Last week I attended a conference in Naples which featured a number of terrific speakers on philanthropy in America. The highlight for me was meeting S. Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-Fil-A. What an amazing man! He has made it clear throughout all his success that he is just seeking to honor God. His statement to close on Sundays is a testament to values and honoring God first and making a buck second. But he’s shown that there is still plenty of room to make a buck. I felt like an 8th grade basketball player going up to meet Michael Jordan. Mr. Cathy couldn’t have been more gracious. I feel fortunate to have met him. My interaction with him has made me feel more resolute about patronizing his restaurant at the expense of McDonald’s. This, of course, was made all the much easier by the new campaign from McDonald’s with billboards saying “Open on Sundays”.

As much as I admire Mr. Cathy, this blog is not about him or Chick-Fil-A. It’s about a debate that I watched at the same conference between Paul Brest, the CEO of the Hewlett Foundation and Bill Schambra, Director of the Bradley Foundation. I invite you to read Paul’s blog and my reply to the tension between the two camps one advocating deep strategic analysis before giving and the other advocating a practice of “write the darn check” is as follows:

I was at the debate in Florida and profited from hearing both views. It’s hard to argue with having a strategic approach to philanthropy….though Bill gave it a good shot. I am a firm believer in what I think applied strategic philanthropy requires: strong measurement of the outcome…...ROI in other words.

I am also a believer though, that it’s often the smaller, indigenous groups without a well formulated strategy and access to grant writers, that are most effective at reaching target populations. I think of the DurhamEagles a youth football program in Durham that reaches 220 kids, 90% of whom live under the poverty line, but who with the help of the Eagles have 2x the graduation rate. They do all of this with just $25,000 in operating budget. That’s $113 per kid! They get to that level because they are small, nimble and staffed by caring/motivated volunteers without staffers or overhead. They need to be better at planning, no doubt (and that’s what we at durhamcares.org aim to do). But they also need someone who will (as in Bill’s words) “write the darn check”

So for me, the answer is somewhere in the middle of both views, though admittedly closer to Paul’s. The challenge we have though is to shepherd smaller, effective organizations along a path towards strategic planning in a way that doesn’t compromise their effectiveness or their return.

I was recently invited to a local church planting strategy session. I believe (like many of you) that real transformation happens when the Gospel is spread AND when the commands of Christ are lived out through mercy ministry. So, while DurhamCares focuses on deed ministries, we are just one half of the equation, and I'd argue the lesser half. So with that in mind, I went to the meeting eager to learn.

I came away from the meeting excited at the opportunties in front of us to plant churches in Durham, but rather unsure what do do about it, and if/how much to donate to the cause. So I then drafted a letter to the meeting organizer with a perspective and some questions with the hopes that I might have him think about the project in a new way, and to give me some data points from which I could make a decision on how much to give. I offer this letter up to a more public audience with the hopes that it might be helpful to others as well:

Dear Church Planting Meeting Organizer (name kept out as I don't think it's important in this context):

Thank you for inviting me to the meeting this morning. I was glad to be there and learned a lot. It is always very encouraging for me to be around Godly men who have a passion and commitment to advance the Kingdom. It makes for some great brainstorming....the best kind (so much more rewarding than talking about driving costs out of a telecom network....the writer's day job, ed!)

As I offered up in Q&A, I find it most helpful to think of this potential "investment" in Kingdom work like I might think of the decision involved in making an investment in the more worldly sense.....that of an investment in financial securities with a portfolio comprised of different asset classes and their own corresponding expected returns and expected volatility.

With a financial portfolio the asset classes might include: stocks, bonds,cash, commodities and real estate (each of those, of course, can be further broken down by domestic, international, duration, credit rating etc.) With a "Kingdom portfolio" the asset classes might include: tithing, mercy ministries, missionary support, Christian education, Christian microfinance and church planting (these, like financial asset classes, can be broken down much further, of course to include domestic and international). Tithing is kind of like cash....you have to have positions in both types of portfolios. Whether to have investments in other classes, and if so, how much is less certain.

Those decisions seem to be made based on investment guidelines/principles and expected return. For my wife and I, our guidelines and principles are driven by Matthew 22, 36-40: We want to help people to Love the Lord their God with all their soul and all their mind......that's where church planting and giving to places like Trinity come in for us. We also want to love our neighbor as ourself, and help others to do the same......that's where mercy ministry comes in.

