow lose sight of things eternal, or at least add them to the list of "important" things in life. As I have been reflecting on these struggles and questions, the Holy Spirit pushes me to The Word. In 2 Corinthians 4 and 5 Paul discusses the same struggle to look past the things of this world, whether persecution, material possessions, or any of the things that easily entangle us. In 4:18, he says "...we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." This helps bring clarity and even simplicity to many of my questions. Live for the things unseen, the things eternal. In Matthew 10, Jesus sends out his disciples to spread the Gospel. He tells them to "be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." Not exactly a clear-cut recipe or step-by-step manual. Yet, it is all we need- Keep my eyes on the eternal, walk in the Word and with the Spirit, and He will guide.

During this week, I have mostly been contacting and attempting to meet with supporters and visionaries for my position. It has been so encouraging to see the Lord provide, both financially and with direction for this role. And yet I am pushed to trust Him more and more for continual provision in both of these ways. Please pray for me as I trust the Lord to provide for this role, and to grant me discernment as I seek ways for our church to get involved. Yesterday I met again with people from Cornerstone, the Christian school in Woodlawn. We have been nailing down more specific ways that we will be working together in the New Year, and I am soo excited these amazing opportunities that I will be sharing more soon! Until next time,
Learning how to walk,
Dwight

Morning Prayer

2008-12-12T09:05:00.002-05:00

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground." Ps. 143:8, 10

This is my prayer today, as I seek to submit myself to the Lord's will for me today. That I may be of a mindset to listen where He leads. That I may have the eyes to see and the ears to hear the people and opportunities that He brings in my life today. That I will have the discernment to know how to follow Him and the courage to do so in spite of all that seems to stand in my way. May this be true for each of us today, as we seek to obey the Lord and redeem our own area of the city today. Lord, help us.

A week in Fairfield

2008-12-08T16:49:00.006-05:00

On Thursday afternoon I had the opportunity to attend a special luncheon at Restoration Academy. This monthly meeting is part of an effort to promote the school and garner support. There were over 50 in attendance (as has been the pattern): local businessman, financial investors, educators, Christian outreaches, and church representatives. As a complimentary meal was served by several kind women in a local church, Carl Lynn (the Executive Director) explained the heart and vision of this mission to the young people of Fairfield. As I continue to learn more and more about this amazing school and the heart of its people to reach a needy generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the crucial avenue of education, I continue to be blown away. This school that has now been around for 20 years has managed to continue to increase its vitality and effectiveness by being submissive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, learning from its past mistakes, and seeking partnerships with other "body parts" of Christ's church. Every year, they increase their ability to actively create lasting change in lives, as is evidenced in dynamic growth, improving testing scores, continual 100% graduation and college attendance rate, and continued provision from the Lord in every way. This school is helping to rescue children and youth from generational cycles of poverty, violence and gang activity, broken families, and alcohol and drug addictions. Most importantly, young people are being reached with HOPE-life transforming hope. Hope that changes their lives and gives them a suddenly new and bright look at the future. This hope is revealed through real relationships that offer a small picture of the love and relationship found only in Jesus Christ. I am soo excited about the beginning of our wonderful relationship with this school and its people, and the opportunities that we will very soon have so as to partner in this life-giving ministry. To learn more about Restoration Academy, visit their website here.

I was also privileged to attend a block party in Fairfield on Sunday afternoon. To the best of my knowledge, the afternoon was spearheaded by Dawson Baptist Church, with the help of Christ Episcopal Church, and some other local churches and individuals. This community event provided live music (compliments of Dawson's youth choir), fun games for the children, face painting, a free dinner, and a Gospel message. Many people from the churches came out and were able to interact with the people from the community. During this time I was able to meet several more people with these churches and ministries, and discuss possible means of partnerships. It was a cool event to reach out to the community, through the established faces of Christ Episcopal, Restoration Academy, and others.

As we move into the new year, we will begin to act on some of these new relationships and partnerships and find opportunities for our church body to help in Fairfield. I look forward greatly to these coming moments, so stay tuned!

