April 2, 2004

East Tennessee Missionary Project:
Transforming Lives Holistically

People who do not have adequate food to nourish their bodies, cannot develop to their full potential--physically, mentally, or spiritually. The East Tennessee Missionary Project recognizes the needs of the hungry. They serve snacks and meals to many in some of the poorest neighborhoods in the state, but the ministry does not stop there. The East Tennessee Missionary Project goes on to address the social needs of those it serves. This project encompasses the Chattanooga Urban Ministries Center, a mobile home park ministry, and several cell groups.

The mission of the Chattanooga Urban Ministries Center includes helping “children of all ages to discover how to live a more joyful and peaceful lifestyle with Jesus Christ and each other. … The Center will provide a holistic approach to developing moral character, which involves developing self-love, love for others, and love for the community.”

“Every aspect of their lives, we are involved in it,” said East Tennessee Missionary Project director and Chattanooga church planter Jimmy Munson of the nearly 400 people who are welcomed each week at the Chattanooga Urban Ministries Center. The center is located in what is ranked as the third most dangerous neighborhood in the state. Reaching out to people there can mean anything from giving youth rides to school or juvenile court to providing meals for those who have no food. Since the beginning, around 1998, Munson has seen real change.

He said, “The kids stay in school now. We used to have no kids on the honor roll. Now, the majority of kids involved with the center are on the honor roll. Families have been helped to get regular jobs and they reach out to help other families and invite them to church.” The average age of participants is 14.

The center is open between five and seven days per week offering a variety of programs and worship opportunities. Between 40 and 90 people attend Sunday celebration worship, well over 300 attend programs throughout the week, and nearly 400 people are served meals. From September 2002 to September 2003, a total of 20,176 people were provided with healthy meals and snacks. “The majority of folks being fed are children and homeless. They are not only being fed, but are making lifestyle changes that equip them to have a stronger future,” reported Munson.

Programs at the center include family devotions, Bible club, teen church, after-school study buddies, and neighborhood historical society meetings, as well as classes on nutrition, sex education, and other needed topics. A mentoring program creates a social support system that continues even when the center’s doors are closed. Groups of approximately five children work with a mentor teenager, while groups of teens are assigned young adult mentors. “They constantly keep in touch. The kids know, ‘Someone is thinking of me,’ because they get little notes or a phone call from their mentor,” explained Munson.

“We work together with the neighborhood so we’re not doing it all ourselves,” said Munson. A 25-person leadership team, featuring children through senior citizens from the ministry and the neighborhood, oversees the center. The ministry’s pastors are Kenny Alcorn and Jared Munson.

“One of the biggest needs was people always being hungry,” he said. Munson described the Chattanooga neighborhood to which his family initially arrived as a place where the only meal some elementary students received was at school, leaving them with nothing to eat on weekends. “If we served hotdogs,” he said, “they might take fourteen because they were afraid they would not be fed again.” Since that time, helped by funding from World Hunger grants, the center has been able to offer food every time the doors are open by serving snacks, meals, and stocking a food pantry.

“The kids are safer now,” said Munson; “There’s not as much violence in the neighborhood.” When kids are involved with the center, they are off the street. When their bellies are fed, they begin to concentrate on other things. “Children are finding happiness, security, self-confidence, health, and the gospel of Jesus Christ,” said Munson.

The results are evident. “We baptize about 25 people per year into the life of the church,” reported Munson. In all, more than 300 have committed their lives to Christ as a result of the East Tennessee Missionary Project. People generally get involved with the center through one of its many programs and are invited to come for worship.

Munson said, “It’s not easy, but if you’re willing to invest… If someone came to participate in this ministry for just one day, they probably wouldn’t like it. But if you give us two weeks, you’ll never want to do anything else.” He explains that this ministry to a population often referred to as “hard living” is something that “consumes you--becomes part of your passion.”

Some creative methods have allowed the project to achieve much on relatively few dollars. Although there are not many, the community’s local businesses show appreciation for the differences made by the East Tennessee Missionary Project by providing resources. Several merchants provide food donations while others contribute money.

The successes are many in this ministry. However, funding is a constant challenge. World Hunger Fund grants have been pivotal in getting the Urban Ministries Center world hunger program started. Munson expressed his gratitude for these grants and those who support the World Hunger Fund through World Ministries Mission Tithes.

Another source of funding is the Crumb Donors program, inspired by Matthew 15:21-25. This fund-raising effort allows supporters to commit to providing $10 or more each month to help sustain East Tennessee Missionary Project ministries. For more information, visit www.crumbdonors.net.

Munson shared that there are countless stories and testimonies about the transformation of lives touched by the East Tennessee Missionary Project. Teenage Crumb Donor and pastor Jared Munson’s book, Courageous Witness, shares several of these real life stories. A portion of the proceeds from each book sold goes to the Crumb Donors program. Call Herald House at 1-800-767-8181 (Canada: 1-800-373-8382) or visit www.HeraldHouse.org to purchase a copy.

-Kendra Friend reporting