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n May 16, 2015, Gestalt COVER STORY: from left to right: Pastor Monte Campbell, Cassandra Harris, Councilman Community Schools (GCS) Harold Collins, Pastor Stacy Spencer, Mayor AC Wharton, Derwin Sisnett, Yetta Lewis and Ed and Power Center Community Clark Development Corporation The Power Center CDC partnered (PCCDC), held a groundbreaking ceremo- Academy is scheduled to open Fall 2016 to with New Direction Christian Church accommodate 400 6th-8th grade students ny for the new Power Center Academy at in 2008 to charter Power Center Acadeper year. The project construction is Eden Square campus at the southeast cormy. PCA schools, now under the Gestalt under the direction of EMJ and Montner of Winchester and Mendenhall, across Community Schools umbrella, are among gomery Martin as the general contractors from the Mendenhall Square Mall. the top charter schools within the Shelby for the middle school and performing The groundbreaking kicked off phase County Schools system. Since its inceparts center, respectively. The campus and 1 of the 43-acre project, Eden Square tion, Power Center Academy has seen facility construction project is an estimated Town Center, a comprehensive communumerous successes through increased $12,000,000 and will create more than 275 nity development model that will include achievement scores and meaningful comjobs in its first phase of construction, to be Power Center Academy middle school, a munity involvement. Once the dust has completed over the next year. Additional performing arts center, a wellness center, settled, this will be one of the most importphases are anticipated to be completed housing, and retail. The planned developant and transformational charter school over the next 3-5years. ment will be constructed on the western build projects in the City of Memphis. most side of the Hickory Hill community, which was once a blighted and abandoned 394-unit apartment complex (formerly the Marina Cove Apartments). “The Eden Square Town Center will be an oasis of hope and promises to transform the Hickory Hill community and the Mid-South,” said Dr. Stacy L. Spencer, Chairman, PCCDC. “Eden Square Town Center is made possible thanks to our ministry, non-profit, government and commercial partners believing in the vision and working together.” “We feel honored to be a part of such an innovative community project,” said CEO, Derwin Sisnett. “We believe this development is a true ‘gestalt’ in that the unified whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Phase I of the Power Center
BY DR. STACY L. SPENCER, CAO “We are fully vested in Kingdom work. Kingdom work is simply helping the people in our community to live life as God intended it to be.”
G RO W T H T H RO U G H A DVA N C I N G
THE KINGDOM F
ourteen years ago I prayed and hoped that people would come to our little church up on the hill. It was a small group of us, maybe 60 people that met in homes and prayed over the work we had been commissioned to do in Hickory Hill. Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, our mother church, planted us on the property formerly known as Winchester Heights Christian Church. On September 9, 2001, we opened our doors to more than 300 people who couldn’t even fit in the sanctuary! It was an amazing day. Fourteen years later we are poised for breakout growth again but in a different way. We are breaking out into the community for Kingdom growth. God has given me a vision to saturate every community so that we have a church with community engagement. Hickory Hill, Collierville, and Holly Springs will be our Jerusalem, Judaea, and Samaria and New Direction Idutywa will be our uttermost part of the world. We are fully vested in Kingdom work. Kingdom work is simply helping the people in our community to live life as God intended it to be. Eden Square will be the place we start with our efforts for community redevelopment. It will consist of nine affordable homes through Habitat for Humanity, a performing arts center and Power Center Academy Charter School. Our mission is to empower all people to know God through life changing experiences from the inside out! We believe that in order to change the community we have to introduce the people in the
community to life change. In order to break our people out of poverty, we have to change their mindsets and transform their lives. People need life skills so they can be empowered to make living wages and break the cycles of poverty. I talked to a young man that was in a gang for 19 years. He told me with tears in his eyes that he wants more out of life. He told me that when he was seven years old he ate out of the garbage and his parents were on drugs. New Direction helped him see that there was another way to live. I talked with another man who was from the suburbs, a respected businessman, who was addicted to cocaine. He’s now drug free and running a successful company. I talked to another young lady who heard my sermon on Kingdom and how God puts us in rough places to make them smooth. She said, “Pastor I prayed for a job to help students. I was placed in a school where my third graders are reading on a third grade level. I was feeling sorry for myself until I remembered your sermon and then I thanked God for the assignment.” My vision for New Direction is that every member of this church would become a fully empowered Disciple of Christ. What does that look like? They have gone through our Empower U leadership development track, are faithful in giving and attendance and are engaged in community mission opportunities. New Direction is a church for anybody but not for everybody. We do church out of the box and there is a particular group of people who are drawn to this ministry. The apostle Paul would call us a “peculiar people.” We are New Direction Christian Church, Disciples of Christ. God has sent us on an apostolic assignment to build up what was torn down, to plant what cannot be uprooted, and to turn a ruined place into a Garden of Eden. This is our 14th year! The number 14 symbolizes the number of completion twice. It is the year that the new thing God promised will actually begin. You ain’t seen nothing yet! This is our year. n
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“I believe with all that is in me that I was created just for my husband, Stacy Lynn Spencer.”
