We continued our work this summer in select under-resourced communities of Durham via 5-Day Clubs, tutoring, camps, and one-off neighborhood events.  Through the efforts of local and out-of-state mission teams much kingdom building was accomplished as youth and adults served and taught in 7 of 10 target communities.  Children and many of their families heard and saw the Gospel in action.  McDougald Terrace, one of the target communities, which was not included above in the “7″ is very close to the heart of CEF and one of its staff members, Dr. David Johnson.

Dr. David Johnson

These are David’s words recently shared with his church, Christ the King Moravian.

“Even before our Faith in Action project at Burton Elementary, I have felt God’s ‘nudging’ about getting involved with an ongoing ministry to kids in that area.  The huge McDougald Terrace apartment area was the target for several outreach events over recent years [also this summer], and I really enjoyed being involved there.  God has placed a real desire in my heart for an ongoing Good News Club^® (GNC) for kids, and other ministries for youth and adults.

I’ve met several people with a desire to minister in this community.  Some of these people wish to target adults and youth, and we do need more people committed to serve kids.  However, I think there is a clear path now for starting to lay the foundations for a [sustainable] GNC for kids.  This will involve exploring options for a meeting place, developing relationships by attending Residence Council meetings, and assembling a team of people with a commitment for serving weekly for at least a year…

Somehow I have both a spiritual sense that the time is close for this project, and a worldly sense that the details are  starting to come together.  Please pray that we would have success in arranging a GNC meeting site, and that the team would be formed soon!”

God has many people in this city

Harley, Blake, and Lopez team up for holistic discipleship at Hoover Rd Apts in Durham

Even with strong reports of ministry in these communities there are still ongoing challenges of poverty, orphan mindsets, and weak indigenous leadership where CEF ministers.  However, several Durham communities have seen their resident leaders push against such challenges.  CEF will feature some of these leaders from communities where God is blessing ministry efforts during a special dinner event on Sat. Oct. 1, 2011.  Lou Brogden, Michael Harley, Christina Rice, and Sandy Underwood are a few of these leaders who will speak about the 10 Challenge and what is making a difference in the lives of kids, their families and their communities.

Traditionally, our summer missions team would have just returned from Christian Youth in Action^® training and have begun 6-8 weeks of 5-Day Club^® ministry at random sites across the Durham area.  Urban workers from around the country would have already departed Durham surviving another urban boot camp.   However, this summer a very strategic decision was made to focus on what God has put before us rather than for us to add to the plate He gave us.

What does this mean?  It means, that CEF and its friends, who minister in Durham, are committed to all necessary strategies and tactics available to us for kingdom building.  It means, our yearly calendar and schedules may not match God’s, so what should we do?

God’s Calendar for us in Durham

During the early summer God scheduled CEF staff and ministers to continue its work in 10 under-resourced communities of Durham where the indigenous are being discipled to lead the outreach.  There are so many wonderful things happening through these efforts that, unfortunately, there is not enough space here to describe.  God allowed me to recruit and engage others from Durham to attend the Duke Summer Institute where we grappled with current and historical issues in Durham as well as navigating a course of biblical reconciliation for our city.  The PrayDurham initiative has taken me to the State Capitol in Raleigh, NC to meet with the NC Call to Prayer caucus.  I will be meeting with leaders of PrayNewark in their city during early July to learn how they mobilized their city to pray through a street adoption strategy as we are doing in Durham.

We’re enjoying breakthrough with several projects

God has also placed before us eight intelligent and committed interns from The City Project, a Campus Outreach effort of the Summit Church in Durham.  They serve on 4 teams focused on 4 projects, which CEF, BlessDurham, and World Relief are engaging.  They are helping us break new ground in ministry by (1) revamping our sports outreach—setting up camps and clinics for this summer thru next spring 2012, (2) reformatting and building our data bases for the blessdurham.org web site, which will impact PrayDurham and connecting the churches/ministries of Durham, (3) are doing research and development of a business plan for operating food and ice cream trucks for ministry to inner city communities and to refuges, and (4) joining the Butteflz team (Bible club/tutoring) to teach and administrate its summer programs.  All have provided needed breakthrough this summer, which will propel us into 2012 on a solid foundation for sustainable ministry.

