Jefferson Street Baptist Center exists to extend gospel centered mercy to the homeless and hurting of greater Louisville. The staff of JSBC is constantly evaluating its methods and praying for wisdom and guidance in how it operates on a daily basis. JSBC has a very basic mission: Community. Transformation. Christ. Everything they do is filtered through these key words. Does it glorify Christ? Does it encourage transformation? Does it cultivate community? JSBC’s passion for serving the homeless and hurting by first serving God has helped transform my own heart.
After serving 11 months as a Hope for Louisville team member I learned a lot about JSBC. I have learned a lot about myself. I have learned a lot about the hundreds of people we see each week. I want to apply that knowledge towards helping JSBC develop a stronger system of operations. God works through his church. While JSBC continually leans upon Him – they see the need to utilize the spiritual gifts of leadership, administration, teaching, mercy, encouragement, service, giving, and so much more, through the volunteers that God provides. I feel blessed to be one of these volunteers and I pray that I can use the gifts God has given me to help establish healthier and more beneficial systems.
I will be serving for the next several months as the Intern to the Director of Operations, AKA “Ben”. Ben is a great guy and Christ Follower that I am very excited to work with. His job description includes pretty much anything you can think of in terms of running the building: maintenance, volunteers, donor relations, mission trips, bookkeeping, implementing systems, external and internal communications, and more. He also teaches two of the Fresh Start classes and meets with the program participants on a weekly basis.
He’s a very busy guy. I will be helping him by taking on chunks of several of these items as well as re-evaluating some of them to find ways to make them run smoother. I am also working with our Hope Director/Marketing Director to maintain the website, including our e-newsletter and news updates. I have already learned quite a bit about the details that go into each of these items. I have also already begun to implement some new systems that will help things run smoother and require less time by cutting out a few steps. The end goal is for JSBC to be able to operate more smoothly after my departure and for me to have gained experience and knowledge in new areas. If things continue as they have been, this will be sure to occur.
JSBC operates on a limited staff with a limited budget, therefore, I am very excited about the idea of internships. Chris (my roommate) and I are the first JSBC interns and are therefore the “test run” to see how this will work in the future. My prayer is that I will continue to serve as an intern until a new intern is available to replace me. This internship is considered “urban missions” and I will be fundraising to cover the cost of lodging, food, and health insurance. I am very thankful for everyone who has chosen to support JSBC monthly for this internship. This is something I believe in whole heartedly; I am very excited to see how God will continue to shape this ministry. Please also support this mission through prayer. Pray for God to be glorified at JSBC. Pray for the men in our programs to turn to Him and overcome their addictions. Pray for our guests to hear and be changed by the Gospel. It is easy to get caught up in the work – pray instead that we will stay focused on God and be caught up in Him.
I will continue to keep you updated through monthly send-outs as well as updates through the JSBC blog found at jeffersonstreet.org. Please also join the “JC’s Support Team” group on Facebook! If you have any questions, comments, or prayer requests, please always feel free to write me or call me.
After serving 11 months as a Hope for Louisville team member I learned a lot about JSBC. I have learned a lot about myself. I have learned a lot about the hundreds of people we see each week. I want to apply that knowledge towards helping JSBC develop a stronger system of operations. God works through his church. While JSBC continually leans upon Him – they see the need to utilize the spiritual gifts of leadership, administration, teaching, mercy, encouragement, service, giving, and so much more, through the volunteers that God provides. I feel blessed to be one of these volunteers and I pray that I can use the gifts God has given me to help establish healthier and more beneficial systems.
I will be serving for the next several months as the Intern to the Director of Operations, AKA “Ben”. Ben is a great guy and Christ Follower that I am very excited to work with. His job description includes pretty much anything you can think of in terms of running the building: maintenance, volunteers, donor relations, mission trips, bookkeeping, implementing systems, external and internal communications, and more. He also teaches two of the Fresh Start classes and meets with the program participants on a weekly basis.
He’s a very busy guy. I will be helping him by taking on chunks of several of these items as well as re-evaluating some of them to find ways to make them run smoother. I am also working with our Hope Director/Marketing Director to maintain the website, including our e-newsletter and news updates. I have already learned quite a bit about the details that go into each of these items. I have also already begun to implement some new systems that will help things run smoother and require less time by cutting out a few steps. The end goal is for JSBC to be able to operate more smoothly after my departure and for me to have gained experience and knowledge in new areas. If things continue as they have been, this will be sure to occur.
JSBC operates on a limited staff with a limited budget, therefore, I am very excited about the idea of internships. Chris (my roommate) and I are the first JSBC interns and are therefore the “test run” to see how this will work in the future. My prayer is that I will continue to serve as an intern until a new intern is available to replace me. This internship is considered “urban missions” and I will be fundraising to cover the cost of lodging, food, and health insurance. I am very thankful for everyone who has chosen to support JSBC monthly for this internship. This is something I believe in whole heartedly; I am very excited to see how God will continue to shape this ministry. Please also support this mission through prayer. Pray for God to be glorified at JSBC. Pray for the men in our programs to turn to Him and overcome their addictions. Pray for our guests to hear and be changed by the Gospel. It is easy to get caught up in the work – pray instead that we will stay focused on God and be caught up in Him.
I will continue to keep you updated through monthly send-outs as well as updates through the JSBC blog found at jeffersonstreet.org. Please also join the “JC’s Support Team” group on Facebook! If you have any questions, comments, or prayer requests, please always feel free to write me or call me.
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