Updates from the Heart

September 20, 2002

Dear Heart of the City Partner,

The day was September 8, 2002. The time, 3:30PM. Edward Paulino and I sat in the fellowship hall in awe. With tears in our eyes we were celebrating what God had done. We were just an hour away from a building dedication we never thought possible.

This story began just over a year ago. When we first arrived in San Francisco, we were clear on one thing – God was calling our family to be about His work here in this neighborhood in San Francisco. Upon arriving, we began to feel God moving in the existing churches of the city. Just down the street from us stood an old church building with pealing paint. The sign out front read, “Free Methodist Church.” The pastor’s name listed was Edward Paulino.

The bus stop we frequently used was directly in front of the church. While waiting for the bus each day, I began to pray, “God, if it is Your will, open the door to an encounter with Edward Paulino.” I didn’t know much about the Free Methodists and had no idea whether the church was even in use, but it was evident that this building had served a community of God’s people for well over 100 years.

God answered that prayer in two weeks through a phone call. It was my youth pastor from high school, Ron Vining. He was calling to tell me that his denomination, Free Methodist, was sending him to plant a church in Santa Cruz. We immediately rejoiced that God had moved both of us to the west coast within an hour’s drive of each other. But the story got better. I said, “Ron, I thought you were my Baptist youth pastor.” He went on to explain the history of the Free Methodists, dating back to John Wesley, and that he had come to know Christ in a Free Methodist Church in rural Pennsylvania. Well, I went on to explain that there was a Free Methodist Church building just two blocks from my house. He couldn’t believe it.

To make a long story short, Ron connected me to the denomination point person who connected me to Edward Paulino, and in April of 2001 Edward and I broke bread for the first time and shared our stories. I explained our ministry dream for the Heart of the City. Later we discovered that Edward and Ron had worked together in New York. That day, we realized that God had orchestrated details along the way for over 12 years, details that pieced together our meeting that day.

As the relationship between Edward and I began to unfold, we found ourselves serving together and seeking spiritual restoration for our neighborhood. Kel and I began serving with him as he cared for the small aging congregation of the Free Methodist Church. Edward then joined our Faith Community pastoral team and later transitioned the church to a Faith Community.

This church building has now become a gathering place for our faith festivals and all the Faith Communities. It is an amazing treasure. Built as a rural church in the late 1800s, it is one of the oldest buildings in the neighborhood. With the real estate crunch of the city, the building is worth over two million dollars.

At the time of my first meeting with Edward, however, the building was dilapidated, filled with what appeared to be 50 years of clutter, broken windows, pealing paint, rotten wood, rats, and several generations of carpet and paneling. We knew that there was no way we could afford the restoration of the building, and its condition was bad enough to be a hindrance to our festivals.

The denomination had given Edward an assigned amount of money for repairs, but most of that money had only covered his salary and the repairs in the parsonage. How could we see this work through? Well God sent us our first missions team in May of 2001. We believed – believed that God would move that mountain, and He did. Together with you, our Heart of the City supporters, Campus Crusade, summer interns, seven Urban-Eyes missions teams, and with the generosity of Faith Communities and many other individuals, we completed the restoration of the fellowship hall, sanctuary, counseling room, offices, children’s rooms and the kitchen. What a miracle!

I have never been a part of a more difficult, yet exciting project. The McCord family has been forever changed. We have been given a glimpse of what can happen when God’s people unite under a common cause. Thank you for giving. This project would not have been possible without the Heart of the City team.

On that day in September, we watched as the building filled with our Faith Communities and other friends who had joined us in the project. Over 160 people came out that night. As I stood back and reflected on what was happening, I realized that this building brought us together. The tired dream of a few faithful followers of Christ was strengthened, and God used their dream to unite us in a future with Him. God used the past to connect us for His future.

This building has taught me so much about myself, about others, and about our faith lived out in community. It was in this building that I had the privilege of baptizing our daughter Kayla. It was this building that brought Edward and I together. It is this building that brings our Faith Communities together. This building is also a reminder of our call to the restoration of a city. God is the great restorer. More than ever we believe that we are called to inspire others who follow Jesus to seek the well being of their cities. We seek to do that by way of modeling, connecting and training. I pray that you will continue to pray for our city, but also yours. Pray that God will raise up people who believe in seeking the peace of their city, believing that in that prayer He will be glorified. Pray that God will deliver the peace that passes all understanding.

Your support contributes to many different projects here in San Francisco. This summer we also hosted two summer interns, two Urban-Eyes mission teams, we contributed towards the ministries of Campus Crusade, Global Spectrum, the Lantow family and the Bernal Neighborhood Center. Along with our time, we contributed over $5,000 of HOC funds to the remodeling of the building.

Our family is well. Hannah is now two months old. God has met each and every medical bill to date. Thank you for praying and giving. Kayla has started school at Fairmount Elementary, a local neighborhood school. She is studying under the Spanish immersion program. After her first day of school we asked her how she liked it. She answered, “I loved school, but didn’t understand much.” With each passing day she is learning more of the language. Chase continues to grow to love baseball. He’s 2 years and 4 months old, and is ready to play in the big leagues. Kellie is amazing. She not only holds our household together mothering three, and helping me, she is also involved in the neighborhood by way of the toddler programs and the Bernal Neighborhood Center.

We have been in the city for a year and a half now. God has taken a dream and transformed it. We believe that this next year will be pivotal to our future. We are gaining clarity as to how we should live and what we should be doing as part of God’s move in the city. Cities have historically been difficult places to live in, but it is our desire to learn to abide in America’s urban centers for the long haul, and to help others who feel the same call. Thank you for believing in us, learning with us and making the investment in us.

Many blessings!


Ken

posted by Ken McCord @ 4:57 PM