10.19.2008 Rodney and Jodi Matthews - Urban Vision

Audio

10.19.2008 Grace Summit Urban Vision from Grace Summit on Vimeo

Rodney and Jodi Matthews share about the ministry of Urban Vision (www.urbanvisionministry.org).
Worship songs include "Your Ways," "He Reigns," "Blessed be the Name of the Lord," "Mighty to Save,"
and Leeland, "Tears of the Saints" (during the slideshow at the end).


First, I wanted to thank Pastor Marette for seeking us out as a ministry to serve – you have taken on two rooms – to renovate – and we appreciate especially Alan and Bob. Beth and the Yackleys – we’d like to thank them for their service – with English and after-school programs. And Beth, helping me with grant writing. We’d like to take this time to give something special –

Beth – It has been so great being involved. It has really blessed me. Ironically – I forgot you were going to be here today and some of the Karen kids will be here in the next service. I have honed in on helping the Karen community with their English and spending time with them outside of Urban Vision as well. You don’t have to look any further than our own community to serve. There are so many different ways to be involved.

Just an update at Urban Vision – we were here at VBS and Jodi got to share then. We had a family night camp - VBS – we used your stuff! We had 100 kids who came to that and we had to turn away another 100 kids! We just didn’t have enough helpers to do it. We have 34000 square feet – and we need a lot of supervision. Next summer we have bright hopes. We have some sports camps in our gym. And we send kids to overnight camp.

Our After School program – SOS – clearly says HELP! We need your help – Set On Success – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday – afterschool – homework and other skill building classes.

Saturdays – we have Kids club – more like Sunday School. We have Women’s Bible studies at the same time. We have a men’s night where we play basketball and have a Bible study – This is an outreach to our alumni – some are now 25, 26 years old. We have an adult English class that meets at one of the Karen houses.

We have a harvest party coming up on October 31. Last year, we had a harvest party and had 135 or so kids there. Thanksgiving dinner – Nov. 14 – community outreach. A lot of the families who participate help out with that. We had a little over 200 people for that.

December 6 we will have a Birthday Party for Jesus – with a talent show.

December 20, we open our Christmas store. Kids earn Urban Vision dollars throughout the year – and have opportunity to buy gifts for their families. We promote that as a way of dignity.

I will turn it over to my wife, Jodi. She is the founder of the ministry – I was just one of those college guys that wanted to get involved. And got involved more than I knew.

Jodi – it is great to worship with you – I brought some friends with me – and it is a joy to have them with me. We have been doing this for 15 years. Even yesterday, one of the young men who came to our ministry came by. He is working at a law firm in Hudson and his family is going to church. God has a heart for the city. The city is very diverse. Many cultures. I have asked that they come forward – and share a little of their hearts – some of the highlights of their times at Urban Vision –

Joy: SOS – Set On Success - After school program is for kids to come out and learn and set on success – it can be hard because there are so many kids – Mr. Rodney is on me because I don’t have any homework (I have a study hall) – it is good to reach out to the community – that people can learn and come together. Miss Jodi and my mom help the Karen kids – it is a different culture. – my friend, Taylor and I help two Karen kids in particular and it is a real joy. It has been good coming on Saturdays – I try to help as much as I can as part of the community.

Juvante: I’ve been involved for a few years – How long will I call for help? I cry out to Thee violence, yet God does not save? Why does God cause me to look at wickedness? The law is ignored and justice is not upheld. I see people from my school – so many wicked things – they curse the name of the Lord. Yet, they get so much, and I get nothing. I try to do good things and tell them, but they don’t listen – and it seems like they get rewarded for bad things, but God is faithful.
I was able to go to camp a number of times – Camp Burton with Micah, Joseph and Rodney – it was a blast! We did some amazing things! I’ve learned so much about God and what He has done for me – I can’t even explain all the things! Some of the things – I didn’t know what was happening – the people at Camp Burton – when they came to Christ – it was such a blessing and I was happy for them.

Hi – I’m Janaya – mother of Joy and Juvante – I went to camp with Urban Vision – and it was the first time I went to camp – to see the Karen kids – it was such a joy to see them having so much fun. They are such a blessing – they make me laugh! It is a blessing to be involved with Urban Vision – and I thank Mr. Rodney and Miss Jodi for allowing my kids to be involved – I am blessed. We are not a ministry, we are a family. UV has made my children better. I am grateful. I’ve had personal problems – I go to Mr. Rodney or Miss Jodi and they talk to me and I am not judged.

We serve an awesome God! He is drawing people from different cultures – at a young age I was certain I wanted to be a missionary (from the age of 7!) I thought I would have to go overseas or to Mexico. I prepared to go overseas – God grabbed hold of my heart – and God opened my heart to the needs of the city. It was all around me. There was a humbling process that had to go on – we need to get out of our comfort zone. I like that slogan – WWJD – What Would Jesus Do? – but I also like the Nike slogan – Just do it! Be doers of the word and not hearers only. I see so many doers in this church. You have volunteered your time and embraced people into your homes. God is pleased! We thank God for that! As we talk about the ministry of Urban Vision – Proverbs 29:18 – Without a vision, the people perish. And Jer 29:11– God has a plan for each of us, to give us a future and hope. Sometimes the vision gets cloudy. When the circumstances come in, we have to hold on to the truth of God’s word – he who began a good work will be faithful. God is alive and well – and he searches to and fro throughout the earth – to find those who are faithful. Do you not want to hear, well done good and faithful servant?! I want to encourage you to be faithful. God is a God who sees and hears and is a faithful God.
The greatest thing about UV is this – we do a lot of programs – to give kids a place that is safe. Between 3 and 8, after school, violent crime increases. God has given us a facility where the kids can be safe. The fact that Janaya and her family live in the neighborhood – people see – and they set a precedent.

