Restoration is Our Goal

Almost nine years ago we founded Common Ground Montgomery with "restoration" in mind. We were called to locate in Washington Park/Gibbs Village as our geographical focus, but restoration in every area of the lives of all who choose to participate in this ministry is the hope and prayer of our staff. We assume much and trust God for much. We assume that we ALL need to be restored and that this is a life-long process and that God is so powerful and big that He can do whatever He wants, when He wants, and how He wants. 

We assume that every person that chooses to get involved (staff, pastors, donors, teachers, volunteers, board members, mentors, friends, family, neighbors) have deep, broken, messed-up places in their inner lives that need restoration. We believe He has chosen to use as primary instruments broken, weak, needy, humble people and the relationships they enter into as the ground for His powerful work and transformation. 

     

Restoration is not necessarily the same thing as good programs, busy ministry initiatives, self help, disciplined lifestyles, education, accumulation of wealth and status, and/or success; it is more. 

   
When we talk about restoration some people act like it's something to "go back to" - like speaking of times 40 or 50 years ago when the community was not violent, when people left their doors unlocked and kids were disciplined by parents and community alike. Some talk of getting back to "what this country was founded on" and argue restoration to a Christian nation. But in every generation massive injustice, sin, and oppression was practiced to and by many, notably even those who claimed Christ. 

     

 Restoration is more than relative peace, safety, and diminished mass shootings, crime, and terrorism. God says, through Paul, that he is restoring to the rightful places love, relationships, marriage, sex, language, money; ALL things. 

   

This is the goal. It matters that kids have access to the opportunity and healthy environment for their development into the creative and equipped Images of God that they were made to be.                      

   
Restoration is absolutely NOT a short term thing. 

     

It's why "door-to-door evangelism", or "drive-by evangelism", is not enough - great and needed as it is, but only a beginning at best. 

     

Restoration into the redeemed image of God is the goal. 

     

People experiencing restoration are the kind of people who love as they have been loved; nothing else will be enough. Those kind of people and families cross all lines and move toward others in humility who won't move towards them (because nothing else will be enough: no government reconciliation policies, no calling the "other side" out through social media, and no mainstream media rhetoric will ever be enough). I am grateful for the actions of policy makers and non-violent protests because they have accomplished great systemic change, which is needed, but it will be ineffective by itself in changing the hearts of people. 

     

Only God's work, in the hearts of people who are able to move towards one another in deep humility will accomplish Kingdom trajectory changes. This is where restoration comes in. God chooses to do this, I earnestly believe, in real relationships. 

     

He is after utter wholeness. 

     

He is after deep change. He is after bringing light and His presence into the deepest, darkest, most hidden, most defended, and most broken parts that we still all have as followers and "saved" people.        

These are the relationships we seek to create through living in this community, through creating space for friends, family, teachers, tutors, coaches, mentors, kids, adults, different races, different cultures, and those with all kinds of different Christian traditions, to be together and to truly connect in consistent and lasting time together; to be restored together. It is so painful at times. It is so sad and frustrating. But, my friends, it is so very worth it. 

    

I think this is what Jesus notes as "fruit that will last," at least, as we abide in Him and abide together. We will not have heaven here, of that I am sure. But I think we can have so much more than the poverty we all have accepted. What if there are, in increasing measure, beautiful expressions and experienced glimpses of the Kingdom of God that serve as a growing foretaste of what's coming on that future glorious Day? 

     

     Thank you for helping us create space, time, and an environment where God is doing beautiful things among us. Your partnership is deeply necessary and the chosen instrument God is using. You are literally: called, sent, and the very answer of our prayer. May God continue to bless your help and sacrifice. 

Founder and Executive Director of Common Ground Montgomery, Bryan Kelly, along with his wife, Delta, and four boys, believe they have been called to become part of the fabric of Montgomery’s Washington Park community for the purpose of its transformation. Find our more about Common Ground Montgomery

A True Picture of Love

Valentine hearts stuffed chocolates. Red, pink, and white roses. Romantic Hallmark cards that say “I love you” in fifty different ways. All this and more are flooding the entrances to every grocery store across Dallas. Many say this day emphasizes love, others say it puts unnecessary pressure on love. While others, especially on Valentine’s Day, are still trying to understand what love truly is.  1 John 3:16 says “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

It’s difficult to find this type of selfless love today; however I met with Annie Roberson of Mercy Street and found that there have been women living this out every week for the last eight years. Grace Bible church partnered with Mercy Street eight years ago to meet the need to minister to parents of the children involved in the mentor program. What began as a ministering opportunity has now grown into true, loving relationships.

