7.28.2012

New Shalom (feat. Pro)

This week marked a whole year since the first Legacy Conference we attended.  It's been around for a handful of years, and is held at my alma matter in downtown Chicago.

This is what's up:
The Legacy exists to equip those that are serious about being disciples of Christ to make disciples for Christ. This is accomplished through biblical training (Legacy Conference and Legacy University) and networking opportunities of like minded urban leaders.

 It is essentially an urban-minded conference with workshops taught by hip-hop artists, featuring concerts at night by these same artists.  Also leading the workshops, sessions, and discussion panels are college professors, pastors, church planters, and poets.

For us,  theLegacy was one of the first action steps in pursuing urban ministry as a couple.  It was a good reminder that we are called to inner-city work, and that we wouldn't have to change who we are to do it...

Here's a video I put together shortly afterward, to share our experience:





7.19.2012

Tell Your Heart Heads Up


On Saturday we had another opportunity to go down to Portland (PDX), and spend some more time with The Snider’s and BridgeTown, Inc. 

After four days with them back in March/April, Marshall (Snider) gave us an open invite to come back down.  He has been over-the-top in accommodating us.  It is so important to have people like him become a part of your picture; immediately willing to invest and open up their life to you, with no “real” return.  Through both trips down, I’ve been given a lot to think about, chew on, and learn.  They’ve been growing experiences. 

BTown Kids” is a branch of BridgeTown, Inc. that is most visible during the summer months, as every Saturday holds a multi-site event.  We received personal tours of all three BTown Kids sites.   While at each, we got to peek in on the differences and similarities, while learning the history and meeting the directors.  It was awesome seeing how the locations were so integrated within their particular communities.  At the last site we got to meet up with Lesley, Sam, and Noah (the rest of the Snider clan), it was fun seeing them again!

This time we left Seattle early and returned late the same day- after the carved out BTown time, we went downtown for Saturday Market (Angelina’s Gyros food-truck, we had on our first trip and vowed to visit again), the Portland Aerial Tram (cool views of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens, and our rides ended up being *free*), and Deschutes.  No Voodoo doughnuts this time- too long of a line and that sun was blazin'!


Learn more about BridgeTown, Inc. HERE


Marshall, you inspire me to dream and have a vision for an organization that matters, and to invest in those who have little clue what they’re getting themselves into… it means so much.    

-j



 


7.13.2012

Love and Peace or Else

Just a quick summer update...

This week I began working with Urban Impact Seattle, as a classroom assistant in their summer day camp.  I'm there for a handful of hours each week- building relationships with the students (3rd-5th grade), interns (high schoolers), teachers, and program director.   

On Mondays the class is working on a community asset mapping project (learning about their neighborhood and receiving a $500 grant to implement whatever they come up with), and Wednesday afternoons are swimming lessons at a local beach.

We have a really good group of students, and I'm excited to be a part of this years program!