First Lady
RHONDA S P E N C E R family & church
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ife is funny… I thought I had my whole life planned out, but God had a different plan! In the beginning, God created all of His creatures and then man. God decided that it was not good for man to be alone. So, He put Adam into a very deep sleep and took from his side a rib and created woman. I believe with all that is in me that I was created just for my husband, Stacy Lynn Spencer. God made me, not to stand behind or in front but directly beside him. In 1993, Stacy and I married soon after I finished undergraduate school at the ages of 23 and 24. Being married at such a young age had its share of challenges that thankfully we learned to navigate. In 1995, Stacy and I began shopping for a home and making plans to start our family. I was six months pregnant when we accepted our call to Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, TN. Stacy moved to Memphis one month before our first son was born to get things settled. Our son and I moved to Memphis when he was only 2 weeks old. That was one huge emotional roller coaster, leaving our support system, striking out on our own and scared to death. We knew that God had a plan for us by taking us 2 | Page
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away from all that we knew and loved; He gave us an opportunity to grow up. “For this reason a man should leave his mother and father and cleave unto his wife”. Genesis 2:24. And that is exactly what we did. All we had was each other. In 1999, we gave birth to our second son. When he was 9 months of age, we as a family went through one of the
toughest times of our lives. He was born with Achondroplaysia or Dwarfism. Our second son was in a battle for his life. Due to his bones growing slow, he required an emergency decompression surgery around the base of his skull. We practically lived at the hospital for 3 months. We knew and recognized that marriage and family are the areas saE NG AG E
tan attacks most. Those were trying times but God was working. Stacy was interviewing with different churches for a Senior Pastor position. Most of them shared the same thought … that he was too young, too outspoken, and not traditional. At that point, we thought that God’s plan would never manifest. While we were all in the hospital, Stacy received a call from our last potential church to inform him that they had chosen someone else. To see the countenance on my husband’s face and holding our sick baby boy was at that time too much to ask anyone to bare. My attempts at encouraging words for my husband actually were for me. “In God’s time everything is going to get better.” It was time for a New Direction! September 09, 2001, God revealed his ultimate plan for our lives through the birth of New Direction Christian Church in the Hickory Hill community. Our first public worship service was powerful and humbling. It was full to capacity and God gave us overflow! On the following Sunday, New Direction continued to exceed capacity, we tore down a wall that separated the sanctuary from the multipurpose room to ensure that we had adequate space. We saw things in the first few years of ministry that some may not see in a lifetime. People where hungry for the Word, lost people were finding their way to God, souls were being saved, and God was using my husband as the spoon to feed them. In 2003, I gave birth to our 3rd son and overwhelmed was an understatement! Stacy and I had no experience leading a ministry of this magnitude. We loved continued on page 8
BY PASTOR KARREN TODD
Are You
RIGHTLY SEASONED?
A
lmost every Memphian who listened to the radio in the 1980s remembers the King Cotton Meats commercials, in which Ms. Irene Cleaves of Four Way Grill coined the phrase “it’s rightly seasoned,” which was later picked up and used by basketball star Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway in subsequent ad campaigns for the company. Now on the commercial they would ask her why she used King Cotton products and her response was “It’s rightly seasoned!” Which means that it had all of the qualities that suited her taste blended to perfection. Here at New Direction – especially for our members – we have all of the qualities that suit you and they are blended to perfection. If you need children’s ministry, we’ve got it; a place for your teenagers, we’ve got it; groups where you can study and go deeper into God’s word, we’ve got it; a counseling center – we’ve got it! But what Dr. Spencer realized earlier this year was that what we have on the inside is not as significant if it’s not benefiting those on the outside. In my opinion, New Direction has always been the ‘go get ‘em’ church but in the past years we’ve been slowly turning into the “come and get some” church --and that’s not true to who we are. So we are going to realign our approach and move from church to community. We will be true to our mission statement and move from the inside out. It’s time for us to take action. Saying you’re a believer or a follower of Christ
and not doing anything that supports it…means that you have lost your flavor. If you’ve got to tell people that you’re a good person because they can’t see it then something is wrong. People should be able to watch you and see that you are a good person. They may not know what church you belong to but they will know that you believe in God. That’s kingdom. So using the functions and acronym of SALT, here are four actions that we should take to be sure that we are rightly seasoned. Salt has a variety of uses, probably the most evident use is to add flavor. Likewise, Christians are to add substance and flavor to people’s lives, so the ‘S’ stands for seasoning. We’re to make every experience “taste” better because of our presence. Whenever you sit down to eat, the first thing we say when we taste bland food is: “It just needs a little more salt.” And as I look at the world today that’s what I say: “The world needs a little more salt.” Memphis needs a little more salt. Hickory Hill needs a little more salt. Now Jesus said YOU are the salt of the earth - YOU meaning those who believe in Him. Unfortunately for our community and our city the believers spend more time in the church, which means the salt spends more time in the shaker. Then we wonder why the world doesn’t taste right; why churches are sometimes ineffective and our schools are inefficient…because YOU won’t get out of the shaker. Believers need to go out into the world because it needs to be seasoned
