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Ministries in Birmingham

Dawson members are touching lives

The commands from our Lord challenge us to reach others for Him, not only within the walls of our church, but also within the surrounding community, state, nation and worldwide. Our Life Guide focus this week is on the ways God can use Dawson members to change lives in Birmingham.

I didn't always get to go to church . . . now I can go every week Casey is a fifth grade student at Inglenook Elementary and he participates in Discovery Clubs of Alabama, a Bible Club that meets in schools after the school hours. Casey enjoys Discovery Clubs because for him, it is like going to church after school on Tuesdays, especially when he is not able to go to church on Sundays. Dawson member Betty Blackburn volunteers her time to meet with the children and has been able to personally see lives changed through Discovery Clubs.

My future was blurry . . .now I can see Edgar is a member of Dawson’s Hispanic Congregation. He developed a problem with the vision in his right eye and he had already lost vision in his left eye, making it nearly impossible to work. Edgar went to a vision screening conducted by Cahaba Valley Health Care, a ministry that provides free vision screenings and services for Hispanics. Several Dawson members volunteer in the screenings held at Dawson each year. Edgar had surgery on his eye, which was paid for through Cahaba Valley Health Care. He can see and is working again.

I was a prisoner to sin . . now I am truly free Marcus had been in and out of prison for over 10 years when he heard about Kairos Prison Ministry, which sends teams into prisons to share the Good News of Christ. Marcus attended a Kairos conference in prison and through the lessons shared there God began an amazing transformation in his life. After years of simply existing, he gave his life to the Lord. Today, Marcus is out of prison and serves with the Kairos Prison Ministry. There, he met Dawson member John Harpole and other Dawson men who go into prisons weekly and lead worship services and Bible studies to help change more lives through Christ.

I could not read . . .now I can read God's promises Sunshine was born with a condition that makes her bones very fragile so she did not go to school as a child and she never learned to read. At the age of 20 she decided it was time to make a drastic change. She had a strong desire to learn to read and contacted M-Power Ministries and she was matched with Kathy Creed, a Dawson member who volunteers her time to tutor those who want to learn to read. For three years, Kathy and Sunshine have worked together on Sunshine’s literacy skills. Kathy is a true friend to Sunshine and even opens her home to Sunshine and her sisters for holidays.

We dreamed of a better place . . . now we have a place to call home Christalan is a working, single mother of two. She and her children were living in a small, run-down apartment. Because Christalan had a job, she was caught between not making much money, but making too much to qualify for assistance. She applied to Habitat for Humanity and she was accepted and construction began on her house in February 2009. Many Dawson members volunteered their time and hard work to make this family’s dream come true.

I was lonely and stressed . . . now I am blessed When Frances Moon became a widow last year, she soon realized how overwhelming all the daily household chores become when completing them alone. She learned about Widows in Need, Women in Need, a ministry created by Dawson member Tim Bembry to minister to widows and women in need. Frances asked Tim for help with some of the chores around her home. Tim connected Frances with Dawson member Welles Pigford and he has been helping her with her yard work ever since. This ministry has been a lifesaver for Frances and she is overwhelmed by the goodness of these people who put their time, energy and money into helping widows in need.

These are just six examples of the many lives changed by the grace of God through ministries supported by the generous giving and serving of Dawson members. God is using your service and gifts to touch thousands of lives in Birmingham.