Gale Smith of Grace Bible Church gathered women from her community to travel over to West Dallas to meet with the women living in the Lakeview Townhome apartments. They knocked on doors and asked women to join them for fellowship, food, and a bible study. It wasn’t long before relationships began to form between the two different groups of women. “You can teach about loving others that are different from you all day long. It doesn’t count until you are intentional and go out of your way to build relationships” said Annie. The women encouraged each other, carried each other’s burdens, meditated on the word of God, and prayed for each other.

One year later, they moved the bible study to Mercy Street, opening it up to women beyond Lakeview apartments. The women are asked to come as they are. Grace Bible continues to prepare drinks and food to serve the women of West Dallas. They even provide child care so the women can focus on their time with each other and with God.

“These women truly delight in coming over to see us, and we actually love these women. Dialoguing together, sharing stories, and identifying with each other’s struggles. When we come together, we are sisters in Christ,” said Annie. “We have to stretch our reach to meet people of different cultures. God said, ‘Go and make disciples.’ So, that’s what we’re doing! We seek to model cross-cultural relationships in order to glorify Christ and the love that He has for all of His children.”

The group visits the Dallas Arboretum together in the summer, celebrate birthdays every quarter, and meet each other’s needs throughout the year. It’s clear these two groups of women exemplify love in the way God intended. They both are getting out of their comfort zones, laying down selfish desires, and focusing on the needs of their sisters in Christ. Annie’s closing thoughts were beautiful: “I’m so grateful to have a friend like Gale Smith, and grateful for the women of Grace Bible. We should learn from them… Be intentional, obey God, and don’t always surround yourself with people that are just like you. Mix it up! Make disciples.”

Thank you, Annie, Gale, and the rest of the women involved in this beautiful picture of love. Let this story remind us of the true love of Christ, and may we all learn to love others in this way.

Bins...Baskets...and Blessings!

Last month, a group of 9th graders from Highland Park High School held a drive to collect items for the Carver Elementary  "Carver Store". Below is an email the organizer of the event sent out to the parents and students who participated. 

GW Carver has an incentive store for the students in PreK to 5th grade. When a student is "caught being good" and exemplifying leadership, they receive a Carver Buck. These bucks add up, and at the end of the week, those with bucks in hand can go and purchase items from the store. Many times, there are never enough items for all the students to participate. The principle has asked for donations for the store and [Mercy Street] feel that the 9th graders are a perfect fit! 

Mercy Me, Mercy Me, Mercy Me!!!

1st Annual Mercy Street Drive mission accomplished! 

Sweetest parents! (Please share this email with your 9th grader.) I sit here teary eyed because of the results of yesterday. Blessing upon blessing upon blessing. The first sentence that comes to mind... 

Witnessing yesterday was a very humbling experience. 

What started in 2011 with Charlie Doherty and Michael Mills gathering a group of boys collecting bikes for Mercy Street's Bike Shop turned into adding the girls, an elementary school, and many more surprises in 2014! 

This year, the boys partnered with Mercy Street to provide items for the Carver Elementary Store in West Dallas. Children will earn "Carver Bucks" when they are caught doing something good. They can then use these bucks to purchase the items YOU GUYS DONATED! 

First of all, on behalf of everyone- THANK YOU!!! 

We were SPEECHLESS and "giddy" with the staff at Mercy Street as we witnessed the items being brought through the front door. These items were well thought out and it was obvious that you all had taken time and made an effort to collect and gather them. 

Some of you used your business contacts to get AMAZING products in bulk, others went to their dentist for multiple tooth paste tubes, and then some of you grabbed your kids and hit the stores! You stocked up on meeting their daily needs for kleenex, socks, and shampoo, while others bought footballs, barbies, puzzles, paints, books, toys, and trinkets! There were even beautiful fragile crosses that were handpicked to donate. 

I know a hardworking mom will be blessed beyond words when she unwraps the beautiful cross on Christmas morning. A young girl will wash her new Barbie's hair with her new strawberry scented shampoo. A young son will throw the football with his younger brother in the front yard after school. A young artist will take up a love for painting as she uses her new paint set. A sweet boy will start to read with great interest because he earned the book himself. An inquisitive girl will write her first book in the journal (and purple gel pen) set she couldn't wait to buy. A family will come together to play the fun game that their child excitedly brought home from school. And last but not least, a parent will ask her child where her new backpack came from and she will see explain that it was a reward for her exhibiting strong character and making wise choices. 