with God’s love; seasoned with God’s truth. It’s bland and it doesn’t taste right. You keep coming to the “shaker” just to hang out with the other salt. We must do what we were created to do. Jesus said, “I came to serve not to be served”. Therefore our purpose is to serve God AND serve others as we season our community. Another function of salt is that it prevents infections from setting in. Christians are to have an antiseptic effect on the open sores of the world. Salt cleanses. People should be able to talk to you or hear from you and it removes the bad/toxic things from their mindset. Talking to you begins to help them to heal from their past and heal from their hurt. But we can’t affect their thought process if we have the wrong attitude. So the action for the ‘A’ in salt is to alter our attitude. Negativity is contagious. Anger and bitterness is contagious. We are NOT called to infect people we are called to affect people. And when we cleanse - We should be more like peroxide than alcohol. When I was young and would get hurt outside I wanted my Mom to take care of my wound because she used peroxide. Daddy used alcohol. Now when you pour alcohol over an open wound it just burns. I’m screaming and he’s saying “It’s the best thing for you – you’ll be alright.” He may have been right but if it had to feel like that I didn’t want to go through the process. But when you use peroxide it doesn’t burn
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BY PASTOR JAMES KING
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n 1997, the Bridger Wilderness Camp sent out some surveys to people hoping that they would get suggestions on how they could make the wilderness camp better. Here are some of the responses they received: •Trails need to be reconstructed. Please avoid building trails that go uphill. •Too many bugs, leeches, spiders and spider webs. Please spray the wilderness to rid the areas of these pests. •Please pave the trails…chair lifts need to be in some places so that we can get to wonderful views without having to hike to them. •The coyotes made too much noise last night and kept me awake. Please eradicate these annoying animals. •A small deer came into my camp and stole my jar of pickles. Is there a way I can get reimbursed? Please call… •Escalators would help on steep uphill sections. •A McDonald’s would be nice at the beginning of all of the trails. •Too many rocks in the mountains. Obviously the people who sent in these responses had no real idea what a wilderness experience is really all about. The sad truth is that many believers of Jesus do not truly know what being a follower or “Disciple” is all about. For most, being a follower of Jesus is about getting baptized, attending a church service and maybe giving an offering so long as it does not inconvenience us too much. If you have been living your life as 4 | Page
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a Christian like this you are missing the entire reason why you have been called out and saved. On a wilderness camping experience you will experience bugs and spider webs, coyotes howling at night, and no escalators to assist you to get to the top of steep hills. What you will experience is ALL of the beauty of creation—God’s amazing handiwork. This is what it is all about. As a follower of Jesus you are called to an experience that is deeper than just showing up, a cup that overflows rather than always being thirsty, a walk that is accompanied by the Holy Spirit rather than a lonely struggle, and called to a level of maturity that seeks the heart and face of God rather than His Hand to bless you. You already have taken the first step by accepting the call to be a believer. Now the next is to be a disciple, a true follower. In case you did not know, a disciple is one who allows the life and teachings of his/her master influence and change their lives. Empower U recently started its third session of small group conversations. Our subject is one that every member, saint and friend has to attend. It is called “The Power of the Holy Spirit.” In these sessions you will discover the presence and indwelling power that is yours through the Holy E NG AG E
Spirit. I am positive that your spiritual life will not be the same after attending the very first session. I know that sounds like a bold boast but let me tell you; it is the power and presence of God’s Holy Spirit that transforms everything about what it means to be a disciple of Christ. The Holy Spirit is the difference between reading your Bible and seeing the words come alive on the page – the Holy Spirit will teach you. The Holy Spirit is the difference between coming to church and going to worship – the Holy Spirit connects you with the heart of God. The Holy Spirit is the difference between trying to stay above water and do what is right and living a life where you walk on what others drown in. The Holy Spirit sanctifies you. (You will study more about how the Holy Spirit does that in an Empower U Conversation- Small Group.) So if you have had enough of looking for paved trails and escalators in the wilderness or doing church as usual; you owe it to yourself, to commit to becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ. You are more ready than you realize. It’s not too late to sign up to join one of our conversations.