The traditional mission of CEF in the Durham area continues in mid-July and August with club ministry, sports camps, community block parties, and teachers being trained. What a great summer not being bullied by my own calendar and agenda.

• D.L. Moody stated over 150 years ago,  “Water runs downhill, and the highest hills are the great cities. If we can stir them, we shall stir the whole country.”
• Tim Keller lays out 10 key points necessary to reach a city, which includes involving diverse segments of the greater Body of Christ working towards the same goals for evangelism, prayer, collaboration, and fellowship.
• Jonathan Dodson discusses 3 ways to renew a city by dwelling in the city as a redemptive community: make good culture (contribute to your city within your neighborhood), redeem social ill (embrace our community), and share a whole gospel (We need to be thousands of tiny threads that strengthen and beautify our city domains.

Instead of sucking life out of the city, the church gives life to the city in the social sector.  It has a socially renewing presence.  How is this done?  Here is a current example of how this is happening in one neighborhood, which is making an impact on the city of Durham.  The role of an indigenous neighborhood to impact a city flows through its experience of following biblical models of community development.

Welcome a Mindset Change

After making a move to Carver Pond Apts in North Durham to help her mother, Sandra Underwood was robbed, assaulted, and saw kids in the neighborhood committing crimes in the open.  Her first reaction was “…what have I gotten myself in to?  I’m gettin’ out…”  But, with some encouragement, Ms. Underwood made a major faith decision to stay and help the kids who live at Carver Pond Apts despite the risks and hardships.

Her decision was indicative of her changing mindset about God and herself.  Her decision was not typical.  Most residents would have fled the neighborhood or stayed and returned evil for evil.

Embrace Community Activism

Her friend, Wendy Clark, immediately connected her with CEF Durham for help.  After the Director, John Blake, made a few phone calls and shared his vision for reaching city kids in under-resourced communities, Ms. Underwood had a plan along with an initial ministry team.  Within 2 short weeks the Butterflz after school program began with community interest, yet had only 5 kids attending.

Sandra Underwood and kids at Butterflz after school program enjoy hugs!

However, it did not take long for the value of Butterflz to increase. Currently, 23 children are enrolled and regrettably the staff must turn kids away every week due to the lack of space and adult volunteers.  Kids at Carver Pond must be accepted into the academic and Bible club program, which meets weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Retired teacher, Lou Brogden, works diligently alongside Ms. Underwood to run the Butterflz weekly club.  Other residents of the neighborhood have begun to help as their eyes have opened to their needs and realized the assets within the community to meet them.  Today, these neighbors are engaged in a collaborative effort of meeting some of the needs as they join their assets with others for the sake of their kids.

Celebrate Breakthrough and Small Victories

Recently, the Carver Pond management agreed to create more space for the club.  Underwood and Brogden are rejoicing!  They received this great news  only a week after holding a successful fund raising talent show featuring the Butterflz kids.  Their hard work and fund raising will allow the group to enjoy a field trip this summer and purchase supplies for the Butterflz after school program.

Here is tangible evidence of a community with great needs beginning to turn around because neighbors indigenous to the neighborhood have engaged a shared problem.  Here is where the concerned friends of these neighbors came alongside and are collaboratively bearing the neighborhood’s burdens.  Here is one example of how a neighborhood can inspire and give hope to its own city.

Press Through Constant Challenges

Over the summer months a major clean up and reorganization job will be conducted in the old Carver Pond community building.  This free-standing building will more than triple the space currently used for the Butterflz program, but more volunteers and support are still needed to complete the project and meet the staffing demands for the Tuesday-Thursday program.

The program continues as the management and Butterflz staff press through these challenges.  As the city takes notice, its citizens are getting involved with the Carver Pond Butterflz project.  Everyone learns how to press through this challenge, which will prepare them for the next challenge − which will come.

