Sozo / healing ministry // larger vision- looking long-term

Here’s the promised follow-up regarding the bigger picture for Sozo / healing ministry.

First, there are two ministry outlets we would like to see.

1. Sozo. If you have been to one of the training sessions, you have been exposed to these tools. The tools are effective ministry tools, which facilitate inner healing and freedom- be it in a counseling session or quickly on a prayer line or in a prayer tent somewhere.

2. Healing Room. This would be a (as it begins) once-a-month time for those needing healing prayer to come and receive the prayer. We have written more about this in the conference notes from the Bethel Church Opens Heavens Conference. This link will pull up the PDF of those notes for the entire conference, by the way, in a separate window. Or, you can click here for the pages covering the Healing Rooms only: Healing Room notes.

Now, these would provide for multiple ways for you to get involved. Here are a few options:

1. We will take every resident of The Village (currently men and women… in the next few weeks we will open the family wing) through a Sozo. We will need a small army of volunteers to do this.

2. We will use the same tools at any worship services / gatherings we do, for people who are available to pray for and minister to others who come. We currently teach a large group class every Tuesday night. We plan to have a ministry

3. We will providing one-day Sozo training seminars on-site at The Village at least three times this year- in addition to the other ministry outlets (such as the team coming on March 24 from Bethel). The first was on February 4; the next is scheduled for June 2; the third will be October 6. We need administrators and hospitality people and every other thing needed to pull-off the next seminars. Ideally, we would love to have a ministry team at each of these.This would enhance the “demo” portion of the seminars dramatically.

4. We will provide off-site seminars at least 5-6 additional times over the next year (basically, one a month in the months we are not leading them on-site at The Village). Here a few upcoming opportunities:

• February 25, 2012 (a Saturday). Brannon will lead the first on February 25 (a Saturday) at the Birmingham Prayer Furnace.

• Another is scheduled for Cullman in April. Date and time TBA. We would love to have a team that we can take to these seminars to provide hospitality, administration needs- and to be ready to do ministry.

5. We will work with you to pursue other open doors the Lord shows us in His timing.

Top 5 from last week

Here’s the top 5 for the past week- the high points of the week, in some way. Some are obviously very important; others aren’t that important, but give you a good feeling of something happening in the right direction.

1. The dental lab is on-site. It’s not connected to its power or plumbing- but it’s there / here. When operational, we’ll have 3 dental chairs and be able to clean, extract, and fill. You can read more about the lab here.

2. Sozo ministry is about to roll… We had a great meeting earlier in the week, post-first training session last Saturday, about some implementation issues (how to do it) with Sozo. We’ll email and post in the next few days about what this might look like, as well as give you some info on how to sign-up to visit when the Bethel team from Atlanta comes to The Village at the end of March (24th).

3. New sofas for the prayer room at The Village. Standard Furniture blessed us this week (again). We received a call from them about sofas they wanted to send our way. We went to get them- and ended up (over the course of two trips), with a four leather sofas and a few king-sized mattresses. The sofas are outfitting the new prayer room; the mattresses will be used for the family wing of the new property in the next few weeks. By the way, once the pics are hung in the room at the beginning of next week, that room is ready to go.

4. Our books are available on Amazon.com. Yes, you read that right. They are printed- like real books (they are real books). People can get them on Amazon. Right now, you can find:

• Purpose: Moving From Where I Am To Where I’m Designed to Be (this is what we teach during the large group Tuesday evening classes). Here’s a link to Amazon.

• Identity: Who I Really Am (we teach it now as a small group, as need leaders for Spring 2012. This is the same information I taught on The Blood of Jesus at The Birmingham Dream Center in Spring 2011). Here’s a link (this is the book pictured on this post, by the way).

• Direction: The Job / Life Development Process (info we use for career development and life training). Here’s the link.

We also have Starting Point (our intake manual for the discipleship program), as well as Team Playbook (employee handbook, policies and procedures, etc.) on the way. Obviously, those aren’t as interesting to read or review.

Finally, the last book, Relationships: Who is More Important than What, will be available in the next month or so.

