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Did You Know our Morals and Values are Determined by the time we’re Nine?
- Urban Missionary Dana Edman-Carpenter
This includes our beliefs about Christ. If we believe in Christ by the time we’re nine, chances are we will stay with that belief all of our life. But, if we’re never introduced to Christ it means that chances are we will never follow Him all of our life.
In a culture that is becoming more secular every day, it is imperative for ministries like The Isaiah Project to succeed. We help inner-city; Third-World and even inner-ring suburban churches to get back into their neighborhood and get their neighborhood back into their church! Our ministry is about empowering the local church to reach out to their neighborhood to create a “family” with un-churched kids, teens and families, as well as raise these indigenous leaders to ultimately become successors.
We do this by reaching out to churches the Lord leads to us. Once they decide to take ownership of the ministry, we train volunteers from their church to run the ministry and continue to coach them. We do this through our Kids Church and Youth Church ministries. Our ministry is unique in that it is not a program. It is a relational ministry that is focused on valuing our children. Leaders in this ministry learn that this is going to be a “lifestyle” change. That is, we “lay down our lives” so that God will use us to nurture this generation of children.
In addition to a weekly church service, leaders meet together weekly for prayer, study and fellowship. This team creates the “family” environment. We continue developing relationships by visiting the kids in their homes getting to know the whole family. Over time as these relationships develop they begin to look and function more like family.
Currently, we are helping churches in Cleveland, East Cleveland, Lorain, Akron, Cincinnati, Liberia Africa and Cali Colombia. Our goal is to not just grow in numbers but to grow deeper in our walk with Christ. As a reciprocal ministry we learn and grow as much as we share and teach. It is demanding but necessary.
In order to bring about transformation with people of generational poverty, you have to be relational-oriented. Long-term relationships of love are what changes people. We are committed to helping congregations do this by coming alongside of them as we live out this Christ-like lifestyle.
"Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in."
Isaiah 58:12 NRSV
 In September 1999, after seven years of outreach to children and families on the near West Side, Dana Edman-Carpenter was commissioned by Bay Presbyterian Church as a full-time urban missionary.
The Isaiah Project (TIP) is a vision for doing ministry with inner city kids, youth and their families. The desire is to be in relationship with kids and their families and encourage them to follow Christ while empowering them to live out His purpose for their lives.
TIP partners with urban and suburban churches, planting a Kids Church or Youth Church in the urban church and providing a suburban church partner. The Lord has continued to develop and deepen this ministry through many Kids Church plants in the United States and now abroad. BPC is in partnership with Calvary Reformed Church located on West 65th Street. Click here to help with Calvary Kids Church or Teen Angels at Calvary.
Learn more by visiting the Isaiah Project website and read our newsletter.
In the Company of Heroes - by Perry Pascarella
Many of us have heard about the visionary young woman who has been developing Kids Churches around town in recent years. When Dana Carpenter invited me to be on the board of The Isaiah Project, I was grateful for the chance to play even a minor role in the possibility of a city’s being rebuilt by its children.
My last downtown office had a power view of the spectacular and the ugly. It didn’t show the people who might bring this area back to life. Urban renewal and rebuilding an entire metropolitan area depends on building people. With so many damaged adults and dysfunctional families, our best bet is to turn to today’s children. One way or another, they will rule the streets.
Kids Church lives out God’s love. Over time, children learn to trust their leaders who make unbelievable commitments in love to them. These adults give without bounds to kids who can be frustrating and lovable at the same time. “Our kids church ain’t for the squeamish,” one leader says. “They’re breaking my heart,” another smiles in tears. I see in the humblest of these adults amazing wisdom and courage. To me, they are today’s heroes because they face such incredible odds and give so much of themselves for Him who gave himself totally.
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