Work days with old friends

We have hosted hundreds of volunteers during our 15 years in Hyde Park. Helpers have come from all over to our little neighborhood to sweat and struggle in order to experience a different kind of ministry and bring some good news.

One amazing group stands out - a church that has been with us since 2010 - First Methodist Church of Tulsa.

They first came WAY BACK in June of 2010, when we had only been in the neighborhood for about 18 months. They worked hard for three days cleaning out the old Hyde Park Theater and the local parks. We had some great conversations with the kids and their leaders. We didn't know then how those three days would shape the ministry for years to come.

In 2012, we had progressed quite a bit. Our woodshop and sewing center were up and running. We had purchased and renovated the Leadership Center. And of all things, we had started a community newspaper as a means to spread some positivity and make connections. One day we were delivering a stack of newspapers to a partner church in the area, and an older woman noticed how tired we looked. Much like Jesus, she looked and had compassion. She said that there was much work to be done, and God needed to send some laborers. So she prayed, passionately, right there in the lobby, asking God to send laborers. A few days later, David Kasey from FMC-Tulsa called our executive director, Dr. Terry Goodwin, explaining that their host for their summer mission trip had canceled last minute, and wanted to know if we had space and work for about 60 youth. We certainly did!

They showed up three days later. That visit was a defining one for us. The group stayed with us, tucked into any corner we could fit them. We worked hard during the days, and in the evenings shared testimonies and songs. They showed us the potential of working alongside volunteers and sharing our stories and praise with one another. In all the years that have passed, we never stopped speaking fondly of that visit.

In 2019, we felt God was leading us to start ministry in a new location. We looked around the St. Louis metro, and nothing seemed promising. As we pursued this idea, our perspective shifted, and we began to look outward. Eventually, we thought about Tulsa, in part because of the relationship we had with FMC-Tulsa, and especially Aaron Cobb, one of the leaders of the group. We pursued this relationship that God had built over the years and sent a small team to scope out the area. Aaron was kind enough to show us around the town, introducing us to other ministry leaders. We eventually settled in Barnsdall, a tiny town about 40 miles northwest of Tulsa. We soon were renting a building, and started a second opportunity center - a coffee shop where we held various community and ministry meetings.

We of course were unaware of the pandemic that was about to change the world. Several months later, we were forced to close the Barnsdall location. We had some missionaries on the ground who kept up ministry efforts for a couple years. However, after rehabbing and selling a couple houses there, we returned our focus to St. Louis.

Almost 10 years after their last visit, FMC-Tulsa came again in the summer of 2021. During the COVID pandemic, we had started our Community Pastoral Care Network, coming alongside about 50 elderly residents, providing wellness checks, food deliveries, home repairs, friendship, and prayer. We took this group out to clean up the blocks of many of these neighbors, removed brush from their yards, and even got to clean some gutters. Again, we had lots of wonderful conversations. I was especially moved by how two of the leaders encouraged my own two kids, talking with them like they were old friends.

Then this year, they came yet again! We first went to Fresh Starts Community Garden, where we're incubating the Harvest Fields Project Garden, and did SO MUCH work. They cleared our beds of all the persistent bermuda grass, cleaned up the roundabout that Ms. Rosie, the garden manager, keeps planted, did TONS of weeding, and were able to help Urban Harvest STL with their many beds. The second day we were at the Leadership Center, doing some much needed trash removal (filling a 30-yard dumpster), yardwork, and maintenance. The third day, we split up, and sent a group back to the garden, and the rest continued work at the Leadership Center.

This church has been a consistent source of helpers and encouragement, coming alongside us from practically the beginning until now. While the nature of our work has changed over the years, I hope we can continue to find ways to partner in the future.

As we've mentioned in previous posts and on facebook, we're in the midst of a transition. But we could still use some volunteer help! We could especially use a few skilled people who can help us with some house maintenance. And hopefully, before too long, we'll need help building some cabins and establishing a farm! If you'd like to help, you can contact Jason Calahan at 314-437-3861, or jason@sunministries.org.