Girls Inc. Opportunity

2008-12-01T22:51:00.002-05:00

We have a second opportunity to get involved in the community around us as a church body! As most of you know, we currently meet on Sunday nights in the Girls Inc. building in Crestwood. While we are attempting to grow our relationship with our leasers and find ways to serve them, we haven't had a lot of opportunity...until now. Girls Inc. has let us know that they will be having a holiday assistance program for some of their young girls called "Giving Tree". This event is for girls ages 6-18 who are involved in the Girls Inc. program and whose families do have have the necessary funds to give their girls Christmas presents. Individuals can sponsor a girl by either agreeing to shop for some specific items on the girl's wishlist or by simply giving the money for that specific girl to Girls Inc. and they will shop for you. The program estimates that sponsors will spend around $125 (possibly less) per girl if you do your own shopping, or asks that you donate this amount for them to purchase the gifts for the girl.

While individuals in our church may sponsor girls on their own if you wish, we are encouraging this to be something that we do as community groups. Therefore, we ask that this week each community group discuss and pray about sponsoring at least one girl together. You can choose to shop for the items on your girl's wishlist as a group (or elect a group representative to shop) or to bring the money on Sunday and Girls Inc. will buy the gifts for your girl. On Saturday, December 13th, they will have an event at Girls Inc. where all of the presents will be given to the girls. Additionally, there is a need for female volunteers on the day of this event, if anyone is interested.

While Girls Inc. is not a Christian organization and thus, this program is not Gospel-oriented, we have the opportunity to display the Gospel through this situation. As a church, when we sponsor young girls through the Giving Tree program, we not only reach out to the needs of the less privileged and love these young girls, but we are also sharing a great testimony with Girls Inc. Therefore, by making this our Christmas outreach, we not only bless these girls and their families, but we also show our leasers that our church reaches out to those around us with the love of Christ.

Fairfield, part 2- Restoration Academy

2008-11-28T00:05:00.000-05:00

One of the coolest and most exciting things going on in Fairfield is a relatively new and very unique Christian school called Restoration Academy. I quickly learned that this school and the people involved in it are unlike any other school or ministry I have ever seen. To start, it is located in the heart of Fairfield, easily accessible to all. It is a K-12 school that is opens its doors to any young person who is simply willing to put forth effort and allow themselves to be loved. As long as the student shows effort and discipline and abides within the behavioral boundaries, Restoration Academy will spend all for their growth and success, educationally and spiritually. All of the teachers at the school are required (and thus willingly choose, in order to be a part of such a unique program) to move to the area. I found most of their homes to be in and very near the roughest parts of the community. Additionally, every faculty member goes above and beyond the normal "call of duty", allowing the students' lives to infiltrate their own. Benjamin explained that he knew several teachers who allowed students to live in their house, for no cost, and without any compensation from the school. Such was necessary to keep the kids off of the street, much less to be sure they are fed, clothed, out of trouble, diligent with school, etc etc. This is only a tiny picture of how the teachers have literally chosen to give up everything to invest in the lives of their students, far beyond the classroom. I found that Restoration Academy can brag that not only have they graduated every single senior, but also that 100% of their students have gone to college. Not only this, but large numbers of the students are coming to personal relationships with the Lord. How much have these people sacrificed to guarantee true, lasting change in the lives of these students? This is radical.

While there is soo much more that I could share about this needy area and the people who so desperately need to learn of Christ, I can only share so much. I have tried to explain a general summary of the area and an introduction to the people and groups we will be partnering with (Christ Episcopal Church, CityWorks, Restoration Academy). However, as I draw this to an end, I want to share the most convicting and eye-opening part of my visit. It was in a conversation with Benjamin, in which we discussed opportunities for Redeemer to get involved in Fairfield. Through this, I realized that the last thing that this area needs is another church hoping to do a good deed, that comes in and then just as quickly, goes out of the lives of the people there. So often, individuals and churches alike, come into an area like Fairfield with the goal of solving all of their problems. We tend to put ourselves in the superior "giving" position and allow ourselves to feel a sense of accomplishment, accompanied by a warm feeling inside that we have "done our part". Or at least, even if we have pure intentions and a genuine desire to help and serve, we are still noncommittal, short-sighted, and undeniably selfish in our efforts.

