Following God. Abraham did it. Esther did it. Noah did it. Paul did it. And guess how all these people seemed to everyone else:
completely crazy! Sometimes following Jesus takes you on unexpected paths, but it’s in this act of faith and following that we come to know God all the more.
I’m writing to you to talk about some upcoming transitions in my life, some acts of faith I’ll be making, and how friends and family can be involved.
God began to guide my heart to the city the summer after my freshman year of college. It was then that I first worked at Kids Across America (KAA), an urban sports camp. Since then, I’ve spent the past 4 years praying for God’s direction about how this should look in my life, whether going to an urban area, working at a camp for urban youth, or planting myself right in Wabash to share what I’ve learned. This summer I worked with a friend of my dad’s in Chicago. The team showed a strong sense of unity, displayed a deep desire to love and serve their neighbors, and lived out the Gospel through their community relationships. It was through God’s distinct call and these values that my next step became clear.
Starting in October, I will be joining the team in Chicago. Let me tell you a little about them and what I’ll be doing.
Westlawn Gospel Chapel is a small church that has been on the West side of Chicago for over 50 years. It is located in the community of North Lawndale. North Lawndale has so many attributes that make it a beautiful community; the depth of history and the warmth of neighbors to name just a few. Even though the community has some wonderful qualities, it also has its share of challenges as well. As a 98% African American community, it has been historically marginalized due to racial and economic discrimination. With over 40% of the population below the poverty line, access to resources such as grocery stores and health needs can sometimes be lacking.
And so, 25 years ago the church made the youth in the community a priority by creating it’s non-profit youth program, Westlawn Youth Network (WYN). WYN is a 501c3 organization that focuses on youth leadership development through five core areas: physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and cultural. WYN is made up of a small diverse team of people from the church who mentor youth and run local programming out of the church youth center. One of the regular programs is a summer day camp for 2nd-8th grade students. Usually this incorporates leadership development and employment for local high school students as well. Other programs have included after school tutoring, and middle and high school clubs. This year the team is discussing programming options; which could include a deeper focus on family and community, such as family movie nights, culinary training and community meals, and more involvement in the local school.
My role on this team will have 2 main objectives. First, one of the main parts of my role is to come on the team as a learner. I’ll be a sponge, gaining knowledge from this team of experienced urban youth workers. I’ll be living with a family in the community and learning the ends and outs of living in a community like North Lawndale. And second, I’ll be actively involved in most youth programming. Once I arrive, the team and I will work together to best discern how my gifts and strengths meet with an area of opportunity within the community. This will probably include a focus with middle school girls. This is an area that WYN has been hoping to develop further, and so my joining the team will be a part of reaching that goal. Working with middle school girls could mean working in areas of mentorship, bible studies, tutoring in their schools, and hopefully retreats as well, all skills I have been honing from my time at Taylor and at KAA.
As I take this step, I pray that many of you might feel led to partner with me in this ministry. After all, my being in North Lawndale isn’t just about me! It’s also about connecting people to the opportunity to learn and grow from my experiences at the church there. Thank you all for being a part of my life, and a part of the journey that has brought me to this point. I am so excited for what God has planned and am blessed to have you to walk with me.
Called & Crazy,
Amy Jo Dawes
The entire WYN staff receives their salaries by raising financial support through ministry partners. We see this as an opportunity for the global church, to work together so that the good news of the Gospel is spread to both resourced and under resourced communities.
If you feel called to partner with me in this ministry through prayer and/or financial support e-mail me to receive more information: amyjodawes@gmail.com
