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Hope for Hattiesburg, Hattiesburg MS

 

 

 

New Project for 2008

July 12-19 & July 19-26

 

Bring God's love to Hattiesburg, Mississippi’s Hub City, through practical deeds of mercy and reconciliation.  

“I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope” Hosea 2:15

 

Hattiesburg, Mississippi, is called the Hub City because of its confluence of roads, railways and waterways. The roads that served to evacuate Hurricane Katrina victims from the Gulf Coast were also used to bring volunteers that provided relief. Despite being about 75 miles inland, Hattiesburg was hit very hard by the storm as it made its way north. Approximately 80 percent of the city's roads were blocked by trees and power was out in the area for up to 14 days. The storm claimed 24 lives in the Hattiesburg area and approximately 10,000 structures received major damage of some type.

The Hattiesburg metro area is home to about 150,000 folks and almost 30% of the population is below the poverty line. Since the storm, the city has experienced a large influx of new residents from coastal Louisiana and Mississippi towns to the south, where damage from Katrina was catastrophic. The approximately 15,000 evacuees who moved into the area after the storm did so to find housing, schools and work. Many of those people have experienced dramatic changes in their lives and are now open to the Gospel of Christ.

God brought the storm and has provided an unprecedented opening for us to work together to advance His Kingdom. Our mission is twofold. We purpose to assist people still reeling from the effects of the storm by bringing hope and at the same time to expose mission teams from other geographical regions to a racially diverse mission field. We are seeking to build close relationships with the East Hattiesburg community by creating an environment where mutual dignity builds trust, and to share the Gospel in a message of compassion to needy people. To be Gospel-centered merely means to recognize our own need of God and of one another and because of the mercy and kindness shown to us, to show the same to others.

 

Our Vision and Mission

Hope for Hattiesburg exists to seek the establishment of God's Kingdom Rule in the hearts of  people through a clear proclamation of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone and by doing Spirit-led deeds of justice and mercy. Teams who participate in Hope for Hattiesburg as missionaries and the people they serve will experience the reconciling love of God in Jesus Christ...

• through a restored relationship with God and with one another across all racial, social and economic divisions, which has been achieved through Jesus Christ
• through worship where the delight of God in us and our delight in Him is experienced
• through Christian community relationships where fellowship, love, increased knowledge of God and a commitment to take care of human need is experienced
• through an equipping of the people of God that mobilizes each team member to be a part of extending God's justice and mercy to the nations and that proclaims the love of God in Christ Jesus to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and ultimately throughout the world

How Our Mission Will Be Accomplished

God Will Advance His Gospel of the Kingdom Through Us this Summer As We... 

...Believe the Gospel Together

Primarily, we will be learning about the Gospel as we worship, work and spend time together. We will believe the Gospel together as leaders of First Presbyterian Church and Grace Presbytery share with teams on Sunday morning, Sunday afternoon, and then on a daily basis during devotions Monday through Thursday mornings. Mission teams will have a nightly debriefing time to focus and process what everyone is learning. We will also proclaim the Gospel with our mouths during evening Bible clubs or sports camps held in the community. The project is designed to show both our sins and our weaknesses and to point to the fact that we need a Savior.

...Take on a Kingdom Focus

We will work, sweat, cry and laugh in the homes of widows, the elderly, the disabled and other people who need assistance, Monday through Thursday afternoons. This work could include demolition, painting, plumbing repair, installing drywall, digging, building wheelchair ramps, washing mold off walls, stripping paint, removing brush, and many other things! A major portion of the work time will be spent re-roofing homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina in the fall of 2005.

...Pursue Reconciliation

We will worship on Sunday morning alongside First Presbyterian Church’s congregation. On Sunday evening we will worship with the saints from Ebenezer Baptist Church, our partner church.  We will work alongside and for people of different racial, educational, economic and social backgrounds. We will be intentional on Sunday morning and evening about looking at our own prejudices, confessing them for what they are, and seeking reconciliation as we engage in recreation, as we work on homes, and as we teach Bible clubs or sports camps . One of the devotional times in the morning will be a discussion of reconciliation in the church.

...and Work in Teams         

We will work with MANY different people this summer. Leaders from local churches will help coordinate many of the activities while other team members will provide direction for other activities. On Sunday, the pastors will share with us a holistic approach to ministry that deals with the spiritual, social, economic, political, cultural, emotional, physical, moral, judicial, educational and familial issues of each person. Team leaders of work projects, bible clubs and sports camp ministries will orient us on Sunday afternoon. In the afternoons on work projects, the crew leader may be a college intern or a leader from the local congregations, or you may be asked to manage a work site yourself! Sound confusing? It is! It is further evidence and opportunity for God's grace to be made all the more real! Of course, each group will work and live as a team. Teamwork provides more opportunities to expose our sin and more opportunities to see that God's grace is both needed and at work! 