I know this, not only because I have seen it, but because I do these things myself. Even in my past ventures in helping the needy in such settings, I realized that I rarely was committed to go beyond my one or two days a week involvement. I have been the very person who, as Pastor Gates described, "comes into their lives for a few months, and when my schedule isn't conducive with helping anymore, or I get frustrated, or even just bored, I edge out of their lives." He explained that the people are used to that type of church involvement, and as a result, they are not only skeptical, but often embittered. What they need is something more real, more committed, more sacrificial. Maybe some of us at Redeemer are in a place to consider moving into an area like Woodlawn or Fairfield in order to really be part of the community and truly invest in people's lives in a lasting way. If so, then be obedient- do it! If we are not led (or willing) to do something like this right now, then there are still ways for us to give wholly of ourselves to the spiritual and physical needs of "the least of these". As we begin, as a church body, to discover and take hold of these ways to help affect real change in lives in the areas surrounding Crestwood, and in Fairfield, we must determine to rise above this expected minimum sacrifice. If we are going to enter into these people's lives, we must determine to be committed, consistent, and selfless. Then we can truly allow Christ and the Gospel to break into the darkness, not just through word, but through lifestyle. I ask the Lord to help me to know how to be this, as I ask him to show us, as His Body, how to be this also.

Welcome to Fairfield, part 1

2008-11-26T16:59:00.000-05:00

On Monday, I was introduced to the area of Fairfield...and I think I am still processing all that I saw. Actually, it may take quite some time. To be completely honest, I have delayed writing about my experience on here because I am not sure that I can actually describe much of what I learned. It wasn't just the poverty. It wasn't just the decrepit homes. It wasn't just the drug houses, or the gangs, or any of the many visible signs of decaying life. Neither could it be easily described by hopelessness, anger, bitterness, or any of the imperceptible factors, though they were just as real and distressing. The things I saw, learned, heard, and felt in Fairfield struck me to my core, really shook up my sense of order. It is forcing me to reevaluate what I want in life, what I deem as important, the things and places and people that I place value on. And so I offer this disclaimer from the start: No matter how descriptive or meaningful or true anything that I say here may be, it will be inadequate. To truly know and understand all that I now speak of, you must also experience it for yourself. No amount of words or pictures can replace seeing it with your own eyes, feeling it deep in your heart and being. So I hope that you will not be satisfied with my (necessarily) brief, disjointed summary or take my word for it, but that you will come know for yourself what Fairfield is like, and how much need and opportunity there is. In order to not overwhelm you with too much information, and to help process my own thoughts, I will write about Fairfield in a two-part update.

As I mentioned in the previous post, there is a handful of people that go to Redeemer who are closely tied or involved in Fairfield. One of these people is Benjamin Smith and he was gracious enough give me an in-depth introduction to the people, churches, schools, and area as a whole. Benjamin not only works part-time for an organization in Fairfield called CityWorks, but also is involved in one of the most active churches in the area-Christ Episcopal Church. This is the same church that we came alongside with to help more than 20 families have an adequate Thanksgiving meal. This church (as well as CityWorks) is led and pastored by an amazing man named Gates Shaw, who has given many years to the people and community of Fairfield. We can certainly expect to partner with Christ Episcopal and CItyWorks in much of the work we will do in Fairfield.

As Benjamin took me through the heart of the area, I quickly realized that Fairfield was nothing to be taken lightly...in many ways. First, I heard the description of the vicious cycle of unemployment, poor education, lack of monetary resources, broken families, rampant crime, gang activity, drug dealing, and much, much more. Then, as we drove around, I saw these truths before my eyes. An odd but problematic issue in the area is apparently the prevalence of packs of wild dogs. They are known to run around freely and attack children and adults alike. We even saw one member of the Christ Episcopal jogging through the neighborhood, armed with pepper spray in case he came across the dogs. Several other huge issues are drugs, violence, and crime. At one point, we passed a house with about 10-12 youth hanging around it. Benjamin explained that these guys, all dressed in red, were the local armed, drug-dealing, gang members. The vandalism and poorly maintained houses in the surrounding area made it easy to see why no more-reputable people were anxious to move in. However, only 1 street over, Benjamin pointed out that CityWorks (the community development organization he worked with) had purchased several houses and duplexes to provide affordable housing for locals, as well as for mixed-income housing. Most of the houses are bought in various states of disrepair and are repaired in order to be sold for a lower price.

This was all part, he explained, of the greater plan to help redeem and revitalize Fairfield's struggling community through wealthy and caring middle/upper class people moving into the area and joining forces with the responsible, less affluent people in the community. As these individuals move into the area and dedicate all of their selves to the betterment of the people, they become one with, part of the community, instead of being an outsider. This is how lasting, meaningful, and sustainable community improvement and ministry begin.

