Advance Memphis: Hope for Urban Community

The Christian Community and the Causes, Consequences, and Solutions to Poverty

2012-02-24T06:33:00.012-08:00

Charles Murray’s book Coming Apart has launched a firestorm of debate about the nature and causes of societal breakdown, poverty, and the increasingly stratified economic classes in America. In an op-ed for WSJ, he argues that the solution is two-fold: for the wealthier classes to a) recognize that their isolated, suburban life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and therefore to b) “preach what they practice” in terms of work, marriage, family, and civic responsibility to communities where these values are deteriorating.

Not everybody agrees. David Brooks observes that the left has responded to Murray with the argument that all of society’s dissolution traces its roots to “economic determinism;” the jobs left,

the family died. For Brooks, this view reduces “the rich texture of how disadvantage is actually lived to a crude materialism that has little to do with reality.” Nevertheless, he also argues that Murray ignores 25 years of research suggesting three significant features of real poverty:

1. Societal breakdown “snowballs,” getting worse and worse all on its own.

2. The problem with poor people is often not that they value such different things than the rest of the population, but rather that they “lack the social capital to enact those values.”

3. Social context heavily influences individual behavior. “If any of us grew up in a neighborhood where a third of the men dropped out of school, we’d be much worse off, too.”

What are Christians to make of all of this?

The firestorm around Murray has brought into mainstream conversation several key features of American poverty that the church needs to hear because it reflects what we know from the story of God and His world in the Bible. Yet in every case the church’s story goes farther, penetrating deeper into the heart of why things are broken and how they can be healed.

1. Poverty is the Result of Both Individual and Societal Sin

Poverty is caused and perpetuated by a complicated set of factors that includes deep personal sin and incredibly broken social systems. Election candidates will ignore one or the other; the Biblical story does not! Furthermore, systemic sins (e.g., racism, economic injustice, or broken education systems) encourage personal sin, and personal sin (e.g., greed, sexual immorality, or pride) encourage systemic sins.

And yet this is exactly the point where the church can offer something that secular society cannot; a description of sin as such, and an explanation of how to be healed from it. Both Brooks and Murray expect some sort of sense of “civic duty” to propel change forward, and neither can give much of an adequate account beyond self-interest. The right may emphasize individual and immediate self-interest, while the left may emphasize long-term societal self-interest; only the church of God condemns self-interest, names the source of it as individual and societal sin, and proclaims the remedy as the community shaped by the crucified, sacrificing Jesus Christ.

2. Economic Isolation Hurts Everybody

Whether it’s the prayer in Proverbs to be neither rich nor poor, Isaiah’s condemnation that the rich add house to house until they have no neighbors, or the New Testament vision of a church that involves rich and poor as equal participants, the Biblical story clearly envisions a God-shaped community whose sharing brings together and softens the divide between rich and poor. Brooks, Murray, and others rightly point to the divide, the keeping up with the Joneses, as a barrier to societal healing.

Meanwhile, neither Brooks nor Murray lifts up the biblical vision of a reconciling community which heals the brokenness of both rich and poor together in a community of true healing. Murray lifts up the so-called civic virtue of the upper class, and calls on it to tell the poor how to get married and go to work. But the wealthy neighborhoods where I grew up--in contrast to the neighborhood where I now live in South Memphis--knew relatively little about true hospitality, about giving the bed in the living room to a homeless stranger on a cold night, about sharing your last dollar, about staying in a place long enough to make it a neighborhood. A community formed around Christ is uniquely positioned to remind the rich of the blessedness of the poor; the “upper class” in the church comes ready to learn from the poor neighbors in the pew, as well as to share their own insights.

We should welcome the research, efforts, and insights of our secular neighbors, and we should joyfully work alongside them where appropriate. But if the church embraces her charter story, we are uniquely equipped to answer the questions of poverty and social disorder in our neighborhoods simply by being the church. We answer those questions as the body of Christ gathers together in neighborhoods among neighbors who do not let race, class, or culture keep them apart. We answer those questions in businesses that serve their employees and add value to the community. We answer those questions in families that take the raising of their children as a responsibility connected to their responsibility to the family of God around them. If the church lived as the church, right here in Memphis, maybe Murray, Brooks, and the rest would find an example, a living biblical text, to help them understand why the world is broken, and what Jesus is doing to fix it.

Michael Rhodes

michael@advancememphis.org

Sources:

Brooks- http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/14/opinion/brooks-the-materialist-fallacy.html?_r=2&hp

Murray- http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204301404577170733817181646.html

Upcoming Advance Memphis Workshop

2012-02-20T06:53:00.000-08:00

Advance wants to contribute to the body of Christ's ongoing conversation about the relationship between the gospel and the poor, especially as it relates to work here in Memphis. We want to be a part of the movement of God in calling His church to the city.

To that end, we've created the Advance Memphis Workshop Series, and the first workshop of 2012 will take place next Monday, February 27th, here at the building, from 5:15-6:30.

This workshop will be lead by Michael Rhodes, Director of Education, with a focus on equipping volunteers to understand and apply the 4 Relationships paradigm to kingdom work with poor neighbors in the city (concepts explored in When Helping Hurts will be applied.

To reserve a spot in this equipping workshop, please contact Julie@advancememphis.org.

Today's Strife VS Tomorrow's Banquet

2012-02-01T09:27:00.000-08:00

Education Coordinator Michael Rhodes recently sent the following email to the Advance Memphis staff members. Take a minute to read Michael's words, as well as those he's included from GED student Melvin Johnson (pictured above at his Jobs for Life graduation).

Dear Team:

I asked Melvin Johnson to write an essay about his neighborhood to get ready for the GED. He’s staying down off S Parkway. This is what he wrote, in its entirety:

"My neighborhood is not safe. There are a lot of crimes being committed. My neighborhood is full of gangs and drugs. Add there are a lot of burned down homes all over. With crimes, gangs, and burned down homes my neighborhood is not safe.

In my neighborhood crimes are committed daily. The stores are broken into at night. In the day time cars are broken into. And also sometime people become victims of robbery at gun point. By stores and cars being broken into, and robberies being committed the crime rate is very high in my neighborhood.

The neighborhood I live in is full of gangs and drug. Gangs in my neighborhood are called vice-lords, GD, and cribs. There are drug homes on every street. The gangs fights with one another all the time. With the different type of gangs, drugs, and fights my neighborhood is a gangs heaven.

There are burned down houses everywhere you look in my neighborhood. Some of the houses are burned down by homeless people trying to stay warm at night. Some are burned down to cover up a crime. And some are burned down by kids playing in empty houses. By homeless people, gangs and kids burning down the houses my neighborhood the area feels unsafe to live.

My neighborhood is very dangerous. The gangs have taken over my neighborhood. The burned down homes have made the property values go down. And the crimes that are committed makes the neighborhood scary to live in. The robberies, gangs and drugs and burned down houses my neighborhood will never be safe."

This morning I happened to read Isaiah 25 during my devotion, and came across a passage that was read at our wedding. What a contrast! It reminds me that we must claim God’s coming rule as our own, must declare that the future security of the kingdom of God will undo all the death experienced in our neighborhoods in the here and now. One day, those who know Jesus will declare, this is that which we hoped for. Let’s keep prayerfully exhorting our neighbors and ourselves, in the face of so much death, to claim the One who will swallow up death forever.

The Lord who commands armies will hold a banquet for all the nations on this mountain.

At this banquet there will be plenty of meat and aged wine –

tender meat and choicest wine.

On this mountain he will swallow up

the shroud that is over all the peoples,

the woven covering that is over all the nations;

he will swallow up death permanently.

The sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from every face,

and remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth.

Indeed, the Lord has announced it!

At that time they will say,

“Look, here is our God!

We waited for him and he delivered us.

Here is the Lord! We waited for him.

Let’s rejoice and celebrate his deliverance!”

For the Lord’s power will make this mountain secure.

Isaiah 25:6-10

Counting Blessings

2012-01-30T07:09:00.000-08:00

COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS
Our cup overflows this week and we want to share the blessings with you and glorify God for encouraging us. Take a minute to read some of the great things that are going on in the Kingdom.

One Jobs for Life alum just donated $100 to Advance.
Another alum is volunteering regular shifts at the front desk so that Cindy can complete focused tasks away from the busy-ness of the lobby.
Our Champions (mentors) had their first meetings with students this week; they'll be with these students for 6-12 weeks. Several Champions told us how God blessed the time and how they look forward to learning and growing during the meetings--as much or more than their students! Students were excited, too. Gwendolyn commented on her connection with her Champion, "Our stories are the same. We're both mothers of daughters. We're the same." We praise God for connections like this.
Ced Harris was promoted to machine operator at KTG, where he is a permanent employee.
GED Instructor Mike Shaw's grandparents came and served at Advance this week. Mr. Shaw spent the entire day correcting printer networking issues while Mrs. Shaw used her considerable talents to teach the GED class. We were all blessed to have them with us, and praise God for the gift of family.
One current student is loving classmates by bringing apples in the morning to share. Many of our class members arrive hungry, so this small thoughtfulness is a big deal.
A teacher from neighborhood high school BTW attended our Overcoming through Christ (addiction recovery) program this week. She has 22 years sobriety and was a tremendous encouragement to our students and alumni. We thank God for this gift of community.

Note from an Employer and Friend

2011-12-09T07:15:00.000-08:00

Sending out our Christmas party invitations always gives us a chance to reconnect with old friends. We were blessed by this message from George Mapson, former Strategic Development Manager at KTG in Memphis. He recently moved away to a new position in Philadelphia, but we were greatly encouraged by his reflection on his time in Memphis.

Good morning Julie,

Unfortunately I will not be able to attend this most festive and joyous occasion. Please convey this also to Steve Nash. My heart, however, will be with everyone at Advance Memphis as you all get together to share in your success and recognizing that each step along the journey to where you are now was not an accident, or just "good old luck."

What Advance Memphis has accomplished so far...with even more accomplishments yet to be realized, is truly the Lord's work.

I was working at KTG USA when I got my first exposure to Advance Memphis, one early December morning just before Christmas, at the KTG USA plant, through my now dear friend Craigen [pictured above]. Craigen is an example of what can be done when you put your heart and soul into "making every day better." I realize that things have unfortunately changed now with the relationship between Advance Memphis and KTG USA [fewer temporary positions are available]. The good news is that some Advance Memphis team members are now full time KTG USA team members.

Having left Memphis and now living in Philadelphia, I can truly say that my greatest personal learning during my 3 years in Memphis came from the Advance Memphis team and students I came in contact with.

I wish everyone at Advance Memphis a very blessed Christmas and a prosperous 2012 that enables Advance Memphis to continue to thrive and be a beacon of hope for your community.

George Mapson

Mercy Loans Successful at Advance

2011-10-14T09:05:00.000-07:00

Memphis is the poorest metro area in the United States.

38126 is the poorest urban zip code in Tennessee.

Given those stats, it might be easy to make assumptions about the people who live here. One that would seem obvious is this: people in this neighborhood are quick to borrow money and slow to pay it back.

We wouldn't fault you for assuming this. We did. But you know what's beautiful? We were wrong.

We've offered Mercy Loans to our graduates for many years. These loans are meant to address an immediate, felt need and to help the graduate avoid the pitfall of payday loans at usurious interest rates. For the last 2 years, we've carefully tracked our Mercy Loan Data. Below are the statistics for 2011, which clearly prove that our grads repay that which they borrow. Their repayment allows us to "recycle" the funds, ensuring that other grads are able to benefit from Mercy Loans.

In short, because our grads are faithful in repaying, a mere $1500 has done all the work you see below. Read and be encouraged!

MERCY LOAN DATA: 2011

Mercy Loan budget: $1500 dollars to be rotated through repayment of loans.

Number of loans made in 2011: 128.

Average loan amount: $87.00.

Number of loans repaid, year to date: 106, paid in full.

Number of loans defaulted: 9.

Number of times we have revolved our loan pool:
7.4 times...that's $11,120!

But Why Phase 2?

2011-10-07T11:18:00.000-07:00

NOTE: Page down for a "Post Script" on the recent success of the Phase 2 program.

Our educational and employment teams worked together to develop Phase 2, a new program that gives our Jobs for Life students the opportunity to begin working while continuing their job readiness training and/or their GED preparation. Below, Education Coordinator Michael Rhodes explains the philosophy behind the program that was implemented late this summer.

Phase 2 grad and Warehouse Readiness student Jenny Williams
with Warehouse instructor Mike Shaw.

Because Advance Memphis has always been committed to people before programs, whenever we add a new program the question needs to be asked: “Why another program?” With Phase 2, the answer is easy: P2 is a program centered on people.

But first, the “what.” Phase 2 gives Jobs for Life graduates the opportunity to come back one day a week for six weeks after they graduate. Each Wednesday they return to meet with their Champions, discuss work issues with Walter Jackson, our Employment Support Specialist, and receive training on a number of key life issues that affect one’s work life. These topics include Leadership, Creative Solutions, Healthy Relationships, and others, some of which have been covered in the Jobs for Life class and are reemphasized again in P2, and some of which are new. P2 is flexible, so if a student wants more, they get more. Students who need their GEDs come an additional three mornings a week for class. Students who are struggling with addiction have the opportunity to attend an afternoon support group.

