Kyle Mitchell

Thoughts on Sacrilege

Just finished my latest read: Sacrilege by Hugh Halter.  If I had been told that this was a book about the Beatitudes, I'm not sure that I would have picked it up.  Let me just say that I would have missed out on a personally challenging book that also completely resonates with the vision for Mosaic. 

I am still trying to figure out how to both be a part of a new community as well as lead a new community of Christ-followers that seeks to be genuinely make Christ known in and through our relationships.  Sacrilege inspires both sides of this desire.  There are challenges to individuals living a life of light in the world as well as insight on how to lead others to pursue the passion of revealing Christ to their world of friendships and be a part of the Church and her mission. 

He walks through Jesus own words and unpacks them with applications for this generation.  So many want to criticize the church or even abandon the church because of what they see or believe that the church has become.  Sacrilege seems to be a call back to the mission of Jesus by seeking to inspire those who follow Him to live the way that He lived. 

It's an "easy read", but I'm not so sure it's going to be easy application.  I'm looking forward now to going back through and unpacking some of the nuggets from each chapter.  I would encourage you to join me.

New Directions

Life has so many twists and turns.  Some planned.  Some predicted. Some discovered.  Some dumped into your lap.  Often I have thought ahead to what life would be like in the next 5 years.  Honestly, I've NEVER been right.  God always seems to take me incredible places and do amazing things that I had no way of conceiving.  You would think that I would get used to this pattern.  God's plans are always so much better than mine.  I just don't always know how to predict them...only how to follow them.

We left Michigan because we believed that God told us it was time.  Simple directions to head back to where we were commissioned: Ellis County.  He then provided a path and off we went.  A journey into the unknown begun by faith and sustained by the belief that God is amazing and provides all that we need.  Upon our arrival, we learned that my mom had cancer and felt that one of the reasons that we had returned was to be here to walk through this with our family all in the same state.  She came through it with flying colors and God, our healer, did amazing things.

We started to settle into our new journey and searched and sensed that God brought us here to begin a new church here in Ellis County.  This was never in my 5 year plan.  Student ministry was always in my 5 year plan.  Starting a church seemed so "left field".  I tried to delay things as much as I could and continued to search for students to connect with and invest into because that's what I love doing.  I found (notice the key phrase begins with "I") a place to serve students and basically told Him, if He wanted me to stay here then He needed to provide the income to stay to plant a church.  At the end of the first year back He provided and we stayed.

After a  less than year of this new direction of settling into Ellis County and learning all I could about church planting, I learn that the job I was counting on "expires".  Another lesson in trusting God, I guess.  Another twist in the journey that started when God said, "Go, and I'll show you." 

At the same time I discovered that my job was set to expire, my mom was placed on the liver transplant list.  Her liver was failing and without a new one, she would fail with it.  So starting last September, a time clock was placed on my job and my mom, and Mosaic was born.  Crazy month.  Crazy path.  Still, not anywhere on my 5 year plan. 

Here we are at the beginning of the third year back in Texas.  Two weeks ago, my mom got that new liver that we had been praying and waiting for since last September.  One week ago, I got a new position within the Agency that hired me and "expired" me.  Today, I sat in my living room surrounded by "Mosaic".  I looked around and the room was filled with post-modern thinkers seeking Christ and longing for relational connection with Him and one another. 

So, I'm grateful for God and the control that He has, so that I can relax and "not be anxious".  After a great morning of worship, My family and some friends went up to see my mom.  Caed was the most excited because he hadn't seen Grammy out of the hospital yet.  His face lit up when she was sitting up and smiling.  I could see him hug his answered prayer and I knew one of the reasons God said "Go" two years ago.  He wanted us here for this.  He knew we needed each other and he wanted to bless us, once again. 

So, my new 5 year plan.  Watch my kids play with their grandparents and enjoy an incredible family.  Make memories.  Laugh.  Weep.  Share.  Embrace.  I like that plan.  I'm also going to watch a church form and see God weave lives into His story and create a movement that brings Him honor.  A new church is a lot like a new baby in that you have no idea what the personality will be like and how it will develop, mature, and impact our world.  You only know that the possibilities are endless and under the control of an amazing God.  I'm also going to keep investing in Presbyterian Children's Home and Services and now I'm training our agency to "provide Christ-centered services to children and their families in need".  Sounds like a great 5 year plan for a pastor, father, husband, son, friend, leader, lover, uncle, cousin and all the other "roles" in my life.  And even if this new plan doesn't come to completion, I know that what He replaces it with will be even better, because that what He always does.

Crisis Response:"For such a time as this..."

Obviously in my new role at PCHAS, there are many things that I can't blog about because the children's lives are confidential.  The events that unfolded this past week ran the gamut of emotions and has stretched our organization on so many levels. 

Most who work here know that when they hear a story on the news about abuse or neglect that they might very well be asked to get involved and care for the children. So, when the story about the FLDS camp in El Daredo hit the screen, conversations started.  The story of 400+ children has made national headlines and continues to unfold on the national stage. 