And it gets even better- a woman that arranges the shelves for large corporations like Target is volunteering her time to come in next week to itemize, arrange, and place in the Carver supply store! (I will send pics.) 

It is truly moving to witness first hand your very own community showing up in ways that you would never have imagined! We are not a perfect community and we have many flaws, but there is one thing that we consistently do and that is.... we show up! We think about those that are in need. We do what it takes to press through. We follow through when called upon. It is an honor to be part of this community with you all. 

It truly is a humbling experience to witness many children that you have known since they were born step into becoming young adults, assuming responsibility, and giving their time to bless those that deserve blessing. I can only imagine what your children will accomplish and impact as our future leaders of the next generation. 

What a great opportunity this is to reflect with your kiddos on what this experience has meant to them. While some might respond in typical "few-word" teen fashion, others might share more than you expected. (We would love any and all feedback.) 

Thank you ALL so very much for sharing your precious precious pumpkins with us and taking the time to make a difference! 

On behalf of the Doherty's and the Mills... May you be blessed because YOU have blessed so many children. Many blessings you might not hear or know about, but be reminded that they are still there, alive and multiplying.  

It is an honor to serve along side all of you guys!

Have a great day!
Melanie Ross Mills, M.A,

3rd Annual Clayton Kershaw Baseball Camp

Last month, we were blessed to host the 3^rd Annual Clayton Kershaw’s baseball camp at the Mercy Street Field of Dreams.  Clayton and Ellen Kershaw’s foundation, Kershaw’s Challenge is a “Christ-centered, others-focused organization that exists to encourage people to use whatever God-given passion, purpose or talent they have been given to make a difference and give back to others in need.” Kershaw’s Challenge has been a generous supporter of our baseball program by donating baseball gloves and hosting an annual baseball camp for West Dallas youth. 

This year, we had amazing weather and over 200 excited kids participate in the camp. It was an honor to once again have the 2014 National League Cy Young award winner and Most Valuable Player teaching and loving on our kids. The goal of the camp is to expose our kids to professional and collegiate baseball training as well as offer them and their families the hope of the Gospel.  

For the third year, the Dallas Baptist University (DBU) baseball team and coaching staff have offered baseball and character instruction throughout the camp. The year, we also partnered with Camp Gladiator who ran a baseball themed fitness and agility training station. Easton baseball provided several bats that our campers were able to use. Volunteers were provided by the Pro Players Foundation, Mercy Street Church, Pro Source baseball, the National Charity League Heart of Dallas Chapter and the Southern Methodist University Community Engagement & Leadership Center. Lunch for participants and their families was provided by Kiolbassa Sausage and the Pro Players Foundation. Active Faith Sports provided wrist bands for every camp participant.  We are extremely grateful for all of those who contributed to making the camp a huge success.  Versa Printing provided the signs and promotional material for the camp.

 

Clayton’s number 22 jersey was retired in honor of his character and the generous support that Kershaw’s Challenge has extended to Mercy Street over the years.  Clayton and a DBU baseball player shared how their faith in Christ has radically shaped their life.  Pastor Jerry Wagner of Mercy Street Church offered the hope of the Gospel and several kids acknowledged their acceptance of this transformative message.  Campers left the Mercy Street Field of Dreams encouraged with an autographed Clayton Kershaw baseball card. Mercy Street sports hopes to use the momentum of the camp to get coaches and players excited about the upcoming spring baseball season which gets kicked off after the first of the year. 

If you are interested in coaching with Mercy Street, please contact Lee@MercyStreetDallas.org. For more information on the Mercy Street baseball program, please visit www.MercyStreetDallas.org/baseball .

Welcome to Our Table

     With thousands of non-profits in North Texas and fundraiser luncheons trending, one could begin to live off them if they needed. On Monday you could enjoy a meal at the Anatole, Tuesday the Hyatt and so on, leaving little need to pack your brown bag anymore.  Just this past week Mercy Street held their annual fall fundraiser luncheon.  But, I sensed it would be a bit different when the Mercy Street team kept saying it was being held, "at the black building next to the bridge."  

     The old abandoned bus warehouse at the foot of the pristine white Calatrava bridge proved to provide the perfect setting for what would be an hour sure to disorient anyone.  Often headlines and newscasts can paint West Dallas as a place to avoid or at least as a place you are sure to confirm you actually did lock your car and hide any belongings.  But, as we pulled up to this warehouse, teenagers (or "leaders" as Mercy Street likes to call them) from the community swarmed us with a warm respectful greeting that told me my stereotypes would have to stay in the car for the afternoon.  