The entire program is also offered to older graduates who have been terminated from Advance Memphis Staffing and need further training in order to be able to return to work (the Restore and Renew track). The entire P2 program is designed so that JFL graduates can work part-time and attend Advance classes part-time.

Now the “why.” First and foremost, adults learn by doing. P2 gives grads an opportunity to hear again some of the most important lessons from JFL, and then go out and apply those concepts on the job the next day. When we talk about conflict in the workplace in P2, quite a number of students sitting in those chairs are currently involved in some sort of conflict on the job. This “applied learning” means that students really digest the critical material.

Phase 2 students take a GED locator test.

Second, the transition from a warm, encouraging, supportive environment where a student is loved and cared for from 9-3 five days a week for six weeks to the real world challenges of working can be DIFFICULT. Many of our grads have never had a job before. Others haven’t had one in a long time. For these grads, entering the daily grind after 5 weeks of dreaming about their career goals can be tough. P2 gives our grads the opportunity to ease their way into the workforce, while establishing a pattern of relational engagement with Advance.

Third, P2 means that our students get 11 meetings with their Champions instead of just 5! Already we’ve gotten rave reviews on the added time from participants and students alike. Champions are “championing” their groups’ cause at Advance and throughout the city by making hospital visits, babysitting, grabbing lunch, making phone calls, praying with and for their group members and MORE. One of the most exciting things that happens at Advance every week is the real world racial reconciliation that happens when folks from outside this neighborhood and culture build real relationships with people from this neighborhood. We’re seeing stereotypes die, compassion grow, and true Christian fellowship leading students and Champions deeper in their walk with Christ.

Fourth and finally, Jobs for Life grads ALWAYS ask for MORE. At the end of every JFL class we give an opportunity for feedback, and every class calls for more time at Advance! P2 is therefore Advance’s best effort to respond to a real request from our community.

But all of this MORE also means that we need MORE HELP! P2 means more GED tutors, more Champions, more lunch providers, and more donations. But the investment is already paying off with more GEDs, more jobs, more relationships of reconciliation, and more lives changed. We praise God for the energy and excitement surrounding P2, and we pray that many more lives will be changed through this exciting new program.

POST SCRIPT

The "Restore and Renew" portion of Phase 2 has done more than we could "ask or imagine." Not only have terminated grads returned to work, but 2 of these (Derrick, pictured at left and Rafael, not pictured) have been hired as permanent employees at KTG.

Marcus Stone's Graduation Speech

2011-08-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

Marcus Stone wrote down his thoughts to share at his Jobs for Life graduation last Friday. Above, he's pictured at left being congratulated by his classmates after giving a moving account of his experiences at Advance.

Marcus agreed to let us share his speech here.

"I would like to thank the Lord first for guiding me to Advance Memphis because I think this was a great experience for me. This really helped me make a change because it put me around positive people and helped me mentally. It helped keep me on the right track spiritually. I learned that the decision I make now will affect my future, either positively or negatively. I want to make good decisions now so that I can have a good future for myself and especially for my daughter, Mariyah.

I do understand that I am on the right track now, and that it would be easy to veer off at any time. But I have also learned to put the Lord first and to guide me in the right direction to stay on my positive track. I understand that I have a sinful nature and that I have sinful ways, but I pray that the Lord would help keep me on the right path.

I have learned a whole lot of stuff. I have learned a lot of spiritual things. Before I came to Advance Memphis I was veering away from the Lord. I always knew that I wanted a relationship with the Lord but I always kept straying away from him, but I have learned that this is because of my sinful nature. I have learned that God has always been faithful to me even when I was not faithful to him. He forgives me and calls me back to a good life with him because his mercies are new every morning.

I have learned not to stop with my high school diploma, but to add even more education. I know that even though I have roadblocks and my background may limit me, I have learned to keep going. I want to encourage my classmates to do the same. God’s Word says that he has a good plan for our lives. I don’t want us to forfeit that plan, so let’s accept his grace on our lives and work hard to accomplish our goals for our futures.

I’d like to thank Andrew who is not here at this time, the Advance Memphis staff, Danielle, and my classmates for being positive, encouraging people around me."

Marcus Stone

Jobs for Life graduate

How Individual Development Accounts Bring Hope

2011-06-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

The way poverty is defined will dictate the appropriate response to impoverished households. If poverty is a lack of physical goods or money, then the answer is to simply give the individual things or money. If poverty is defined by a lack of education or improper thinking, then the answer is to give individuals information. If poverty is just a lack of opportunity, then the answer is to give people access–to employment, education, financial services, etc. Obviously, the problem is that poverty is not easily typified. It is complex, and its manifestations vary, often drastically, from context to context. Kenyan poverty looks much different than poverty in Memphis. However, both are real, and both are devastating.

As a Christian organization, Advance Memphis is deeply concerned about justice. We therefore find statistics like the following to be extremely disturbing:

Wolff, E. N. (2007). Recent Trends in Household Wealth in the United States: Rising Debt and the Middle-Class Squeeze. Working Paper No. 502. The Levy Economics Institute of Bard College. New York University.

If this were simply a monetary issue, it would be bad enough. But this growing disparity betrays some serious problems over the past 50 years. Behavioral economists suggest that incentives play a large part in facilitating the accumulation of assets. The middle and upper classes have access to incentives that the poor do not, such as tax incentivized retirement savings and the home mortgage interest tax deduction. According to the Center for Social Development at Washington University 90% of the benefits from these two tax policies go to households earning more than $50,000. Moreover, because of means-tested public assistance programs, there is a disincentive for poor households to build assets. This leaves them more likely to remain stuck in poverty.

Assets play four key roles in the life of every household. They:

1. provide a buffer against economic shocks, like job loss;

2. generate income;

3. generate more assets;

4. affect future outlook and thus current behavior.

The first three roles are fairly self explanatory. However, the final role has some unique implications. Think about it. If you have a good bit of home equity, some non-liquid financial assets, a good education, a car, college savings for your children and a retirement plan, how do you feel about the future? That question may be hard to answer and depend on other things going on in your life. However, it is certain that you feel better about the future than you would if you were in the same situation and had none of these assets. These assets provide hope of future economic survival, even thriving. And if “tomorrow” looks good, you are less likely to make choices today that endanger that future. However, if the future is bleak, your time horizons shorten and you become more focused immediate gratification.

Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) allow Advance Memphis to address a number of these issues at once. There is an incentive (the match) for individuals to save and create assets. But the goal is more than mere asset creation. If you have assets, but lack the knowledge to manage them well, they won’t do you much good. That is why, in order to be eligible, an individual must first graduate from the Jobs for Life Program which includes financial literacy education, and work for two months. Graduates then they have to save for at least six months before a withdrawal can be made. This program structure provides an opportunity to fuse knowledge and practice. When those come together, savers develop new long-run behaviors, which in the long term are much, much more valuable than $2,000.

brandon@advancememphis.org

Thoughts on a Friend's Life

2011-05-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

At Advance, we hear a lot of life stories. The act of telling life stories is part of our Jobs for Life curriculum, and it's one of the most important ways that we build relationships in class, and begin developing the bonds of trust that are essential to the effectiveness of class. A lot of the stories we hear at Advance are tragic. Sometimes they're horrifying. We have no interest in exploiting our friends by dramatizing their lives and bandying their stories about for maximum impact.

But it's important to remember that we all have stories. When you see behavior that shocks you, it's rooted in a story. When you see anger that seems over the top, it's rooted in a story. Stories are not excuses, but they are reasons—and they are a part of us, as much as any physical attribute.

And so we bring you a story. One of many, but one that we think will touch your heart and remind all of us to see our neighbors for what they are: people with stories—and children of the King—a King who is bigger than our stories.

A Student's Story, In Her Own Words:

“As a kid growing up I was what you call a military bart (sic) My father was in the marines so we traveled from one place to another by the time I turned ten my mother had left my father and moved us to Memphis to stay with my grandmother [.] By the time I turned fourthteen (sic) my parents had divorced [.] During the divorce my mom began to use drugs crack cocaine so she sent me to stay with my father because she could no longer take care of me and my siblings [.] As time pasted (sic) my father remarried to his now wife of twenty years [.]

Now I’ve turned sixteen I was walking home from basketball practice I was attacked by five boys who kidnapped me they beat me and brutalty (sic) raped for three days not knowing if I would live or die I prayed that someone would come to my rescue [.]By the grace of God a homeless man found me laying in this abandon house laying in my own blood not knowing if I were dead or alive he kneeled down and touch my lifeless body he picked me up and took me to the nearest house where this elderly lady stayed who took me and called the police when they arrived I couldn’t see them because my eyes were swallowen (sic) but I could hear them say this the missing girl that we’ve been looking for [.] I was taken to the hospital where I stayed for two weeks while my body heeled my mom was at my beside (sic) praying to God that I get better [.]

Once I was released from the hospital I tired (sic) to commit suicide I tried to scrub my skin off my body because I felt so dirty and nasty during this [.] I had a nervous brake down which called to be hospitalized for months I’ve been stained for life thru this all this have made me cold hearted as hell [.] Andrew [Jobs for Life Instructor] this is my life story!!!!”

Andrew's Reponse:

I found the above homework assignment on my desk yesterday. Students were asked to draw or write out their life stories and prepare to share them with the rest of the class. When I read this note I closed the door to my office and crawled under my desk, where no one could see me through the window. As I hid from everyone else, I wept uncontrollably. This wasn’t the only terrible thing I had heard this week, but it was the last straw. Earlier someone else had told me she had arrived at her children’s father’s house with a gun in her purse ready to kill him, when she received a text message from me: “come to school.” I was stunned. My “random” text message prevented a murder as well as a dear friend from losing everything, including her 3 young children plus the unwanted child growing in her womb, for a life of prison. This same woman has had two teenage family members murdered in the past few months. She held one of them as they slowly died from the bullet wound. Coincidentally, I know the murderer—he was someone who I had been trying to help "escape the streets." There have been too many horror stories this week.

So now I meditate on the painful reality of life this side of heaven. This is a reality I never knew existed. Growing up, it seemed that everyone had a father to protect them. I thought everyone had a mother to love and affirm them. I didn’t know there was a different America—one where stories like the ones above are the norm, not the shocking exception. I think I need to be sobered to reality. Everything inside of me screams out to God, “why NOT me?” The life I’ve experienced so far is so radically different from the lives of my new friends. Why? It’s not fair! It’s not fair that my life has been handed to me, while my friends have only known such horrendous struggle.

Back to my friend’s homework. The last sentence haunts me the most. “Andrew this is my life story!!!!” Why does her story end at age 16? My friend is 39! What about the other 23 years of her life? What about her dropping out of high school? What about the abusive boyfriend who she feels like she can’t leave? What about her criminal background and her inability to find stable work? Now I get it. “Andrew this is my life story!!!!” Her story ends at age 16 because she has had no hope that her future will ever be anything different. The subsequent 23 years of her life have simply been an extension of the defining experiences of her childhood.

Now I wonder about this year and the next. I wonder about the next 39 years of her life. Will they also be defined by the quarantined experiences of life in the ghetto? My friend has heard the good news of the Kingdom of Jesus told in various ways nearly every day of the past month. She is also receiving free professional Christian counseling through our services. She is being told that Jesus wants to remove all of her shame; that her heavenly Father wants to comfort and embrace his beloved daughter; and that the Holy Spirit wants to give her a new life and a new identity where the old has truly passed away, and behold, new things have come. I wonder if she’ll accept this message. I wonder if she will experience true healing from all her disappointments in life. I wonder if she will believe in herself, and in her inherent value as one of God’s image bearers. I wonder if she’ll gain enough hope for her future to be one of the few adults who complete their GED. If she doesn’t, she won’t have the opportunity to pursue her dream of getting a trade from the nearby community college.

Because of the friends I've made at Advance, I am forever changed—some might say ruined. I know I can never return to the life I once knew, but I am so thankful for my new relationships. I am glad that I’m no longer blind to the injustices of our world and to my selfishness, which is daily being exposed. Like a magnetic force, I feel compelled to stop pouring myself out for my own comfort and luxury and to begin pouring myself out for the benefit of others. I don’t know what it is about identifying with other people’s brokenness, but somehow God is using it in my life to make the scriptures alive again, to give the gospel new power, and to confirm that the Christian calling of sacrificial service is an exciting and joyful calling. Like never before I pray with Jesus: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Andrew Vincent
Jobs for Life Program Coordinator
andrew@advancememphis.org

Letter from Prison

2011-04-20T12:38:00.000-07:00

Late last week, Executive Director Steve Nash received the below letter from Shelby County Jail. He didn't recognize the name of the sender, but soon realized that it was from the cellmate of a recently incarcerated Jobs for Life grad. We were all encouraged by this letter, and by it's demonstration of the presence of the Holy Spirit in this jail cell.

Read the letter below*, and consider learning more about the links between prison, education, and poverty. Here are a couple starting places:

A recent report from the NAACP, Misplaced Priorities, tracks a shift of state funds away from education and toward the criminal justice system.
Check out the Justice Fellowship | Prison Fellowship website.