BY PASTOR SHAMICHAEL HALLMAN
NEW D COLLIERVILLE
EXPANDING THE KINGDOM
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n the eve of 14 years of service, I am in awe of what God is doing in and through the ministry of New Direction Christian Church. In my short five years of working at New D, it’s been an extreme honor to be part of this movement. From providing backpacks and supplies to children in our community, to forming strategic partnerships with government, local nonprofits, and other faith-based organizations, it’s evident that our church is living out the commandment of Christ to be salt and light in our community. Thank you for your part in helping advance the Kingdom. Whether it’s through your generous tithes and offerings, serving faithfully in various ministries, or using your many gifts, skills, and talents, the collective impact has made Memphis and surrounding cities better. One of those impacted areas is the Town of Collierville. In 2006, our pastor had a vision to plant a church in Collierville that would proclaim the Gospel, serve and minister to local residents, and continue to live out the mission of our
church. Since that time, NDCC Collierville has been a beacon of light and hope in our community. We have grown in many ways and many opportunities lie before us. This year has truly been a pivotal one for us. Our church has always been mindful of meeting needs in the community, but this year’s “Kingdom Come” sermon series by Dr. Spencer has served as a catalyst to propel us into a new dimension. The Kingdom Come movement will have tremendous meaning for the Collierville campus. By getting outside the walls of the church, and talking with and praying for members, I believe that in addition to meeting current needs we will discover a new crop of needs and opportunities. By leveraging existing partnerships with organizations like the Collierville Literacy Council, and establishing new relationships with community leaders and apartment communities, our campus is and will be positioned to effect change in Collierville. Some of the many ways we can accomplish the changes are by establishing mentoring programs for children in our
community, providing a host of parenting, financial, health, and other enrichment programs to help people live richer and fuller lives, and by working with our government to identify potential grants to continue transforming the neighborhoods surrounding our campus. Now, more than ever, we will need individuals like you to make this change happen. By going through various training opportunities such as our Spiritual Gifts Assessment and Training, you can discover how your unique gift can be a valuable asset to the Kingdom. I want to encourage you to get involved! Over the next few months, we will be highlighting some of these new ministries and community-specific initiatives. I’m excited about the possibilities and the lives we will impact. I believe we will look back at this time next year and be in complete amazement at how God has worked through us. Working together we can truly change our community for the better. Thank you for being a Kingdom-minded church. Let’s get to work!
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BY JOHN SEMIEN
Building on a Firm
Foundation Conversations with Founding Members
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ooking at the thousands who gather at New Direction Christian Church for Sunday worship, it’s hard to believe the church started out with only 60 members in 2001. Some of those members followed Dr. Stacy L. Spencer from Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, where he once served as Youth Pastor. They embarked on a Christian adventure that saw the congregation grow to thousands five short years after it was founded. The church has three campuses today, including churches in Hickory Hill, Collierville and Holly Springs, Miss. There is also a New Direction Christian Center in Idutywa, Africa. While the facilities are impressive, the strength of New Direction has always been in its members who have the faith and commitment to work for change in their church and their communities. As New Direction Christian Church celebrates its 14th anniversary, it is fitting to hear from some of the founding members who stepped out on faith when they heard the call from Dr. Spencer. In a recent interview, Kimbrelle Barbosa Lewis, who attends church at the Collierville campus, said she got to know Dr. Spencer when he served at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church. “I always felt that if he had a congregation I would 6 | Page
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want to be a part of it,” Lewis said. “I knew pastor Spencer had vision and he wanted to make an impact in the community.” Lewis said attending New Direction has, “changed my life. It’s helped me to have more of a personal and spiritual relationship with God,” she said. New Direction has more than 22,000 on its membership rolls. Sherwonna Evans said she could tell in the first service the church had in what is now the Youth Campus at 5777 Winchester Road that there would be phenomenal growth because there was overflow on that first Sunday. But she added, “I had no idea that we would be international. “I knew God was working and moving but I didn’t realize the magnitude,” Evans said. Evans said she is especially proud of the outreach work that New Direction has done in the Hickory Hill community. “It was a community that was on the downward trend,” she said. New Direction became a community anchor in the area and moved forward on its pledge to reach out to the people. “We made a lot of progress in bringing the community back,” she said. “We’re still on the mission that we were founded on and we’re building on that foundation.” Hope is the operative word at New Direction. It is reflected in all of Dr. Spencer’s E NG AG E
sermons and in the ministries the church sponsors. Dr. Spencer’s ability to foster hope in believers is what fills the seats on Sunday morning and draws members to various outreach ministries. Member Marie Davis, who is an armor bearer for First Lady Rhonda Spencer, attends church at the Hickory Hill campus and also in Collierville. She said Dr. Spencer’s sermons were instructional for her during her days at Mississippi Boulevard. “He was a teacher and I got something from it,” Davis said about Spencer. She said her spiritual growth has been satisfying over the past 13 years and her ability to deal with adversity has also improved. “I’ve been able to handle these things a lot better, as far as my faith and knowing where to go,” she said. “It’s given me hope that things are going to be better.” Traci Conley said she has been a volunteer in many church ministries, “from day one.” She has worked in the Usher Ministry, Children’s Ministry and the Medical Ministry. Conley was Cheerleading Coach for five years and has worked in Creative Arts. She said she is most proud of the initiatives New Direction has promoted in the community like the Eden Square project and the Power Center Academy charter school located on the Hickory Hill campus. “It’s the things we’ve
