Go Tell it on the Mountain: March 2011

March 31, 2011

2011 AIM Staff!

Betsy Galbraith - Director - Greenfield, IN

Amelia Millemon - Field Manager - Alton, IL

Rebecca Goltry - Sum+/Kal/Quest Manager - Wichita, KS

Dani Mitchell - Sum+/Kal/Quest Ministry Coordinator - Thompson Station, TN

March 29, 2011

SBO Week 3 was incredible!!! We had 17 from the K-State Wesley Foundation in Manhatten, KS, 3 from the UCA Wesley Foundation in Conway, AR and 51 from the H2O church (on Ohio State's campus) in Columbus, OH! Wednesday night, we took some of the college students to Cumberland Baptist! They loved the tight-knit church family and the upbeat singing! Big Don was delighted to see everyone. One of the Spring Breakers even joined the band on the bass guitar! The Spring Breakers graced the church with an old familiar hymn...

March 28, 2011

Thanks Murfreesboro District UMW!*

[*This blog post could also be titled: "Reasons Why I Don't Mind Working On Saturdays"]

This past Saturday, Mountain T.O.P. was invited to speak at the Murfreesboro District UMW's A Day Set Apart at Morton Memorial UMC, Monteagle. I got the privileged of speaking since my mother is a member of the UMW at Morton; thought, I wouldn't turn down the offer to talk about ministry. Or to accept a love offering. Or to eat Marge's jello salad*!

[*If you were there, you know exactly what I'm talking about. When Mom invited me to speak, that was my next question: "Will we be having Marge's salad?".]

There were many different churches represented in the 75 ladies who attended the event. When I asked if anyone had heard of MTOP (though I knew a couple in the crowd who are current attendees), about half raised their hands*. I was beautiful how aspects of MTOP's mission fit so perfectly in the theme of the day: how to abide in the peace of Christ while engaged in work. I often tell folks that MTOP's niche is how we strive to hold the spiritual formation aspect of what we do as high as the physical work. Some days, it's so hard to remain in Christ's peace when the world swirls around us.

[*After talking to the group, I had conversations with people who's churches youth had attended, parents of former staff, and those who were interested in adopting MTOP as their local mission. It's hard not to miss all of the doors that are being opened...]

And then came time for the love offering, which was the other reason I was there. MTOP was chosen as the local mission to which the offering would be shared. An overwhelming $900 was given! Earlier during the service, I had shared how MTOP was started by a youth group and that no one should underestimate what a small group of people could do when they are on the same mission. That's exactly what the Murfressboro UMW did!

March 24, 2011

SBO Week #2!

SBO is crazy!!! It's been a great (and busy) three weeks on the mountain! Last week (3/13-3/18) we had 3 different programs going on at camp!

1. 35 members participating in a Family Camp - Whites Chapel UMC - Southlake, TX

2. 15 from Teen and Family Services - Houston, TX

3. 5 from Messiah College - Grantham, PA & 9 from Murray State Wesley Foundation - Murray, KY

hot cognition

I've discovered that around the same time each year, I get to dreaming about Kaleidoscope* workshop leaders. Out of all of our programs, Kaleidoscope seems to be the most challenging, I think, because it is the scariest sounding to someone that hasn't been before. It's especially so if this is a person's first mission trip experience.

special needs children + visual and performing arts + a new environment = "I'm not so sure about that."

[*Kaleidoscope's (KAL) mission is to offer Cumberland Mountain school age children (6-11 years old) with special needs an opportunity to be exposed to a wide range of visual and performing arts. Also, we offer an opportunity for adult volunteers to share their interests and talents in the arts with this special group of children.]

In theory, Kaleidoscope sounds beautiful and extravagantly fun for both the young people and adult leaders. Get down to the nuts and bolts, and a workshop can be overwhelming. To ask so much of our adult participants I feel like we need to make sure the mission and vision of KAL is solid, more than just a cool day care or a performance*. So I find myself around this time each year reading journals and research about arts based education and researching successful arts programs to compare us with them.

[*The week culminates with Friday Celebration, as the children display, share or perform their newly acquired skills in the visual and performing arts. This event highlights the hard work and learning that has occurred throughout their time here. It is a celebration for everyone, including parents and friends!]

I certainly ascribe to the theory that touching one aspect of a person's life will affect other aspects. In other words, teaching children about art at KAL is not just about teaching art.

The creative process may be one in which children gain command of the brush and learn the mysteries of art making. But sustained creativity also places cognitive demands on the learner—wrestling with technique while processing elements of design and intention, facing the public nature of classroom art-making, and making meaning out of critical and supportive comments from peers and teachers. These sorts of demands may be present in other learning experiences, but children may respond more actively and deeply in the art room than in the classroom. The response may add up to what Abelson calls ‘hot cognition’ (1963), which theorizes that all experiences have both a cognitive and affective component and that each of these, in turn, influence and colour the other (1).

