A View from The Franklin Table....September

(from LLF) Dear friends, I’ve had several inquiries about the sermon that was referenced in my last update from the Franklin Table and thought that you may enjoy listening to it as well. It’s from my home church here in Nashville, Christ Church on September 9, 2012 and titled The Spirituality of Labor (http://www.christchurchnashville.org/growth/service-archive/?sermon_id=21). Pastor Dan Scott is a remarkable communicator of the Gospel and has a true heart for missional living. Click on the link and enjoy the message. Blessings, Lisa

Dear Table Nation,

It’s Lisa, Scott’s assistant. He is out of the country on tour with Mike Card and sends his love. Please remember the team in your prayers as they work to share Christ with the precious folks in the UK.  Scott asked that I share a few things with you this month along with his note below. As you know caring for the poor, lobbying for quality education and teaching the importance of a strong family unit are very dear to his heart and something that The Franklin Table is devoted to in prayer and support.

Recently I heard a sermon challenging social roles. Even though the secular world stratifies society as hierarchal, Christianity offers a different way. It’s neither the way of privilege nor the way of victimhood, it offers every person dignity as one who is made in the image and likeness of God and calls us to respect. When we worship together, labor at discovering our faith together (in light of our different life experience), when we walk our Christian journey together, when we break bread together, and form community together… the intellectual learns how to labor and the working man learns how to think and the powerful learn how their decisions affect the poor and the poor learn how to better their lives… and the Kingdom comes to us. This month I want to ask you specifically to pray for Against The Grain. It’s a ministry that embodies these very ideals. We are grateful for the wonderful hearts of Rob and Meredith Kendall and the work they do here in Franklin.

The mission of AtG is to educate and empower men, women and children who have a history of abuse, addiction or negative generational cycles to achieve and fully experience their unique, God-given potential and they do well in leading people to move from destructive, dependent life-cycles into healthy, full community living. 

Specifically, AtG: 

  • · Teaches 180 Curriculum to participants in situations such as: jails, drug courts, transitional houses and homeless shelters.
  • · Provides foundational services in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and other third world countries.
  • · Collaborates with churches and other social service organizations training and equipping them to offer the 180 Curriculum.
  • · Provides in-school tutoring to at-risk children through the Study Buddy Program.

 

We invite you to join us at their annual Building Lives Fall Fundraiser on Tuesday October 9, 2012. A silent auction starts at 5:30 with dinner following at 6:30 at the beautiful Embassy Suites in Franklin. Please consider supporting this work and joining us for a wonderful evening…check here for details.  

From Scott…Recently we have enjoyed supporting the early childhood development programs of Governor Haslam's office, the TN Legislature and the TN State Board of Education. Those groups have given a renewed effort to care for our Children at Risk and to help single mothers with the difficult task of raising children under a variety of difficult circumstances. The more we can do for Pre-K programs, the better the chances these little ones have of being prepared for life-long learning.

Please keep lifting the list of ministries at the bottom of this email up to the Lord... that the needs they have might be met. Each one is under The Franklin Table umbrella and we consider them true partners in the fight for Biblical justice to be experienced by all the people in our City and County. Also, especially pray for the Empty Hands Fellowship and Synago Pastors as we organize prayer meetings this fall to ask the Lord to send revival to our local congregations.

Blessings and Deep Love,

Scott

Pray for...Against The Grain, Barefoot Republic, Empty Hands Fellowship, Feed Franklin First, FrankTown Open Hearts, Graceworks Ministries, Jobs For Life, McCann, Hubbard & Solomon, Mercy Children's Clinic, New Hope Academy, R.E.A.L. Christian Foundation (Dr. Dolphus Weary), The Samson Society, Shepherding The Next Generation, Stites & Harbison Law Offices, Synago (Pastoral Fellowship), The Arts Guild, The Family Dynamics Institute, The Hard Bargain Association, The Red Road, The Timothy Center (Dr. Michael Cooper) 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.