PT Tennessee: God does a new thing during Conference summer
- excerpt from the August 2012 TNUMConnector newsletter (street date: Aug. 17, 2012)
Perhaps it is revealed in the name of one of the Tennessee Conference’s newest ministries, “transformation,” that describes the level of excitement surrounding the close of Project Transformation’s first official summer of operations in the Mid State. After all, as it states in Isaiah 43:19 (TNIV) “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it?” When God is doing a new thing, transformation – a “springing up” is happening – and these are exciting times for our Conference.
Those new and exciting things were certainly perceived on the faces and in the hearts of Project Transformation Tennessee’s leaders and interns the night July 25, 2012 at Belmont United Methodist Church – a service of celebration for completing their first ever summer of ministry. The theme for the night was, in fact, Isaiah 43:19.
For Courtney Aldrich, executive director of PT Tennessee, she began to perceive this “new thing” three years ago in 2009. Having had several experiences with summer mission work through Project Transformation in Dallas, TX, the foundations for a passion in this type of ministry had already been established with Aldrich.
Project Transformation claims its roots in Dallas when it began serving with 22 interns in the summer of 1998. With each of the interns residing at Southern Methodist University, their initial summer saw them ministering to over 250 children through leading and organizing day camps at five different Dallas-area inner-city United Methodist Churches. Aldrich and several others that were also a part of the inaugural group of interns for PT Tennessee had previously served with Project Transformation in Dallas. A third Project Transformation organization currently operates in Oklahoma City.
Wondering if such a ministry was needed in Middle Tennessee, Aldrich says that this opened the door for the Holy Spirit’s “whispering and nudging” of her a few years ago. Aldrich responded by having an initial conversation with Rev. Vona Wilson of Franklin First UMC, which in turn led to a season of intentional prayer. This began the “springing up” process and after a short period of time, several conversations with key Conference leadership, and an approved Statement of Covenant resolution at Annual Conference, Project Transformation Tennessee is the “new thing” that God is doing... | EXCERPT: To read entie article, pick up a copy of the August Connector (street date: Aug. 17, 2012) or subscribe by clicking below...
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Posted on 08/09/2012 4:32 PM by Office of Communications
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