Just after guidelines/principles in our decision making comes potential return. This is undoubtedly easier, of course, with financial investments, but I think that a real effort needs to go into understanding what it looks like in Kingdom work as well.

Questions regarding return would look like:

1. What has $1million invested by an external source (in other words not due to the fruits of the new pastor raising their own support or from giving from new congregants) of other in suburban church plants of your denomination typically yielded after 5 years in terms of membership and regular attenders? 10 years? Surely some of the churches funded by that $1million grow to be successful, and yet others fail, but what is the aggregate return?

2. How does that rate of return differ for more urban chuch plants, or those that aim to have mixed membership which might be more strategic in nature?

3. How does this rate of return compare to other Bible believing church plants?

The answers to these questions need to then be compared against the return that we might expect from giving to other ministries, both ministries focused on word and those focused on deed. For instance, what might $1myn yield if invested in a more established church? How many more folks might come to Christ in those instances? How many people might come to know Christ if the same was invested in overseas missions? This breaks down a bit, of course, when you look at the increased giving to missions and mercy ministries that come from those brought to faith in churches that are already established, but it's still a helpful part of the decision process.

I think that it's important to note that there isn't a perfect answer that's likeley to come from a financial model that will provide the recipe here, and that my wife and I (and others like us) need to keep in mind that Biblical teaching and prayer need to guide us more than more worldly learning and analysis. I remember hearing a story about Billy Graham whose most disappointing revival was at an event with fewer than 10 altar calls out of the thousands that attended. He had counted that event as a huge failure for 20 years until he came across another evangelist (whose name I can't recall) that had been one of those 10, and had subsequently been used to bring hundreds of thousands to Christ. So much for the ROI analysis on that event! I still, though, think that there's a good place for good planning and analysis. I don't think that the Parable of the Talents is thought of as Scriptural foundation for ROI investing, but it's the passage that guides me in this.

Another area that you touched on briefly today that I'm fascinated to know more about is best practices. What's worked well in other areas of the country? What didn't? What lessons would that have for us here? This information would seem invaluable and a big part toward our ability to deliver the best type of ROI.

Lastly, I have come to be very excited about what I see the larger body of Christ doing in Durham. I'm excited about church planting from your denomination, AND from other denominations. I've spent some time talking with another area pastor about his church planting strategy and I'm sure that other Christ centered, Scipturally grounded churches are looking to do the same here. All interest and excite me, as I think they do others. I'd love to see denominations share best practices and strategic plans wherever possible. There will be limits to how far that might guide a particular denomination...... for instance, I wouldn't suggest that just because the Southern Baptists are planning a church plant in Brier Creek would mean that the PCA can't, but that that should be one of many data points that would be used in making a decision about where to look to bring the Gospel.

I'd love to get your thoughts here.

(this last line was addressed to the meeting organizer, but could just as well be addressed to you, the reader as I'd love to get other perspectives)

As DurhamCares, and other organizations, work diligently to encourage and challenge Durham's citizens to give of their money and their time, a fair question arises: Is Durham ready for a marked increase in volunteers? As with questions about a topic as large as volunteerism in an entire city, the answer is "it depends". I'll suggest the unpacking of this frustrating answer in 3 parts: 1. the challenging 2. what's good 3. the work ahead.

First the challenging:

I have heard of several folks that have showed up for volunteer opportunities in Durham that have been less than rewarding. Some times the charity personnel hadn't been told to expect them from the "volunteer coordinator," in another instance a family showed up to deliver an ice cream party to 15 residents of a homeless shelter, only to find that not only were they not expecting them, but that there were 45 folks there...........some creative ice cream rationing ensued. Stories like these, albethem anecdotes, cause us to have concern.....fortunately I think that it's concern that can be mitigated, more on that later

what's good.....I want to make sure that folks understand that there are a number of great charities, many of them listed on this site that ARE ready for volunteers and have the systems and processes in place to support them. Most importantly, of course, is the need among the population that they are trying to support. There are several examples of this, but I'll list the most compelling: BigBrothers/BigSisters of the Triangle has a waiting list of more than 100 boys and girls that are waiting to be matched with "Bigs". BBBST has a great track record, as many of you know, and their CEO Kim Breeden was named CEO of the Year. They are ready for more volunteers at several different commitment levels and you can be assured that they will work hard for both the "littles" and "bigs" in their program.