*names have been changed.

Hi Brother Nash,

How are you doing. I hope this letter find you bless and highly favored. I'm an inmate here at the Shelby County Jail, and I hope to be release in the next few weaks. I got a cellmate a couple of days ago, and we got to talking eventually about jobs, and he was telling me about the job he had before getting arrested and the program he attended to get the job and that it is Christian base.

Let me tell you a little about myself. I am 45 years old with a wife and 4 kids - 2 adults and 2 beautiful little girls, we live in the southeast area of Memphis, I've been addicted to crack cocaine for many years, my wife is a faithful God fearing woman, and I eventually got in the church and was doing good with my addiction and faithful to God. But about 2 months ago, I went back to my old ways and eventually started back using and eventually it led me to this charge. But even though I don't want to be locked up, I thank God for allowing me to get locked up instead of covered up, and I done had time to think about my life and how I need to totally surrender to God.

I have always work even though I had an addiction problem, and have been a certified forklift operator with up to date license. And even though I have charges on my background I've been bless to be with a couple of temp. service that send me on jobs that don't require background. I ask God to bless me with a cellmate who wont be in here trying to smoke, up rapping all night, talking about sinful things that I'm not into anymore and He did just that. Since I been here, I confess my sin to God I've repented to him, I'm faithful to our daily bible study. I pray an dread my word daily. I want to have a renewed mind when I leave here like the word talks about in Romans 12. I want to have a mind of Christ, so I know in order to begin to start to live as God wants me to live I have to do what Matthew 6:33 says.

I just thank God for the mind to seek him, but when Brother Johnson told me that you all program was Christian base that kind of touch me because that's what I need to be around people in my work environment that love the Lord. I know that I've been chosen and called by God, and I feel he sent this brother here in my cell to tell me about you all program, I think it will be a start to the ministry God is calling me in, and when I get out and contact you guys I'm praying I qualify for you all program. I understand that I will have to travel a great distance to my class daily but God and me and my wife will make that happen.

Brother Johnson was telling me that you all have a outreach program I would love to get involve in that, that's my heart desire is for God to clean me up from all kinds of sin like jail, drugs, cigarettes, adultery, etc. etc. so he can use me to help men and women who's going through life struggles I have been through. And let them know if God delivered me he can deliver you.

I thank you for taking time to read this letter. I pray that this letter be a beginning of a Godly relationship with myself and Advance Memphis. Oh yeah the brother told me it would be okay to tell you his name who told me about the program, his name is Stan Johnson. He's a good brother he talks and act like he is ready to surrender to God also. I've asked him to come to our bible study and he said he will. I had two bibles and he's been reading one of them, but anyway thanks for taking time trying to read this bad handwriting. God bless you and your family. If it's God will, we will meet soon.

William Edwards III.

It's All About Relationships

2011-03-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

Early on in the Jobs for Life class, Brandon draws a picture on the board of a person surrounded by a “web” of relationships with God, others, the physical world, and the self. At Advance we believe that poverty happens when sin damages any of these relationships in any of our lives. This means that sin isn’t just sexual immorality or drunkenness; natural disasters, sickness, systems of injustice, and failing schools are all the result of sin. The picture of a person caught in a web of broken relationships reveals the pervasiveness of sin in all our lives.

But it also shows us the pervasiveness of redemption. When Jesus “makes His blessings known far as the curse is found,” He not only heals a person’s relationship with God, He begins to heal that person’s relationships with the physical world (through work!), the person’s own self, and with others. Springs of living water, as Jesus put it, spring up and overflow abundantly into our lives as Christ heals everything that’s sick and restores everything that’s broken.

What does this “big view” of sin and redemption mean for our daily lives? First of all, it reminds us that we’re all broken and in need of Jesus in every area of our lives. And it reminds us that when Jesus gets us right with the Father, He also begins to get us right with others, even and especially those neighbors who are different, who we don’t know, and who we may not even like. It means that reconciliation becomes a crucial part of what it means to be a Jesus follower. Consider this quote from When Helping Hurts:

Our perspective should be less about how we are going to fix the materially poor and more about how we can walk together, asking God to fix both of us.

And this one from Ephesians 2, which speaks about the unexpected reconciliation Christ brought between Jews and Gentiles in the early church:

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility . . . His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility . . . For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. . . in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

We believe that Christ “has committed to us [this] message of reconciliation” (II Cor. 5:19). And that means that we’re called to engage relationally with people who used to live on the “other side of the tracks of hostility,” too. It means that rich and poor, male and female, black and white MUST find healing in Jesus TOGETHER.

No matter who you are, reconciliation between you and God never happens outside of a relationship. In the same way, racial and socio-economic reconciliation CANNOT happen without real person-to-person relationships. If you don’t have relationships like that, come volunteer at Advance. Staff and volunteers alike can testify to how the relationships built through Advance have helped this gospel of reconciliation flourish in their own lives. Come join us, and let’s experience Christ’s kingdom together.

Michael Rhodes
michael@advancememphis.org

March 5 News

2011-03-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

ADVANCE ALUMNA GOES FULL TIME AT MATA We're proud to share that Sharlene Washington, who graduated from the first class ever held at Advance Memphis, has been hired for a full time position at MATA. Sharlene is full time, with benefits. Please pray for Sharlene and her family as she transitions to this new role.

STUDENTS ACCEPTED TO MIDSOUTH COMMUNITY COLLEGE Several students are applying to Mid-South Community College to pursue a Certificate of Proficiency in Chemical Plant Operations and Processes. We're proud of Tonya Harris and Christiana Brown, who have already received acceptance letters. Several of the students of the students who are interested in this program (full scholarships are available) face transportation challenges. Please pray that roadblocks will be removed for those who are ready and willing to pursue education.

PSALM 55: 9-11 9 Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words, for I see violence and strife in the city. 10 Day and night they prowl about on its walls; malice and abuse are within it. 11 Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave its streets.

GRADUATION CELEBRATION Our first class of 2011 graduated last week and our volunteer photographer, Gretchen Shaw, has uploaded pics from the celebration. Slide show below!

First Class of 2011 Graduates

2011-03-02T10:29:00.000-08:00

We are so proud of this group of 11 graduates. All of our classes overcome significant roadblocks to reach their graduation, but this group has really worked hard to rise above their struggles and accomplish their goals.

This was also our first graduation to honor grads who have recently received their GEDs. Tonya Harris and Christiana Brown were there (pictured above), and were a great inspiration for today's grads who are still working toward their GEDs.

CED HARRIS BEGINS SAVING FOR CAR

Ced Harris, Jobs for Life grad and UWT Logistics employee, opened his IDA this week to begin saving for a car. We commend Ced's commitment to his job and his family. He'll save $1500 and receive $3000 in matching funds. Watch a video, below, to hear Ced talk about his plan!

February 22 Update

2011-02-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

Katrina is Debt Free - and a Car Owner!

Great news! Jobs for Life grad and IDA participant Katrina Payne (at left) has completed her time in the IDA Program and has used the money she saved, the matching dollars she received, and her income tax return to buy her car and pay off some remaining debt that she had. She is one happy lady! We're so impressed with her dedication to saving, and to paying off debts when she had the opportunity to do so.

Graduation is Friday

Please join us! Friday we'll gather at Streets Ministries at 10:00am (note new grad time) to celebrate another Jobs for Life graduation. These students have faced considerable struggles to make it to their graduation day, and we look forward to rejoicing with them. We'll also take some time to honor the 3 Jobs for Life grads who have received their GED over the last few weeks.

Business as Mission Conference

Independent Presbyterian Church, Second Presbyterian Church and Mission to the World are collaborating to present the upcoming Business as Mission Conference. The conference will take place April 29 and 30 at Independent Pres. This is a great way for business people to learn more about using their skills to contribute to local and global ministries. Go here for more info.

PSALM 3:3-6

But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.

Friday News: February 11, 2011

2011-02-11T11:55:00.000-08:00

SHARON BUSH: 8/14/1988-2/2/2011 We are greatly saddened to share that our friend and recent Jobs for Life graduate Sharon Bush passed away this week due to complications from pneumonia. She was only 22. There will be a wake for Sharon on Friday from 4:00-6:30 at the Ford Funeral home (S. Pkwy & Florida). The funeral will be Saturday at 11:00 at New Mount Sinai Church (4920 Hornlake). Please join us in praying for Sharon's family and friends.

THE IMPORTANCE--AND CHALLENGE--OF TEACHING FINANCIAL LITERACY
Financial literacy training makes up half of the Jobs for Life Program at Advance Memphis. While class exercises (such as tracking spending for a month) are eye opening experiences for our students, the learning curve is still a steep one. This isn't surprising when we consider that Americans, as a whole, struggle to understand and apply basic financial concepts. Even when we know what to do, most of us don't do it. Want proof?

Three out of every four Americans say they aren't saving enough
(2008 Pew Research Center).

So at Advance Memphis, our Financial Freedom curriculum is not static, but is evolving and - hopefully - becoming a more effective tool for instruction and change in our students' lives. This week we've got a great example of that. For the first time, Financial Freedom instructor Brandon Russell (right) will be distributing money to the class. (It's not real!) He's hoping that this hands on learning experience will help students understand the impact of their financial decisions, and will translate into lasting behavioral changes. It's not an easy topic to teach, but we'll keep trying. Statistics like these help us remember why it's so important:

One in five Americans are asset poor; if they had to live only on their net worth (savings, home equity and other assets) they could not survive at the poverty level for three months.
15.5% of all Americans (and 26% of minorities) have zero or negative net financial assets.

NEW JOBS, NEW POSSIBILITIES Advance Memphis Staffing Service client NGP has added another position, and we've sent Rosalind Hardy to work in their warehouse. Rosalind is taking online college courses while working and caring for her children; please pray for her as she adjusts to this new job. We're also proud to share that two of Staffing Service employees at KTG were invited to pursue permanent employment. The first step involved taking a written test, which both of them have passed. They will now go on to an interview stage. Please pray for these women as they work to take an important professional step.

PSALM 34: 17-18 17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. 18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Good News Friday!

2011-01-31T09:11:00.000-08:00

JOBS FOR LIFE UNDERWAY, QUIZZES INCLUDED! We are constantly refining our programs; striving to make them more effective so that our graduates are more prepared for the workplace. This year we've instituted Friday quizzes, and you can see our students working hard on those quizzes in above picture. Just this week, Science journal released research showing that students who were tested on material retained 50% more of the material than those who used other learning methods. Read more here, in the New York Times. And pray for the 16 students who are working hard in class. Several are facing challenges and roadblocks; please pray that they'll be able to complete their training. Warehouse Readiness class also got underway this week, with 6 students who were carefully selected for their leadership potential. They'll work to improve their knowledge of warehousing and logistics and to gain their forklift certification.

TWO MORE GO TO WORK AT ROYAL FURNITURE Early this month, we reported that Royal Furniture had hired Advance Memphis Staffing Service to fill positions in their warehouse. Today we're glad to share that we are now filling two additional positions there, and Shuntell Tucker (pictured above at his graduation from Jobs for Life) and Brian Crawford have begun working at Royal Furniture as order pickers. We're proud of these young men and we thank God for this new work.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10
But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him" -- these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

Good News Friday

2011-01-14T07:57:00.000-08:00

FIRST GED OF THE YEAR! In 2010, Advance Memphis greatly strengthened our GED Program with the addition of staff member Julie Latcham. Julie spent the year recruiting tutors, creating a more structured program, and motivating students. While the Program is still a work in progress, we're excited to begin seeing results. And two weeks into the year, we've got them! Edward Hopson has passed his GED. We are proud of Edward (at left); he recognized the amount of work necessary to pass this test, and he invested many, many hours in his studies. We are grateful for his tutor, Ramona Soileau (also at left), who did an amazing job helping him with upper level math. Tutors are always needed for this life changing program; contact mike@advancememphis.org to get involved.

HOPE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION RECOGNIZED BY COMMERCIAL APPEAL Hope Christian Community Foundation, a generous supporter of Advance, was recognized this week in the CA as the largest granting agency in Memphis. We're grateful for their service in our community. The article showcases Advance as a recipient of Hope funds; you can read it here. If you've ever considered opening a Donor Advised Fund, consider Hope as an option.

NEW STAFFING SERVICE CLIENT The Advance Memphis Staffing Service added a new client this week: Royal Furniture. We've already sent one graduate to work there, and he's already impressed his coworkers and supervisors with his hard work. Congratulations to Donald Jenkins. Keep up the good work!

WELCOME, CHRISTINE! Another intern has joined our staff for the year! Christine Kent (at right) is from Jonesboro, AR, and recently graduated from ASU with a BA in Sociology. We're grateful for the time she is investing with us; she has already been an asset to our work. Christine will work with the Computer Literacy, GED, and Staffing Service Programs. Introduce yourself next time you're in the building!

Fresh Food Scarce in 38126

2011-01-12T07:51:00.000-08:00

A research assistant at the UT Health Science Center sent us this short article and asked us to share it. Food is great example of something many of us take for granted -- and we may take it for granted that those in an urban setting have access to plenty of healthy food. As pointed out in the article below, however, there are no grocery stores in 38126 - and more than half the community's residents don't have a car. It's not hard to see how our neighbors often end up eating unhealthy food from corner stores and fast food restaurants. For more information on the concept of an urban food "desert," check out this Wikipedia article.