We’re excited, as all of this is the actual information we use at The Village. And it’s all in the actual format we use.

5. Two former residents- back in touch. The last two weeks, we received word from two former residents. One phoned and emailed; the other simply dropped by. Both are newly married and are doing extremely well. I’ve posted one’s update online. I’ll post the other’s in a few weeks.

At the end of the day, they’re why we do what we do: Life change, total life transformation. The reality is the the Lord gives second, third… fifteenth… and fiftieth chances…

Grace to you.

More about the Sozo training / doing for the weekend of March 24, 2012

Shot from Sozo training on February 4, 2012.

Here’s the promised follow-up to the Sozo training we did on February 4, 2012. Note: this post includes simple mechanics of who, what, when, and where for the March 24 Sozo event. A near-future post will include a vision for the team and show you a snapshot of what is to come.

1. The team from Bethel Atlanta will be here on March 24, 2012 (a Saturday). That team will be here to do Sozo sessions all day. Here are the times that you can do a session:

• 10:00 am – 12 noon
• 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
• 3:15 pm – 5:15 pm

2. There are up to seven slots at each session. This means you can sign top for the same time as someone else (this means we have 21 availabilities for you- i.e.,  3 times x 7 openings at each time slot).

3. The suggested donation per sessions $75.00, to cover the expenses of the team coming from Atlanta, as well as honor them. You need to pay in advance for this, either by check or (preferably) by PayPal. We have that account working now- you can follow this link and it will pull up our PayPal page (PayPal will pull up in a new window, so you will not lose your place on this page).

Important dates:

• Sign up by March 10. Please sign up by Saturday March 10- two weeks before the Sozo sessions. This will help us plan space / rooms and match people together.

• Cancel with no penalty by March 17. Note: you can cancel your session with a  full refund up to one week before the session (in this case, cancel by Saturday, March 17. After that point, the registration is non-refundable, as this cost will cover the expenses of the team coming to serve us.

• Come experience the Sozo on March 24.

4. You can sign up for a session by contacting Brannon Nix (he led the last session on February 4- so if you were here, you know who you’ll be calling). His contact info is as follows: Sozo@WelcomeToTheVillage.net (email) or 205-318-3080 (mobile).

5. You can sign up for a Sozo session- with you as the one being ministered to; you can also sign up to sit-in as a “third” or a “second.” Remember, part of the implementation of this ministry is that you go through the process of:

1. Receiving a Sozo, followed by
2. Sitting in as a third (3 times), followed by
3. Sitting in a second (4 times)… several times… before ever being released to lead a session as a first. And, when you lead as a first, a seasoned “first” will be your “second” until you are comfortable leading the sessions.

You do not need to pay to sit in as a second or third. However, we still need you to sign up by contacting Brannon.

6. When signing up, tell us the following (just send an email or call and we’ll get the ball rolling).

• Are you wanting to sit in as a Sozo-ee (being ministered to), or as a third or a second…?

• If a third or second, when did you receive a Sozo (note: it does not have to be with us- it could have been at Bethel Atlanta, Bethel in Redding, etc.).

Again, we’ll post more about the vision of this team in another day or so.

The kind of phone calls and emails you love to get

I received an email last week from a former resident in our program named Torris (yes, that’s his real name- no pseudonym). Torris came to The Village about 2.5 years ago (I can’t believe it’s been that long). He had made a few mistakes, found himself in prison, and came to us on early release.

He proved to be an upstanding man with a humble spirit, a strong work ethic, and a desire to press forward- leaving in the past the things that were in the past.

He took a job at a local food distribution center- and soon became a manager. He volunteered with the Prayer Force United prayer walks.He began feeding the homeless on Sunday mornings at the outdoor church in Linn Park.

Eventually, he moved up north to help raise grandkids and be near family.

Torris calls every 5-6 months and gives me the update. This kids doing this, that one’s doing that…

I received a phone call about two months ago: “I’m married, now- and I’m going to send you pics. Real pictures. Not emailed ones. Real ones.” The snapshot to the right is one of the three or four I received.