There is overwhelming data that children who are in an art program exhibit these things:

dropout rates are reduced
students are more focused and engaged in the classroom
students believe they have control over their future
students are motivated to achieve
students learn to manage risk; are no longer at-risk
students develop skills highly valued in the 21st century workforce, such as creative and conceptual thinking and collaborating with others

Some folks might call these "factors". I think they are practical, measurable ways in which we help the marginalized move in from the margins. And in areas like Grundy County, these factors are much more that just a way out or a changed life; they are transformational across generational lines and family boundaries. All of this reminds me of a quote out of another book I like:

By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! -Rom 5.1-5

Being Christ followers, the truth of the matter is that transformation happens through grace in any way God sees fit. And those of us who live transformed lives know that it's not an end to itself: a truly transformed life reaches out to offer abundant life (aren't the above "factors" part of the abundant life?) through Christ to all that we meet. That's why teaching art touches every, and I mean every, aspect of a child's life. And I keep thinking about how I believe, without a doubt, that cliche we always use around here: art changes lives.

p.s. Inspired? Interested? We NEED your help. Email me!

[1. Catterall, James S. and Peppler, Kylie A. (2007) 'Learning in the visual arts and the worldviews of young children', Cambridge Journal of Education, 37:4, 543 – 560]

March 11, 2011

We Won $500!

In November, Gifts In Kind International announced the Framing Hope Impact Story Contest. Mountain T.O.P. submitted a five minute video portraying how our partnership with The Home Depot and Gifts In Kind International make a difference in our service area. Twenty organizations received a $500 gift card to The Home Depot and the top three videos won $5,000 cash-grants.

Check-out our submission! ... Framing Hope Video

March 10, 2011

It's Spring Break!

It might be 37 degrees on the mountain, but it's still spring break!!! Sunday, 4 different college groups kicked off our spring breakout program! ...

14 from the ETSU Wesley Foundation - Knoxville, TN
9 from the College of William & Mary BCM - Williamsburg, VA
8 from the UNC Wesley Foundation - Chapel Hill, NC
23 from the FSU Catholic Student Union - Tallahassee, FL

We've had a BLAST with these students!!! They've shared group morning devotionals, worked in and out of camp during the day and worshipped together in the evening. Check-out a clip from a song the BCM group sang to the kitchen staff!:

Tuesday night we had a stations worship centered on light:

March 8, 2011

2011 YSM Staff!

Directors

Kim Fall - Ellisville, MS

Mary-Kate Fisher - McMinnville, TN

Michael Reed - Sycamore, IL

Vincent Vasquez - Austin, TX

Program Managers

Olivia Evans - Thompson Station, TN

Rachel Head - Nashville, TN

Emily Mistrzak - DeRidder, LA

Chelsi Warren - Clarksville, TN

Field Managers

Nick Beegle - Collierville, TN

Hannah Brock - Jackson, GA

Justin Campbell - Collierville, TN

Janey Carman - Terrace Park, OH

Day Camp Manager

Emily Hurst - Nashville, TN

Day Camp Ministry Coordinators

Mackenzie Merry - Franklin, TN

Amber Whittle - Madison, TN

Service Project Ministry Coordinators

Ben Aastuen - Shoreview, MN

Ashley Compton - Sycamore, IL

Kristin Griswold - DeKalb, IL

Thomas Hall - Olive Branch, MS

Miriam Henry - Monroe, LA

Emily Lumpkin - Modoc, IN

Beth Moser - Lake Mary, FL

Matt Parker - Buford, GA

Kevin Parsley - Mt. Pleasant, TN

Melanie Pozuc - Kent, OH

Lexi Romine - Collierville, TN

Matt Sandmann - Cincinnati, OH

Molly Sandmann - Cincinnati, OH

Ginny Severns - Williamsburg, IA

Lizzy Shostak - Marietta, GA

Erin Smith - Marietta, GA

Carly Warner - Germantown, TN

Kendall Wolfe - Brownsburg, IN

Ben Wright - Mt. Pleasant, TN

March 5, 2011

Friends Weekend Progress - Final Day

The last day of Friends Weekend brought lots of rain and sogginess. There was still lots of work being done around camp. Here's a few pictures!

New Cabin ended the day with windows installed!

Due to the rain, some folks moved to the warehouse to help organize the donations from The Home Depot.

The new solid wood floor in Peabody is coming right along.

The Friends Cabin porch HAS TRUSSES!!!!

Great job to all of the volunteers who gave of their time and skills to come to the mountain this week and weekend. Rain can't dampen the spirits of these folks.

Thanks everyone!