Here's the article, as written by UT's CHEER Program(Consortium for Health Education, Economic Empowerment and Research):

Many people in Memphis do not have access to fresh foods. It can be very hard for people without cars to get to fresh food. People with health conditions may also have a harder time getting food.

CHEER examined 38126. There are no grocery stores in this zip code. A healthy food environment is needed for people to make good food choices. Bad eating habits often result in poor health. For example, areas with access to fresh foods have lower obesity rates. Here are some tips if you live far from a grocery store or want to eat healthier:

1. Drink water instead of soda.
2. Eat high-protein, low-fat foods like eggs, tuna, beans, and chicken.
3. Buy frozen vegetables. They are faster to prepare and cheaper.
4. Cook healthy meals in bulk.
5. Visit farmer’s markets. Many of the foods are cheaper because they are local and seasonal.
6. Start a garden. A pack of fruit or vegetable seeds is usually less than a dollar.
7. Avoid junk food. Chips and candy are nutritionally poor.

CONTACT INFORMATION
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
CHEER (Consortium for Health Education, Economic Empowerment and Research)
66 N. Pauline Avenue, Suite 307
Memphis, TN 38105
Phone: 901-448-1985
Fax: 901-448-1991
www.uthsc.edu/CHEER

Let the Good Times Roll!

2011-01-07T11:03:00.001-08:00

We're only 7 days into the new year and we've already been blessed with great news.

Corpulus Brown has obtained permanent employment at St. Jude, making $16.00 an hour as a Medical Admin. Corpulus is still working towards a Masters in health and fitness at U of M. We're so proud of his accomplishments.

Deshaunka Burks (below) has been working full time at Mercury Printing for two months.

Ecclesiastes 3:11
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (NIV)

Our Students are Listening

2010-12-08T08:06:00.000-08:00

Jim Burnett works at Morgan Keegan and volunteers as a class speaker at Advance Memphis on the topic of "Investments". He often speaks at other organizations and schools around Memphis. This week he took a minute to share an observation about Advance Memphis students as compared to others.

“Over the last several weeks I have had the opportunity to speak in front of several groups of people ranging from high school age to early retirement, and economic ranges all over the map. It occurred to me during a few of these talks that some of the most interested of my “captive audiences” were the class members at Advance. While every group had eager listeners and some nappers, it occurred to me that the groups that were the most focused were the ones that had the most to gain…or more importantly…nothing to lose. Those in the middle tended to be “neutral” to financial concerns. I continue to enjoy speaking to the Advance classes as I continue to benefit more from them than the intended…”

Thanks, Jim!

Grace, Mercy, and Justice: How we treat people with criminal backgrounds reflects what we really believe about the gospel.

2010-12-03T10:57:00.000-08:00

“The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever.” Psalm 103:6, 9

Psalm 103 is one of my favorite passages in the Bible because it expresses the very core of our Christian belief: our God does not hold our sins against us, but through his own suffering he has forgiven, redeemed, and restored us to a loving relationship with Himself. Every week we—the body of Christ—sing, teach, read and pray about this glorious truth, but do we stop to think about if and how we might display this truth to the rest of the world?

About a year ago, a friend of mine placed his faith in the truth that God took on human flesh, lived a perfectly obedient life, and died in his place so that he could be given new life. At that very moment his life changed forever. Not only were his sins forgiven, but his shame was lifted, he found purpose for his life, and he gained hope for his future. While this happened internally, his external choices and actions began to look quite different.

He went from selling drugs on the street, to sharing his faith with his drug-dealing friends. He began to study God’s Word with great hunger, memorizing portions of Scripture,and confessing his sin.

As I began to disciple him, I started noticing a major roadblock that kept recurring in his walk: when he quit selling drugs, he couldn’t provide for himself. He had some basic bills that he needed to pay, including $50 a month due to his parole officer. “If you don’t bring me the money, I am going to violate you and send you back to jail,” she threatened him each time they met. My friend needed income, and he needed it quick! He had already graduated from the Jobs For Life program, where he learned all the principles I could give him to find a job; however, even though he had gained all the right tools, and was faithful to job searching and filling out applications, he still couldn’t find work.

In college I was involved in a disciple-making ministry where I learned the age-old saying: “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.” For most of my Christian ministry, I based my strategies around this one principle. But this time, the principle was not working very well for me and my disciple. I taught him to fish (how to find a job), but he was still starving (no one would hire him). This included our in-house staffing service that tried, but couldn’t place him anywhere.

He desperately wanted to work, displayed tremendous character, and he would have made an excellent employee. So what was the problem?

My friend had a Scarlet Letter tattooed to his forehead. Well, not literally, but he did have a felony conviction, which is a written record of a past sin that he will carry with him the rest of his life. My friend impressed many, many people. On several occasions he was told that he was hired, but in each of these cases he was just being set up for disappointment.

Even though they originally found him to be the right man for the job, when they conducted a background check on him, they decided he was no longer qualified for the position.

My friend, even though he knew how to fish and had all the right tools, was still starving because he did not have access to a pond. What’s the point of buying a pole and bait, when no one will let you fish on their property!? Because my friend was a “Criminal” no one would trust him to perform even the most unskilled tasks. He wasn’t allowed to stack toilet paper or even sweep floors.

You see, unlike God, our society does hold our sins against us forever. Many employers will discriminate against a candidate because of a record that dates back to something that happened more than15 years in the past. I personally think this is unjust, but whether it is or isn’t is beside the point. The point is: this is not Christian! This is not in line with the truth of the gospel. We who have the power to make hiring decisions (middle to upper class society) are communicating something directly opposed to the gospel. By not employing persons who have committed a crime, we are in effect saying them: “The prison sentence you served is not enough!” Even though they have now lived up to what the law requires for restitution (jail time, community service, and financial payments), our society is still punishing them for their crimes. My friend, who has served time in jail as punishment for his sin and as his debt to society, is now serving his second punishment—one that he will never be able to pay off unless something changes.

The biblical truth is that we are all equally sinful beings. Sure, some of us have committed more offensive sins than others, but the true Judge sees through our actions and sees our hearts—and we are anything but innocent.

We deserve hell, but praise God that he forgives us and offers us a new life in Christ. Let’s live out this amazing truth. Let’s stop holding people’s sins against them forever. Let’s restore people with public sin to a humane place in society. Let’s give them dignity. Let’s let them work. Let’s let them provide for themselves and their families. There are lots of reasons fwhy we won’t let them work (for example, it’s risky, we might get burned, and our insurance premiums might go up), but praise God that he didn’t ask himself “what’s in it for me?” when he bore our burdens in human flesh!

There is a lot to contemplate here. I’m not suggesting that we can solve it all over night. But I am suggesting that we all at least feel the weight of the burden many of our brothers and sisters carry, when they daily face the dilemma of whether to go back to their old ways of making money, or put their children on the streets because they can’t pay their rent.

Andrew Vincent
Jobs for Life Instructor
andrew@advancememphis.org

My Life Has Radically Changed

2010-11-18T18:39:00.000-08:00

Cindy Goad graduated from Jobs for Life one year ago and is now an Advance Memphis employee.
Here is her story, in her words.

One year ago, November 20, 2009, I graduated from the Jobs for Life Class in Memphis. Before I came through the program, my life was a total mess. I lived in chaos, I was sad, I was angry at my family, myself and even God. I didn’t understand why God allowed my mother to die when I was 5 years old and put me through such dysfunctional childhood events. I didn’t understand why I was trying to find fulfillment in alcohol and drugs. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t function in everyday society without wanting to die.

I had no hope for my future.  

When I sat in Jobs for Life class every day, listening to not only the instructors but to my conscience, I began to realize that there was a better way to go about living life. I starting pursuing a relationship with Christ and became very passionate about making some changes. I became active in bible studies and the AA program.

As my heart started changing, so did my thoughts, as well as my life.

I stand amazed at all God has done in my life just in the last year.   I am now 18 months sober and feeling better about myself every day. I am on the staff at Advance Memphis now, helping our graduates find employment when just last year I sat in the staffing office crying because I was ineligible to work through the staffing service. I have attended budget and credit counseling and I am now responsible with a checking and savings account and being able to make some financial amends. I have my own apartment and I am saving towards buying a car.

I have established a relationship with my children when I never thought they would speak to me again. They inquire about my life with Christ and have occasionally driven across town to attend church with me. I located my youngest son through the internet and now get to spend time with him when he didn’t even know me. My sisters and I are communicating and visiting with each other when I hadn’t spoken to them in years (one of them for 15yrs). My brother calls me “little sis” again. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and talking to nieces and nephews for the first time ever. My parents came from Florida to visit with me and God is definitely doing some restoration in our relationships. My dad and I cried together and forgave each other and my step mom, who I used to hold deep resentments towards, is now becoming one of my best friends.

I value relationships today, when I used to cringe at the thought of being open and honest about who I really am.

I am proud of who I am today and all that I have accomplished through Christ.  I often pray that God will allow me to share my experience, strength and hope with others so I can be an encouragement to anybody who is in a hopeless situation. My life has radically changed today. I smile, I laugh and I enjoy my family and friends. I have a job that I absolutely love with co-workers that don’t judge me and they love me for whom I am.

I don’t want to die anymore. I want to live and tell the world of how Christ has made a difference in my life today.

Cindy Goad
Advance Memphis Staffing Service Assistant
cindy@advancememphis.org

Leading By Love

2010-11-17T19:43:00.001-08:00

How do you evaluate whether your ministry is successful or not? It is crucial to remember that we are never called to get people to make certain decisions or “act” in a certain way. In relationships with others we are only called to one thing: love them. I think if we forgot all the other methodologies and just remembered this one basic calling, we the Church, would have a much bigger impact in our communities and in the world.

Reflecting on the ministry that has taken place at Advance Memphis, I’ve learned a lot about what it means to truly love people. There are four elements of love that come to mind. These are summarized well in the following verse.

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

1 Corinthians 13:7 (ESV)

Love BEARS all things:
Listen and pray. Your job is not to give all the answers, but rather to listen empathetically and help bear their burdens. Love isn’t concerned simply with outward performance, but it aims to see the wounded heart healed. The main aim here is to identify the pain/disappointment/temptation etc. in someone’s story, and help shoulder their burden so that they do not have to bear it alone. When this is done effectively, you should feel some of the emotional weight of the person’s struggles. The best expression of this is to pray with the person on the spot, rather than saying “I’ll be praying about that.”

Love BELIEVES all things:
One of the most powerful things you can do is express your belief in the person to whom you are ministering. Every human being, Christian or not, has been created in God’s image, and was knit together by God to possess unique talents and abilities. Learn to see these gifts in others, and as soon as you do: affirm, affirm, affirm. Many people are paralyzed by their shortcomings or failures. Break the chains of inadequacy in others by naming specific strengths you see in them. Another very important way to champion someone is to show them your own inadequacies and insecurities. They likely believe in you, and if you are open about your own struggles, they will gain the much needed comfort about their own issues so that they can start taking risks again.

Love HOPES all things.
Hope is the most important ingredient in someone’s development. As soon as someone begins to think, “I can’t change” or “life is what it is; what’s the use?" is the moment that trying to change their behavior, or get a certain action out of them becomes a waste of time. Most of what is perceived as “laziness” is usually a classic case of hopelessness. Restore someone’s hope and you will unlock the key to their movement. Your best tool for this is the gospel of Jesus Christ which is the POWER of God to bring hope to every area of one’s life. Be quick to open God’s Word and claim his promises with others.

Love ENDURES all things.
There is no excuse worthy of withholding our love from another. This means that no matter how atrocious you think someone’s sin is; no matter how stupid of a mistake someone makes; no matter how many times they’ve made the same mistake; no matter how badly they hurt you, intentionally or not; no matter if they flat out reject your love for them, you have one single responsibility, and that is to endure whatever betrayal comes your way and love them as you love yourself. One of the worst things you can do is to add guilt or shame on someone else in an attempt to get them to make the “right” decision. Unconditional love is the key to melting the hardest of hearts, so endure all things and continue to pour yourself out in love no matter what happens in the relationship.

Andrew Vincent
andrew@advancememphis.org
Jobs for Life Instructor

Tony's 60 Second Commercial

2010-11-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

Today was the last day of class for the 16 Jobs For Life students who have made it through our intensive six week program. We had a sobering and emotional moment for several men and women today as the reality set in that finding a job with a criminal background is going to be a continual challenge (in case you didn’t know most employers automatically reject candidates who have committed crimes, and this is one of Advance Memphis’ hardest struggles as we fight for justice). It is always discouraging for our neighbors who have a felony on their record to see their classmates find work quicker than them. Today I did my best to encourage students to remain faithful with what they know, be proactive in looking for work, and trust God with the results.