I received an email about two weeks ago:

Do you have any information that would assist me in setting up a prayer walk through my church.  Would I have to contact city officials? What else do I need to do?  I would appreciate a speedy response if you can, because I have a meeting on Thursday night to discuss this great idea with my church, and told them how successful it was for us when I was there. I’m sorry for such a short notice…

It spoke volumes to me. Here’s a brother who was down- and now is up… and now is helping others get up.

And, yes, the guys at Prayer Force United forwarded him a file of Excel Spreadsheets- complete with calendars, publicity info, and strategic planning. Torris is well on his way.

By the way, you can reach Torris at DaddyOf5Girls@yahoo.com .

Top 5 from last week

Here’s the top five highlights from the past week at The Village. I’ve posted these on the blog on the ministry website, too, by the way. In no particular order of importance, here’s the updates:

1. Sozo ministry training. We ran the first Sozo ministry training / equipping seminar on Saturday, February 4, 2012, at our new facility. Brannon knocked it out of the park (that’s him teaching in the pic above). He’s a new guy on staff who came to us from Bethel Church. After spending some time in Redding, CA, he spent more time at the Bethel Church in Atlanta, GA, before heading to Birmingham. We had over 50 people at the first seminar. There’s another one on the calendar for early June- in addition to others that Brannon will host / lead off-site.

By the way, the Bethel Sozo team (from Atlanta) is coming to The Village on March 24, 2012. They will be “doing sozos,” as well as providing you with the opportunity  to learn in an hands-on way once you’ve been through  sozo session. We’ll post more details on The Village site this week about this opportunity.

2. New van. Last May we started looking at a grant possibility for a new van. Now, about 9-10 months later, we have the van! This is a major blessing- as we provide transportation for job opportunities, educational endeavors, and medical appointments for 98% of the men and women in the residential discipleship programs.

3. More space. This week, we’ll double our dining space with the addition of the back deck off the dining hall. This will not only provide us with more space out back- it will open up an entire yard area that can be used for more outdoor living space. I’ll post pictures when it’s complete.

4. Dental lab. I posted about this on The Village site a few days ago. We have a dental lab (a working lab, nonetheless) coming to the new property. Since it’s on a trailer, it won’t take away from any building space. It will be moved Tuesday. We’ll update more when it arrives.

5. Amazon.com- in the new week, we’ll start the new curriculum that we’ve recently penned. An interesting tidbit is that people will be able to get this info- both what we will be teaching in large group venues and in small group venues from what is purportedly the “world’s largest online retailer.” We’ll post links to that when everything’s ready to go- we’re reviewing the final proofs this week.

Sozo Training // final details for February 4, 2012 event (9am – 4pm)

We’re excited about the first training session tomorrow- and excited to host this first event at our new facility. We’ve been in the new home for about a month now- and you’ll be the first group to come in.

That said, here are a few details for you:

1) Registration / payment. We haven’t been able to get PayPal to sync with our website. We have an account- but have the kinks to work out on embedding it. Just pay when you get there, at the front door. You can make your checks out to “The Village” with “Sozo Training” in the “for” section. That will help our book-keeper track the flow. Again, the cost is $25.00.

2) Time. We’ll have the doors open as early as 8:30 am- and have somebody in the front lobby to receive you.  You can sign in, get a name tag, and a book, and they’ll direct you right where to go. We’ll have some snacks available when you get there.

3) Parking. Park anywhere you want to. We have plenty of parking- but you’ll see that some of it is covered by a dumpster, a bus, and a storage container that looks like the back of a train cart. I say that, because we do not yet have a sign outside that says “The Village” (it’s on the way). Use the directions below- and you’ll see those “landmarks” all out in front of our building.

4) The sign outside. There is a sign (small, white with blue trim) that says “Mountainview Healthcare” (the former tenant). That’s the right place. We are the only commercial / office building in the area. We are a former nursing home- one level… big… brown and tan. That will help you find us, too.

5) Prayer. We have a team coming to pray over the facility about 4:00 pm. If you would like to stay for 30 minutes or so and pray over the facility with us, we would love for you to. Either way, we’ll be sure the Sozo training is over so you are free to leave.

