God is WITH us...

GOD IS WITH US, BUT. . .

“How are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard?”

I’m going to date myself a little. When I was big into video games, Atari 2600 was still prominent, but Nintendo (NES) was the new kid on the block and rising in popularity. Can you imagine the change from Atari 2600 to NES? From a joystick and a fire button to a direction controller two buttons, start and pause buttons and my favorite of all . . . a reliable RESET button.  When learning a game, I used to love the ability to reset the game because I was something of a perfectionist, mistakes were NOT an option. When trying to master a game, I would reset the game at the first mistake and start all the way over (can you say obsessive?) For some, the reset button was a way to avoid failure, like kicking over a checker board, but for me, the reset button was a means of grace, a tool to bring me closer to perfection.

If you are like me, the New Year is like that reset button. It gives you a set time in your year to asses past lessons, joys, challenges and mistakes, and to begin afresh fully aware that God is with you. I pray that you, our partners and co-laborers view your commitment to mentor, donate, volunteer, pray, love on West Dallas, love God, and use your gifts for the good of the body of Christ in light of the truth that God is with you. When we at Mercy Street look at the challenges before us, we are able to thank God because of his continued provision, and we realize that the challenges that are before us are couched in a reality that God is with us. But, there are many whom we serve who do not have that same hope.

Our hope at Mercy Street to be used by God to spark Christ-honoring community restoration by engaging in mutually-transforming relationships with the future leaders of West Dallas.  We really hope that the future leaders of West Dallas would run into, be transformed by the love of God and be equipped to transform their relationships and their realm to the glory of God.

West Dallas has historically been a city on the periphery, out of sight and out of mind. It used to be a place that people would investigate but not invest in, it was a cautionary tale. We believe that God has done many great things in West Dallas and that like the LORD said to Paul regarding Corinth, Christ has “many people in this city who are [HIS] people”. The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge has turned many eyes to West Dallas for their own reasons and with their own agenda. It is our hope that our partners will keep your eye fixed on the Mission of God in West Dallas to make God known. I’ll admit, there is much to be done,

BUT . . . GOD IS WITH US.

One of the ways that God is making Himself known in West Dallas is through the Mercy Street Church plant. We are currently in pre-launch stage and worshipping with the community on the first Saturday of the month at Mercy Street, feel free to worship with us and mentors, bring your mentees . . .

MERCY STREET CHURCH

3801 Holystone St.

February 2nd, 2013

4:30 – 6:00 PM

Another way that we hope God uses Mercy Street to make Christ known in West Dallas is the Middle School/High School Purity Conference: The New Normal. We will discuss normal ways culture views sex and sexuality, how God has designed sex and sexuality, the path of life, and some tools to fight for:

The New Normal

Feb 9, 2013

Contact your Mentor Coordinator to RSVP

I Thank God for the Gift of “One Another”

The time between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday has been one of special significance in my life for a number of years now. There is something about the space between the giving of thanks and the celebration of the advent of Immanuel, Christ with us that magnifies the gifts that God has given me. 

This year, one of those gifts is you! We at Mercy Street are over joyed that God has united you with us to spark Christ honoring community restoration here in West Dallas. Together, we have been called to bring glory to God and good to others. While we are grateful for all of the mentors, volunteers, donors, prayer partners, and partner churches, my greatest joy is that we get to love God and love others TOGETHER with you. 

In Life Together Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes the following: “It is easily forgotten that the fellowship of Christian brethren is a gift of grace, a gift of the Kingdom of God that any day may be taken from us, that the time that separates us from utter loneliness may be brief indeed. Therefore, let him who until now has had the privilege of living a common Christian life with other Christians praise God’s grace from the bottom of his heart. Let him thank God on his knees and declare: It is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren.” He goes on to say define community by saying “Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community is more or less than this. Whether it be a brief, single encounter or the daily fellowship of years, Christian community is only this. We belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ.”

This Christmas, we thank God for the body of Christ, we thank God for YOU!

"From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." Ephesians 4:16

WHAT'S GOOD?!"

"A Christian worldview is not just one's personal faith expression, not just a theory. It is an all consuming way of life, applicable to all spheres of life" -David Thockery

 Recently (as in October 26th) the Middle School Team AKA "Team Vintage" was privileged to serve our mentors/mentees and some of our Bible Study students by facilitating our "Mixed - Up" Dinner theater. Close to one hundred students and adults met on Mercy Street's campus and were witness to good food, good entertainment that we have been told has led to many good conversations about the "good life". In the drama presentations for the night, our students saw decisions being made and behavior patterns being set that often have long term consequences. Our prayer was that the middle school students of West Dallas would begin to wrestle with questions like "how will my current decisions and habits effect my future?" or What is the "good life" REALLY?!"

As the quote above reminds us, everyone has a worldview or belief system, even if that worldview it is incoherent, inarticulate or incomplete. It is that worldview that informs what we as people do and value. Pray with us that our students at Mercy Street would see God, education, chastity, and wisdom as necessary for a life that proclaims "what's good".