     Our table setting was elegant, feeling like the Anatole, but apparently somehow handmade by the Mercy Street team.  To further disorient me and my luncheon expectations, Mercy Street had selected a keynote speaker few of the guests had ever heard of.  Melissa Hill, wife of Mercy Street's founder, has never written a book or won a championship, but what she would share would quickly help the guests see why she was selected as the keynote.  

     Melissa and her husband helped make sense of why Mercy Street's luncheon was such a set of contrasts.  11 years ago Mercy Street was conceived as a contrast when the Hill family chose to move from the side of town everyone wants to live to the side most people avoid.  Melissa spoke of how God had deeply impressed on them that West Dallas was a place of beauty.  In the abandoned warehouses and low-performing schools and fatherless homes there was beauty to be discovered and celebrated.  

     This substantial non-profit (now 24 staff, 350 volunteers and $2 million budget) finds its underpinnings in this belief, that God wants to spark community restoration as his people engage in mutually transforming relationships with its future leaders.  The way the Hills open their home to the neighborhood has clearly become beautifully ingrained into what today is a non-profit with a love affair for their neighbors.

What God Writes on Our Hearts

     Occasionally, I greet my mentee, Jeroy, with a very solemn question: “What is the chief end of man?”  He responds with varying degrees of correctness, but usually recalls most of it: “To glorify God and enjoy him.” I always press Jeroy at this point. “For how long,” I ask. “A couple of hours? A day?” He looks askance, culling his memory. “Forever,” he says with satisfaction.

     That might sound like a brag, that I can casually elicit pithy theological statements from my mentee. The truth is Jeroy knows that answer because it is the first question of the Westminster Catechism and not the second or third or any question after that. I had planned to teach him more, as a way to bond and a good reason to meet regularly. But I was never consistent about it, so Jeroy retained only this one answer. I have mentored Jeroy for nearly three years now and am still trying to find that consistency. And Jeroy, now in seventh grade, is still showing me that he is a patient, forgiving young man in spite of my inconsistency.

     Jeroy is oldest of five. He has a passion for basketball and thinks my hook shot is one of the funniest things he has ever seen. Jeroy’s vocational aims shift a little every year, but they always target something artistic, whether shoe design or illustration. Today he wants to get into car customization, but only after attending college at A&M, UT or Tech. He currently attends middle school at Thomas A. Edison.

     Like a lot of kids in West Dallas, Jeroy is smarter than even he realizes. The problems of West Dallas do not escape his attention. The apartments, he says, need fixing and the poor need help. He is bothered by the amount of litter and thinks the banks of the Old Trinity River that snake through his neighborhood are a safety hazard. He sees the gangs too and, no doubt, the violence.  In short, he sees what the Apostle Paul says creation sees: the Fall. And Jeroy groans with all of creation.

     Mercy Street’s main charge is to raise up future leaders in West Dallas as an act of obedience to God. I ask Jeroy for his definition of that kind of leader. “Someone who helps the community,” he says. “And encourages other kids to complete their goals.” Jeroy mentions the litter again too. I think it is so apt that he does this. If a kid not completing his or her goals is a principled effect of the Fall, then litter is a tangible one. Litter is ugly. It gets blown everywhere. It invades. It speaks to a world in disorder. By his logic, a future leader is someone who sets everything in order, which includes the discarded plastic bottles and greasy fast food bags shoved into the curb.

If I wrote my own definition of a future West Dallas leader, I would say he or she is someone who works actively to combat the effects of the Fall in the community of West Dallas. Really, Jeroy’s and my definition are different parts of the same job description. Mine is the objective; his is the list of responsibilities.

     I am Jeroy’s mentor and so I have signed on to help Mercy Street realize their mandate of restoring West Dallas through godly West Dallas leaders. But I am also a contract-breaker. In November of 2011, I agreed to contact Jeroy weekly and spend time with him biweekly.

     I have not done that. And

Jeroy knows this, but he has not called in a lawyer to justifiably terminate our association. Rather, through patience and forgiveness, he greets me every time with warmth, a reminder that he’s not about to wield some Sword of Damocles in judgment. When I point out that he does this, Jeroy just shrugs, a lot like the baffled, righteous sheep of Matthew 25.