The work ahead....Durham charities need to welcome volunteers and share with them the structure and purpose behind their volunteering efforts to make sure that the experience is rewarding for the charity AND the volunteer. If they don't, the charity stands to lose that volunteer forever, and forget about any chance to convert the volunteer into a donor. This would be a bad thing for that charity, but an awful thing for Durham. I can't help about thinking about a prototypical 24 year old, who has been finally convinced to volunteer with a promise that it can help the community (which it does) and that it will change their life for the better (as it most assuredly can and should), having a poor experience and saying no to volunteer opportunities in the future.....opportunities that could have lived up to the promise that the first one should have delivered.

To avoid this, I think that we need to work with the charities to make sure that they have:

1. A volunteer coordinator. Someone who knows the charity and the population it serves inside and out. Someone who is just as comfortable saying "no" to volunteers as "yes".........not every volunteer opportunity is perfect for every volunteer.

2. A process to welcome the volunteer.....be waiting for them to come, give them a tour of the facility, an overview of the operations, and a brief history

3. The ability to communicate a contract of sorts with the volunteer: what is expected of them, and what the volunteer can expect of the charity. As with so much in life, it's all about communication and management of expectations.

4. Wherever possible: pair up a new volunteer with an experienced one.

5. Follow up. It's rare to hear of a charity following up with volunteers to thank them or to ask them about how their volunteer experience was or how it could be better.

I'm confident that we Durham charities CAN and WILL be ready to handle a major uptick in volunteers.....for Durham's underserved SURELY NEED them.

After spending some time this  with Chris Chuang (Bandwidth.com VP of Strategy, Heather and Mike), I think that I have a little bit of a clearer idea on how to answer the question raised in the blog of the other day. I think that it comes down to our sense of mission within the greater context of transforming Durham. 

About 6 months ago, I spent some time brainstorming about DurhamCares with JD Greear and Brad O’Brien about how we might all be involved in God’s plan in Durham. We agreed we’d like to see a complete transformation of Durham and that would include mercy ministries and the spread of the Gospel. So that under the wider umbrella of Transforming Durham there would be 2 sections, 1 would focus on ministries of the word, and the other would be focused on ministries of the deed. DurhamCares would focus on the latter. There would need to be close affiliation and cross pollination of the two, but that they would be separate, and that it was right that they were.

So, in this context, Child Evangelism Fellowship, Reality, Young Life, Church planting groups and other ministries would be best handled by the Ministry of the Word segment of a larger group of folks that would transform Durham. This articulation and focus might best serve the wider Christian Community leaving matters of ministry best to the theological and doctrinal experts while charity outreach would focus on not for profit organizations.

I think that it will be good to articulate this in our written materials. I think that it’s also good to keep the Christian focus in the About Us Section. What to do, though, about the logo, bible verses and tag line?

Let me see if I can frame this quandary that I find myself in as I try to understand how to best position my (our) faith within the context of DurhamCares.

Maybe it's best if I take this back to how this all got started. The idea was to apply the lessons learned at Bandwidth.com to more directly glorify His Kingdom. These lessons included: 

1. using the web to promote selection and accountability/transparency among different suppliers,

2. using operations metrics to measure success within our company,

3. charting out a business mission/vision/strategy to best accomplish our goals to more directly glorify his Kingdom.

4. using the web to scale an organization

What to do with this calling came just about as clearly as the calling itself. From what I could see having been a Durham resident for several years was that people as a whole didn't give money to local charities and rarely volunteered their time. Adding to the problem, or possibly creating it, there seemed to be hundreds of charities all vying for the same donor dollar and it wasn't clear which of them, if any, were deserving of it.

So, DurhamCares was created to be a part of the solution to dual problems of a citizenry that appeared to be on the sidelines and a largesse of organizations, most of whom weren't run with the types of sound business principles that allowed them to be very effective with their core missions and in attracting donors and volunteers.

