Learning To Do Good

Being counter cultural is nothing new. Romans tell us not to conform to the patterns of the world, but be transformed by the renewal of our minds (Romans 12:2). Jesus says that the greatest commandment is to love God and to love our neighbor (Matt 22:37-38). So it makes sense to learn how to love our neighbors by worshiping Jesus.

One of my (Austin) favorite verses is “…learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” Isaiah 1:17. So, educating myself to serve the community that Jesus has called me to is a HUGE priority.

Jesus, being our example, had to study under a teacher to receive the title of Rabbi. For over a year now I have been taking online class at City Vision College to get my Bachelors in Urban Missions, with a minor in Nonprofit Administration.

City Vision is a fully accredited, Christ focused, online college that tailors their classes to Christians who are working in the inner-city. The courses ranging from the history of Rescue Missions, counseling in an urban context, to managing a residential recovery program, each class has information that I can implement the day I take it in.

An example would be from this past spring; I was in the middle of the Life Skills Training coarse, when the opportunity to teach with the Metro Christian Job Corp opened up. The tendency to walk into class as the expert because I grew up with means was not a issue because I had just learned about the importance, and brilliance, of shared learning. When teaching an adult class, the “students “ have just as much, if not more life experience than the “instructor”. With that in mind, the coarse I was able to instruct was just as informative for me because we, as a class of adults, learned together about each other and the coarse material.

Even with the objectives of the coarse aside, the relationships I was able to build with a handful of community members is priceless because I was no longer seen as an outsider, but as a friend, and fellow community member working to improve the Southside.

Working together with people within the community to build a gospel community for Jesus is what excites me about Stowe Mission. I get to see Christianity as a way of life, not just a thing people do on Sunday. Loving Jesus by loving others.

For more information: City Vision College

Advent as a Family

One of the most exciting things I have been able to do as a dad is baptize our oldest daughter, Mabry. I am so pumped to see my little girl talk about loving others, and loving Jesus. Mae is one of the reasons I started to work on my faith like it mattered. I realized that if I wanted her and her sisters to be strong Christians, Chelsey and I had to be strong Christians.

The best thing I get to do with the girls is try to read them a Bible story every night. And point out that they are more than just nice stories, but a larger love letter to us from God. A love letter about our Rescuer, Jesus, and how every story in the Bible is really all about Him. A great kids Bible that we love is the Jesus Storybook Bible. It relates every bible story to Jesus. The best part about this Bible is that the girls ask me to read it for them, I don’t have to force it…all the time.

This Advent season is the first one where we are making a conscience effort with our girls to read each night. We are by no means perfect, and we have already missed a night, but we will just have to double up another night. We are using an Advent reading chart that uses the Jesus Storybook Bible, each day has an ornament that the girls can cut out and decorate.

I would love to say that it is always well received and our girls sit quietly and listen to the Word, and ask great theological questions each time I read to them. But it doesn’t; usually its crazy and someone cries, then an argument breaks out, or someone laughs at the dress (tunic) a dude is wearing. I used to think that if I read the Bible to my kids every night they would all magically turn into perfect Odyssey children (this is a reference to the Christian audio drama where everything is “rainbows and sunshine”), but now its just nice that the girls are hearing the Story of Christ.

Link to the Advent Book our family is using!

Our Mission

Thank you for checking out our family’s leap of faith in Christ as we transition from being carnies to a missional family on fire for Christ in Columbus.

I (Austin) am excited to share with you about the ministry partnership my family and I are building with Stowe Mission of Central Ohio. Stowe has been serving the south side of Columbus for over 30 years, and has a large ministry footprint; all in one building, with only 1 paid staff person, but the help of many, very devoted, volunteers. I have been actively volunteering at Stowe for 4 years.

Stowe Mission Ministries include:

-Feeding over 122,000 people each year (community kitchen and pantry)

-Providing free healthcare ministries (dental, vision and urgent care)

-Offering Life skills training

-Offering after school tutoring

-Acting as a Homeless overflow shelter

-Housing 3 separate congregations

As followers of Christ, we are told to love and serve the poor (Matt. 25:31-46, Isaiah 1:17), and work toward the peace of our city (Jer. 29). As a family, we have been called as missionaries to our city (the city of Columbus) following God’s commands and the genuine needs of the people we serve at Stowe Mission.

Understanding God’s vision and partnerships with existing leaders, Chelsey and I are looking for more ministry partners to enable us to serve full-time. However, we need your help to do this, both financially and spiritually. We would be humbled to have you join with us in our life long mission of building community, serving the poor, and loving our neighbors in Columbus by glorifying Christ.

The lessons God gives us through our children.

Tonight I’m humbled by the lessons God gives me through my children. The journey of moving to Columbus and the change it will be on my children has been tugging on my heart strings this week and I have been finding myself in constant prayer for confidence and solitude in our decision to up root our lived for the Lords calling on our lives.

Tonight as I read Mabry the story of Florence Nightingale, God opened a door to explain to Mabry just what God can do with a life that succeeds in following His call.

For those of you who need a refresher in Florence Nightingale (like I did), she was a young lady raised in the high society of England in the 1800’s. In 1845 she was called to do God’s work as a nurse to the poor in England. This was a time when hospitals were dirty and unsafe and being a nurse was more like being a servant due to the poor and helpless hospital conditions. Florence shared her calling with her parents and they were dismayed by her plans. They refused to let her go. Florence became depressed and ill over this reaction but still held tight to her calling. Six years later her parents finally let her attend nursing school to chase Gods calling on her life. From there Florence’s mere calling to be a vessel for the Lord as a nurse grew more and more into something bigger then she would every dream. She went on to make hospitals “equal opportunity” for everyone, not just members of the Church of England. She made military hospitals clean, organized and efficient and published her reports on Hospital efficiency and its administration, changing the WORLD in nursing and heath care. All this from a willingness to follow a calling that many could not understand.

I explained to Mabry how from her willingness to follow Gods calling and to give her life to Christ lives are still changing today. I explained that this is why it is so important for us to follow Gods call to Columbus and for her daddy to work at Stowe. We may go and change a few lives for Christ as we humbly expect, but if we are willing and open, and it is God’s plan, He can have us through Him change the entire world. What a lesson and reminder for me as well.

Sweet Jesus, thank you for the little lessons you provide when you see I need it the most. I’m so thankful for your guidance and graciousness to answer prayers. You are a mighty and compassionate King and I give you all of me. Open the eyes of my family, friends, and on lookers and show them the mighty things you can do from a simple willingness. Thank you for choosing us. Amen.

-Chelsey

The Avett Brothers & Bob Crawford Sing Closer Walk (with thee) In NYC