God says we are His hands and feet and His voice for Justice. If justice ever needed to be heard, it is today – let Justice flow down like a mighty river. There are opportunities for us to live justly and love mercy and walk humbly with our God. It might be standing up for someone who is in trouble – when we do that, God will do a work. Let us be a light – a city set on a hill – let them see our good works – God has called us to 3 specific things
To live out Christ in the community. Jesus left the splendors of heaven to live among His people. I will tabernacle amongst the people. We are committed, as staff, to live in the neighborhood and to live out Christ right where we are. We want our fulltime staff – part time staff – anyone – to be salt and light IN THE CITY. God has a heart for the city – for His people.
God wants us to be a ministry of incarnation – to flesh out his love. I am so glad that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He didn’t wait for me to get my act together.

God has given us a ministry of intentionality – it takes that to cross barriers. Especially in this day – it is part of our life – I found myself in the same boat – the trick of the enemy is to keep Jodi so busy that she misses the big picture. Sometimes we are so busy doing good things that we are not doing the right things. Now that UV is expanding – my vision gets cloudy! I want to be at every event we do, but I realize that I can’t do that. Jodi, what is it that I have called you to do and to do it for your glory. God is faithful.

I share this story – because it challenges me. I was bringing my son home from kindergarten – “Mommy – I see someone who is poor” – Why do you think they are poor? Their eyes are sad.
He began to see something that we tend to overlook. Poverty robs people of their dignity – exactly what the enemy intends – to steal, kill and destroy.

We live in the community – we purchased our first home for 8500 – It was a fixer-upper. We had very little. God blessed us and brought bulldozers and backhoes – and we were able to live there. Around my house, there is a big fence. We always joke that it keeps the stray dogs out and our dog in – but it doesn’t really work that way, because our dog jumps the fence! When our kids were little, I would tell them, Stay in the fence! You can go anywhere inside the fence. When we were going home, my son said, I really do want to reach out to them! Yes, God wants us to help those in need – the poor and oppressed. Mommy – I would, if you would just let me out of the fence!
And I laughed, but yet, again, I began to think in my heart - what are the fences in my life that keep me from doing what God wants me to do? Outside of our fences, there are people who are hurting and need to know the truth – what are the fences that keep me? Be prepared for an answer – I didn’t really want to hear it – God confronted me with my busyness – God had to confront me in the area of pride. I thought, if I am not there, it won’t get done. But God began to humble me – when we look at the mirror of our lives – our hearts are desperately wicked – apart from the grace of God, where would I be? I thank God. I thought more work would solve my problems. God quickly reminded me of Rev. 3 – I know your deeds and perseverance and struggles in the faith – but I have this against you – Jodi – you have left your first love! Return! Repent – or I will come and remove your lampstand. God was meaning business with me. I got on my knees and repented. Just as God wants us to be a voice for Him – he can silence us just as quick.
I said, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
God wants us to be creative to use the ingenuity He has given us. To love people into the kingdom of God. Sometimes it is baking brownies or taking kids to church. Maybe it is taking care of the elderly parent in your life. God sees. God hears.
Mother Teresa has said, it is not in the big things we do, but the everyday faithfulness that blesses the heart of God.
One thing that helped me as I was recovering from this discussion with God – I almost felt placed on the shelf for a time then I heard from a pastor in Washington, DC about the L Principle – revolutionized my life. You want to be used by God? You want to be a light? Let me tell you what you gotta do! Lift your chin up to me. As we begin to praise the Lord, He fills us up to go to a hurting world. I was doing the horizontal and forgot the vertical! God wants to lift our heads so He can pour into us – so we can love our aging parents and children who are different from us – Do I get off track or out of focus still? Yes, but when I get into Him, I am strong. I can be the most distracted person, but God can funnel his love through me.

I got a phone call from a neighbor at 2:00 in the morning asking for a band-aid. Let me give you a little history - There was alcoholism in the family. At times they would ask me - hold our kitchen knives for us! The police were on the street frequently – suicidal thoughts – kids swept up in it. We were in the middle of this drama. I knew I needed to go – by the time I got over there – I had cough syrup – Mylanta, and band-aids. I brought it over – and you could feel the tension – blood running down her knee – tried to bring the Lord into the conversation – when she asked me - Why do you love me like this? God gave me the opportunity to say, that is exactly what Jesus has done for me and what He wants to do for you – and he gave me a moment – God called me to be a neighbor!

She lost her children and her home – and ended up in a shelter. She came to Christ and would take steps forward – and then back – and others got involved in her life. This morning I got a phone call – turn the radio on – she is speaking – she was at harvest home – and they asked her to be an intern – is that not the testimony of the Lord? I’ll never forget her little girl crawling out the window – 5 years old – she was so intoxicated – she couldn’t help her. I would try to help her - She came over, she said to me, “you know what – it doesn’t matter, because no one cares for me.” That struck my heart. - so I wrote this poem (only part of it is transcribed here - watch the video to hear the rest!)

Will you swing with me one more time so I can tell you what’s on my mind
My dad is mad and my mom is sad and I am only five…

Will you play with me one more time so I can tell you what’s on my mind
I’m so confused…
Please pray with me…

Will you read to me one more time
Take me to a story where love abounds

Will you rock with me one more time…
My dad is mad and my mom is sad and I am only five
I know I am too big to rock in your chair...

Slideshow - Background Music - Leeland, Tears of the Saints