In a recent interview, PT interns from 1998 and 1999, Jeremy Bakker, Jon Rutty, and Bonnie Murray, reflected on their role in helping to start Project Transformation’s after-school program...
How did the idea of continuing to work with the children come about in 1999?
Jeremy: Honestly, Reverend Rene Lawson was a key influence in my decision to continue working. From the beginning of the program, he made it clear to us five interns who were assigned to his church that he would like for programming to continue beyond the summer. At some point during the summer he made a formal request to a fellow intern to continue working with the kids during the year. I overheard their conversation and asked Rev. Lawson whether he would support me in such a role. Bonnie: I think that Jeremy realized that he didn't want to wait a whole summer before seeing the kids again. I think he realized that there was a great need and a great opportunity for us to serve during the school year as well. He asked all of us at the end of that first summer who would be willing and able to continue, and Jon and I were ready. It helped that the three of us all attended UNT at the time, so often it worked out that we could carpool there together on Friday afternoons.
Why did you decide to stay involved in working with the children in an after-school program?
Jeremy: One night following bible study in the summer of 1998, several interns and I were talking with Shawn about the future of the program. We all knew that Project Transformation was something very special, and we were all willing to do whatever we needed to do to make it continue. We were recognizing changes within ourselves, and we were witnessing God working in powerful ways in the communities. Shawn informed us that the program would not continue through the year, and possibly not even during the next summer, because the program had no official budget and no secure source of funding.
Aware that Rev. Lawson was interested in continuing to strengthen the relationships with the children with whom we had worked during the year, I really felt that the only way to ensure that Project Transformation would continue the following summer was to take advantage of his initiative. I wanted to be able to show the leaders in the North Texas Conference that Project Transformation could and would do wonderful things. I wanted to provide empirical evidence that the program was worth funding. In my mind, keeping Project Transformation in the public eye was the most effective method
to fight for its survival. It was my way to shove my foot in the proverbial door that I saw closing.
Also, I fell in love with the kids. They wanted me to stay. They wanted the church to provide programming for them. Wesley Hall, where we offered programming at the time, was a safe haven for them. It was a happy place. It was a place where we could all come together to question God's work in our lives and the powerful attraction that drew us all toward that place. We were embarking on a shared journey that by any standard should have failed before it began. I think we were all drawn by the divine novelty of it all.
Jon: Well, Jeremy was right. They needed us. They needed the program. They needed something to look forward to, and we had a pretty good turn-out. Many times, there were more kids there than we could handle with the four of us. They depended on us for structure, and for rules for living. The parents needed (and continue to need) a place for their children to be so they could work.
Bonnie: I knew that children have a need for spiritual and educational guidance year-round, and that this need is only met when there is someone there to spend time with them. Also, I had a desire to further develop my own ministry leadership skills. Equipped with PT training and close relationships with our site pastors, Rev. Enrique Gonzales and Rev. Javier Escalera, I learned how to model and teach Christianity to the children in the program.
What were some of the joys and challenges with informally starting an after-school program?
Jon: I think the greatest joy was seeing the kids come together and seeing them take in the Word of God. Seeing one smile from them was a victory because many of them did not have anything to smile about. To hear them say our names with excitement as they told us stories about their week, or how they were doing in school was worth it. The truth is, I needed that when I came. I wanted to quit for a long time, but I knew that they needed us to be their. Jeremy and I were both tired, but we had to see it through. We made a commitment, and that is not taken lightly in their neighborhood.
There were plenty of struggles. Kids are kids and they didn’t always listen. We did not have a lot of money for materials, but some families were faithful. The church leadership was faithful to see us through.
Bonnie: One joy, with such an informal start, was that anything seemed possible. No one could say, "We’ve always done it this way", because we hadn't done it yet. A lot of prayer went into what we did, and we tried our best to know the children well as individuals so that we might meet them where they were. We had a very tiny budget for supplies and lots of active children who walked over from the neighboring school. Every moment was precious in that you knew two things: 1) it was only by God's grace that we few college students could become instruments of God's transforming power in the lives of those Dallas children. 2) It did make a difference that we were there (in our lives and in the children's). Things I will always remember about those first two years:
1) Witnessing the real interplay between the Bible and the everyday concerns of urban youth relating to God.
2) The children's heartfelt prayers to God.
3) The camaraderie and spiritual closeness of our team in ministry
4) The energy, emotion, and hilarity of the children's personalities
5) The unique offerings of our one lone elderly volunteer who provided history lessons to the children.
6) Scooters
7) The sound of Jon and Gerard's guitars
8) Hearing Jeremy calmly state, with a grin to a stubborn child, "I have infinite patience".
9) Our team visiting with Pastor Enrique at his house after the program on Friday nights over tuna fish sandwiches made by his wife Carolina.
10) Feeling and knowing the presence of God.
Jeremy: It was a logistical nightmare. At the time I was completing my degree at The University of North Texas while living in The Colony with my parents. Each Friday at the conclusion of classes in Denton, I would pick up Bonnie Murray, and we would meet Jon Rutty at a local pizza joint. We would eat lunch, talk about our plans for the day, and carpool down to Oak Cliff. It was probably not enough time to prepare for the implementation of a high-achieving goal-oriented program. At the time, however, it was all that the three of us could do. All three of us were highly involved in other activities and held down jobs beyond the afterschool program.
What were the goals at the time of continuing to be involved with the children?
