Why are y'all moving into the "hood"?
We feel like this move is a calling, much like missionaries are called to Africa or Iraq. We are simply called to Atlanta. And the decision to move INTO the hood was/is a multifaceted one that rests on a variety of factors. Our goal is to reweave the fabric of urban community by building upon existing neighborhood strength. We truly believe that when focused on a single neighborhood with the aim of community transformation, the effects can be dramatic. “Living the gospel means desiring for your neighbor and your neighbor’s family that which you desire for yourself and your family. Living the gospel means bettering the quality of other people’s lives spiritually, physically, socially, and emotionally as you better your own. Living the gospel means sharing in the suffering and pain of others” (CCDA).
What is the difference between what you did at Vision Atlanta and what you’re doing with Blueprint 58?
Our goal in what we’re doing with Blueprint 58 is identical to what it was at Vision Atlanta: To start a mentoring program. Some of the implementation will look a little different since we are working from within the neighborhood to transform it. We’ve changed some of our philosophies of ministry as we have experienced first-hand the depth of need and the tangles of darkness which have clearly taken root in the city. With Atlanta being the #1 city in the nation for sex trafficking, and our neighboorhood specifically being labeled the 22nd most dangerous neighborhood in the nation, we recognize that we will have to implement a ministry that is sensitive to these needs and holistic in its approach. We firmly believe that transformation best occurs in the context of relationship, and that’s why mentoring is the foundation of our program.
What about your support and budget, how is all the money-stuff going to work?
The money we have raised (and y’all have generously given!) as support will be gifted to us by Vision Atlanta, and we will continue to depend wholly on support for our salary and for the budget for our ministry. Our budget for the entire first year of ministry is $65,000, and that is the amount we need to raise by the end of February. A big piece of stepping away from Vision Atlanta is that it means, to some extent, losing our “safety net” because we will only be paid if we raise the money. As scary as this seems for us, we are trusting that this is where God is leading us and that He will provide for our ministry and our family.
