What's going on in the Women's Ministry....

The Women's Ministry (plus their driver).  Marie is in the bright green jacket in the front.

Recently, our women’s Bible study lesson came from the story of the woman at the well. As facilitator, I hoped to use the story to share tools of effective study.

-          Observation: What does it say?
-          Interpretation: What does it mean?
-          Application: What does it mean to me?
-          Main Morsel: What was the main lesson I learned from this story?

The outcome was awesome. Many of us cried as we began to share what God was doing in our lives. At the end of our study, I asked what each woman took as their main morsel. Each woman, shared what they took away from the lesson. One admitted that she is “at the well” right now. She lives with her boyfriend and knows God know everything that is going on. Another woman realized she has a thirst only God can fill and others received confirmatio

n about changes that need to be made.

I, myself, feel I am “the woman at the well” because God is using me to teach this class. Remember how she ran back to the city to tell everyone about the prophet?  He used her to bring others into the kingdom.

Yes. Thank you God, for your living water!

~guest author, Marie, volunteer staff

A lesson about honesty at Super Saturday from a teen...

Deshownna in 2004

Deshownna is 13 years old and an 8th grader.  This summer, she was asked to join our Teen Leadership group because of this type of example she is.  She's been involved with Urban Family Ministries since Kindergarten.  Read in Deshownna's own words what she learned and how she was tested on Saturday night.

     What I learned this week at Super Saturday was honesty.  Mr. Alf put me and some other teenagers in a skit about honesty. [There were 3 groups of us pretending to be in conversation. He walked by and dropped some money in front of each group.] Only 1 group of kids was honest enough to give his money back.

Later on that Saturday, I think I got tested a little because Ms. Heidi dropped a 20 dollar bill [and I saw it lying on the floor.] Now, it was very tempting [to pocket the money], but I decided to do the right thing and turn the money in to Mr. Alf.

Deshownna today, with her mentor, Ms. Heidi

That same night I found a pair of glasses and 

gave them to Mr. Alf as well. It’s funny how we JUST got done talking about honesty, and doing a skit specifically about returning money someone’s dropped and there just HAPPENED to be a 20 dollar bill right in front of me!

Deshownna

Praise God with us as we rejoice in this type of growth and for the willingness to share.

God is always speaking... we rarely listen...

     While prepping for small group, I spent nearly 4 hours in search of a Psalm that would help us continue on the trajectory of “Remembering: A Journey through Story.” God and I had words. It seemed He was keeping me stuck on a particular passage that didn’t seem applicable. I wasn’t listening. He HAD given me the words to share, but I wasn’t cooperating.

The teen girls group.

     Thursday evening, as we began our discussion, I told the girls, “It seems God just wants us to share with one another.” We reflected on how long we’ve been in community and the safety of sharing life with sisters who care. (The week prior we’d talked about the real meanings of love as found in 1 Corinthians 13). I was able to share what God laid on my heart and proceeded to open the floor to anything they felt they wanted to share.

     Conversation flowed quite naturally as the girls talked about different ideas and issues they’d been thinking about. Out of the blue, Deshownna interrupted saying, “What I want to know is has anyone ever looked at Psalm 13? 12 is my favorite number so I decided to check out Psalm 12, but THEN I read Psalm 13…Psalm 13 is like, EXACTLY what I was thinking! God does that with me, like, I’ll have a question in my head and He’ll just GIVE me the answer from a person, from the Bible for somewhere else.”

     God is always talking, we just need to slow down and listen.  He gives us exactly the words we need, exactly when needed. Deshownna’s testimony is powerful. That young lady listens. She’s always sharing new things God has whispered to her, thereby encouraging all around her to slow down and listen up.

 “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.”  Psalm 13:5-6

~ guest author - Heidi, staff

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

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

Wisdom...

One of my favorite parts of volunteering with Urban Family Ministries is driving.  It's during this time when I have some of the best conversations with my kids and teenagers.  I think it is partly because they are literally stuck with me, and don't have as many opportunities to dodge conversation.

One such conversation happened a few months ago with one of my teen girls.  I'd dropped everyone else off, and we were headed back to the church when Deshownna hopped into the front seat. 

I love this girl.  She always asks great questions, and is much wiser than she even realizes.  She is kind, jubilant, and respectful.

Melissa and UFM Teen Leadership group.

"Miss Melissa," she says, “You know how bad stuff happens?"

"Yes." I replied, knowing of some of the bad things that have happened in the span of 7 years I've known her.

"Well.  When bad stuff happens, good stuff usually eventually comes from it, right?"

"Yes."

"Well.  Since I know something good is going to come from it, I should just have a good attitude while it's going on, right?"

"Yes."

I was astounded by the level of wisdom she had.  She recognized that the “good stuff” came from God, and didn't blame him for the bad things, like we as adults are sometimes apt to do.  This led to a longer conversation about how we go through things to learn, and to help others.    I was able to talk with her about things that my friends and I didn't have the brains to talk about until college.

Although this is something I know, and I've talked about with friends, it doesn't mean I'm living it.  She made it seem so simple; like she had made up her mind, and that's how it was going to be.  She's always had a great attitude about her life, even when she knows it's going pretty terribly. 

Romans 8:28 says:  "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."  If we believe this to be true, then we to can rejoice in times of trial and suffering. 

James 1: 2-4 says: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  It is the hard times that make us who we are in Christ. 

Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

God gives us all the tools to rejoice always, we just don’t always utilize them.

I think of all these things when I think of my conversation with Deshownna.  I am so thankful that I have her in my life, and for the things she teaches me.

I hope that I teach the kids/ teens even half as much as they are teaching me.  I am so blessed by their wisdom, and child-like faith.  I pray that they can all have this kind of attitude.  I pray that they can see the bigger picture, and see there is a God who loves them and is with them all the time.

~guest author, Melissa, volunteer

Out of my comfort zone...

     Five years ago, Urban Family Ministries contacted me about tutoring a 15 year old African boy in reading. He'd been in the United States for 3 years, though couldn't read.  Foday had never gone to school in Africa and he had some anger issues, plus he struggled with our English language.  Having been a teacher of early elementary children in a suburban school district and being a 59 year old woman, I was pretty sure this wasn't going to work.  How in the world could he even relate to me, let alone understand and learn?  I took a couple of days to pray about this request.  
     What a glorious God we have - He gently led me right out of my comfort zone and into one of the most cherished relationships!  Foday and I still tutor/mentor today.  He has so many people who care about him.  We call ourselves 'Team Foday'.  Because of his perseverance, caring ways and Godly heart, his new found Christianity has influenced others in his originally Muslim family.  Often I didn't know where Foday was headed, but I always trusted the Lord had great plans for him.  

     And here he is today, with a high school diploma and a 40 hour a week job!!  His journey has not been a smooth one and we're sure there will be many more obstacles in his path ahead, BUT Jesus is not only walking along side of him, He's inside Foday!  Foday knows God asks him to bring his worries and sorrows, his thankfulness and praise to Him.

     One of Foday's favorite bible passages is Proverbs 3:5,6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

"We walk by faith, not by sight."

~ guest author, Jane, volunteer