Maybe it's easy to understand DurhamCares through the lens of a sample person that DurhamCares hoped to serve. I thought of folks that had moved to Durham, had a heart to give of their time and money, but didn't know where to start. Absent some clear direction and information on what were the best charities, they'd be inclined to continue to give their money to national charities and to do other things (golf is really good around here) with their time.

DurhamCares would then exist effectively to ENCOURAGE and CHALLENGE Durham CITIZENS to give of their time and money to needy causes

On the other side of the equation, DurhamCares would seek to find EXCELLENT CHARITIES.........or at the very least good charities that were on their way (potentially with our help) to become great charities. These charities would have a well established track record, strong leadership, an independent Board of Directors, an understanding of the key operating metrics that drove success in their organization, and perhaps most importantly, a plan on where they were going and how they would get there.......a plan that would be laid out in line with targets on further improvements on the key operating metrics.

So, to summarize DurhamCares would seek to:

ENCOURAGE and CHALLENGE Durham CITIZENS to give of their time and money to causes that better the human condition in Durham, and

ENCOURAGE and CHALLENGE Durham CHARITIES to excel in such a way that would cause them to better at their core missions at the same time they would become more attractive to potential donors and volunteers.

There are some other goals too, including establishing a template that can be replicated in other markets, but lest I distract the reader any more, I'll save those for later.

Now here's the challenge: How best to represent the Christian badge in our work?

So, a bit of perspective.......I feel CALLED to do this work, I'm not saying that I actually heard the word of God on this, but something very strong inside me (that I attribute to a Divine calling) has compelled me to get it going.

It's the Parable of The Good Samaritan (expanding the definition of neighbor) that I see as the clearest mandate for us to get involved. On the flip side of the CITIZEN/CHARITY scale: it's the Parable of the Talents that I see as a mandate for charities to be excellent stewards of the resources given them.

So Calling and Scripture are already essential parts to this organization. Furthermore, I feel that it's essential for Christians to live out their faith. Not that we're saved by good works, but that a faith without taking care of those in need around is an empty faith. The Bible commands us to take care of the poor with our time and money; it's as simple as that. I'd like to think that DurhamCares can play a role in helping Christians to act on their faith.

What does this all mean? Well, here are some questions that have come up recently that illustrate the struggle about how best to honor God in all of this while staying focused on our mission of increasing volunteering and donations while we help charities go from good to great.

There are 4 different levels of question about how we live out our faith through the context of this organization:

We make it clear in the About Us section about the inspiration for DurhamCares

We currently have a Bible Verse on our home page, a halo as a part of our logo, and "Serving Him as we Serve our Community" as our tagline

We have been approached by some Christian ministries (who unlike organizations such as the DurhamRescue Mission whose mission is to end homelessness, or PSS whose mission is to counsel pregnant single mothers....both of which are seen as mercy ministries by the broader population, are focused principally on the spread of the Gospel)

We currently have a halo as a part of our logo, and "Serving Him as we Serve our Community" as our tagline. Does this interfere with our mission? One camp within the organization prefers to leave the Christian inspiration as a part of our About Us Section.

When I think about how the forces of evil might attack any success of DurhamCares, would he undermine its efforts to increase volunteerism and donation, or would he seek to dilute the recognition that the Holy Spirit would receive from any success?

According to David Aikman, in order to get into Harvard from 1637 to 1837 you had to have a credible profession of the Gospel and Harvard actively sought to glorify the Christian God........they then abandoned this need, and in less than half the time have seemed to move to the opposite end of the spectrum. Similar examples could come from the YMCA and maybe even Habitat for Humanity. Is God glorified in these organizations? I suppose that on one level all good things (both secular and Christian) come from God, but what pleases him the most: 10 units of good done in the name of a secularized institution or 5 units of good done in the name of an overtly Christian one?

Here's how this quandary has come up with DurhamCares. I'll title this section: 2 Different Christian Approaches, Both Good, or is One Better for DurhamCares?

1. Change the logo and tagline and go for a broader appeal. Keep the Christian faith in the About Us Section, Be ready to talk to all in one on one conversations, and press interviews about our Christian inspiration. Have only evangelicals on the Board and among all full time employees Say no to Christian (or other faith based ministries) where the spread of a religious doctrine is the primary focus of the group. Change the logo and tagline and go for a broader appeal.