As soon as class ended today I took several men from class to run errands with me. When we stopped at one of the places, the truck wouldn’t start and so we spent several minutes trying to get it jumped. As we stood around, one of the men who was upset about his background today, Tony, noticed a man planting trees. Tony introduced himself to Jesse, who, as it turns out, is the owner of a landscaping company. Tony gave his “60 second commercial” (an interviewing technique we teach in the program). Jesse asked him about his criminal background, and Tony gave him an honest answer, “I have made some mistakes in my past and had to serve time.” Tony then went on to add, “But my life has been changed and I just completed the Jobs For Life program at Advance Memphis.” With some additional comments about how he wants to work hard, add value, and prove himself, Tony was hired! Tony knew the job wasn't permanent or full time--but what mattered was that he had represented himself well and been hired. He had hope!

This story gets me excited because it demonstrates both Tony and God’s faithfulness. Tony was extremely diligent to apply himself during the 6 week program. He was brutally honest with me and his Champion about his various roadblocks, and he worked hard to address these roadblocks. He took what he learned in class and used it the first opportunity he saw. The result was that Tony was working within 2 hours of finishing the Jobs For Life class. Of course none of this would have ever happened without God’s guiding hand, which prompted Tony’s heart and was the ultimate cause behind the truck not starting. Praise God for providing such an opportunity, and congratulate Tony on his faithfulness and preparedness.

Tony told me that this was a testimony that I better use to encourage others! So I hope this encourages you as it does me.

andrew@advancememphis.org
Jobs for Life Instructor

What Happens to an iPhone That's Stolen in Memphis?

2010-11-02T09:35:00.000-07:00

Ever get tired of people's preconceptions about Memphis? Read the following blog entry by Operations Manager Ann Brainerd. Sure, there's some crime. But there's also so much goodness.

So during our last Jobs for Life class, I had my phone stolen from my desk – my new iPhone 4.

After returning to my closed office after lunch, I grabbed my purse to head out for an errand and realized that my phone was not where I had left it. Upon hearing this, a student from class immediately walked into the classroom to ask if anyone had seen my phone. The conclusion from the class was exactly what I had been thinking: the guy that had been sitting in our lobby half the day—who I didn't know—must have taken it. Another student chimed in that she had been outside for a smoke when she saw him walk quickly out of the office and take off around the corner. Even while this was being discussed, 3 or 4 guys headed out of the building to hunt him down, while the rest of the class followed outside. The Pest Control guy who had just pulled upsaw the mass exodus and asked if we were having a fire drill or something!

While the hunting crew disappeared around the corner, several of us tried calling my phone, only to have the voicemail pick up. I eventually headed out to the local AT&T store so I could get my phone turned off and switched to my thick old school phone. The moment I walked into the store and told them my phone was stolen, they immediately smiled and asked if I was Ann Brainerd. I meekly said, “Yes,” wondering why they knew my name. They gladly told me that work had called and that my phone was safe and sound at the office! I was thrilled to know that I didn’t have to wait in the long line just to get my phone transferred – but even more so that the guys were successful at getting my phone back.

Ann Brainerd pictured with students and a volunteer from the last Jobs for Life class.

I must say that I am continually amazed at the community here. This is just one of many examples that show the mutual love and care that the community and staff of Advance have for each other. As I returned to the office, people from class continued to ask if I was okay. I had an older man in the class poke his head into my office to add that “they did that because they care about you.” I nodded, acknowledging how thankful I am for that.

One of the students that went on the hunt for the phone told me that he just doesn’t like people that steal--or the idea that someone would steal from someone at Advance. They just couldn’t let him get away with it. And I'm grateful!

Good News: A Grant and a GED!

2010-10-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU TO THE WOMEN'S FOUNDATION FOR A GREATER MEMPHIS
We are so proud to share that the Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis has selected Advance Memphis as a grant recipient for 2010-2011. The Women's Foundation is a great asset to Memphis, working to encourage philanthropy and foster leadership among women and support programs that enable women and children to reach their full potential. Their support will help to fund the participation of women in our Jobs for Life program, and will also provide funding for some of michael dawson GEDthose women to continue on to participation in our Warehouse Readiness vocational training program.

Thursday night we attended the Women's Foundations's Grant Showcase event. Two Jobs for Life program grads were in attendance, making us proud: Cindy Goad, Advance Memphis Employment Assistant and Clintonia Moore, Floating Lead for Advance Memphis Staffing Service. THANK YOU, WFGM!

WORK IT MEMPHIS CONTINUES
We've got our Athletes registered and they are exercising! Now it's time for YOU to join us as a Sponsor. Just go to the Work It Memphis! site and click "New Sponsor" and choose any Athlete to sponsor -- or just click "Donate Now" to make a flat donation to the campaign. All proceeds will go directly to our efforts to expand capacity and serve more of the Memphians who want to go to WORK!

ANOTHER GED--CONGRATULATIONS MICHAEL!
We celebrate with Michael Dawson, who dropped by this week to show us his GED. Michael completed Jobs for Life in 2005, and immediately begin pursuing his GED with the help of volunteer Bryn Wilson. This year, Michael came back for more tutoring and accomplished his goal of obtaining his GED. Excitement fills the building when anyone gets their GED. A few women were studying this week and discussing who would be next! Thanks for inspiring us, Michael!

ADVANCE MEMPHIS BECOMES A CERTIFIED "DRUG FREE WORKPLACE"
Last week Advance was informed that we had met all standards to be approved as a Drug Free Workplace. We're glad to make these standards an official part of our office, our Staffing Service, and our Outsourcing Program.

ISAIAH 61:14
They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.

Work It Memphis gets started!

2010-10-08T09:20:00.000-07:00

HELP SUPPORT ADVANCE MEMPHIS! Work it Memphis! is a new kind of fundraiser, designed to harness the power of the internet and social media and raise money to help Advance Memphis expand capacity to serve more people. Two weeks ago, people spent the night outside our building in order to secure their place in our upcoming class. People WANT to work, and Advance Memphis wants to grow our programs to serve more people. We need YOUR help to raise money to make it happen.

To be an Athlete for Work It Memphis, just choose any sport, get sponsors, and keep track of your miles (or dances, or laps).

To be a Sponsor for Work It Memphis, just look for Athletes you know at the bottom of the Work It Memphis! web page, and then click "New Sponsor." You can also make a flat donation to the campaign here.

SO GET STARTED! : The easiest way to get involved as an Athlete or Sponsor is by going to our Facebook app. But you can also get started by going to workit.advancememphis.org.

WATCH THE VIDEO!: Here's the link to the 90 second video that explains more about Work It Memphis! Check it out!

THANKS AGAIN TO 2PC & CITYSERVE!
As you may have heard, Advance was blessed to have a LOT of help during 2PC's CityServe weekend. Volunteers from 2PC's Emmaus class and from our neighborhood came to help and we accomplished an incredible amount of work in a short amount of time. Advance has been blessed recently by the addition of a photographer to our family: staff member Mike Shaw recently married Gretchen who is a talented photographer. Click here to go to the whole slideshow.

WAREHOUSE READINESS CLASS GRADUATES
Advance Memphis is again providing advanced Warehouse Readiness training, including fork lift certification, for some of our Jobs for Life graduates. 8 students graduated from this program on Thursday and will receive raises in their positions with Advance Memphis Staffing. Our prayer is that they will also now be more eligible for full time, permanent positions that become available. We are proud of you, grads!

A Good Week at Advance

2010-09-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

EMPLOYED!

We just got word this week that Shawn Bell (second from left with part of his Jobs for Life graduating class) has gone to work at Piggly Wiggly. We love it when grads seek and find employment entirely on their own. Go Shawn!

GRADUATION DAY

Today is another beautiful graduation day at Advance Memphis. Our cup overflows--15 of these 20 grads are going to work IMMEDIATELY through our Staffing Service. Please join us in praying for ALL of these grads. We pray that those who are going to work immediately will make the most of this opportunity. We pray that those who are continuing their search will focus on their goal and be blessed in their efforts. We thank God for WORK.

BRANDY BOUGHT A CAR!

We get so excited when a graduate who is participating in our IDA (matched savings) Program earns enough to purchase a car. Talk about a tangible reward! In this video, Brandy explains why her car purchase is important to her, and how the IDA Program helped her feel confident about the purchase. It's under two minutes, but it's enough to help you understand why this program is so important. Check it out!

HEBREWS 10:35-36

Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

Blessings

2010-09-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

Advance Is Runner Up in Contest for National HOPE Award for Effective Compassion Thank you to the 3,000+ people who voted in World Magazine's contest for the National HOPE Award for Effective Compassion. While we're disappointed to not be the National Award winner, we're grateful for the blessings that came as a result of the Southern Region Award. Even today there is a new volunteer in the office who became involved after reading the article in World Magazine about us. We've got a relationship with a new employer, too. And our students and neighbors were greatly encouraged by the POSITIVE recognition the neighborhood received because of the article and the Award. Staff, too, were greatly encouraged by your voting. It is a forkliftblessing to be surrounded by so many supporters. Thank you to World Magazine and the American Bible Society for sponsoring the HOPE Award!

Warehouse Readiness Class Begins Monday Last year we ran a Warehouse Readiness pilot program for a select group of our program grads (one is pictured at right during forklift certification). The class was a success, and helped us learn the best ways to structure the program. Fast forward a year, and we've added our Staffing Service to our Programs, which means we've got dozens of employees who are working hard and ready to move up the career ladder. It's time for the Warehouse Readiness program to re-launch in its new and improved form! This Monday, we'll have 13 people begin the 4 week class. They'll meet Mon-Thur from 2-5p in a course designed specifically to make them more attractive candidates for full time, skilled positions in warehouse environments. Congratulations to the new students!

Blessed with a Problem
In the past few months, our class registration days have become quite a phenomenon. People have lined up in the rain. They've lined up in the heat. They've lined up as early as 3:30am. We've turned dozens of people away on registration days and hundreds of people away every 6 weeks between classes. We believe that the presence of this line every six weeks says a lot about this neighborhood. Our neighbors are ready to do what it takes to get a job. They are seeing friends and relatives go to work, and they're coming to be a part of it. In a place where nihilism runs rampant, hope is gaining a foothold. People are lining up when it's inconvenient, uncomfortable, and despite the fact that a spot in class is not guaranteed. We PRAISE GOD for these potential students who come seeking work--and hope. We pray that in the coming months and years, through the Lord's provision, we'll be able to expand capacity, and serve more of these neighbors.

JOHN 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

2010-09-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

GENEROSITY [OR] WHY OUR STUDENTS AND GRADUATES ARE AMAZING

Sometimes we're overwhelmed by the generosity of our students and grads. This has been one of those weeks, and we thought we'd share the joy with you. We'll start with an explanation of the picture at left. It's Julie's birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JULIE!) and she was honored today with a gift that is traditional in the neighborhood. Our students gave Julie several dollars to pin to her shirt. The idea is that you wear the money all day, and those who see you will know to wish you a happy birthday - and they'll also be able to add to the gift. All day long, people have been wishing her a happy birthday and adding to her pin. GENEROUS.

We've also had one graduate and one current student contribute many hours of volunteer work over the past couple weeks. Wendell Rucker and Greg Parham have labored hard to help demo a large concrete slab that will be converted to allow for a new meeting space. This was hard work - and their work meant that we were able to complete the project on a small budget. THAT means more dollars for services. GENEROUS.

Along the same lines, we've had MANY graduates volunteer time at our front desk. We haven't had a receptionist for while, and that's isn't easy on staff. We are so grateful for the grads who take the time to give back in this way. GENEROUS.

A few gradautes are talking with us regularly about the idea of holding AA meetings here at our building. They're willing to contribute their time and energy to making this happen, and they know that is a big commitment. But they understand the value to their community. GENEROUS.

PSALM 81:16

But I would feed you with the finest wheat.
I would satisfy you with wild honey from the rock.

JOBS AND SAVING ACCOUNTS - GOOD THINGS!

Lonnie Thomas was hired on FULL TIME, PERMANENT, WITH BENEFITS by KTG. While we're sad to lose him from Advance Memphis Staffing Service, this is exactly what we dream of for all our grads! We're proud to share that Robert Johnson has gone to work just down the street--at Streets Ministries! He's been brought on staff as a maintenance worker and we can testify that he'll do a great job. He's kept our building looking great by helping with lawn care for years!

We've also had TWO graduates open Individual Development Accounts this week. April Smith has been working with Advance Memphis Staffing Service since her graduation in July. She is saving towards opening a small lawn care business. Go April! Andre Wesley also opened an account this week: take 20 seconds to hear his story below!

Letter from Prison

2010-08-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

When WORLD Magazine honored us with the HOPE Award for Effective Compassion (Southern Region) we didn't realize how far reaching the effects would be. We've gotten calls offering our graduates jobs, we've found new volunteers, and we've met new friends. The letter below is one of the unexpected blessings from the article. Take a minute to read the thoughts of a prison inmate who is seeking out a way to serve other inmates.

July 23, 2010

Advance Memphis
PO Box 2201
Memphis, TN 38101-2201

Dear Advance Memphis,

I recently read the article about your organization in the June 19, 2010 issue of World Magazine. I was so impressed with your efforts I felt compelled to write for two reasons. The first is an effort to applaud your mission and the second, if possible, is to gain some additional information.