     I often fall back into the mistaken belief that I and mentors like me are here to mold the future leaders of West Dallas. But my relationship with Jeroy is a consoling reminder that God is the one accomplishing this, even through chronic transgressors like me. And Jeroy, by practicing virtues like patience and forgiveness, is already engaging in combat with the disorder that plagues West Dallas, as well as ministering to me. It would be a lie to say he always chooses the righteous kind of fight, just as it would be a lie for any one of us. But he is letting me see what quiet combat looks like often enough.
    

     We may never get around to covering the other 106 Westminster questions. Even if we did, I know that it is not what I impress on Jeroy’s brain, but what God writes on his heart, that will lead him in the paths of righteousness. The same is true of any mentee. The same is true for me.

Trey as Head Cheerleader

I love the fall. It marks the start of school and a regular routine for the family, it promises (often emptily) cooler weather, and most importantly a new football season kicks off. I watch far less football now than I used to, but I am a still football junkie. To me, it is the ultimate team sport. Though you have superstars that are big difference makers, no one player can succeed without the others doing their jobs well too. There are no “clear-out” plays in football. As good as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are, I have never seen them come to the line tell the linemen, “Step aside I’ve got this.” To succeed at football you have to play as a team.

I also love seeing great team chemistry. There is something kind of mysterious about it, but there is no doubt that good teams have it. They are unified around a common goal, they buy into the system, and they don’t let ego get in the way.

Why all the football talk? Because I am really excited about the team that we have assembled at Mercy Street. Like a good football team that requires everyone to play their role well, our Mercy Street staff is a group of really capable folks who are committed to their respective roles and the common goal of God’s glory and the mission of Mercy Street.

We have also made some leadership changes that I am really excited about. Here are some of the changes we have made to the team for this coming year.

Replacing a guy like Carlton Oby is tough, but what a blessing to have Garrett Smith, already a seasoned director from the staff, ready to slide over and fill the important role of Director of Leadership Development. Garrett served as Director of Mentoring for the last three years, but willingly and eagerly moved over to keep working with the students he had built relationships with over the last seven years on staff. His desire is to help them grow in their faith, learn how to succeed in life after school, and instill in them the desire to give back to their community.

Filling Garrett’s old role as Director of Mentoring is Jill Harmeyer. Jill has served as a mentor coordinator for three years and excelled in the role. As she says, “I feel like was born to be a mentor coordinator.” In her new role she will hopefully instill the same passion and processes that he used to help foster thriving relationships between the mentor and mentee. She will oversee the efforts of the other coordinators and she will continue to walk with a group of her current matches through graduation. Jill is a natural encourager who is very thoughtful in her approach.

Emily Walker will be assuming a new title this year too. She will be the Director of Operations. Emily has proven to be a valuable asset to the entire team and has served everyone exceedingly well in her role of Events and Communications Manager for the last four years. Emily is just one of those people who seems to have more hours in her days with all that she gets accomplished. She is really efficient and very friendly. In her new role she will ensure that we are improving our overall processes in order to do our work with excellence in all areas of the ministry.

Nicole Livingston is taking Emily’s place as Events and Communications Manager. Nicole has been with the team for four years as a mentor coordinator. Anyone who has been to one of our Annual Fundraising banquets or Eggstravagaza events has seen Nicole’s fingerprints. She has been instrumental in making those events happen the last few years. It will now be part of her main responsibility as well as the communications functions. She is a very creative person who is also incredibly detail oriented.

Lastly, Bill Farrell and Sam Flores are exchanging titles. Sam will assume the title of Director of Development and Bill will take the title of Associate Director of Development. Bill has been instrumental in the success and growth of Mercy Street from the beginning. As a development director from another organization once told me, “It is not fair that you have Bill raising money for you. When I go see folks, I go as a development director. Bill goes as a friend.” In his new role, Bill will be working part-time as he says, “for another year or two.” I’m pretty certain Bill is going to outlive me. Sam has faithfully served for the last five years in an assistant then associate’s role. He has used his natural gift of relationship building and networking well in his time here recruiting new mentors and fostering new donor relationships. In his new role he will oversee all of Mercy Street’s fundraising efforts.

At the risk of sounding a little like Jerry Jones (which no wants to do right now for untold many reasons), I really believe that we are positioned well for success in the near and far-term. We have a really solid leadership group and a very seasoned team. Everyone practices servant leadership. There is a real sense of unity of purpose and a desire to make Jesus name great here in West Dallas.

I have been trying to figure out exactly what is my role in all of this, and I have determined that I am taking the only role I’m qualified for--Head Cheerleader.