I found the Unity Center. It wasn't in the main part of town. It was in a residential area. I stopped in the driveway to take a picture of the building as I arrived. It was a church building with another building in the back. Truthfully, I hadn't done any research on the place prior to going.
Since I got there a few minutes earlier than the others, I waited in the back between the two buildings. While I was waiting, I saw this leaf on the ground. A heart leaf. It made me smile. I didn't know then, but my heart was definitely going to be touched by the afternoon's experiences.
I knew we would be meeting with a David Ketchersid. His name caught my attention because I worked with Bill Ketchersid at Bryan College back in the day. Not only did I work with Bill at Bryan College, but we also worshiped together at 1st UMC in Dayton, TN. Bill passed away this past summer on a mission trip to Peru. Ketchersid isn't a very common name, so I was curious to see if there was any relation. In meeting and talking with David, I learned that he and Bill were cousins.
The rest of our team arrived (all but one who wasn't able to make it due to a funeral) and we knocked on the door to the activities building. We learned from Mary Reynolds that Wednesdays is "project day" and that David and his wife Mary were down in the Melting Pot building across the street. I saw the word "French" on the white board and got excited that I might be able to speak some French that afternoon.
We went down to the Melting Pot building and met with David and his wife.
The building had several spaces for meeting and that very afternoon, some of the kids would be in that building for their projects. (I didn't take pictures inside the Melting Pot.) We learned about the history of the Unity Center, that they do summer camps now, and have about 150 kids from elementary to high school in this year's program. The program is open 4 days a week, M-Th, but could be open five days if funding were available. They operate primarily with volunteers, but there is a small paid staff.
I stood back in awe as I listened to all that they do and have done.
Then, David mentioned that he needed to get going because he is one of the bus drivers. I asked if I could ride along on the bus route to see how that worked and off we went. There are three buses at Broad Street UMC used in this ministry. David is one of three drivers.
Off we went to the first of three school stops for the first round of pick-ups. As the kids boarded the bus from the elementary school, they looked at me quizzically. One asked, "are you Santa's wife?" I thought that was an extremely random question until I caught a glimpse of one of the other drivers later. He resembled Santa. Aha! Connection made.
One girl sat down next to me and two others sat in the seat across the aisle. We headed off to the next school. On the way over there, they asked if the driver would turn on the music so they could sing. So, he cranked it up and they started singing. It took me a few moments to recognize that they were singing their hearts and lungs out about Jesus. Wow. It blew me away. The kids were excited and smiling and singing along. The music was from a musical they had done last year. They had their favorites and had hand motions to go along with some of the songs. Watching those kids sing and smile made my heart smile. It also touched a place deep inside me that also brought tears to my eyes. I was overwhelmed by the experience.
Then the girl next to me noticed my wedding ring and asked if I was married. I said "yes" and she said "yuck" and proceeded to tell the girls next to us that I was married and they all reacted like the first one. That was a funny moment that allowed me to be back in the present and continue observing.
We picked up at two other schools and had a load full. We got to the Unity Center and unloaded. They went right in for snacks. Mary and her crew were serving. The kids dropped off their backpacks, got their name tags, got their food.
I met up with the team and got a tour of the building. Wow. There was a music room, an art room. There was probably much more that I saw and don't remember and that I didn't see. We went across the street to the former sanctuary and I was really blown away there.
What an incredibly creative use of space! There were reading spaces (a reading room even), places to do games, etc. Downstairs was a workshop. There had obviously been a major transformation in order for this to take place. There had also obviously been lots of vision, energy, time, and prayer that had gone into this endeavor.
What struck me was that ministry was being done in this community and meeting a huge need for the families. It was innovative in many ways and yet common. It took vision, yes. But it also took people simply being willing to get out of their comfort zone to just do it. It took using a space that was traditionally used for one thing and using it for something else. The beauty in all of this is that the space is being used! Often. The program uses volunteers, some that have been raised up in the program. Some of the kids are second generation. Their parents were in the program as kids.
The activities at the Melting Pot and the Unity Center (both of which are part of Unity Center) gave me hope. Seeing those kids last week engaged was life giving. Our opportunities in our communities will be different because our needs will be different. The question to ask is 'what is the greatest need in our community?' Then, the next question to ask is 'how can our faith community meet that need?' It may take several faith communities coming together and working in unity to meet the need. Not all faith communities are blessed financially as Broad Street UMC. But, all faith communities can assess what resources they have at their disposal in order to meet what the community says is the greatest need.
Here is a link for you to learn more about the Unity Center: Unity Center Website
If you'd like to donate to them, I know they would appreciate your donation. If you are in the United Methodist Church, the Unity Center is one of the Advanced Specials. It is Holston Project No. 151 and is listed in section "N" on page 4 of The Advance: Advancing Hope in Christ's Name (2015) edition.
Blessings on your journey,
Debra
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