First, thank you! Thank you not only for helping the impoverished in Memphis but also for the example you are setting for all those that are expodsed to your efforts. So many of us drive by these parts of town pretending they are not there. We also read or hear of stories how another former inmate re-offends and automatically wonder why they were ever released in the first place. I know this because I was once one of those people passing judgement as if I were perfect. That is of course until I found myself serving an eight year sentence in a federal prison and wondering if anyone out there will give me a second chance.

I am in a much better position than your average inmate, I realize this and am much more appreciative of all that I still have than I ever was before my trouble. I have an education and a supportive cast of friends and family but more important than all of that is that I found Christ in this process. As I am certain you are aware, most of the inmates here have none of these things in there lives. Inside, these guys are barely offered a basic GED education let alone anything else substantial that will guide them upon their release. We need more organizations such as yours providing tht guidance. I had no idea that a mission of this type even existed. Education, guidance, support, encouragement and even discipline are what is needed to help the majority of former inmates from re-offending. Thank you for not only providing that but also showing the public that second chances work.

As I mentioned my primary goal was to thank you for your work. However, I also wanted to ask if you are aware of any organizations or missions providing these services in my release city of Louisville, KY. During my two years at this facility, I have worked in the ducation department tutoring the GED students, and I have discovered two things through this experience: First, I truly enjoy teaching and have found that I have been blessed with a little talent in this area. Second, I have found how badly education, both GED and life skills education, is needed. I feel that I am being led somewhere in this direction. The article and your work have given me further inspiration. I am considering a future in adult education and this letter is in part the beginning of my investigations. I have come to realie how self-serving I was in my former life and I do not wish to return to that. I want to take full advantage of this time in preparation for my release sometime in early 2015.

I realize that your organization runs with minimal staff and the efforts of an exceptionally busy volunteer crew, and a response to my letter may not even be possible. I understand and respect that. If that is the case, then I would only wish to thank you and congratulate you on your efforts and success. If, however, in due time you are able to respond with a place for me to start looking in Louisville, KY, it would be greatly appreciated.

In my new “life,” I am desperately trying to not miss or, truthfully, ignore the gentle nudges and directions God is providing me. I still have approximately firve years left to my sentence which is enough time to prepare myself, in whatever way I need, for what awaits me in the second half of my life.

I thank you in advance for any help you may be able to provide.

Sincerely,

John Doe
Federal Corrections Institute
PO Box 6001
Ashland, KY 41105

Video from World Magazine

2010-07-09T12:39:00.000-07:00

It was such an honor to work with the talented team from World Magazine when they interviewed us for their print and video features. The video is great - if you haven't seen it, take a minute to watch it now.

Advance Memphis: Memphis, Tenn. from james Allen Walker on Vimeo.

Adrianne Cobb

2010-06-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

Adrianne Cobb was 18. She died Saturday night. She was shot while she was at a party for teens. The crowd was predominantly made up of kids because it was a "No ID required" party. There was no alcohol. The main entertainment was music and dancing. I know this because one of the young men that my husband I have tutored for years was standing next to Adrianne when she was shot. Robert is living with us right now and I've spent the last week watching him process Adrianne's death in the ways that make sense to him. When I went to bed last night, he was sitting at the computer trying to make a slide show with pictures of her. He's on MySpace a lot, seeing what people are saying about the tragedy, looking at pictures of her - one of them together in a classroom. I didn't know Adrianne. My only memory of her was at Senior Day a few weeks ago, when she received a few awards from the B.T.W. High School staff. A few days later, Adrianne graduated. So that's all I know. But apparently, she was pretty unforgettable. Robert says she was hilarious - not just a class clown, but a school clown - making everyone laugh, including the principal. But she was also smart, and probably would have gone on to college.

Adrianne spent a lot of time at Streets Ministries, and I know everyone there is mourning her loss. She was also a relative of a recent Jobs for Life graduate, and Advance wanted to remember her as well. Because the truth is that not enough people are noticing this tragedy. As far as I could tell, nothing about her death, or the crime surrounding it, appeared in the Commercial Appeal - other than her obituary. I did see one brief mention that was included on a local news show, but it was wrapped up with a list of things that happened last weekend. There was no outrage over Adrianne's death.

There should be outrage. There should be a response. I don't know what that response should be...maybe just more people intentionally using their time to pour the love of Christ into the lives of their neighbors. Because we could use some more love down here.

Kate Lareau
kate@advancememphis.org

“Real Talk” and Real, Broken Leadership

2010-06-15T13:44:00.000-07:00

This morning I was struck in the gut, again, by what it means to be a leader. With every JFL class that comes through, we always take a good piece of class time and dedicate it to telling life stories. This time around, Andrew boldly led off yesterday morning with an open, honest rendering of his journey. He almost brings me to tears each time I hear him tell it, and I think I am on round five. The rest of the class finished what he started and left me weepy-eyed. It wasn’t just that so many folks have experienced great amounts of heart-wrenching pain. It was that they were so honest about what they had been through. And it wasn’t just honesty about the things that happened to them, although there were many of those stories. It was also honesty about addictions, broken family relationships, poor choices, and deep regrets.

Today, as we continued life stories, it was the same deal. But it was my turn to get us kicked off. Because of the searing honesty of those who have gone before me, I went for it. I told my life story in a more raw, open, and honest fashion than I ever have done in a public setting. I shared things with the class that only a small handful of people even know about me. I had to choke back tears for the whole ten minutes I spoke. It was humiliating, difficult, scary, and freeing.

But it didn’t end there. Person after person followed me and poured out their most secret pains, showed their deepest wounds, and confessed brokenness in their own lives. Even as I write this, it is hard to keep from weeping.

True leadership, true discipleship, true gospel living can only happen in a context of vulnerability and brokenness. I deeply believe that people were open this morning because I laid it all on the table first. But, I could only do that because Andrew and other class members had been so honest and broken the previous day. The LORD does beautiful things when broken people are “real” with one another. He begins to bring healing; He brings community; He teaches us to love. If we, The Church, and we, the individuals in the church, want to see change in our world we must begin clinging to God’s promise that “the first will be last.” That means making ourselves last.

Where I come from you don’t win friends, you don’t win influence, and you certainly don’t win respect by airing your dirty laundry. But that is where the Gospel thrives! Instead of trying to hammer legalistic rules, or even a message of grace, into people’s heads and hearts, we need to tell our story. We need to be non-threatening, grace-filled, and honest. We need to tell the full story of the Gospel in our own lives. That is the grace, that is the beauty, that is the message that draws people to Jesus. Only when we let people see the full picture of sin, grace, redemption, and restoration in our own lives will we lead people to fully worship The King. Real leadership is broken leadership.

Brandon Russell

Brandon@advancememphis.org

In His Own Words: Dewayne's Story

2010-06-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

A year ago this week, Dewayne Ghoston became a Christian. This is his story.

I was raised in a house of four sisters and a single parent mom. My father was an addict on crack back in the 80's when it first hit the south. I've seen my mom being abused many times so as for me coming up I vow to myself that I'll never put my hands on a lady. Seeing my mom always struggling growing up I promised my mom that I was going to get us out of the projects (hood, ghetto). As I got older I realized that I completely underestimated how hard that was to do. Later on around the age of twelve, I was first introduced to marijuana through an uncle. Sometime later at the age of fifteen or sixteen, I first tried selling it but didn't know how to manage my money so that didn't last long. By being in the streets I learned to become a professional thief including selling drugs on the streets. In so many words, I became a slave to MONEY. I've destroyed many lives of others yet at the same time I was destroying my soul.

I was really confused at this point in my life. I was in and out my mom's house because she wasn't tolerating me running the streets while living under her roof. So feeling rejected I began to hide behind my emotions by robbing throughout my community. A bunch of people wanted me dead so at all times and most places I carried a gun for safety. The age of 18 I picked the drugs back up and learned the drug game. I went by the name "Ghost" on the streets, which meant "can't nobody see me (touch me)." In other words I thought I was God. By me being in and out of jail that became a third home for me.

The previous time I was incarcerated I began to open my eyes to life after I received information on my sister being robbed at gun point. Of course I was hurt by the fact I wasn't there to protect her. Here, at this point in life, I finally felt as God was trying to tell me to slow down. Eleven months later they decided to release me. My focus was on doing whatever I could possibly do to stay out of harms way. I started my search of a job and after getting rejected dozens of times I began to sink in discouragement. Weeks later I discovered an organization called "Advance Memphis" which focuses on furthering adult education. Going through the programs I was introduced to the gospel in a different form which led me to realize how broken and in need of a savior I was. On June 8th in the year 2009 I confessed to Christ that I trusted and believed that he is the song of God, repented on my sins and asked him to save me and to take me as I am.

Since then I can honestly say that the Lord has changed me. He has transformed my heart and renewed my mind with the desires to wanting to serve him instead of chasing after worldly desires. In conclusion the reason why I'm seeking this position is because it's a great opportunity to serve God's Kingdom making Christ known while also growing closer to him through my experiences of offering my body to him as a living sacrifice.

PS Thanks for taking the time out to allow me to share the majority of my testimony which led me to Christ with you.

Dewayne Ghoston

A Brief Response to the New York Times Article

2010-06-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

If you're a Memphian and haven't yet read "The New Poor: Blacks in Memphis Lose Decades of Economic Gains," then you should do so. But after you do, there are a couple things we want to tell you.

First, we want you to know that despite the injustice and poverty present in Memphis, Advance Memphis is seeing unemployed and low-income Memphians FIND HOPE. We see this in many ways, but this week hope came in the form of an internal report on the status of our Mercy Loans. We use Mercy Loans to help graduates avert a crisis; they help graduates avoid check cashing loans and other usorious options. Of 18 loans issued this year, 13 have already been repaid. Of the remaining 5, only 2 are in default; 3 are active and in good standing. People in the poorest urban zip code in Tennessee are repaying loans (and saving for assets, see below).

Second, we want you to know that you can join us in supporting CHANGE in Memphis. Residents of the poorest urban zip code in Tennessee are working to improve their educations, find jobs, save for assets, and become economically independent. Contributing to Advance provides job readiness and workforce development for neighborhood residents. It provides GED tutoring, employment options, budget counseling and more. Contributing specifically to our IDA Program provides matching dollars for savings accounts used to purchase capacity building assets (below, see Darlene Gandy with the car she purchased through the IDA Program.)

Psalm 82:3-4 (The Message)
"Enough! You've corrupted justice long enough, you've let the wicked get away with murder. You're here to defend the defenseless, to make sure that underdogs get a fair break; Your job is to stand up for the powerless, and prosecute all those who exploit them."

Neighbors

2010-06-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

A neighbor brought my family some groceries earlier this week. We weren't lacking food, she just thought she would help us out a bit. It's not uncommon for her to drop by to talk, drop off a pot of chili or some tasty dessert. This time was a little different. She shared a story with my wife. When she was younger she hit hard times as a single mom with her first baby. Food almost seemed like a luxury. She told Lily (my wife) how she used to just pray and pray that her baby would keep sleeping, because if he woke up he would want to eat and her cupboards were all but empty. As a parent of a toddler, I can't imagine how hopeless and painful that must be. Her first night in public housing was one of the rough ones--nothing to eat. But thankfully, one of her neighbors stopped by and invited them to dinner. To hear her tell it, it was an angel! And given the circumstances, I think that thoughtful neighbor did show the love of God in a tangible way, like an angel. That night, she made a vow to God that she would always be good to her neighbors. And I am willing to testify as well as others in our building that she is indeed making good on that.

When Lily told me about this conversation, I cried. I was overwhelmed by this sweet lady's care for others amidst a still hard life (both she and her mom have substantial health problems). I am also convicted. How many ways do I fail to be a neighbor to those around me? How much more do I fail to be a neighbor to those that I don't come across on a daily basis, those folks I avoid? The amazing thing is that I have even greater reason to be grateful than my neighbor. I have never felt the awful hopelessness of not being able to feed my child, my wife, or myself. I have been blessed with access to all the necessities (and many luxuries) as well as a strong social support system that would readily and quickly provide anything I lacked.

Why don't I feel the same gut level gratefulness for God's blessings that my neighbor does? In fact, why doesn't the church feel that level of compassion? Why don't all of us who follow Jesus have deeper gratefulness for all the LORD has given us and seek to spread that blessing to others? Sometimes I think we might look like Israel did, called to be a blessing to the nations, and not only failing in our charge, but also failing to understand how blessed we really are. The LORD has used this sweet lady not only to bring blessing in my family's life, but conviction and a better understanding of how we should go about building his Kingdom.

Brandon Russell
brandon@advancememphis.org

"We Find the Rich Life We Were Meant to Live All Along"

2010-03-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

Ramona Soileau (left, with Catrina White) has been volunteering at Advance Memphis for about a year. She serves as a small group leader--just a few hours a month--but those hours greatly affect the women with whom she meets. Ramona has blessed our students, and been blessed herself, by being an ambassador for Christ's love. Here are her thoughts on her experiences before and after volunteering at Advance:

I, for one, am overwhelmed by the destruction portrayed on the 6 o'clock news. I oscillate between disbelief and apathy. My own demanding responsibilities leave me weary at times and I certainly have no extra energy reserves to channel toward hopeless situations. Who am I to stand against the avalanche of such despair? Exhausted from my own treadmill of endless "to do" lists, I feel powerless to affect a culture bent on self -destruction.