Teens from Liberty St. Apts with Lori Fisher and Amanda Hallsbrook, student volunteer-mentor, together at "Blacktop Games"

It’s common after weeks of serving together that fellow volunteers and mission team members would become friends. Shared experiences and challenges creates a unique bond between those who were there with a first-hand perspective.  After five years of weekly outreach and discipleship at the Liberty St. Apts. in Durham many of the children do not know life without a Good News Club® (here called “Downtown Bible Club”) on Tuesday night.  Many teens in this community have grown up in the club from childhood.  There have also been many workers, teachers, and volunteers during these five short years.  There has also been a church, First Baptist Durham, which adopted the community embracing the 10 Challenge from CEF Ministries.  During this journey many acquaintances were made and stronger friendships established.  It’s almost expected that this would happen between fellow workers.

But what was unexpected, yet so natural and biblical, most of the children, teens, and families have developed real friendships within this outreach team.  The team of college students, young professionals, and ministers feel the same way.  Friendships and trusting relationships have been forged at the margins of our city.  How did this happen?  The Gospel… of course.  It’s been shared and received.  Discipleship… yes, weekly Bible teaching, devotionals, and activities are conducted, but the team has consistently engaged the entire community, which has made the biggest holistic difference.

Through a working relationship with the Durham Housing Authority and team members attending the Liberty St. Apts. resident council’s monthly meetings, many extra activities, camps, field trips, and resources have been provided for the community.  The defining attributes of this developing friendship are not the programs, extra curricular activities, or even the resources provided, like painting lines on the community blacktop so that kids had a game surface they could enjoy and take pride in, but it has been the personal experiences and relationship shared which have enriched the team’s lives and the community.

After a wonderful week (May 3-5, 2011) of celebrating great things, which are happening in Durham, as well as several major city-wide events for connection, prayer, and serving the city… What should we do now?  Could it be… Pray?

"If My people... and would pray..."

Jeremiah 29:8 answers this way: “…seek the peace and prosperity of the city…”  I cannot think of any better way to express this than to simply say, Connect – Pray – Serve our city.  Imagine with me… every home, every street, every community, every workplace, every school, every business, and every government building adopted in prayer.  How could something this comprehensive happen?  Well, simply… People like you praying.  The Church at Durham is being asked to meet this challenge by accepting a call to action and join a prayer initiative, simply called — PrayDurham!

First Objective: Spiritual air supremacy

This effort in prayer will not be bound by geography, age, race, gender, or church denominations.  It will see every street (6,000) in Durham prayed for daily.  A few other cities in the USA and around the world have launched the same type prayer covering as PrayDurham street-by-street.  Spiritual air supremacy is being established by ordinary people doing extraordinary things through the power of God.  God has many ordinary people in Durham who can do extraordinary things for the Kingdom of God, especially through prayer.

Call to Action: Adopt your street in prayer

Make a one year commitment to pray daily for a street or block of a street in Durham.  This could be the street where you live, work, or care about and are personally engaged.  In addition, you are asked to prayer walk the adopted street at least once a month applying principles of prayer evangelism: Bless, Fellowship, Minister, and Proclaim found in Luke 10.  Basically, talk to God about your neighbors before talking to your neighbors about God.

God has many people in our city, Durham, and it will take many to adopt every street in prayer.  PrayDurham will certainly Bless Durham if the Church at Durham collaborates for this cause.

Be an ambassador for the kingdom of God!  Move into action and pray!  Adopt one or more streets in prayer for Durham.  Bless others in Durham as you register your adopted street at PrayDurham.

Influence with city kids

Thinking about such a strong social connection and potential influence with city kids… What stops our influence with kids?  We’ve known for a long time that reaching children for Christ as early as possible has the greatest impact on their social, mental, and spiritual development (present and future).  We know that if a child spends even one hour/week with a caring adult, outside of school and home, there will be a significant benefit to their development.  But at what point does one or more hours per week with that child lose its impact?  How strong is your influence with kids?

How much influence do we really have?

Last month a friend’s death caused me to ask this same question.  He had an extremely caring grandmother in whose home he stayed.  He had close friends who cared and hung with him most of the time.  His death also revealed that he was influenced by some outside his circle of friends.

Delvonte Johnson (1990-2011) friend, urban missionary, loved

He was taught about Christ and discipled at his church and at a Christian after school program in his community.  He participated in evangelistic outreach events with CEF.  Those outside his church and home were usually with him 8-15 hours each week until a couple of years ago.  Even so, how much influence is enough?