Team Vintage loves hanging out with teens and believe that from relationships marked by love we can begin open, honest dialogue with our teens about what good looks like. Although we get to hang every Sunday evening, we are geeked about another opportunity to hang with middle school boys and girls coming at the end of this month.  Tell your mentee, mark your calendar and get your game face ready for...

MIDDLE SCHOOL GAME NIGHT
NOVEMBER 28, 2012
6:30 - 8:30 PM
MERCY STREET

Future Story is on the Way!

In his book Revolution in World Missions, missionary K.P. Yohannan relates the following story.

"All of us are called for a purpose. Some years ago when I was in Northern India, a little boy about 8 years old watched me as I prepared for morning meditations. I began to talk to him about Jesus and asked him several questions.

"What are you doing?", I asked the lad. 

"I go to school", was the reply. 

"Why do you go to school?" 

"To study", he said. 

"Why do you study?" 

"To get smart." 

"Why do you want to get smart?" 

"So I can get a good job." 

"Why do you want to make lots of money?" 

"So I can buy food." 

"Why do you want to buy food?" 

"So I can eat." 

"Why do you want to eat?" 

"To live." 

"Why do you live?"

At that point the little boy thought for a minute then scratched his head, looked me in the face and said," Sir, why do I live?" He paused a moment in mid-thought, then gave his own sad answer, "To die!" The question is the same for all of us: "Why do we live?" K.P.Yohannan

While the young man had a vision for his temporal life, sadly, his vision fell short at the doorstep of eternity. Join us October 26th with your mentee for a regressive dinner and dinner theater at Mercy Street's Middle School "Future Story" event.  We hope to provide an atmosphere that will spark them to think about their future destination and how the choices they make today can contribute to or deter them from their desired end. As always, we ultimately pray that God will graciously produce the faith in their lives that also gives them the hope of eternal life.

Middle School Future Story "Mixed-Up" Dinner Theater

Friday, October 26, 2012 

7:00 - 9:30 PM

SEE YOU IN THE FUTURE!

It is THE place to be Sunday nights!

Both boy and girl middle school mentees have a safe place to be hormonal and weird... just normal middle schoolers... and also a safe place to be fully loved and accepted!  They are taught who Jesus is, how much He loves them, and how to be His disciple as a middle schooler while living in West Dallas!

We meet Sunday nights from 6-8pm at Mercy Street.  We serve a snack/light meal at the beginning and then split up into boys & girls for a lesson.  Often times we break into huddle groups to discuss the topic even further & hear how the students are handling daily life.

This is an incredible time to begin to help your mentee plug into leadership opportunities at Mercy Street.

We will learn Basic Bible Training

 this year.

Hope to see you soon!

Here we cooooooooooooome!!!!

Campers need to arrive at Mercy Street

Sunday, August 12 @ 10:30am

Mercy Street will hold an early check-in

Saturday, August 11 @ 5pm

to organize campers luggage by cabin- this is MANDATORY

If your mentee attends Heights Prep
 they will need to be picked up at Mercy Street
on Wednesday, August 15th at 9pm.

A packing list has been mailed to your student;

below is a list of what they should bring:

Bedding(twin sheets or sleeping bag) and blanket

Pillow

2 Towels and washcloths

8 Loose fitting T-shirts

8 Modest shorts

2 pair of jeans or long pants (for horseback riding)

Underwear (10)

Socks (10 pairs)

Flip flops or sandals for the pool

One piece swimsuit and shorts to wear over them

(If all the student has is a 2 piece, a dark shirt and shorts will need to be worn)

2 sets of Pajamas

Closed toe shoes-one for wearing around camp, one for getting dirty

Toiletries

Insect repellent

Flashlight

Bible

Pen/Pencil

Notebook

Medication, if needed

Arrive back on Friday, August 17th at 5pm at Mercy Street

MAN UP!

"Be the last of a dying breed, it's time that we MAN UP"

- Christian rap group 116 Clique 

     This summer as we tried to reimagine what our time might look like with the middle school boys group memories of boy scouts starting filling our mind.  It seemed like the boys needed to be challenged out of their comfort zone, try new things, and begin to be challenged to step into MANHOOD in a way that would honor Christ.  I knew sashes and tight pants would not go over well with the boys.  So we decided to go off the theme of this new hip hop song put out by Lacrae and friends called MAN UP.  This song boldly challenges young men to grow up in Christ and to wrap their identity up in him, living unashamed for the gospel.  Our message this summer has been just that.  The most MANLY thing someone can do is to surrender their life to Jesus Christ and have the courage to follow him regardless of the cost.  Each Sunday night we have been reiterating this message though a bible study that starts at 6pm at Mercy Street.  Throughout the week the boys have had a chance to attend huddles (in lieu of merit badges) to gain a skill or try something different.  Thusfar, we have offered photography, rock climbing, car maintenance, cooking, and nutrition to name a few.  In July, we will teach them how to edit video, build picnic tables, mountain bike, and canoe.  It is a packed full summer!  If your mentee is in middle school and is just sitting around the house this summer be sure to call up Garrett and get him plugged in.  It's time that we MAN UP!

CLICK HERE to watch the MAN UP You Tube video