Then I met Christie and Tangie, two students at Advance. They struggled to overcome many issues but mostly with rewriting the messages of worthlessness and mediocrity stamped in them from birth. I was privileged to witness the birth of a miracle -- prayer, encouragement, and the gospel gave rise to a new song full of hope and promise to their thirsty souls. The music echoed in my heart as well.

We are not meant to be reservoirs of God's goodness, damned up rivers of life, but rather conduits of His mercy, streams of refreshment. His Spirit is too great to be contained and must flow through us to other vessels. By sharing His freedom, we find meaning, purpose and strength for ourselves as well. We find the rich life we were meant to live all along.

"...pressed down, shaken together, and running over." Luke 6: 38

A New Family

2010-02-15T12:34:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, I received a call from a friend and graduate of the JFL Program saying that she was in the hospital and was not going to make it up to Advance Memphis that day. Although I could not go to the hospital right then, I was determined to go visit with her as soon as possible.

The next day, I called to make sure she was still in the hospital and asked another friend of ours who graduated with her to go with me to visit her and see how she was doing.

When we got there, our friend was looking horrible. The only time I ever remember going to the hospital was to be with family members, especially grandparents. Sitting in that hospital room, I was so aware that day of my family in Christ. Moving to Memphis several hours away from my immediate family was also never more obvious. I realized that even though my parents, brother and sister, are far away how truly blessed I have been this year. My friend is my family. While she is 25 years older than me, black, not white, and from completely different worlds, we both have the same God that deeply loves us.

I rejoice in the fact that even though I am miles away from those I love, He has given me a view of what He desires His family look like. I cannot wait for the day when we all stand before the throne reconciled praising our God.

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb." Revelation 7:9

julie@advancememphis.org

No Snow Days for Our Staffing Service!

2010-02-10T09:42:00.001-08:00

Last Friday night (March 29) as Mother Nature showed her stuff, I was very apprehensive about having no one show up for work on the 3^rd shift at KTG. The regular Team Lead was out and I had asked one of the other team members, Rico Harris (Big Brim, pictured above with Ann), to step up to the plate and act as Lead until her return. He readily accepted this task and was the person who rang my phone around 11:20PM telling me that only he and TWO others had shown up so far. I made several phone calls, all to no avail – and had to end up calling Rico back with the news that those three workers would be on their own.

With a team of only three employees when the norm is eight - Rico Harris, Annie Osby and Junior Davis worked diligently throughout the night and completed the shift. Annie, being the only female, stepped up and coordinated the process – giving the guys instructions as to what she needed them to do while she did all of the palletizing. To put this into perspective, production for a team of eight is 75-80 pallets per shift. Annie completed 43 alone! BRIM, ANNIE and JUNIOR - You three showed leadership and dedication. These are qualities that would make any employer proud. Great job!

Juanita Johnson
juanita@advancememphis.org

Friday News Update

2010-02-06T14:30:00.000-08:00

UNBANKED TO BANKED: More Than 40 Graduates Open Bank Accounts

In the last 2 months, more than 40 of our Jobs for Life grads and Staffing Service employees have opened bank accounts with Independent Bank. None of these individuals have ever had bank accounts before. Now they are in a position to deposit and cash checks without paying a fee, and to begin saving.

When did you open your first bank account? Did you open it on your own, or did someone open it for you, and put some money in it to get you started? Have you ever considered how your bank has helped you with major purchases? Have you thought about how essential a checking account is in your day to day life?

Here are some things we've heard people say upon opening account:

"I just walked into a bank for the first time. You know I never had a bank account before."

"He said they were even gonna send me a bank card and checks in the mail."

We thank Independent Bank for helping with this daunting process, and we praise God that so many grads have taken a significant step towards financial independence.

Washington Scholar Graduates from UT

In the early years of Advance Memphis's ministry, we operated a program called Washington Scholars, where excellent students from Booker T. Washington Highschool, here in the neighborhood, were chosen to participate in internships and job training. Scholars then received a scholarship to use towards college, as well as a guaranteed paid internship with Advance Memphis after graduation. While we've discontinued the Washington Scholars program in order to focus our efforts entirely on adults, we're so pleased to share that one of our Scholars, Michael Russom, has graduated from the University of Tennessee, and is now serving his internship here at Advance. He has also been offered a position with Nashville City Schools, with the Nashville Teaching Fellows. We're proud of all Michael has accomplished, we're grateful for his work at Advance Memphis, and we wish him well as he goes on to a career in teaching!

2010-02-02T16:55:00.000-08:00

It's exciting to go from 7 employees to 170 in one year. And the Memphis Business Journal noticed! We're so proud that Advance Memphis Staffing is employing so many of our Jobs for Life grads!

http://memphis.bizjournals.com/memphis/stories/2010/02/01/daily4.html

2010 Resolution: We're Going to LISTEN

2010-01-15T09:16:00.000-08:00

There are changes taking place at Advance Memphis. Our four week Jobs for Life/Financial Freedom class is becoming a six week class. We're adding more "deliverables" - meaning that students are required to participate in KeyTrain and literacy testing, complete computer training, and create a Life Application Plan, among other things. We'll have slightly fewer graduates, but we feel confident that our graduates will be more prepared to move toward the goal set in our mission statement: economic self-sufficiency. All of the changes we're making reflect our desire to develop deeper relationships that will allow us to love and serve our neighbors.

John 13:35: Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you, love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples--when they see the love you have for each other.

Below, Jobs for Life instructor Andrew Vincent discusses the conviction he felt to strengthen our programs by allowing time and space for listening.

There are two core beliefs of our Jobs for Life Program. First, every human being is created in God's image and therefore each one of us could not be any more or any less valuable. Not only do we have an infinite amount of value, but through the good news of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, there is nothing we can do to destroy this God-given dignity or separate us from the love the Father has for us. The second belief is that God knit us together in our mother's womb, which means all of our strengths and weaknesses, and even our unique personality quirks, are part of that intricate design.

I state these beliefs nicely on paper and they roll easily off my tongue, but the sad reality is that too often my life teaches an opposite set of beliefs. Too often I am too "busy" to sit down and truly listen to someone. This is especially true when I am counseling someone who, for one reason or another, has become trapped in the struggle of poverty and the various problems associated with poverty like crime, death, crisis, and shame. What about you? What does your life teach? If you, like me, are quick to teach, but slow to listen and learn from the poor then you, too, struggle with the "god-complex." We think we have acquired success by our own hard work, and therefore, we think we know what's best for poor people. The truth is, one of the major problems with generational cycles of poverty is people like me. By constantly trying to "solve" people's problems, rather than simply listen to them, I am denying the core beliefs I mentioned above. Instead, my actions are communicating that this white, twenty-five year old always knows best. As it turns out, I am the one who really needs to learn something! I am the one who has it all wrong!

Of course, I am not the only problem. It's much bigger than you or me. Our welfare programs reinforce the same wrong beliefs. Too often our programs are designed to get as many people through the doors as quickly as possible, so that we can "save" as many people as we feasibly can with our vast knowledge. Oh how wrong we have it! I think that if we really believed what the Bible teaches, namely about each individual's inherent value as God's image bearers, both our lives and our non-profits would look drastically different. We would at least do a little less talking, and a little more listening.

This is exactly what we are trying to do more of in 2010: listen. We are making some significant changes to the structure of our program to make sure we are accomplishing this. Some of the decisions we are making seem counter-intuitive to the non-profit world. For example, we are cutting the class size from 24 to 16 and stretching the length of the program from 4 weeks to 6 weeks. Both of these changes will mean fewer graduates in 2010, even though the demand for our program is the highest it's ever been. Though this is opposite of what we feel pressured to do (results! higher numbers!), we believe that these changes are necessary to truly invest in the ones who are coming through our doors.

andrew@advancememphis.org

Bringing HOPE to the HOPELESS

2010-01-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

While many of us enjoyed a long holiday, Advance Memphis Employment Specialist Juanita Johnson spent much of the last week helping Advance grads find jobs. Below, she writes about an experience working with a recruiter who is hiring for the 2010 US Census.

It is very discouraging to see a recent Jobs for Life graduate, eager to start work after passing their drug test, become disappointed to find that they are still not eligible to work because of his/her criminal background. I, along with the other staff members, try to uplift and encourage, however, it is very disheartening. So, to have an opportunity to introduce these grads to a potential employer who does not automatically disqualify past felons was a blessing and joy! Ms. Marissa Jenson, a former resident of 38126 who currently attends church at Mt. Nebo down the street, is a recruiter for the 2010 US Census Bureau. I took a call from Ms. Jenson who originally wanted to come by and leave some flyers - but as we continued to talk I quickly saw a greater opportunity that would benefit both she and our graduates. I invited her to hold an orientation here and she was very excited!

When I started to make phone calls, some of the graduates were concerned to hear that they would have to pass a 28 question assessment to qualify. Even after being told that they only had to get 10 correct answers - there was still some worry. However, after getting here and listening to the recruiter, they were all eager to test and to get their results the same day.

I have never seen such joy and encouragement
shine in the faces of those who passed!

One of the ladies who confessed to me that she does not read well scored a 14! She confessed to me later that she took my advice and said a prayer before attempting the test and she was praising God once she received her results.

We had thirteen out of fifteen scheduled attend the orientation. Although only six of the thirteen passed the written assessment, the other seven may take the assessment over as many times as needed. Several have already come by to get information about retaking it on Monday.

juanita@advancememphis.org

Do We Really Believe That God Changes People? A Volunteer's Thoughts on Grace:

2009-12-18T10:54:00.000-08:00

(What follows are some thoughts that arise out of a relationship formed through the Advance Memphis family.)

“My friend was converted.” I could almost feel the skepticism from my audience as I described the new life my friend was experiencing. You see, my friend is black, poor, has spent time in jail, and a gang, and knows the demon of addiction firsthand. My audience is white, has lived a life of privilege and is conservative politically and religiously. The later two, being weaved so tight into their belief system, are indistinguishable.

There really is skepticism, in the church, toward the possibility of change. God bless us. We have spent too much time sitting through heady sermons meant more to squeeze out a compliment, better yet a raise, than real deep heart change. A resulting culture has been formed, bent more on seeming righteous than being righteous. This culture is much more passionate about discussing radical change than walking by faith toward it. James, Jesus’ brother, made it abundantly clear that the kind of religion God wants is centered on justice, mercy and compassion. True religion, so James tells us, looks after widows and orphans in their distress. Distressed about the weak, needy and cold, that is true religion that arises from a person that has been truly changed. Somehow we have moved off center. If the motto of North Carolina is “to be rather than to seem,” the church’s motto is more in line with, “to seem is to be.” The Word is failing to result in deed.

This friend called me last week and told me his heat was out all night. Temperatures that night dropped to 22. The walls of a housing project know more rodents than insulation. The windows are lucky to be pained at all, much less be double pained. Yet my friend called, not to complain, but to tell me what God told him. First, God impressed the little boy a few doors down upon his heart. The last time he saw the boy he had no socks. “I wanted to find him to make sure he was alright,” he told me. Second, he told me that God directed him to think about the homeless. “Richard, something I never told you is that I too was homeless for a time and this morning God told me to open a homeless shelter. I don’t want to charge for the shelter, not even $6, because God didn’t charge me anything for His grace and love, He just throws it on everybody.”

I came away skeptical too, not of my friend’s conversion, but my own. Has grace sunk that deep into my pores? Does my heart move toward others in the midst of personal distress? My friend is now my teacher. God’s work in him is getting all over me.

God taking on infant form? The Almighty wrapped in cloths and lying in a feed trough? That stuff, like the possibility of radical change, is hard to believe. Yet, from creation to incarnation to salvation, Christianity is about the real possibility of impossibilities. It may be more than that, but it is not less.

Richard Rieves

richard.rieves@gmail.com

2009-12-17T10:10:00.001-08:00

Advance Memphis Return on Investment

2009-12-15T12:51:00.000-08:00

Please take a minute to read our full 2009 ROI Report. It contains many more details about our 2009 outcomes, as well as a full explanation of how we calculated these numbers.

2009 Jobs for Life Return on Investment
(Benefits realized in 2009/costs realized in 2009):
2.65/1 or 265%
This means that every $1 invested in the Advance Memphis Jobs for Life class yielded a return to society of $2.65 in the 2009 calendar year (as of December 7, 2009).