Soon to come...Part 2

Fairfield Thanksgiving

2008-11-24T18:06:00.000-05:00

This week we have one of our first opportunities to help in our communities of focus. Fairfield is an extremely needy area of west Birmingham where several people in Redeemer have been investing their time and lives. Because there are so many opportunities readily available for us to help with in this area, we will begin some of our ministry in this area, as well as the area directly around our church. There will be another post very soon with more a more detailed description of Fairfield and the needs there

However, as Thanksgiving approaches, we have an immediate opportunity to help 20+ families from Fairfield to have an adequate Thanksgiving meal. We are partnering with one of the prominent, active churches in this area, Christ Episcopal, to help get this done. This church has been developing relationships and working with the people of Fairfield for quite some time and have compiled a list of around 20 families that do not have the resources to have a proper Thanksgiving meal. I am happy to say that we already have raised enough funds to buy each family a precooked, premade meal, at the price of $30/family. Christ Episcopal will buy and organize these meals, but we would love people from Redeemer to come help us pass out these meals on Wednesday, November 26th (Thanksgiving Eve)! Those who help with this food distribution will have the opportunity to personally deliver one or several meals to families and spend time getting to know them as well. This will be a great chance to see the actual people who are being helped through such an event!

If you are interested in helping with the distribution on Wednesday, and have not already signed up, you can email me at castledwight@gmail.com or call me at 336.831.4489. Benjamin Smith will be heading up the distribution for Redeemer people and can also be reached at 205.873.0653. We look forward to seeing the visible fruits of such an exciting opportunity.

The Grand Tour

2008-11-19T11:50:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I was able to take a big step in familiarizing myself with the communities around Redeemer and making good contacts! For most of the day, James Kling took me around all of the surrounding areas and educated me just about every facet of life there. He has lived and worked in this area for quite some time and so has proven to be a knowledgeable and willing informant. We began with a windshield tour in south Crestwood, making our way through the edges of Forest Park and into Avondale. After checking out the grand Avondale Library and Park, we made our way into some much rougher areas through Woodlawn, Gate City, and East Lake. It was very interesting to see the sudden progression (or rather, digression) from nice, large houses and neighborhoods to housing projects, crack houses, prostitution centers, and other typical components of the east Birmingham hood. This graffiti on one dilapidated, barred up house spoke volumes on life in this area:

We finished up our tour by literally crossing the tracks into the suddenly more appealing and less disconcerting north Crestwood area. I was amazed again by how close in proximity the worst sections of town are to the more affluent, with little more separation than trains and little more connection than persistent, petty crime. At the end of this time, I felt I had had my eyes opened (though briefly- no less potent) to a whole new world, literally on our doorstep and in our backyard. As I learned of the alarming crime statistics, saw the abject poverty, and spoke with the hurting and hungry, I felt a rush of conflicting emotions. My compassion and concern were immediately tempered by fear, selfishness, and pride. The sheer weight of the need both inspired me and overwhelmed me. I was discouraged and yet excited, cynical and yet hopeful. As the commands of Jesus to care for the poor, feed and clothe the orphans and widows, and share hope with the lost rushed to my mind, so did my busy schedule, my fear for my safety, and my lack of resources.

Surely all who have endeavored to obey Christ's simple and challenging example have faced these sentiments, from the time of the early apostles until now. Then more Scripture continued to come to mind: "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some..."(1 Cor. 9:22); " I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing power of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things..." (Phil. 3:8); "...who being in very nature God...made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant...he humbled himself and became obedient to death..."(Phil. 2:6-8); "He who despises his neighbor sins, but happy is he who is gracious to the poor"(Prov. 14:21,31); "He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be answered."(Prov. 21:13). Then I went and read Is. 58, as I encourage you to do. Things seemed to fall into their right places and my perspective was better aligned.

For the last several hours of the day, we visited local schools, ministries, churches, non-profits, and other groups that would be helpful to create initial contact. While we certainly will be limited in our partnerships and commitments at outset, it is important to watch and learn from those who have paved the way. Several of these stops were the Dept. of Human Resources (for the unemployed), Cornerstone Christian School, Workshops Inc. (on-the-job training for mentally handicapped adults), Girls Inc. (our current landlord), and many more. As we form more relationships with such people and groups, we will begin to discover opportunities for future partnerships and coordinated outreaches. I have a lot to process and follow up with after such a great, eye-opening day, and I look forward to the fruit that will surely come from such discoveries!