Project Overview

This summer will be the launch of this new ministry, Hope for Hattiesburg (HFH). In the early days of the Katrina Response, First Presbyterian Church served as a mobilization site, housing PCA volunteers working in the community for more than 45 days. As the work teams helped provide immediate relief, church leadership realized that God has provided a great opportunity for eternal restoration in a community that is radically and racially diverse. When the decision was made to shut the worksite down, church leadership prayed that volunteers would someday return and participate in the long-term restoration of the community. Many homes in the primarily African American neighborhoods of East Hattiesburg still have blue tarps, now rotting and frayed, covering roofs shredded by Katrina. Many roadblocks have prevented this area of Hattiesburg from recovering, including but not limited to lack of finances and capable and honest contractors. As resources poured into the coastal areas, recovery in East Hattiesburg was stifled.

Living Arrangements

Teams will sleep in classrooms at First Presbyterian Church during their time here. We have modified classrooms into temporary dormitory space for housing short-term partners, with some areas designated for lounging and recreation. Separate sleeping facilities and restrooms will be provided for women and men. Primitive outdoor showers are available. Access to meeting rooms for devotions, team building exercises, recreation and quiet study will also be provided. Our hope is that more permanent housing will be available in the future as the ministry matures. This year would be a great opportunity for your team to begin a long-term partnership with Hope for Hattiesburg and help us launch and develop this new ministry.

Meals

Will be provided by church members and staff. Each team should designate two volunteers to assist the staff during meal time.

Breakfast: Continental style in the church

Lunch: Made at breakfast and carried to the work sites by the volunteer teams

Dinner: Buffet style in the main dining area

 

Group Dynamics

Team size: 25 team members a week.

Age: Mature Jr. High, High School and adults are encouraged to come.

Leadership: Group leaders must be present with the group at all times. If there are both young men and young women on the team, both a male and female leader must accompany the group. A high ratio of adults to youth teams is desired.

Transportation:

Hope for Hattiesburg does not provide transportation for teams. The use of vans is encouraged; buses are not allowed. If your team is flying in, please check with us for suggested vehicle rental agencies.

Typical Schedule

We have morning devotions as a group Monday throughThursday mornings for about half an hour. Students will receive a devotional booklet created by church leaders that team members will work through and journal in throughout the week. The devotional will include follow-up questions that leaders may use for the evening debriefing sessions. The morning sessions are led by church and presbytery pastors. During the devotional time we will sing (bring your own music and instruments!), pray (corporately and individually), share and journal.

Saturday Arrival

Plan on arriving Saturday evening. Please eat your evening meal while on the road.

• 8:00 PM                   Orientation to the facility and check-in by HFH staff
• 11:00  PM                Lights out

Sunday

• 7:30 - 8:30 AM        Breakfast in Educational Building
• 8:30 - 9:30 AM        Introduction to Hope for Hattiesburg
• 9:30 AM – Noon      Worship in sanctuary  
• 12:00 - 2:00 PM      Lunch with church families  
• 2:00 - 3:00 PM        Return to church and rest  
• 3:00 - 4:00 PM        Separate Leader Orientation and Team Member Orientation  
• 4:00 - 5:00 PM        Combined Orientation  
• 5:30 - 6:15 PM        Dinner  (where/who?)
• 6:30 - 8:00 PM        Depart for evening worship at Ebenezer Baptist Church
• 8:30 - 9:30 PM        Youth group leaders review devotional resources; team time
• 11:00 PM                Lights out

Monday – Thursday

• 6:30 - 7:00 AM        Breakfast at church  
• 7:00 – Noon            Depart for worksites  
• Noon-1:00 PM         Lunch, team devotions and rest  
• 1:00 PM-2:00 PM    Wrap-up daily construction projects
• 2:00 - 5:30 PM        Bible Clubs and/or Sports Camps
• 5:30 - 6:30 PM        Dinner (special on Thursday)
• 6:45 - 8:00 PM        Depart for Kids' Clubs (except Thursday)
• 8:00 - 9:30 PM        Large group devotional led by church and presbytery leaders; team time  
• 11:00 PM                 Lights out  

Friday

• 7:00 – 8:00 AM        Breakfast at church
• 8:30 AM                   Free day for sightseeing, possible Gulf Coast visit, cleaning dorms and bathrooms, and packing to leave.
• 11:00 PM                 Lights out

 Note: Teams departing on Friday must request approval at time of registration.

Saturday   Departure

• 7:30 - 8:30 AM        Breakfast at church
• 9:00 AM                   Check out and depart for home

Cost

The cost to participate is $300 per individual (including leaders). There is a non-refundable deposit for the group, based on the team size. The deposit confirms the team’s dates. The fees   are for the sole purpose of covering costs for the ministry or church with whom you are serving; MNA receives no income or financial benefit from the fees paid.

The fee covers:

• Lodging from Saturday night through the following Saturday morning
• Meals and meal preparation from Sunday morning through Friday morning
• A culturally relevant meal on Thursday evening
• Work project expenses

This fee does NOT cover:

• Transportation costs
• Friday fun activities in Hattiesburg
• Any medical/emergency costs
• Phone calls
• Ministry materials prepared for Backyard Bible Clubs or VBS

 

Ready to bring Hope to Hattiesburg?

Contact Arklie Hooten ahooten@pcanet.org / 678-294-3011

or

Sherry Lanier

MNA ShortTerm Missions and Disaster Response Facilitator
678-294-3012
slanier@pcanet.org

 

 

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