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Mar
16
E Leader , F Leader , Uncategorized

How One LIFE Group Is Engaging Middle Tennessee

By Michele Dyer, LIFE Group Leader

We had such a great time at Set Free Church on Saturday! 
It was incredible to see God orchestrate the whole project and to get to be part of what He so obviously wanted to accomplish for this amazing ministry.  Here’s how it all came together….
Since engaging in the world is part of the function of a LIFE Group, we knew we wanted to be involved in serving others together. Our group recently went through PLACE together and we learned about one another’s gifts, talents and passions for serving others. It was a great way to get to know one another and to discover some of the collective desires and talents we have as a group for serving others.  After we finished PLACE, we went through the study Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby.  When you do this study, you become keenly aware that God is at work all around you, and it’s key to pay attention to where you see Him working so that you can join in the work He is already doing.  So, with all the pieces of this puzzle coming together, I think we were all on high alert about how God might be leading us to do that.
One Saturday, one of our members, Kilynn, was at Set Free Church helping with the MDU (Medical/Dental Unit) and had a conversation with the pastor about repair work that needed to be done at the church.  That same week, I had a conversation with a friend who works at Home Depot who told me that they often donate materials to help with service projects that involve repairs.  Set Free also came up in conversations that others in our group were having.  Needless to say, God had our attention!  Realizing that we had an architect and three others in our group who were skilled in construction, we knew we were poised to be able to help, so each of us went to work using our own gifts and abilities to help them accomplish the work they needed done.
Everyone chipped in….some doing planning and preparation, others doing the heavy lifting and hard work when it came time to do the repairs.  Home Depot (and some friendly neighbors) did, in fact, donate all the materials to get the job done.  Our families were all able to serve together and the men of Set Free worked alongside us. It was very special to witness everyone coming together, each contributing in his/her own way, to serve and encourage each other.   
We will be going back over the course of the next few weeks and for Engage Middle Tennessee on April 23 to finish up several projects but, when all is said and done, two bathrooms will be newly outfitted with new vanities, toilets and fixtures; masonry repair will have been done to stop leaks in the front entry; brand new tile will replace broken flooring in the main foyer; a new bar will be built for serving meals; and the stairwell will be re-plastered and brought up to code. I may even get to teach PLACE for the guys in April!   Most importantly, we’ll have a lasting partnership and friendship with the men of Set Free.  We’re all very excited about the great Kingdom work God has ahead for us through this partnership.
 
 
 

Mar
2
E Leader , F Leader , Jay Fennell

Engage Middle Tennessee: What Is It and Why?

By Jay Fennell

The Middle Tennessee Initiative (MTI) is a vision that God has given our church to reach Middle Tennessee for Christ. Daily we’re learning how lost and hopeless our community truly is, and we know that the only way for our neighbors, coworkers, colleagues, acquaintances and friends to be found and have hope is through the gospel. Our obligation and opportunity is to do whatever we can to push back darkness and introduce people to the light of Christ.
In light of MTI, Engage Middle Tennessee (April 23) is a half-day event where LIFE Groups from all campuses engage the Middle Tennessee community through acts of service in the areas of poverty, education and healthcare, and all for the sake of developing relationships and sharing the gospel. The beauty of this opportunity is that it mobilizes and deploys our LIFE Groups into the community as an army of Christ-followers, serving shoulder to shoulder to meet needs and love people unconditionally. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate the gospel as we engage in acts of service and share the gospel as we talk with people and hear their stories.
This day is designed to be a day that would become a catalyst for ongoing outward ministry for LIFE Groups, where groups would develop relationships and participate regularly in mission initiatives outside the walls of their classrooms or living rooms.
What mission opportunities will be available on April 23?

  • A BBC ministry partner: Perhaps your group would like to connect with one of our church’s ministry partners and support them in the work they are doing in Middle Tennessee.
  • A current mission initiative partnership: Perhaps your group already has a relationship with a mission organization or person or family, and your group might choose to continue working with them on April 23.
  • Choose your own adventure: Perhaps your group would prefer to think creatively and prayerfully and discover a need that your group could meet uniquely. In what way could your group serve a neighborhood, community, family or person for the sake of the Gospel on April 23? 

What do you need to do in preparation for Saturday, April 23?

  1. Determine whether your LIFE Group will participate.
  2. Complete the Engage Middle Tennessee online registration form.
  3. Begin promoting to group members.
  4. Determine how your group will participate on April 23.
  5. Appoint someone to be the point person for mobilizing and planning your group’s involvement (E Leader).
  6. If you are “choosing your own adventure,” be sure to communicate with your campus discipleship minister what you are doing so he/she can assist you.