Kids Having Fun At The Cornerstone Connection

I have more nieces and nephews...

Denise getting hugs at a Super Saturday.

     I became familiar with UFM while attending Calvary Church several years ago.   One day I asked Jim, a former UFM employee and Kitchen Crew leader, if he needed "backup" staff for the kitchen crew in case anyone called in sick or was on vacation. Jim said that would be a good idea and he would call me when needed. Sure enough, he asked me to help out one Saturday and I really enjoyed it.In the following weeks he asked me to fill in for someone on a regular basis, eventually I was asked me to come every week! I've been a part of the UFM Super Saturday kitchen for 8-10 years. I love the people I work with and I think I'm the youngest one in the kitchen! I love to say "hi" to the kids who attend Super Saturday and mingle with them when I get a chance. I really enjoy getting to know some of the kids, asking them about their lives, and showing that I care about them. I even get hugs from those that know me! I see the Super Saturday kids as an extension of my family, like my nieces and nephews. On Saturdays, there are just more nieces and nephews for me to love! I enjoy being able to spend time with 100+ great kids and still go home to my quiet condo! Even though I'm now a member of another church, I still feel very much a part of UFM.

~guest author, Denise, volunteer and Board Member

We didn't know anything was missing...

     I just love how God works, don’t you?  There is a saying “if you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans”.   Well, I can tell you that our family of 6, like many,  is a very busy family with hardly a moment to spare it seems.  So when my 19 year old daughter Celine told me that she was going to mentor a (1) child through Urban Family Ministries I thought “That is great!  She will be good at that and can probably squeeze that into her schedule.  And maybe our family can meet this child sometime.”   I think that’s where God probably had his first chuckle. 

     One year later, we now consider our family of 6, a family of 9.  And, we’re connected to an even larger family of 4 more.  You see, what God had planned was something we couldn’t have even imagined.  We didn’t know anything or anyone was missing!    But Celine was obedient to a call to serve.  She met with Noelle at Urban Family Ministries who kindly asked her if she felt she could mentor 3 boys who all live in the same home.  Celine had some doubts, but she is a woman of great courage and incredible faith.  “You lead, I’ll follow” as the song says.  And follow, she did. 

The boys and Kerri's daughters doing a craft together.

I vividly remember meeting Zaonta, Mark, and Kayveon for the first time.  Celine had already spent some time with them and wanted them to meet her family.  They were such polite and precious boys and we had a wonderful time together in our home, eating pancakes.  They came back again and again and each time we got to know each other a little better.  I started to see signs that they were beginning to trust us.  They started opening up more and bringing us into their day to day lives.  We laughed, we played games, we talked about God, about life, about hardships, fights at school, and so much more.  

     I could not imagine life without them.  It now seems that they have been a part of us forever.  We look forward to always sharing life with them, God willing.  They understand we love them.  They understand we enjoy spending time with them.  They understand that we have great respect for their Auntie who loves and cares for them on a daily basis.  And I think they are beginning to understand what unconditional love feels like. 

I’m so thankful that Celine was obedient.  And I’m totally appreciating God’s sense of humor. 

~guest author, Kerri, volunteer

What are you DOing for God?

Jen teaching at Super Saturday

Let me ask you a question... How much time do you spend furthering-growing God's Kingdom? I mean more than praying, donating money, or encouraging someone in the ministry? Don't get me wrong, we need your prayers, lets bombard heaven’s gates with our requests for those who desperately need salvation! We need money, the ministry work is not free. We need encouragement, some days more than others! But when you sit and look at your life, day to day, how much time do you spend building your life? With work, rest, fun...and how much time do you actually give back to God? This is more than prayer, more than devotions- time in the word. This is get your hands in, reach out, get out, and DO kind of time.  

This thought hit me many years ago. I have been a believer most of my life. God has always been around. I always have prayed, learned, and tried to grow as a child of God but do-ing....what was I DOing for God?

Being a good person, a good wife, a good mom, a good daughter and sister...well, yeah. But really living a "good" life for ME on my standards according to Christian opinion. I realized giving back a few hours a week to God, to thank Him for all He has given me is a drop in the bucket. The time I spend to volunteer is a fraction of a fraction of the time I spend doing what I want.

Seriously, spending the few hours every week volunteering may make me miss some fun things, may make me miss some quiet time, some family time but really....what are we doing the other hours of the week? Don't we expect God to always be available to us? Can we give just a bit of our time for Him? God can do so much with our time budget! HE can change lives, give hope, share joy, save souls, give someone a future with the little bit of time we open up to serve.

He needs not just our hands and feet but our willingness to go and DO for Him. God CAN use you! You just need to try, go, be, and do!!!

“God’s people cannot be shamed into serving God; they need to be challenged.” ~ Jack Hyles

So I challenge you. Find a place, try a place to serve and just see what God can grow with your investment!

Galatians 5:13 "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."

Colossians 3:23-24 "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."

~guest author, Jen S., volunteer

February 2013 E-news...

Ever wonder what is going on at Urban Family Ministries?

Did you know we send out an E-news letter 4-6 times a year?

