GIC Recap

Over the last week of February we were invited to spend time with the church body of Shades Mountain Baptist Church during their Global Impact Celebration. Each year around this time, Shades brings in the different missionaries from all around the world that they support and partner with for a time of encouragement, care, and fellowship. There were missionaries from India, the Middle East, New York City Africa, Eastern Europe, Miami, and Birmingham, Alabama.

Throughout this conference, there are multiple services that encourage church members to get involved in missions anywhere and any way you can. One of the most impactful nights is called “Stories and Songs.” On this night, each missionary is given 60 seconds to share a quick glimpse of what the Lord is doing in their part of the world.

Check out our video below of Urban Purpose’s 60-second story on what the Lord is doing through our ministry.

Urban Purpose has been blessed to work alongside the staff and members of Shades Mountain Baptist Church as we go out to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth. While our ends of the earth look extremely different than some, we know that God has created these people in His image and they are crying out for love and affection from someone. We, as believers, are called to be those people.

 

The Urban Purpose Super Bowl Party

This past Sunday Urban Purpose partnered with Shades Mountain Baptist Church and the Common Thread Community to host our first ever Super Bowl Party. We had around 60 people come together to hang out, eat together, and watch the game. This party was made up of people from all different walks of life and areas of town, all brought under the same roof through one common denominator: Super Bowl 50. A number of our friends from our Sunday meal joined us and members of Common Thread brought some of their homeless friends with them.

Having our party at Shades’ Christian Life Center allowed us to have a lot of things going on during the game. We had everyone’s favorite football food, which was almost all donated by great companies such as Publix, Piggly Wiggly, and Buffalo Wild Wings. The CLC also opened up their game room with pool and ping-pong tables, Xboxes, and more. Another crowd favorite were the basketball courts, where many people spent halftime shooting around. There were locker rooms available with showers and full hygiene kits made up for anyone who was wanting to clean off during this time as well. Lastly, we had an area where people could fill a bag before they left with a few basic needs: jackets, socks, hygiene items, blankets, and more.

When planning this party months ago, we wanted to be able to provide a “normal” game-watching atmosphere for a group of people who do not get to experience this often. We also wanted to fill some sort of physical need that they may have. We believe that they had a great night hanging out, cheering for their team, and laughing at the commercials. Ultimately, we pray that they left last night feeling wanted, loved and appreciated.

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This could not have been done without Shades Mountain Baptist Church and the CLC staff. We are truly thankful for all you do for us!

 

GIC Wrap Up

Last week, we were given the privilege to attend the annual Global Impact Celebration at Shades Mountain Baptist Church. This is a global missions conference that the church hosts for missionaries from all over the world which they have partnered with throughout the years. We were surrounded by people who live in Vienna, Austria, the Middle East, Thailand, Oakland, CA, Vermont, New Jersey and more. During this week long celebration, we had the opportunity to hear about and share how the Lord is working through His people all over the world.

During one of our favorite nights, each missionary gets a 60 second spotlight (or maybe a little more) to share just one example of how God is working among them. For our 60 seconds, we asked one of the men we have been walking with for over a year now to help us out. As you’ll notice, Mark and Wilkes have almost identical backgrounds. They grew up in the same hometown, went to a very similar church and both had loving families. The difference between the two men is how Jesus chose to bring them to himself.

<p><a href=”https://vimeo.com/121260146″>GIC</a&gt; from <a href=”https://vimeo.com/user8534567″>Urban Purpose</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>

Last week was full of encouraging testimonies and encouraging supporters, eager to spur on those who have been led to give their lives for His work. It was such a helpful reminder to know that we are not alone on our journey to reach the lost and help the broken, and that there are many others who are willing and ready to partner with us. We are incredibly thankful for the body of believers at Shades Mountain Baptist Church and for the loyal patronage they have given not only to Urban Purpose, but to missionaries all over the globe for many years now.

What’s the Answer to Birmingham’s Homeless Issue?

Here is an article from The Tennessean on how to fix Nashville’s homeless problem.  The city of Birmingham has a homeless population of approximately 3,000.  So, we obviously have an issue on our hands as well.  Do you agree with the author’s take on how the issue should be addressed?  What are your thoughts?  What do you think is the solution to the issue?  Should this come through the government?  The church?  Click on the link below and share with us your comments and questions.

Nashville’s Homeless Issue