been able to give back to the community,” she said. New Direction ministers to all of God’s people, particularly the “seekers.” In practical terms, seekers are people who’ve had little or no experience with or those who are disillusioned by traditional churches. The church’s culture of acceptance and fostering God’s love has proven extremely successful in reaching a core audience of “Generation X-ers”, with the congregation largely comprised of members ranging in their mid-40s or younger. The church brings together seekers across all socio-economic levels – from the homeless and released offenders to the up and coming professionals and community leaders to worship together in more than 30 different ministries within the church, including New D Youth Ministry, Men’s Ministry, Feed the Need and Prison Ministry. Andrew Pollard said he was an elder at Mississippi Boulevard when he moved to New Direction. “They needed an elder to come to help get the church started,” he said. It is the church’s “come as you are,” policy and drive to spread the message in the community that rings true to him. “What really impressed me was the outreach, getting new church members,” he said. Marlana Farris said the energy at
those first Sundays at the new church was so intense, and that everyone was, “on fire for the Lord. “We were young and zealous and wanted to have a positive impact,” Farris said. “The men would hug the wall so ladies could have the seats. We had to ask people to go outside on the lawn.” Farris said one thing has remained constant in all these years and that is Dr. Spencer’s real life approach to preaching. “Early on and to this day it’s always real and it’s always something that’s happening in the world,” she said. “I love the fact that I can relate to him and that he is always accessible.” Farris and her husband Christopher recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. The couple said it was Dr. Spencer’s teachings that helped them meet the challenges in their marriage. They have in the past been involved in different ministries, including ushering, serving on the media team and in the children’s ministry. Christopher and Marlana now lead the marriage ministry, in an attempt to pass on what they have learned about staying together and mending relationships. Christopher Farris
said, “We have literally grown with the church. As the church grew we found new roles.” Christopher Farris said he is able to relate to Pastor Spencer’s personal story and that he thinks it also appeals to many of the young people today who are from single-parent homes. “It’s just being there from day one and knowing his story, I could relate to him in more ways than one,” he said. “It hits home a little bit more.”
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our family and the people of our church; but the stress began to weigh heavily on me. It is one thing to share my husband with our children but it’s another to share him with thousands of people. I knew I was not the typical “pastor’s wife”. I didn’t teach or have any musical abilities. New Direction never put pressure on me to be anything more than Stacy’s wife and for that I am so grateful. Over the years, I have learned that serving Stacy in our home is just as important as me serving in the church. Our home is our place of peace. Although through the years, we have had many trials and joys I am grateful for what the Lord has done in our lives and our church. I’ve learned what it means
to be Pastor Spencer’s “Only Lady” and a spiritual mother to so many. God has given us an extended family that I am blessed to share my love with. I have no regrets about making our marriage first and our home a safe haven. The Lord has honored our hearts and given us so much! The most important thing has been to keep our relationship with Jesus first, making our marriage and family a priority. It’s truly awesome being a part of the bigger body of Christ and this Kingdom movement called New Direction.
Are You Rightly Seasoned? —continued from page 3
like that and you get the same result; you can see it bubbling up and you know it’s working. We have to be like peroxide as we clean the infections in our community. We shouldn’t beat them up with the bible so that it hurts so bad that they would rather not go through the process. People should see us working; see us bubbling up and positively affecting our community, our jobs, our homes; …wherever we are there should be positivity preventing negative infections from taking over. We’ve got to alter our attitude. At the time of Christ, salt was used as a preservative to kill bacteria and stop food from spoiling. All Christians should have a preserving type of influence. For this function of salt we must display a lifestyle of love. Love preserves. God’s love preserves us. And when we begin to love like God it keeps the church healthy, which keeps the community healthy. If the communities are healthy then the city will be healthy. But it starts with you leaving the “shaker” and living a lifestyle of love. When you love like God loves you’ll be able to see more and more evidence of God’s love in your life. Lastly, salt creates thirst. Christians should create a thirst within others to know Jesus Christ. What you say and what you do should make others thirsty for Christ. The truth of God and the truth of Christ does not rise and fall on who a group of people say that He is—the truth of God depends on who He says He is. Now people who say they follow Him can make him look good or make Him look bad…and I think as a whole Christians are doing a good job at both. But the whole truth of who He is – the all encompassing truth of who God is can’t be found in the followers—it’s found in Him. To know how good God is – you’ve got to taste and see for yourself. That’s why we have to create a thirst for God. We can talk about Him as representatives but I need you to get close enough to have your own relationship; you need to get close enough to see for yourself. That’s when your life changes; better continued on page 12
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Editors Note: The Inside Out Staff recently conducted a Q&A session with Danielle Porter about her experiences in Human Resources. IO: What led you to pursue a career in Human Resources (HR)? DP: It was my senior year at the University of Memphis and I took an HR elective and loved the coursework. After receiving my Bachelors of Business Administration, I started my journey into human resources. I landed an HR Generalist position with Bryce Corporation, a flexible packaging manufacturer here in Memphis, TN. I loved this position because I learned so much about HR and gained a wonderful foundation. After about five years, I relocated to Denver, CO where my career took off. I became a Regional Human Resources Manager (HRM) for a couple of Fortune 500 Companies.