2. Keep the logo and tagline, welcome in Christian ministries like CEF, Young Life and Reality.....continue workplace outreach but be cognizant that we'll have better success with Churches. Workplace outreach that failed in its Christian message could be focused more on replicating the BandwidthCares concept (where Bible verses don't show up).

Durham Cares is spot on for Durham. An organization whose mission is promoting "a heart to help those in need" not only propels us forward toward a more hopeful future for our city; it also takes us back to the city's beginnings and the amazing story of Durham. In a way, Durham Cares beckons us to "Become What We Are"-a city of philanthropists.

My name is Chip Denton and I've lived in Durham for eight years now. I travelled a great distance to get here, all the way across the Great Blue Divide, from Chapel Hill, but I attended Duke back in the 80s so this felt like coming home.

Over the last fourteen years, I've been involved with the founding of a new independent Christian school called Trinity, down at the end of Pickett Road, just at the boundary line between Durham and Orange Counties. We love being in Durham, and we are hopeful about Durham's future. This past summer I thought that hopefulness might be better informed if I learned a bit more about Durham's past, and so I read Duke History Prof Robert Durden's The Dukes of Durham: 1865-1929.

The story of the Dukes and Durham is a story of philanthropy, generosity, habits of giving and serving, and small beginnings which grow into big stories. If we trace the amazing story of the Duke Endowment backwards, we find that James B. Duke's phenomenal gift was inspired, at least in part, by his brother Ben's steady and faithful giving to Trinity College, which started with a $1000 gift to a nearly bankrupt institution in 1887; both brothers learned the habit of giving from their father, Washington Duke, whose "tithe accounts" trace his giving back to the days before the family moved to Durham; and those habits of generosity were taught and instilled by the Methodist Church, to which the Dukes belonged. I'd say the Dukes are Exhibit A for Methodism's founder, John Wesley's famous dictum: "Gain all you can; Save all you can; Give all you can." And this in the days before income taxes and the charitable deduction.

Durham Cares is spot on for Durham because it brings us back to these philanthropic roots and impulses. It challenges us to expand our generosity, invest in projects which benefit the common good, invest in small ways that may grow far beyond what we could imagine. And, perhaps most importantly, the mainspring of this giving is the Gospel truth which the Dukes learned in their Methodist pews: The earth is the Lord's and everything in it; and it is better to give than to receive.

So here's to a new wave of philanthropy, inspired by an old motive, all for a city with a great past and a promising future.

I have recently been impressed by the function of banners in antiquity, especially in warfare. As armies became separated through fierce attacks of an enemy and through chaotic conditions on the battlefield, even brave soldiers became discouraged and disoriented. The strong temptation was to flee or to surrender as one faced seemingly overwhelming odds.

Suddenly to see the banner of one's regiment rising above the smoke, noise, and confusion of the battle gave a warrior a fresh jolt of strength to hang in there. "I am NOT alone out here!" is the message the banner sends to the isolated soldier. As scattered fighters converge on the uplifted banner, they see one another and find new courage. As they begin to fight together side by side, they find that their efforts make a dent in the enemy's forces.

This website is so cool for serving as a banner for Durhamites who care for this community! It reminds us that we are not alone, and that we can accomplish more together than we can apart. I can't wait to see the sign in center field at the DBAP rallying Durham to care! I remember hearing Henry talk about that sign over a year ago, and I think it, too, is a great banner.

Thanks for organizing us a little better than we have been and introducing us to one another across Durham neighborhoods, races, denominations, socio-economic levels and educational backgrounds. Let's work together!

I love Durham. It is as simple as that. When I think about it, I don't know much about any place else because I pretty much haven't left "my neighborhood." I was born and raised on the West End side of Durham. I was educated in Durham Public Schools on the West End until I attended The old Hillside High School on Concord Street. I literally crossed Fayetteville Street to attend North Carolina Central University. I worked in RTP and at Duke University, then went to Law School at Central. Now, I work downtown Durham and I live in southwest Durham.

