Oil For a Change

If you live in Jackson and know single moms in the area or you are a single mom yourself, this might make your day . . .

Imagine a line of cars outside of a local Auto Care business full of single moms and their kids waiting to get their oil changed, fluids checked, some hot dogs and drinks, and a car wash--ALL FOR FREE. This weekend!

Oil For a Change is a cooperative effort between Westwinds and Choice
Auto Sales and Service of Jackson. This year, on May 21st and September 10th, Oil For a Change will give away free food, car washes, and oil changes to over 300 single moms (165 each date).

Last summer, Ben Redmond and I did a message series entitled “Jesus Jackson” where we discussed how Jesus would respond to issues specific to Jackson and the people who live here—unemployment, underemployment, Jackson’s view of itself, opportunities to heal the community, the young and old, transplants and native Jacksonians, our work ethic, hope for the city, etc. We asked, “What would Jesus care about in Jackson? What would compel him? What would make him sad? What would he celebrate?”

I spoke one particular Sunday and mentioned a list of dreams I had for the city while encouraging others to dream in the same way letting people know “You can’t separate who you are from where you live,” and “God wants to use what you do and who you are to impact this place in a way that only you can.”

After hearing the list of dreams and being encouraged to imagine ways individuals could help Jackson, Carmela Lazarus, a local business owner and Allegiance Health employee, approached me with an idea. She heard me mention in a long list of dreams an idea to change the oil in the cars of single mothers as a display of hope and healing for our town.

Carmela (whose name has an accent on the first syllable) said, “My husband Chuck and I own a business where we service cars. I think we could actually do something like this.”

And so, the idea for Oil for a Change was born.

You can listen to one of the interviews we did on local radio station 89.3 The Message below.

Oil For a Change 89.3 Interview

On Christmas Eve, Westwinds Church traditionally gives an offering to something in the community that offers hope. We told the story of our dream for Oil For a Change and on December 24, 2010, Westwinds raised enough money to change the oil in the cars of over 300 single mothers.

Tickets for oil changes are available in advance at Westwinds, Choice Auto Sales and Service, or the day of the event at Choice Auto Sales and Service. While we don’t want to turn anyone away, supplies are limited to 165 each weekend. Your best bet is to get advance tickets or show up early.

FolkGalore is Coming in April!

Life is a story. Your story. My story. Our story.

Stories can encourage us, give us hope, connect us to one another, build a sense of belonging, create pride, empower us, inspire us, and create unity.

On April 4-8, the city of Jackson and surrounding areas will be invited to celebrate the art of story through music. Think of it as a “happening” as opposed to an “event.” The happening is called, FolkGalore.

FolkGalore is:

Story.
Music.
Redemption.

For 5 days and nights, venues throughout Jackson and the surrounding areas will host numerous musicians and artists creating multiple stages ripe with stories celebrating the human spirit. Over 20 different stages and venues will host multiple musicians each of the five days and evenings.

Coffee shops, theaters, youth centers, churches, and house concert venues will be filled with music and art exploring what it means to live, love, triumph, fail, celebrate, dream, and learn how to get along. One of the best ways to share in the larger story we are all a part of is through folk music.

Folk music, which is widely defined, has “story” at the heart of it.

For centuries, stories have been told through music and art. Folk music takes its name from “folklore” which consists of a culture’s legends, tales, music, oral history, proverbial wisdom and sayings, jokes, visual art, popular beliefs, fairy tales, customs, and personality.

Folk music has incorporated many genres over time to include Americana, alt-country, blues, country, bluegrass, acoustic, singer-songwriter, and a wide variety and variations of those genres.

But Folk is always about stories.

April 4-8 is Spring Break. With the way the economy has been, not many folks are preparing to travel out of town. We are bringing Spring Break to Jackson.

One $20.00 pass will give participants “all-access” to the venues for concerts and any after parties with the musicians.

Throughout the week, some musicians will also be holding clinics, lessons, and lunch discussions at various times in various locations. For an extra $10.00 a participant can receive a stamp on their pass to gain access to any of these extras.