Well, here I am. It’s truly been a blessing to be around family and friends during this time. The church is evolving and change is good. We have a wonderful staff who love serving God, our members, and the community. My focus has been on developing the operations team, getting systems developed and organized, training the staff, and getting our buildings up to par at all of our locations – there is still so much
Staff Profile:
IO: Tell us about your education and training. DP: I have over 23 years of HR experience and a Master of Arts in Organizational Management. In 1998, I earned my Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification with the Society of Human Resources Management. IO: How long have you been working for NDCC? DP: This is my second time with NDCC. My family relocated back to Memphis in 2001 when New Direction was just starting. We attended one of the first services at 5777 Winchester. We did not plan on joining that Sunday. I remember after hearing Pastor Spencer preach, we just walked up to the front to join. The next thing I knew, we were being commissioned at Mississippi Boulevard along with everyone else. In 2004, I came on board as the HR Director to help establish policies/procedures, restructure, reorganize, recruit and train the staff. In 2009, I relocated to Knoxville, TN for almost five years and had the opportunity to work in the construction and mining industry as a HRM. This time around, I have been back a year and it’s been good to be home. I lost my mother in December of 2013 and vowed I would never come back to Memphis.
DANIELLE PORTER HR Director & Chief Strategic Officer work to do. IO: What’s the best aspect of your job? DP: I love the First Impressions Ministry Volunteers! Our volunteers are such awesome people who serve in this ministry and I could not do this job without them. All of our volunteers play such an integral part of this ministry and it is a privilege to serve with them. I also have a wonderful operations staff. There is a lot of ground to cover with all of our facilities – Power Center, Youth Campus, Collierville, Holly Springs, Counseling Center and Soul Café. Slowly but surely, we are getting there. IO: What are some of your major accomplishments New Direction? DP: Some of my accomplishments have been organizing the department, creating systems and processes to address specific operational needs, recruiting key staff members, and helping implement training and development for our staff and laity. I think the biggest win that I have heard from the members is striping the front parking lot
(Smile). We have also hired a full-time Building Maintenance Lead to help us better maintain our facilities. We still have a lot of work to do. One specific upgrade that I hope to accomplish next year is repaving the parking lot at the Main Campus Power Center. With your help and God’s providence, we can! IO: Outside of working, what do you enjoy doing? DP: I enjoy hanging out with family, especially my 11-year-old daughter, Ashley. She’s very quiet and reserved in public but hilarious at home. I am the oldest of two brothers. It’s funny how times have changed. Growing up, I was always the responsible one and now that we are older, they are showing me that they got me and that’s a great feeling. n
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It’s never too late for a second opinion The financial advice you’ll receive comes with: • Personalized financial strategies with a broad range of investment choices • A Financial Advisor who takes the time to listen and understand your individual needs • Support from a talented force of market analysts, investment planning specialists, and portfolio managers Call us today to start a conversation.
Investment and Insurance Products: u NOT FDIC Insured u NO Bank Guarantee u MAY Lose Value Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. © 2011-2014 Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. All rights reserved.
74020-v5 A1631
Daryl Quarles Vice President – Investments 7550 Wolf River Blvd Ste 100 Germantown, TN 38138 Direct: (901) 415-5004 daryl.quarles@wellsfargoadvisors.com wellsfargoadvisors.com
0815-07197
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BY ARIEL HARRIS
SLS 2015 Scholarship Recipients
S
ince Dr. Stacy L. Spencer and First Lady Rhonda Spencer launched Saving Lost Souls (SLS) ministries in 2002, the ministry has awarded over $100,000 in scholarships to deserving high school students. This year, Saving Lost Souls Ministries celebrated 14 deserving scholars during the 2015 SLS Banquet. The ministry was able to provide assistance to these young students due to the support from members who have purchased SLS merchandise over the past year, enabling students to attain their goal of a college education. Students enjoyed a memorable moment with their families and received words of encouragement from our very own Dr. Stacy L. Spencer, and motivational speaker Mr. Shawn Boyd. Dr. Spencer made sure to remind students to never forget where they’ve come from, while Shawn Boyd made sure that the now college students knew to remain focused on their studies, as well as the importance of finding a church away from home. Not only did students walk away from the banquet with words of encouragement
and a scholarship check, but they also met their new mentors. SLS volunteers have vowed to stay committed and keep in touch with the scholarship recipients throughout their college careers and beyond. Saving Lost Souls ministries understands that the transition into college can be different for everyone, and want to make sure that they can be there for every student the best way that they can. Whether it’s chatting with the students on a weekly basis, checking in on them on campus from time to time, or emailing them daily devotionals, SLS wants to ensure that each scholar knows that they will always have someone in their corner for spiritual guidance and prayer when needed. Mashel Jones, Dezmon Price, Christian Martin, Aaronis Turner, Morgan Jefferies, Nia Wells, Ayriel Ayers, Jazmine Mitchell, Shannon Walton, Corwin Vinson, Kymberlin Armstrong, Nia James, Jasmin Hampton, and Kaela Williams
are all attending universities in and out of state: Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Missouri. Congratulations to you all and good luck on your future endeavors! Thank you to all who have supported Saving Lost Souls ministries over the years!