We have linked our latest Enews, just published yesterday, to our blog for you to be able to catch up!  If you are interested in having this sent directly to your email, please go to the UFM website Enews sign up and fill in the form.  This will automatically keep you updated on news related to Urban Family Ministries!

Click here for the UFM February 2013 E-news.

Superbowl Sunday... connecting Urban and Suburban

UFM and Georgetown Bible paired up to host a fabulous Superbowl Extravaganza. 

Samantha and Deshowne celebrating with their new iPods.

Glen Wilson, youth pastor at Georgetown Bible, collaborated with UFM and Tabernacle Community Church youth group to throw a hype party at UFM’s office on the corner of Eastern and Baxter.  The game was broadcast on 4 different televisions and a large projector screen. Middle and high school students and volunteers filled the rec center with laughter and conversation. Over 60 people joined in cheering on different students as they participated in a variety of “minute-to-win-it” games. Winners went home with a variety of prizes from candy bars, buckets of gumballs, all the way to $25 to iTunes or Best Buy, and two lucky winners took home iPods! 

It was a great blessing to see this facility used so well, packed with students and volunteers having a blast, sharing in community, and creating memories.  We ate, we danced, we cheered!! It was a Superbowl Party to remember.

Executive Director, Alf Clark responded to the night with these words: 

And the game gets serious....

Minute-to-win-it game

“I had a dream right after starting here in March of 2012.  I dreamed at some point, we could be part of bridging the urban community with the suburban community.  My dream included urban and suburban youth filling the main room in our office building, breaking out of their cultural shells and experiencing what Heaven will look like.  This dream, in which we as a staff continue to cultivate, is called in the office “God with US” (Urban Suburban).  This dream became a reality for the first time on Sunday night as Georgetown Bible Church, Tabernacle Community Church youth group and UFM high and middle school students merged together to watch the Superbowl game.  We had door prizes, pizza, games, pool table, foosball table, Superbowl game playing on 4 flat screen T.V’s and music bouncing in the building.  

As I sat there and looked around, it was hard to not allow a smile to break across my face.  I saw teens from the suburban area breaking bread with an urban teen.  I saw an urban teen engage in a conversation with a youth group member from a suburban setting.  As I thought through the evening of what God was doing right there in that room, he reminded me of how one of our teen boys, Dearis, arrived and immediately broke down barriers.  A group of suburban teens were sitting in the cafe’ getting ready to play cards.   They were sitting around a small round table which created more of a “huddle” look where the group is shoulder to shoulder facing each other.  This was not intentional by any means.  Dearis, walked into the cafe’ and right up to the group, placed his chin almost on the shoulders of two people sitting at the table peering into the circle.  He looked right, then left and asked “What are you guys doing?”  Someone from the group spoke up saying “We’re getting ready to play cards.”  Dearis not skipping a beat questioned, “Can I join you?”  The response was a welcoming yes and as the two people who he was peering over the shoulder of separated, he pulled up another chair and began playing.  For the rest of the night, Dearis and that group of young men and women were connected, talking and the barriers were non-existent.  

What an awesome experience watching again God, first hand, break down barriers we all know can be there, but rarely speak of.” 

Service Project Required...

Heidi and Manuel at camp in 2012.

That’s what was expected of Cornerstone University students who chose to enroll in Leadership Journey (LJ) before 2007. Leadership Journey was a two week program featuring a week long leadership camp at Grace Adventures, a week-long intensive worldview course at Cornerstone, and a required weekly service project that spanned the entire school-year. In 2005, when Heidi began her college experience she was thrust into the ‘must do’ community service project following camp experience and worldview class. Her Leadership Journey Group chose to serve at Urban Family Ministries’ Super Saturday (SS) program.

Now this meant that EVERY Saturday evening a group of college freshmen would go to Calvary Church and help out with this inner-city ministry. Yes, these students gave up EVERY Saturday night of their first semester to volunteer with Urban Family Ministries (UFM). They hosted a group of 6-8 years old kiddos, on campus, each week second semester.

This is where Heidi fell in love. Now, don’t let your mind wander, she fell head over heels in love with ALL of these children! When Heidi would call home, as her Mom I wanted to know how school was going and of course, wanted to know her grades! However, Heidi ALWAYS wanted to talk about Super Saturday!!!!(The ‘required’ service project that she wasn't getting graded on….at least not by Cornerstone….).

Fast forward to sophomore year, Heidi served as a mentor for a Leadership Journey group. Heidi’s LJ group wanted to do something different this year, but nothing was working out, so they “ended” serving with UFM again, bringing kiddos to campus for a weekly visit! Hmmmm….I think God was in control, don’t you???

To make a 7 year story short, Heidi volunteered at SS all 4 yrs of college. Yep, she gave up her Saturday evenings to bless and mostly be blessed by these children and other volunteers. What we as her parents, and she being an English Education Major, didn't know, was that God was prepping her for what is now, her full-time ‘job’!!! “Job” is in quotes, because this is truly her God given gift and calling. She is a missionary right in her home town, Grand Rapids!!!

Submitted by a very thankful mother of a child who followed God’s will!! 

~guest author, Darla Chinn