Crestwood Fall Festival

2008-11-13T09:14:00.000-05:00

As a church body, we are currently coming together for Sunday services at the Girls Inc. in the Crestwood area of Birmingham. Since this is the area where we meet together, we have decided to strategically begin our outreach to the people of the Crestwood, Avondale, and Woodlawn general area. We hope to grow deep roots in our ministry here as we form meaningful relationships with the residents, partner with community ministries, aid local schools, and allow the Body of Christ to permeate lives. As we grow as a Body, we hope to continue to expand the breadth of our outreach to other areas, but never at the expense of depth in our ministries. We believe that to best live out the Gospel, we must, as a church body, have consistent and genuine interaction that goes beyond surface level "duty", impersonal programs, and occasional events. As we develop this continual, personal presence in these areas, the Gospel will go forth and Christ will be known.

This weekend we had the opportunity to take a step in this direction: the annual Crestwood Fall Festival (held just down the street from where we meet and a block over from where Joel, our pastor, lives). For the past couple of years, the people in the neighborhood have put on this fun event for families and friends to come to and have a great time. It proved to have a substantial draw since there are so many families with young children in the area. There were booths with games, toys, giveaways, free food, and info on community events and happenings. This year Redeemer had the chance to have a booth and it was tons of fun! In the spirit of equality and peace, they did not declare a "Most Awesome Booth" award, but there is no doubt that we would have easily taken it! I am sure that our appeal had nothing to do with the fact that we had a large inflatable bouncy castle, stellar face-painting, and unparalleled balloon animals.

While Joel and I made a plethora of unique balloon creatures, Amanda Blake designed miniature Sistine Chapels on the faces of little children. All of this while we tried desperately to keep our bouncy castle, full of kids, from literally flying away in the blustery winds (despite being held down with stakes and bricks). It was a great opportunity for the neighbors to gather info on who we are as a church, but also to see us as part of the community. We were very excited to see several Redeemer members come out to enjoy the festival with us. I personally was able to meet several locals and look forward to developing these relationships more! And to finish it all off, I came away with a free Subway sub, a toothbrush, and a 2008 Fall Festival plastic cup. Can this be topped, you ask? I submit no.

The Church Gathered Becomes the Church Scattered

2008-11-12T16:10:00.000-05:00

Well, as the inaugural post on our new blog, it may be best to explain the purpose of having this blog. As a church body, we have been learning about the importance of reaching out to those around us with the Gospel. We are not meant to simply hear the saving, freeing news of the Gospel and keep it to ourselves. Nor are we meant to simply go on with our lives, oblivious to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those on our doorstep. Rather, this life-transforming Gospel requires a complete life change- a sacrifice of our own desires, comforts, time, and money. As we reach out to those around us, we help fulfill Christ's mission for His people to bring redemption to this world.

As we grow as a church, we want to make it our main priority to help redeem the city of Birmingham with the Gospel of Christ. This may be by sharing the story of Jesus directly, but it will more than likely begin with playing soccer, donating school supplies, giving away food and clothes, listening to someone in need of a friend, or tutoring and mentoring a young child. These simple acts of love show the people in our communities that we are not simply people who go to church on Sundays or claim to believe in a higher being, but we are an imperfect, sinful people made new and forever changed by the unchanging love of our Saviour, who gave himself up wholly for us and for them. And so we will seek to wholly give up ourselves to mirror this redemptive love and grace to those around us who are literally dying to find such love and acceptance.

As we seek to grow and minister together in this way, I will be helping to head up our urban ministry as a church body at Redeemer. This is a new and exciting role and stage of life for me. After returning from my last year ministering in Northern Ireland, I have been seeking my niche and place of ministry here in Birmingham. After many, many months of frustrating job searching and seeking of the Lord's will, He graciously blessed me with this new role. It is exciting to think of how the Lord has led me here and how He will guide and bless His work from here. This will initially begin as my account of discovering the people, places, and needs in our community, but will quickly become a place to see how the body of Redeemer becomes the hands and feet of Christ, and how YOU can join with us!

Another update to come soon! Until then, be Christ to those around you TODAY!

Learning to serve,
Dwight Castle