Friends of Delvonte, like Pastor Dub, Pam, Corey, and from CEF – Paula, Carla, Bianca, Syelwin, David, Sean, and me mourn his death, celebrate his salvation, and wish our influence had been stronger.  It’s understandable to feel this way for those you love, but more importantly, how much influence does faith, God, and the Word of God specifically have in the lives of our young friends?  And more generally, how influential is the local church upon youth today?

Staggering survey: How much are youth influenced by church?

I’ve said many times, city kids actually crave and deserve to be told the truth, to feel the love, and experience the proof that God is real and active in the world as well as in their lives.  The following survey is confirmation of this statement and a staggering reality check.  For pastors, parents, and the many friends of children and youth… you’ve got to read this survey.  For the sake of your family, church kids, and the Delvontes in our communities… we’ve got to make strategic changes to the value we place on teaching children the Bible and how we influence their lives.

While earlier surveys have shown that Christian students tend to quit church during their college years, the data collected by American’s Research Group cited in Survey: Churches Losing Youth Long Before College found that most of them were already gone in middle school and high school.  “They’re sitting in our churches right now … and they’re already gone…” Ken Ham said.

At an awkward conclusion, let me say, a majority of youth (as well as adults) lack a network of godly friends who affirm… it always comes back to belonging, relationships.  Loneliness within the heart of a young person produces a hopeless attitude, compulsiveness to fill the emptiness, and a craving for anything that brings him attention and recognition.

Lesson for the church, you, and me

What if we, who have influence with city kids, simply developed those relationships based on authentic, biblical truth, love, and proof from our mutual lives?  Isn’t that what we are called to do?

This year’s Martin Luther King Day of Service was very successful. 35 staff, volunteers, and residents worked together for the sake of others in the Cornwallis Rd Apt community of Durham, NC.  CEF ministers there each week with Christina Rice and the Youth Life Foundation staff.  The diverse gathering on Jan. 17th tackled several projects at the Youth Life Center based upon Dr. King’s question: “What are you doing for others?”  Residents, like Jamar (below), were side-by-side working with teens from Kings Park International Church, students from NCCU, UNC, UVA, parents from the community, CEF staff and board members.

Jamar (lft) and John (rht) standing with many of the 35 volunteers after supper at the Youth Life Center

After successfully completing four of the five projects, the adults and children enjoyed a meal catered by Boston Market, then had a quiz game about Dr. Martin Luther King.  Though muddy, cold, and tired, all felt good about the 3 hours together helping others and honoring the life of Dr. King.  Aiden, who attended with his father, Stephen Ehmann (both seen in separate pictures below) said, “It was hard work but it was worth it to help other people.”  I think Aiden really got it.

Aiden, Delrontay, and other kids organized and shelved books in the YLC library with the help of two local school teachers.

Stephen Ehmann helping a neighborhood child with their supper after removing old AC units, landscaping, and clean up at the Youth Life Center.

CEF encourages others to take part in next year’s MLK Day of Service.  For the best results, interested groups should begin planning now.  This is a wonderful way to engage and support our communities where city kids live.  CEF is more than happy to partner with you.  MLKDay.gov offers guidance and good ideas as you think forward to 2012.

A group of UNC students sacrificed their last few days of winter break to develop a heart for the city of Durham and serve with CEF in under resourced communities. RUF campus ministries, led by Daniel Mason, gave of their time, energy, and heart for 15 hours each day the week of Jan. 4-7. The group experienced a bus tour of Durham, tutored at the Youth Life Center, and helped kids at the Liberty St. Apts complete a photography project they began last March.

UNC student assisting child writing a caption for the photos he will submit to the kid's club project.

The students were usually divided into three teams, which participated in prayer walks, Good News Club flier distribution, and began service projects to be completed during the MLK Day of Service Jan. 17th. The 15 Tarheel students were able to meet, listen, and Q/A with community, business, and ministry leaders at Joe’s Diner in Old East Durham. The next day they meet leaders from World Relief, DurhamCares, Carpe Diem, and BlessDurham. After a full day and Good News Club® on Friday, the group reflected over their experiences with CEF staff at the Tobacco Road Cafe’.

This and other current information can be obtained at http://gospeltokids.org web site of the CEF Durham Area chapter.