Support our students by making at purchase at www.stacyspencer.org/store or scan the code below:
Corey Mayhorn Danielle Porter T: 901-255-2745 6423 | Summer Gale Dr. | Memphis, TN 38134 E X P E R I E NC E
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Are You Rightly Seasoned? —continued from page 8
yet, that’s when GOD changes your life. My preaching may not change your life – but if I can just make you thirsty…you might come back; if I can just make you thirsty…you might pray and ask God to help you; If I can just make you thirsty—you might study for yourself; I’m just trying to use my salt to make you thirsty by telling you how good He’s been to me. I’m like the peanuts at the bar…I’m just trying to increase your thirst – so you’ll desire to drink from the fountain that never runs dry.
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BY BARBARA PRUITT
Domestic Violence
D
omestic Violence has taken this city by storm in 2015. There have been numerous domestic violence related deaths and abuse. Statistics indicate that one in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. Under most state laws, domestic violence is defined as any physical abuse, or threat of abuse, between intimately involved partners, roommates or family members. In some states, the legal wording extends to include anyone with whom you have had a child, whether or not they live with you or ever lived with you. Domestic violence can (and often does) happen outside the home - what makes it domestic violence is the relationship between the parties, regardless of where the violence occurs. Domestic violence is often thought about as being inflicted from a husband to a wife, but it can also include violence from a teenager to a parent, from a wife to her husband, between siblings and other family members, between your ex and your current love interest (you are the uniting factor in the middle), and between partners in gay/lesbian relationships, even if not living together. The Family Safety Center in Memphis defines domestic violence as “a pattern of controlling behavior that consists of physical, sexual and/or psychological abuse or assaults committed by one intimate partner against another.” We know that domestic violence often occurs because a partner wants to control the thoughts, beliefs and conduct of his or her significant other. It is important to note that domestic violence encompasses more than just physical assault. Often these types of violence co-exist.
ABUSE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES includes physical, sexual, or emotional abuse/neglect (verbal, psychological, spiritual, denial of basic needs) of a dependent
victim’s sense of individuality and self-determination. These tactics can include criticizing, swearing, or yelling at the victim, disregarding the victim’s feelings, and playing mind games with the victim to make them think they are crazy. Victims of this type of abuse may not be able to see or speak with family, friends, healthcare providers, or faith leaders.
ECONOMIC ABUSE – occurs when the abuser controls access to all financial resources, keeps the victim from getting or keeping a job, or pays for something and then holds it against the victim. Economic abuse can make the victim feel they have no resources to leave the abuser. PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE – happens when the abuser minimizes or denies the abuse, deprives the victim of sleep, threatens harm or destroys the victim’s belongings or hurts pets in order to create fear. disabled adult.
SPIRITUAL ABUSE – includes using scrip-
ture to justify abuse, denying the victim’s freedom to practice their faith, forcing the victim to violate their religious beliefs, shaming or belittling the victim’s religious beliefs, using religion to guilt the victim or forcing the victim to participate in practices against their beliefs.
MEDICAL ABUSE – occurs when the abuser
refuses to allow the victim to seek medical care for injuries or for routine care.
SEXUAL ABUSE – Sexual abuse occurs when the abuser forces the victim to participate in sexual acts against their will, talks about sex or uses sexual words against the victim’s will or reduces the victim to a sexual object. Victims of abuse suffer the short-term harm of physical injuries and the long-term effects of medical and psychological maladies. EMOTIONAL ABUSE – includes various
tactics that are used to break down the
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM RESOURCE: Family Safety Center: 901-222-4400 • Offers navigators to help assess victims immediate and long-term needs YWCA: 901-725-4277 • Operates a crisis hotline and a shelter National Domestic/Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) • Talk to an advocate about domestic violence Crime Victims Center: 901-222-3950 • Help victims get orders of protection Memphis Area Legal: 901-523-8822 • Help victims get orders of protection Memphis Police Domestic Violence Unit: 901-636-341 • Officers will talk to victims about domestic violence incidents __________________________________ If you need more information on domestic violence or you would like to join a group, please contact Barbara Pruitt at New Direction Christian Center’s Life Change Counseling Center at 901-334-5378 or Pruitt.Barbara@n2newdirection.org.