On Friday, April 8th, the event will culminate in a concert with renowned Americana artists The Steel Wheels (above photo). The Steel Wheels show is included in the all-access $20.00. However, tickets for this show will also be sold separately at the door for those only attending this concert and none of the other weekly events. The Steel Wheels only tickets will be $12.00 at the door.

Save the date! Tickets will go on sale at the end of February.

Does Jesus Want Me To Be Physically Fit?

Mission statements are meant to grab your attention, start discussion, clarify your motives, get on the same page, understand where you are headed, clarify what you are not about, etc. But, rarely if ever do they fully surmise the depth of your passions, or your personality. Often, they leave no room for variance or seasonal discrepancies. Some mission statements are purposely worded to fit on a t-shirt. That being the case, rarely do they give an adequate definition that is satisfactory.

OUR MISSION (Westwinds) is to lead everyone toward full life development in Christ.

A couple of years ago, someone lovingly and jokingly chided and teased us (me) about “full life development.” “It’s so vague! What does it mean? Does it mean Jesus wants you to work out and lose weight and stuff?” The laughter suggested that certainly this is not what the person thought we were saying by full life development. They supposed it was something much more “spiritual.”

My reaction to the prodding? Ummm, being physically fit, yeah, that’s part of it.

My answer was met with silence.

I believe being physically fit and healthy is very much a part of being spiritually fit. That conversation has come back to me many times.

Not being overweight or obese is only part of the physically fit and healthy equation. Eating right, making wise choices, strength and endurance, learning to say “no” and “when”, establishing new habits, thinking of your loved ones’ and family’s reliance upon you, planning ahead, sexual choices etc. are all parts of a physically fit and healthy lifestyle that is indeed tied to our spiritual well-being and our relationship with God and others. We often times don’t give this mindset enough credence.

The old adage, “you are what you eat” is extra-biblical proverbial wisdom that is in fact very biblical.

How does it affect us spiritually if we ignore our physical health?
• Exhaustion that deprives us of time with our families.
• Complications that affect our ability to work and provide.
• Attitudes of anger and bitterness because we do not feel good about ourselves.
• Irritability with our loved ones.
• Apathy and lack of motivation.
• All varieties of depression.
• Sleep deprivation and physical pain that keeps us from doing simple things like spending time with others or reading our Bible.

The list goes on.

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” I Corinthians 6:19 and 20

While we may not espouse any of the diets and fads that attach themselves to Christianity like The Old Testament Diet or Weight Loss God’s Way, and we don’t get so ridiculously specific as to ask “What Would Jesus Eat,” we certainly recognize the connection between unhealthy choices/bad habits and our spiritual condition. Garbage in=garbage out has implications mentally, physically, emotionally, and indeed spiritually.

Westwinds empowers our staff each year with a sum of money designed to impact the local community in creative ways that are “missional.” In light of the mission of “full life development in Christ,” our staff is given the freedom to spend a certain amount of money in the community to bolster and augment spiritual conversation, meet needs, raise awareness, etc. (though each endeavor may not do all these things at once). We call this “Beyond 1000” (our address is 1000 Robinson).

This year, during the second quarter of 2010, we will launch a Beyond 1000 initiative/missional endeavor designed to promote health and wellness—physically and spiritually.

Beginning in April, a petition will go out to the Jackson community through various media outlets encouraging people to write a short essay on “why I need to get healthy.” From the collection of essays, a group of 12 will be selected to join a Westwinds satellite dedicated to health and wellness. These 12 will then be given a 6-month membership to a local gym in Jackson and a 6-month membership to Weight Watchers (subject to rules and accountability guidelines).

As part of the satellite, members will have access to a qualified nutrition and health expert for questions, guidance, advice, and support. They will also have access to a spiritual guide they can contact and be in relationship with if and when they wish to pursue biblical counsel in relation to this challenge.

The purpose of this mission is:
• To provide inroads to spiritual conversation
• To foster community and relationships
• To make a concerted effort to raise health awareness in connection with spirituality

During this 6-month satellite, members will be held responsible for meeting guidelines that include but are not limited to regular satellite meeting attendance once a week, having an accountability partner, regular Weight Watchers participation including a once-a-week meeting, and regular gym usage no less than 3 times a week.

This is all in the initial stages. I’d love to hear what you think.