KTG Exec Shares His Impressions of Advance Staffing Employees

2009-12-11T12:06:00.000-08:00

This week, the Advance Memphis Staffing Service employees made a great impression on the Strategic Development Manager for KTG, George Mapson. He took the time to tell us his thoughts concerning on our Staffing employees:

"On Tuesday morning I had a chance encounter with Craigen Harris [pictured above], one of your employees working at KTG USA, our tissue manufacturing plant in north Memphis. First, I don't believe it was a chance encounter. It was meant to happen. Craigen came into my office just after 7:00 am to advise me that his facial tissue team from Advance Memphis was going home as the machine was down and there was, unfortunately, no work for them today. I had never met him before. He explained what he was doing and what this opportunity to work meant to him and the rest of his team members and their families. I was both captivated and motivated by what Craigen had to say. What a breath of fresh air! Craigen then introduced me to other members of the Advance Memphis team. More breaths of fresh air! It was indeed unfortunate, especially at this time of year that the team was unable to work that day. Every day employed is a huge advancement forward in their lives. Our company also lost that day. We lost the opportunity of having respectful, highly motivated, hard working community members working in our plant to keep our customers happy....And not just "working." But working with a lot of desire and heart and very much aligned with what we are trying to do in our plant..."making everyday better." I wish I could have spent more time with Craigen and the Advance team. It would have been a precious learning experience. We look forward to strengthening our relationship with Advance Memphis."
George Mapson, Strategic Development Manager

CHOICES: Cindy's Story

2009-11-30T08:32:00.000-08:00

Recent grad Cynthia Goad has been through many changes in her life in the last year. The following video was made at graduation, as Cynthia told how Advance Memphis helped to restore her hope.

Cynthia shared a bit more of her life story here:
My mother died at a very young age and I was basically the outcast of my family when my father remarried. I always felt as if I never “fit in” anywhere, always trying to please others. When I felt as if I could never do right, I ended up being a very resentful, sad and rebellious child. I ended up getting addicted to drugs, doing criminal activities and just not caring if I lived or died. I had no hope and had given up on myself, my family and even God. After attempting suicide a couple of times (and failing at that), I just felt as if I couldn’t go on anymore. I fell to my knees and asked God for forgiveness and guidance.

I ended up at a Drug and Alcohol Treatment center in Jackson, Ms. While there, I searched some programs that I would be able to attend and came back home to Memphis. I was led to Advance Memphis. I am a graduate of the Jobs for Life class and I have never felt better about myself. I have learned so much about God and the Bible. I have also learned about budgeting, perfecting my resume and how to properly speak and act during a job interview. To me, the best part of Advance Memphis is all the encouragement and inspiration that I receive. When there are days that I get discouraged about not yet being employed, all I have to do is walk into the building and see all the smiles and care that is genuinely from the heart. When I reach an obstacle, there are sincere people who are ready and available to provide suggestions and recommendations.
Today, I have hope and a plan for my future.

She also wrote the following poem. She wanted to share it with her graduation class, and was kind enough to allow us to share it on the blog.

Choices
Some people sit, some people try.
Some people laugh, some people cry.
Some people will, some people won't.
Some people do, some people don't.
Some people believe and develop a plan.
Some people doubt - never think that they can.
Some people face hurdles and give it their best.
Some people back down when faced with a test.
Some people complain about their miserable lot.
Some people are thankful for all that they've got.
And when it's all over - when it comes to a head,
Some people lost out and some people win.
We all have a choice, we all have a say.
We are spectators in life - or we get in and play.
Whichever we choose, how we handle life's game,
The choices are ours,
No one else is to blame.

Tribulation and sufferings bring about perseverance, and perseverance brings about character, which brings about hope. Romans 5:3

Blessed by Remembering

2009-11-18T17:39:00.000-08:00

As another graduation rounds the corner, I am amazed at how fast time flies. Next week is Thanksgiving, and I will be leaving to visit my family and friends in Texas. All in all, I am wondering what it is I have learned, moving into the inner city and working to serve one of the poorest neighborhoods in Tennessee.

First, is that our God is faithful. He has provided opportunities for ministry, yet at the same time, I am realizing I’m not the one who needs to fix. I’m the one who needs to be fixed. My friends at Advance Memphis have taught me that life looks completely different on the side of poverty. Our values clash in several ways. Things I grew up learning are not the things that others learned.

How can you grow up in the same world, but lead such different lives? How is it that we are raised in a culture that forgets the poor and lead lives that bring success for us only? I have had an amazing time getting to know the residents of this neighborhood. They have become my friends.

A lot of our students are at Advance Memphis because they desire something more of this life. As I have led small group, I have learned some of the mistakes they have made in the past that prevents them from finding employment. Several of our students have felonies on their records, which puts a major obstacle in the way of finding employment. One of the most amazing things happened when I was talking with a woman in my small group. I remember talking with her and thinking to myself I don’t know what to tell her. What do you say to a student who has a felony? A felony is a permanent roadblock to success.

Then it hit me, or I should say God revealed to me what a blessing that can be. How many of us are constantly reminded of our sin? Here, she has a tangible reminder of her sin but also a constant reminder of the grace shown by our King. I wish I could be reminded of my own sin each day and be humbled by the love of God.

James 1:24 “For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”

I pray that these graduates would be blessed by remembering their past and persevere, being doers of His word.

julie@advancememphis.org

A Unique Scene

2009-11-17T06:55:00.000-08:00

At 8:40 this morning, strong smell wafted into my office this morning indicating that someone was using a large amount of cleaner somewhere in the building. I wandered into the classroom to see quite an event. All of the chairs had been placed on the tables, carpet cleaner was sprinkled on the stains, and two of our current class participants were vacuuming.

As I walked into the kitchen, I discovered more acts of service! A third class member was doing dishes and two graduates were preparing lunch for the class.

I have no big thought for the day. The service and selflessness of the community residents here often impress and delights me. This was simply one of those instances.

brandon@advancememphis.org

Justice and Mercy

2009-11-11T14:34:00.001-08:00

Earlier this year, former Advance Memphis employee Mike Shaw (above) had an experience--in a local courtroom--that helped him to crystallize his thoughts about justice and mercy. Here are his thoughts:

Justice and Mercy

“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

Throughout my walk with Jesus including my studies at Covenant College, working on the Yakama Indian Reservation and in the inner-city of Memphis, TN, I have wrestled immensely with what it means to act justly and what it means to love mercy and whether or not these two commands contradict each other. Today the Lord revealed to me more clearly what it means and what exactly it is that he has shown.

I went today to witness the trial of a close friend of mine. It was not my first time in a courtroom, but it was the first time I had ever gone to support a friend who had the possibility of being locked away for the better part of his life. Derek (name changed), who I had first met while working at Advance Memphis, was on trial for the possession and distribution of cocaine. My relationship with him began when he came through the job readiness program at Advance, grew while he participated in the bible study I was a part of, but more importantly, flourished simply by being together sharing meals, going to basketball games, and just hanging out. I knew of Derek’s struggle with marijuana as well as his vocation as a drug dealer, both of which he would openly share and seek counsel to escape. Over the eight months that I had known him I saw the gospel of Jesus Christ begin to make sense in his mind and start to affect his actions and choices.

A mutual friend of ours came to Advance one day to tell us that Derek had been arrested and taken to jail. I was disappointed, but not surprised, discouraged, but not defeated. I continued to pray that God would work in his heart and give him the strength to make the changes he needed to make to get on the right track. Throughout the next three months I visited Derek in jail, chatted with him briefly over the phone, and wrote letters to him while he was incarcerated. His guilt in taking and distributing drugs was never in question for me, but after several conversations through the glass, or over the phone, neither was his understanding of the gospel. Being locked up was a wake up call for Derek, and I could see the Lord work through his incarceration to change his life.

Thursday July 9, 2009 was a day I will not forget. I had it written on my calendar for several weeks as the day of Derek’s trial. The day we would find out whether he would receive over 15 years in jail in addition to tens of thousands of dollars in fines, a probation with lesser fines, or something in between. He asked continually that I pray for him and implored me to request the same from the church I attended and where he accepted my invitation to worship on several occasions.

I laid awake that night, and many nights, wondering what it was that I should pray for. Should I ask God for justice—that Derek would be sent to jail for the crimes he committed? Or should I ask God for mercy—that Derek would somehow receive a lesser sentence and be released? Not knowing what to do, I often prayed for both, and that God’s will would be done, or fell asleep praying nothing at all.

I went to watch, to listen, but mainly to support Derek, who feared the worst. Derek’s attorney recognized that I was there for his trial and inquired as to who I was. I told him that I was friend of his client’s and that I also worked at Advance Memphis, where Derek had participated in several programs. I told him about Advance and my relationship with Derek and he asked me if I would testify—not at all what I had planned.

After swearing for God’s help to tell the whole truth, and nervously answering several questions I sat back down. Would my words help set Derek free, or would what I knew further add to the evidence against him? I could do nothing but watch. With nothing else to say, Derek’s attorney made his closing statement. He pointed at me. “I don’t know this man, and I don’t know much about Advance Memphis, but rarely in my time here have I ever seen a family member come to support someone on trial before this court, and never a friend. I don’t know what that means, but I ask that the judge take this into consideration.”

My heart broke when I heard his words. More than once I’ve had men in my office convinced that no one cares whether or not they lived or died. It angered me that men continually face trial alone and so few people care what happens to them. I was encouraged that the attorney recognized my presence, even in his admitted confusion.

It was time for the verdict. The judge looked at Derek and proceeded to harangue him at high volume, pointing to him as the reason for so many deaths in our community and so many problems on our streets. I hurt for Derek as the truths set in about the consequences for his actions and where his life was headed if he continued acting the way he did. “I don’t care about you,” was the judge’s final words. “My job won’t let me care.” After the onslaught, he stood when he was asked to, and received his sentence. Would there be justice? What about mercy? It was then that I realized what justice was and how I was to love mercy.

Justice isn’t Derek receiving the maximum penalty for his crime, selling temporary relief to people who are slaves to drugs, drugs that make them murder, rape, and abuse innocent people around them. Neither would justice be Derek receiving probation, maybe what he deserves for time served and for making the choice to change his life around. No, justice is this: for Derek to know the truth. Justice is Derek seeing the love of his Creator, the God who created him, saved him, raised him, and demands his life everyday. Justice is Derek experiencing the love of Jesus Christ, not just as a sinner, or as a felon, as a burden to society or as a delinquent, but as a human created in the image of God. Justice was a friend sitting in the back of the courtroom, caring about what happened. To act justly is to preach the gospel with our words, and sometimes more importantly, with our actions, that everyone might know the truth, see the truth, and experience the truth: the love of God put to flesh in personal relationships with those who go lifetimes without anyone caring what happens to them. Justice is people getting what they deserve: access to the truth.

Furthermore, mercy isn’t Derek being set free, or receiving the minimum penalty. Mercy is Derek being able to know his Creator and to participate in His work even as a sinner, one who has turned his back on the God who made him. Similarly, mercy is me being able to participate in the coming Kingdom as a man who has sinned against his Creator and is just as guilty as Derek for denying his maker and just as deserving of the worst punishment possible. To love mercy is to put to practice what the Lord has shown us through His son Jesus. We must love mercy enough to grab hold of our gift, our responsibility, our joy, to humbly walk with God to bring about His Kingdom far as the curse is found, in every forgotten corner of our city.

The First Shall Be Last

2009-11-09T09:06:00.000-08:00

A couple of days ago, a well known ministry leader in our community payed a short visit to Advance. We began discussing the Hope IV housing program. My wife, daughter, and I live in University Place, which is one of these "rebuilds." It sits where Lamar Terrace used to be. He told me that after a couple years, these properties revert from private management to MHA management. Despite my degree in Economic Community Development, my residence at University Place, and working in the "inner-city," I didn't know this. I felt embarrassed and frustrated with myself because I couldn't "perform" or say the right thing in front of someone I considered to be important and influential.

The next day, as I started Financial Freedom, I asked a class member to pray. He also wanted to share a piece of scripture. I reluctantly conceded; you must understand, I had a lot of material to cover and not much time. He proceeded to read, not a verse, but an entire Psalm. My frustration grew. For him reading was a laborious process.

I began to notice that he was gradually inching toward me. Then this 50 year old man did the unthinkable. He began to point to the words he didn't know and asked me to whisper them so he could continue reading. A 50 year-old man, humbly reading the Word of the LORD by allowing a 23 year-old kid to help him.

Serving with people who are on the margins of society by our traditional standards forces us-forces me-to face aspects of my own brokenness and poverty that I would rather ignore. For me, those areas are my arrogance, my pride, and self-reliance. This 50-year old man, by his humility, shined light into the darkness of my life. We must not forget that the people that our world considers to be outsiders, lowly, irrelevant, poor are at the center of the LORD's coming Kingdom. We ignore them, not only at their expense, but at our own. I am reminded that the Parable of the Rich Young Ruler, in Luke 18, is not a plea from Jesus to serve the poor. It is an invitation for the rich young man to receive healing.

brandon@advancememphis.org

Welcome to our Humble Blog

2009-10-22T21:30:00.001-07:00

October 2009 Graduation, originally uploaded by Advance Memphis.

Advance Memphis is starting a blog. There have been so many times in recent days when we've experienced the grace of God, smiled at one another, and said "we are blessed to do this work."

So we needed a place to share the blessings. We'll make this a place for all of our stakeholders to share. We look forward to sharing more about God's work in the inner city of Memphis.

I will sing of steadfast love and justice;
to you, O Lord, I will make music.
Psalm 101:1

kate@advancememphis.org

Advance Memphis Movie: Sountrack by Our Grads!

2009-09-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

Two Jobs for Life grads (Eric and Cortez) wrote a song. We added some pictures and produced our first in-house movie! Enjoy!