We have about 40-45 registered for tomorrow (more than we originally planned). That said, we still have room for more. If you know of someone who wants to come, let them know the details and simply send them our way.  It’s going to be a great day!

I’ve copied the directions below again, for you.

By the way, if you get lost, call the following office number. It will ring the front desk: 205-868-3751. You’ll find it no problem, though : )

Here is the address for the new property:

507 Whitmore Drive, Birmingham, Alabama 35221.

Here are some quick directions: Take Lakeshore going West from I-65. You will pass the Walmart / Sam’s megaplex on your left and some other Wildwood shops on your right (O’Charley’s, Chilil’s, etc.). Keep going. You will pass John Carroll High School on your right…. and continue driving down Lakeshore. In fact, you will pass Oxmoor Road and a total of about 6 traffic lights (a distance of about 3 miles). You will be traveling like you’re going to Highway 150, which Lakeshore eventually intersects- but that is too far if you make it there.

Anyway, from Lakeshore, take a right at Sydney. I believe it is the 7th light from I-65- though I have not counted them yet. Another landmark at this turn: Aldersgate United Methodist Church will be on your left. Again, go right down Sydney. You will likely notice signs that point you to Lawson State Community College, too.

Sydney winds- take it for about a mile. You will come to a traffic light (the only one). A convenience store sits across the street from you (it is white). Take a left right here a the light onto Ishkooda-Wenonah Road. You will go left for 1/2 mile, almost exactly.

This streets winds a bit. But, at the 1/2 mile marker you will take a right onto Whitmore Drive/ 44th Street.

Immediately as you turn, you can see the facility on your left. It is a one-story building, tan in color. Lots of windows. Again, the address is 507 Whitmore Drive, Birmingham, Alabama 35221.

One of the most unique donations we’ve been given: Trailer from the “Dental Clinic” football games

Here’s a quick update on a(nother) fabulous donation to The VIllage:

A few weeks ago we were put in contact with Edwina Taylor, the Executive Director for Cahaba Valley Healthcare.  Evidently, they had a portable dental clinic ready to hand to us, due to a local dentist offering them space inside an actual office (CVH provides free medical and dental services all across our city).

The trailer is a bit historic. I remember by high school (Erwin High) playing in the “Dental Clinic Classic” football games when I was in high school. We actually won this  play-off game three years in a row- from 1990 through 1992 (not that anyone’s keeping score). You can check the stats right here. You’ll see that the “Dental Clinic” (as we called it) ran from 1948 until 1995. Then it was over.

Anyway, the ticket sales from the games used to go to fund free dental clinics placed throughout the city. All the labs were on trailers. The trailer above is one of the 15 or so that were in operation- so it’s a small piece of Birmingham memorabilia that we have been given. The lab is 45 feet long, 10 feet wide, and has three dental chairs- in addition to the x-ray equipment.

The shot above is one I took with a camera phone to pass on to the truck driver who will pull this thing this next week, so it’s not a very good shot. However, if you got close you could see the actual plaque mentioning the football games on the side of the right hand door.

We’ll place the lab at the new facility- and hope to put it in operation this Spring. The goal will be to provide extractions as well as cleaning and fillings for our residents of The Village- and others nearby in need.

The good people at Cahaba Valley Healthcare have provided us with lists and sheets and plans for everything we need. Now, we simply need to stock it, staff it, and do the ministry.

What can you do?

• Volunteer. We need to clean it, rebuild the deck (we took the wood!) that is in front of the trailer, and staff it. If you are a dentist, a hygienist, a cleaner, or a builder, we need your help.

• Give. We need supplies and money to run the lab. The clinic is valued at approximately $100,000. We’ll need about $15,000 worth of disposables to get rolling (we have all of the equipment, including an auto-clave and an x-ray machine- even a digital one!). We’ll start raising the resources- and open up when everything is in place.

• Pray. Pray for the right timing, for the right people, for the right resources…

By the way, we’ll have an open house at the new place on March 3, 2012 (a Saturday), from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. It will be “come and go.” You can see the clinic then.