A View From The Franklin Table

Dear Table Nation, 
I want to remind you of the place the Empty Hands Fellowship holds in my heart. When the meetings began in the mid-nineties I had only hoped we would be Christian leaders willing to have a cup of coffee each week and talk about the struggles we share across Denominational Differences, Economic Hurdles and Racial Divides. Now eighteen years later we still meet every Wednesday morning at McCreary's pub in Franklin to talk about those same subjects and many more!  Our hope is always to be ready to work together to meet the needs of our Church Families and the Neighborhood Communities in Franklin and Williamson County. Some upcoming events support that idea as we host Dr. Andrew Boswell from the Family Dynamics Institute to talk about marriage and divorce issues on Wednesday November, 28th at 8:00a.m. as well as the upcoming food collection and distribution this month at the Nashville Family Church in Franklin on Columbia Avenue (check here for details http://www.onegenaway.com/#!news/ch6q). The Fellowship is also praying for and hoping to inspire someone who might lead our Cottage Industry Ministry.  It’s an effort to put more of our friends to work and in positions to own their own business through short term low-interest loans. If leading such a work sounds like your calling please get back to me.

I returned from my trip to England with Mike Card and hit the ground running. There were so many stories from our time in Wales, Scotland and England and yet one moment stood out every night as an English Language team presented a short video designed to challenge anyone who speaks English to come to foreign countries as teachers engaged with students who want to learn to speak English. The audience’s response was overwhelming as they watched teachers befriend and care for the foreign students and often those relationships ended with the students coming to faith in Christ! I was once again reminded of the influence both good and bad that the English speaking people have had through the centuries and even now as most countries are eagerly learning English because it continues to be the language of finance and politics worldwide.


The team did a lot of site seeing and at one Cathedral we visited there was a clock which boasted of being the oldest clock still operating with its original parts in the world! Choirs, massive Organs, Cathedrals and Castles were everywhere as we soaked up the British 'Vibe'. It was amazing to stand out on the Scottish Highlands and really feel like it was my homeland! We cannot wait to go back.

Earlier this month, my friend Ken Turner and I were able to minister to several thousand Junior and Senior High School students in South Eastern Tennessee as part of an anti-bullying campaign. I got to share my story of my parent who was both good to me and also traumatized me. I got to sing my song The Old Man and you could have heard a pin drop. Many students today have parents who are angry and do not know how to love their kids well through it. One young lady shared that her father never said anything to her that was positive, it broke our hearts to think of so many children in our culture who are being raised by computer games, television and text messages instead of a face to face and heart to heart parent who shows them the right way to live and demonstrates the Gospel through simply asking their child for forgiveness and loving their kids like Jesus loves all of us!

In Hard Bargain and at the Safe House we are so encouraged by the new Community Center on Mt. Hope Street and all the wonderful folks who made it happen, you guys are the greatest! We are also raking the falling leaves (like everywhere else) and this week Cowboy (my good friend from Green Street) and I spent time collecting leaves from the houses on Glass and from the Hard Bargain garden across the street. When we were finished, he grinned showing his spectacular smile which was made possible by Dr. Grant Hensley who takes care of Tommy's (Cowboy) teeth. We are still hoping to find Tommy full time employment so if you know of a business that could use a hard worker please let us know!

I am working on formalizing The Franklin Table's relationship with the ministries listed below and to better define my role as the ‘Pastor To The City’. Finally you might not know that we missed our budget for September and October but are hopeful we will make it up this month. As the end of the year approaches please think about giving to the work that TFT does to make Middle Tennessee and specifically the City of Franklin and Williamson County a diverse and thriving place for all our citizens especially the poor, and that we can alleviate and even eliminate poverty and injustice as The Lord leads us!


If you would like to learn more about how to join us at The Table, please call me (  615-642-7428).

Blessings and deep love to all,

Scott

To receive monthly updates from The Franklin Table, send your email to lisa@scottroley.com 


Please continue to pray for... Against The Grain, Barefoot Republic, Empty Hands Fellowship, Feed Franklin First, FrankTown Open Hearts, Graceworks Ministries, High Impact Teen Ministry, Ken Turner Ministries, Jobs For Life, McCann, Hubbard & Solomon, Mercy Children's Clinic, New Hope Academy, R.E.A.L. Christian Foundation, The Samson Society, Shepherding The Next Generation, Stites & Harbison Law Offices, Synago Pastors Fellowship, The Family Dynamics Institute, The Hard Bargain Association, The Red Road, The Timothy Center and Thriftsmart.

P.S. We are depending on your gifts to keep us going...thanks always for your faithfulness to Christ and His work among the poor!  I continue to raise support for the work of The Franklin Table and want to make sure you are invited to join me. If after praying you are led to make a contribution to the ministry ... please make the check to The Franklin Table and send it to 959 Glass St. Franklin, Tennessee 37064…thanks to all of you who have already given to The Franklin Table. Your contributions make the ministry possible and all donations are tax deductible.