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BY PASTOR OWEN DIXON
Where
KINGDOM Begins
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ew D Kidz is where we set the foundation for Kingdom living. We teach our kids to love God, love people and change their world. Our kids’ ministries feature age-appropriate Bible teaching, worship and fun activities designed just for children. The children are led by caring adult volunteers who have been background checked and trained to guarantee that your child has the best experience possible. Here are answers to some of the common questions I get from parents about children’s church. What can my kids expect when they visit the Kidz Zone? We want your kids to feel at home from the moment you pull into the parking lot. Our parking team will help you find a spot close to where you need to go. When you enter the building our greeters and registration teams will answer any questions you have. What is Kidz Zone church service like? – Modern, kid-friendly worship music – Practical and relevant Bible teaching your children can apply to everyday life – Approachable, casually dressed teachers – A relaxed, fun atmosphere – Creative learning where we present the unchanging truth of Jesus
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Jesus wants to be my friend forever. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish.” 1ST – 5TH GRADE
Is there anything I can do to help my child after they leave children church? When you drop off your children, we will give you a parent cue card or sign up for us to email it to you monthly. The parent cue cards communicate four things:
FAITH
FRIENDSHIP
·the month’s life application ·the month’s memory verse ·the week’s Bible story ·a cue to prompt you on how to connect with your kids each week
Will my kids participate small group learning in Kidz Zone? Yes! Our small groups are the KEY for creating a safe place to connect and catch
We use technology, fun, games and activities to make sure our kids know that following Jesus is fun and exciting. We believe your child will be begging to visit Kidz Zone every week…and that’s our goal! n
I should treat others the way I want to be treated.
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Are there any childcare services during the week? Yes. New Direction Christian Church has Bible study on Tuesday at the Hickory Hill campus, and Wednesday at the Collierville and Holly Springs campuses. All services start at 6:30 p.m. On those nights, you can bring your children to Kidz Zone “Higher Learning,” where we will help your child with their homework.
WISDOM
I can trust God no matter what.
NURSERY-KINDER EXPERIENC E
God loves me. Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
I need to make the wise choice.
We divide children based on ages and grades so we can communicate at their level. We teach age appropriate truths to our children:
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God made me. Psalm 139:13-14 “For you created my in most being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
on to the “meat” of their lessons. Kids will review Bible stories, learn memory verses and participate in fun activities that help them apply the story to their lives. They will also practice faith skills like prayer and Bible navigation to help them grow in their relationships with Jesus. Small group leaders will conduct activities with kids in mind – what they like, how they learn and how they relate to the world.
E NG AG E
BY PASTOR JERROD GUNTER
we are
#riotstarters for the
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ewDYouth is not a ministry. It’s a movement – a movement of young people ready to live counter-cultural and engage the community, schools and environment around them. The NewDYouth team is excited about the work God has called us to in establishing his Kingdom and starting a riot of believers. Our young people are ready to start a righteous riot full of young people who are no longer willing to accept the way things are. There are three public middle schools and two public high schools within the Hickory Hill community. They include Hickory Ridge Middle School, Kirby Middle school, Wooddale Middle School, Kirby High School and Wooddale High School. Approximately 6,000 students in grades 6-12 attend these schools, a target population in need of ministry that challenges them to be doers of the Word, be Christ-like, and be disciple makers. The youth of this area live in homes where the average income is $15,000$20,000. They are left unattended, without guidance and un-mentored by parents who need to work to maintain the home structure. Parents cannot afford to put their children in programs that will keep them safe. Our ministry is committed to providing a creative, safe learning environment for every young person to whom we minister – kids who grew up in church, and
KINGDOM
children who are un-churched, the ones and enter into a life rewarding relationship statistically least likely to attend anyone’s with Him. n service. The needs of the youth in Hickory Hill stem from a city full of adults who need relevant relationships with Christ, and the need for churches to provide relevant examples of that relationship. We disciple students in order to empower them for life’s tough situations, and by their examples make disciples of their friends. We want them to share the Gospel Make your facility a of Jesus Christ, live unashamed and engage the surrounding culture. We provide ways for them to engage by organizing mission opportunities such as serving at ServiceMaster Facilities the apartment comMaintenance munities, schools and the local church. (901) 795-5515 We are hopeful www.servicemasterfm.com that through strategic implementation and the ministry of presence, we can influence our children to www.servicemasterclean.com © 2013 ServiceMaster Clean. All rights reserved. seek the face of God
NO COMPLAINTS
ZONE.
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Architectural rendering of the Power Center Academy Performing Arts Center at Eden Square
PUBLISHER
Dr. Stacy L. Spencer, CAO
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Dion Paul, Marketing Manager
ADVISORY BOARD:
New Direction Direct Leadership Team
MANAGING EDITORS: Brandi Hunter John Semien
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & EDITORS: Pastor Karren Todd Pastor James King Pastor Shamichael Hallman Barbara Pruitt Brandi Hunter Ariel Harris
PHOTOGRAPHER: Antoine Lever
GRAPHIC DESIGN AND PRINTING:
New Direction Christian Church
Inside Out Magazine is a publication of New Direction Christian Church 6120 Winchester Road| Memphis, TN 38115 All rights reserved. No material in this issue may be reprinted without the written permission of the publisher. Entire contents copyright Š 2015.