Jeremy: After all these years, my two goals for the first year of the program sound trite and rather simplistic. My first goal was to keep the door of the church open to the community. As I noted above, it was the only way that I could imagine the church strengthening its relationship with the community and the only way I could imagine the North Texas Conference not forgetting about Project Transformation. My second goal was to love the children. I wanted them to know that they would always be able to find a place of joy, comfort, and peace within the walls of The United Methodist Church.
Jon: Our first goal was to just be there. We wanted them to have a place to come so that they could have alternatives to getting into trouble, or walking home alone, or staying at home without any supervision. From there we wanted to teach them the Bible. They looked up to us as adults, and we wanted them to see how our lives reflected the words on the pages we were reading them. We wanted them to have a snack so that if it were the only thing they ate all day, it would at least be something. We wanted them to make relationships with each other. We wanted them to depend on each other so they would not turn to gangs. We also wanted the program to grow into a larger ministry that encompassed their family members. We wanted to facilitate opportunities for their parents to be involved in their children’s lives.
Bonnie: To keep progress going in the areas of reading and spiritual development, as well as to continue our relationships with the children.
What did you enjoy most about your PT experience?
Jon: More than anything, I enjoyed the relationships I was able to build with the other interns and others in ministry. I was glad that we gave these children an alternative to sitting at home and watching TV or getting into trouble, but the interns were growing in leadership, and God was using us to do something amazing in North Texas. It was bigger than any of us had ever expected it to be.
More than anything, I enjoyed the relationships I was able to build with the other interns and others in ministry. I was glad that we gave these children an alternative to sitting at home and watching TV or getting into trouble, but the interns were growing in leadership, and God was using us to do something amazing in North Texas. It was bigger than any of us had ever expected it to be.
Bonnie: It is hard to say what I enjoyed most about my PT experience. If I had to say one thing, it would be the opportunity as a young adult to step up and lead in ministry. There have been few other experiences in my life that have helped me grow as much as a Christian, team player, and human being.
Jeremy: I really enjoyed the leadership opportunities that I was given. Through Project Transformation, I was given support on many different levels that would not have been available had I tried to work alone.
The Friday experiences helped me to find my calling. Before I participated in Project Transformation, I had no idea that there was anything known as religious studies in the university setting. Frankly, I had never cracked the binding of a bible. Our visit to Perkins School of Theology afforded me the opportunity to make connections that launched me into my current field of study. I was fortunate to be able to have lunch with Dr. Robin Lovin. How many naive 21 year olds are given the opportunity to sit down and have a lengthy conversation with a world-renowned scholar/teacher/administrator? That lunch conversation opened the door to Perkins School of Theology, which
allowed me to complete an internship with Dr. Lovin and Dr. Mark Chancey during my final semester, which was both the catalyst and (I think) one of the unique experiences that helped my application to Yale rise to the top.
What are you doing now, and did your experience at PT influence your direction at all?
Jeremy: Currently, I am a Ph.D. student in the Department of Religious Studies at Yale University. My discipline of study is the New Testament. Upon the completion of my degree, I hope to teach New Testament in a United Methodist seminary. As I noted above, my experience with Project Transformation was pivotal in my decision to pursue a career in academia.
Bonnie: When I was first recommended to PT, I remember a family member of mine predicting that I would go into Christian ministry. At the time, I was studying Elementary Ed., and laughed at him saying that I would go in order to gain experience with children, but didn't foresee the same thing. I heard the clear call to attend seminary at Perkins School of Theology just three years later, and graduated with a Masters of Divinity degree in May of 2006. I am currently working as the, part-time, Director of Operations for a non-profit organization, supported by UM churches, called Vision Africa. We "Share God's Love" through the planting of churches, medical outreach, AIDS education, uplifting music through our African Radio Station, and the training up of leaders through African seminars. The goals of Vision Africa are actually similar to the goals of Project Transformation. Both groups share Christian love through the building up of children, youth, and young adults. Without my experience in Project Transformation, I probably would have never been exposed to the possibility of seminary, or the prospect of working for a non-profit organization such as Vision Africa.
Jon: For me, it was the starting point for my long term ministry. I was able to see how others worked for the Lord in various vocations. At the time, youth ministry was my calling. I still have a heart for youth, and I believe I always will. But I was a youth minister for 5 years in the United Methodist Church before I became a Worship Pastor. Today, I am proud to say that I lead worship for the Table in Rockwall. My experience at Project Transformation taught me the need for others in ministry. It didn’t matter how well I knew the Bible, but if I didn’t learn to depend on others in ministry and share my passion for ministry then I would never make it. It is amazing what happens when a church comes together. The entire North Texas Conference rallied around us for the first year in Project Transformation and I saw opportunities that I probably would have never imagined.
Is there anything else you would like to share about the launch of PT's after-school program?
Jeremy: I cannot emphasize enough the work by the leadership of the North Texas Conference that was done behind the scenes to ensure that we had the support necessary to continue to work at Elmwood. I am especially thankful for the life and ministry of Dr. Leighton Farrell. His influence on my particular work with and the broader impact and success of Project Transformation cannot be overstated.
Bonnie: The start of the first program was a work of God. It was inspired by and sustained through the work of the Holy Spirit. It could not have happened if it weren't for those following Christ's example of love in an inconvenient world. There was...
1) The initiative of a college student who lived an hour away from Dallas to start the program in Oak Cliff; 2) Pastors and congregations willing to chip in a few bucks for crayons and a few tuna fish sandwiches for hungry interns. 3) Student and elderly volunteer leaders giving sacrificially of their time. 4) Parents and children willing to enter into relationship with people different from themselves as we grew closer to one another and to God.