Durham is the only place I call home and it has been good to me. That's not to say that Durham is a utopia - but it has gotten I bad rap. I believe that Durham embraces all of the wonderful qualities of a city and it does it LOUDLY! We like our diversity and our history. We are proud of our accomplishments and pretty pushy about our problems. We like to express ourselves in brutally honest terms and that can sometimes affront our neighbors. We have open dialogues, where people can get angry and still walk out friends. We know our problems with race, economics, schools, and let's not forget religion. But we combine all of that and for the most part, we have a lot of fun living life in Durham.... The thing that I like most about Durham is the fact that most Durhamites actually care about those who are less fortunate and we help. We don't like the great divide...we want everybody to have a purpose-filled and prosperous life and we are willing to share. I believe that what we are now seeing is the beginning of a collective dream turning into reality... So many others have pointed at us with disdain.... We are rising to the challenge and we are showing our true colors LOUDLY! The colors of an INVISIBLE GOD, HIS HOLY SPIRIT and remembering HIS ONLY SON JESUS!

I recently met a great woman. I know how that sounds, so I'll be clear....Not the GREAT woman that I met 14 years ago that's become my wife, but a great woman nonetheless. Her name is Lydia Baker and she works for Durham's Parks and Recreation Department in Gang Outreach and for Reality Ministries at their new Community Center across the street from the Durham School for the Arts.

Lydia is an African American woman who grew up in Durham, has overcome serious financial hardship during her growing up years and knows the "hood" very, very well. She put herself through NCCU and is equally comfortable talking to a "Blood" or a "Crip," as she is a resident of Forest Hills. She's confident, intelligent and engaging. If some one person is going to be able to make a real impact on gangs in Durham, it's her.

Half way through my conversation with her, it occurred to me: "Lydia," I said, "I think that I might be able to relate to some of these gang members." She gave me a strange look. "You see," I said, "I was in a gang myself." Her look got even more strange. But it was true. I went on to explain that when I was in my late teens and early twenties I had, indeed, been a member of a gang. We had a complex and secretive initiation process, we had each other's backs, and we got into a fair amount of mischief with activities that were against the law. You could tell a member of our gang from sight alone. No, we didn't have the handkerchiefs or shoes that set us apart, but sweatshirts with 3 Greek letters across the front.....Alpha, Tau, Omega. Of course, and as you may have surmised by now, we never called it a gang, we called it a fraternity. The laws we broke were underage drinking, sound ordinances, and occasionally a bit of petty larceny (usually other fraternity's mascots).

Don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning the sometimes very bad crimes that gangs have been known to commit, BUT I think that I understand gangs much better and I can't help but to think: "There but for the grace of God go I."

This revelation helped me to understand gangs much, much better. I don't pretend that the gang members I'd like to meet would welcome me as a kindred member, and I fear that they'll see me as patronizing. But I really would like to engage and counsel these young men. That is why several area fund managers, David (Bandwidth.com business partner) and I are starting Talent Capital for Durham, a group that supports young entrepreneurs with the capital, training, and network they need to start their businesses...look for more on our official launch soon. You can get involved too. Rather than asking you to go find the gangs, however, I want to encourage you to join Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle so you can point children away from gangs. Together we can turn Durham's youth from the illegal ventures and violence of gangs to entrepreneurial ventures that will enable them to give back to the city we all live in together.

Henry and I had an unusual bonding moment this summer. We were invited to a late-night bus ride through the roughest and most crime-infested neighborhoods of Durham. He and I both saw things that most white guys never see in real life... a close up look at the "dark side" of the Triangle.

It's easy to miss. After all, we both live in nicer parts of town. Our schools, businesses, and churches are practically insulated. It's the human propensity to just "stick to your own." But something has changed for both of us. We want to be more engaged.

For me, this shift began happening many years ago. Growing up in a Jewish home, my parents taught me about diversity. I understood the "minority dilemma" and it became important to me to accept others. Later in life, as I became a follower of Jesus, I could no longer ignore what was only 15 minutes away... a part of the city where hope was sparse and oppression was strong. At the same time it was often easier to fly 15 hours to a developing nation and serve, than it was to drive 15 minutes to a "Project" of Durham. But that insanity had to end. It was time to stop taking my clues from Hollywood's globetrotting celebrity caregivers and start getting involved right in my own backyard.