Last week, we got the call that we expected, however, the request was as unprecedented as the case itself.  They were looking to place 10 children...together in one house, not just on our campus.  Because of the large number of siblings and the desire to keep siblings together, large placements are needed.  We are a large agency with 11 houses involved in our Waxahachie branch.  However, most houses were designed for 6 or 7 kids.  We did have one house that would work, we called it the Bridge House (because of it's location), that contained our program for kids needing a transitional living program as they prepared to turn 18 and enter adult life.

Change on a large scale can produce strong emotions both positive and negative.  The past 9 days have proved to be no exception to that rule.  We as an agency are called to meet the needs of children and families in need.  There is no doubt that the families that were living in El Daredo are families in need.  We see their grief and we want to help protect children and care for kids that are going through a confusing and heartbreaking season of their lives.  So we began to clear out a house to create room for them.  That meant we had to move an entire program and relocate it back to the campus in a smaller house and have some of the kids move into other homes, so that the El Daredo children could stay together. 

I would be less than honest if I said this was an easy move, but anyone who serves other people knows that when you choose a life that involves you in other peoples lives on such an intimate level, crisis and inconvenience go with the ministry.  I have seen great things happen on our campus this week.  I have seen kids gearing up for change that have already weathered more changes than kids should have to deal with but they understand what these kids in El Daredo face better than I do and want to help.  I've seen Family-Teachers who serve on the front lines in the homes rally to support one another and watch one another's kids, serve extra hours, and give of themselves to one another, all the while maintaining their homes packed schedule.  They are amazing individual who share a calling to serve kids and I have seen their passion first hands this past week.  My colleagues, The Consultants, have had more meetings in one week than we usually have in a month, and that doesn't count all the "hallway" meetings.  Pulling together all the logistical issues that have so many multiple impacts can be very overwhelming.  I can't type all the things that have gone on but I can say that there isn't a person on this campus, from maintenance to finance, direct care to administration, front lines to side lines, that hasn't gone above and beyond their job description this past week.  I am serving with passionate, committed people who obviously love Christ and Children.

Yesterday, I watched on the news at 5PM and saw Sharon and Jill greet children as they stepped of the bus into and unknown world.  I had strong emotion as I thought how brave those kids must be to walking out into strangers hands, and also knowing that the hands they were walking into were some of the most loving and compassionate hands on the planet.  I couldn't help but think of Esther as she knew that she was in the time in history that the Israelite people needed her "For such a time as this...", and that we here at PCHAS are here doing the same biblical calling.  It's an honor to serve with such servants.

On a final note, many friends and family members have asked what they could do.  Because of the national scope of this particular case, people have an increased awareness of kids in need.  The reality is that this is what we do everyday.  Not usually on this scale, but there are kids in crisis every day and agencies like ours need resources every day.  I'm very grateful to be involved in an ministry that is self-funding.  Meaning that we can openly talk about Christ and our faith because we are a "Faith-based" organization.  We don't depend on Government money to do what we do.  We rely upon the generosity of other Christians who share freely to make all that we do possible.  And there are other organizations out there like us.  So, as you watch the news and feel stirred to help.  Consider volunteering on a "long-term" basis, or giving on a "regular basis".  This crisis will pass.  The needs of children will remain.  Your resources can change kids lives daily.

My new job

On Jan. 2nd I began a new job and I've been in "Pre-Service Training" for the past 2 weeks.  I just finished yesterday.  It was like drinking water from a fire hydrant and there was a test at the end of the 2 weeks to see what we tasted.  My head was spinning each day and my butt was numb.  There were 4 in my training class: myself, another new Therapeutic Consultant, and 2 new Family-Teachers.  We had a great time in the class and got to know one another VERY well.  They quickly discovered that I have the interesting combo of ADD and sarcasm.   As it turns out, the new couple is moving into one of the homes that I'll be the consultant for so we have already developed a great friendship as we learned about our new roles.  I'm grateful that this couple is returning to PCHAS and so they knew what was going on. 

I also got to meet the guys in their home today at a community lunch.  (I swear these people eat more than any church I've ever been involved with.  Not that I'm complaining...however I've noticed that at 40 the metabolism has hit a slowdown.)  Fortunately, the center has a fitness room that is available to employees and I'm gonna need it.  They also have a gym, indoor/outdoor volleyball, a HUGE swimming pool and great facilities. 

Overall, I can really begin to see what God is up to by opening up such a great door for me.  Very few Social Work jobs exist in such a ministry context, but PCHAS is not only affiliated with a church, it's mission is to be "Christ-Centered" and they take that mission seriously.  The students go to church every Sunday with their families, have devotion time each day, and have "family devotions" together, and have on-campus "youth group" times together.  It's amazing!!  They go on retreats, camps, mission trips, leadership trips, and all the things that a youth ministry does.  So all my years of Youth Ministry are still in play!  Very COOL!!

I'll be over 2 houses with up to 12 students, 2 Family-teacher couples and 2 FT Assistants on the Treatment team.  I get to consult with them to maximize their life experience and keep them all on their target goals so that the students can be equipped for life upon graduation.  I'm excited about the life-impact that this job offers.  These students come from all different walks of life, but all have brokenness, hurt and pain in common.  Watching God heal their hearts and then turn their pain into an asset for His Glory is going to be incredible.