GlocalNet

Chris Shabay is our Director of Community Development here at NorthWood.  Our work in Haltom City has exploded over the past year and is only getting bigger!  Here’s what Chris has to say about it…

I cannot believe it’s already mid-April and the summer is quickly approaching.  That means I am way behind in sharing with you the unbelievable things NorthWood is doing in Haltom City.

For starters, we just finished our second full year of mobilizing church members to serve the children of The Academy at West Birdville at our Kid’s Café.  On average, we feed over 50 children daily, three nights each week.  Our tutoring program, led by Jane Mayeux, has really taken off.  We have doubled in number of volunteers from 12 to 25 this year.  Our goal is to double that number once again and have 50 volunteers tutoring and mentoring these children by the Spring of 2008.  Home Makeover is just around the corner.  We will be selecting our recipient families early next week. 

There are many more projects and programs worth mentioning, however, one in particular will serve as a cornerstone for seeing true transformation in Haltom City.  Our JPS medical and dental clinic will begin serving the community within the next few weeks.  The clinic will allow families, that otherwise could not afford medical care, to receive treatment and medications.  The clinic will serve 14 schools within the Birdville and Fort Worth School Districts.  I am thankful for men like Peter Paulsen and Rusty Mayeux that are willing to persevere through all of the red tape and doubt that came with the completion of this project.  Their determination and sacrifice will be a blessing to many in the years to come.

On a side note, I want to share with you what I’ve learned in my first year as director of community development in Haltom City.  Quite simply, I’ve seen a side of myself in which I am not very proud.  So often, I have served others from a comfortable place in my heart, at a distance from the real pain that others experience.  So often, we pray for those in need, and then immediately turn our hearts attention to the tasks for the day.  We serve in a food line, sometimes only to satisfy our conscience while checking the box next to good deed for the day from our list of expected Christian behaviors. Who are we really serving, the needy or ourselves?

I have learned by spending more and more time with the children at The Academy at West Birdville that there is really nothing I can offer them unless I choose to share in their suffering.  It’s not enough to show up every once in awhile or pray when it’s convenient to my schedule.  We talk about being Christ-like, but we are a long way from that if we don’t share in the pain and suffering of others.  Remember, Christ stood in the path of suffering for us.  He took our pain on His own body.  He literally stepped in the line of fire to save us.  Thank goodness He didn’t just hope for the best for us from a distance.

In the book of Acts, Chapter 5, the apostles rejoiced after being flogged for preaching the gospel because they were honored to suffer for the Lord Jesus Christ.  It’s my hearts desire to be like that.  The pain that comes with fear of suffering, for me, is much greater than the pain that comes in the suffering for Jesus.  Sacrifice, suffering, giving of your time and money is rarely comfortable, but it is absolutely essential if you are to experience the fullness of Christ.  People don’t need a cheerleader from the stands.  They need a blocker and protector on the field so that they have a clear path to the ultimate victory in Jesus Christ!