So I started in the Cornwallis Community about 11 years ago. It is less than 10 minutes from our church, King's Park International. It had taken me years to realize this community even existed. It is one of about ten government-sponsored communities of Durham. Growing up we called them "the Projects," but recently the term has changed to "Housing Communities," eliminating some of the stigma.

With a few resources and friends we threw together the Youth Life Center and to my great surprise the Durham Housing Authority gave us a free place within Cornwallis to begin making an impact.

Our first day was interesting to say the least. When our team arrived at the Center to open the doors on the first day, several bullets had been strategically shot through our front door the night before. The timing could not have been worse for a bunch of unpaid volunteers, but I was proud to see that faith was alive and nothing was going to stop our people from showing concern. Was this was a rite of passage? Whatever it was, nothing was going to stop the love of God from flowing.

It was a huge lift when Hall of Fame Football Player Darrel Green, came down from Washington D.C. to be a part of that inauguration. He personally funded the first ten computers and helped cast a vision of what our humble place could become. Another Redskin player shared too. It proved to be significant when men who came out of these communities would address the people right where they were living. Both men let us and the people in the community know that this Center could be a refuge of hope, a place of training, and a resource where dreams could live and not die.

Here is a snapshot of what I've learned from spending time in Cornwallis. First, the families are hurting yet very friendly. They welcomed us with sincerity and ease. It is mostly moms and kids since 99% are single mother households. Fathers are painfully missing. The annual household income averages less than $5,000 (this is not a misprint). When we first went in it was clear that oppression and hopelessness were winning.

It's been more than ten years now of our serving that wonderful community. There have been lots of challenges... more than I would have imagined. My hope of seeing this vision spread throughout Durham has yet to be realized. Often the funds are low and obstacles are high. The Center cannot always meet the needs that are present. Criticism we've faced at times has been justified. But one thing is for sure... many lives have been touched, hope has been released, and many young people have been transformed.

Transformation has happened on many levels. Children have had grades improve from D's and F's to A's and B's. Entire families have broken the chain of poverty and now enjoy jobs, incomes, and new homes outside of governmental intervention. These are the successes that make it all worthwhile. The real heroes, Life Center tutors who serve on a daily or weekly basis, are making a tangible difference that cannot be denied. One such volunteer, Jamie Latham, received an award from President Bush. (Visit www.ronlewisministries.com/letter.html for more information).

I have come to notice several things about the Cornwallis Community. First, we have a lot in common with the people there. My four sons have grown up with their kids. They have enjoyed a common bond in Christ, a common bond in a church family, and wholesome interests that have brought many of their youth to my home, often overnight. Dr. Martin Luther King was so right when he said Sunday morning at 11:00 is the most segregated hour of the week. We are missing so much when we accept segregation in our houses of worship and in our personal homes as well.

Another observation is how much the kids of Cornwallis want to learn and grow. They know something is missing in their lives and homes, and many want to find a way out. Finally, there is a load of talent in the inner city. It is replete with potential world-changers just waiting for a chance. All they need is a little encouragement to keep them from playing out a role they've seen on TV or in their "hood." I believe their dreams can come true with a little help from others.

It's been said, "Don't give the needy a fish, teach them to go fishing," and I agree. But also, let's teach them about pond ownership. These kids are "hungry" enough to make great business and civil leaders. With a little help from all of us, they will.

Many of us share a common hope: we want to transform Durham one life at a time. We've both had enough privileges to last a lifetime. It really is time to give back! It's refreshing to know that giving does not have to be a major sacrifice of effort, time or money. For me, it simply began 12 years ago with a 15-minute drive. That humble beginning brought King's Park and my family more blessings than we can ever repay.

In closing this already too-long blog, I want to ask a question that a scribe asked Jesus 2000 years ago... "Who is my neighbor?" (Luke 10:29). The Rabbi Jesus wanted to break down the ethnocentric thinking of his followers. He told them the powerful and relevant story of the Good Samaritan. To be honest, I could have spent my entire life and avoided my neighbor... Henry could too. Instead, we chose to get off when the bus stopped that late hot muggy night, and do something to make a difference. How about you? Ready to expand your world?

If you ever want to take a couple of hours and join the Life Center Team, you can find us at http://www.youthlifefoundation.org/. Or, just peruse the great list of opportunities at www.durhamcares.org. Your neighbor can't wait to meet you!