CSMs Five-Year Focus: A Note From Tracy Hipps

The Christian Service Mission has been around for 45 years and I am excited about our future. We recently completed a strategy meeting and our focus over the next 5 years will be in four areas of ministry: Food, Housing, Outreach and the use of our Ministry Center.  

We are focused on food because it is a great tool to serve the least of these. We are building and rehabbing houses because it is the foundation of community health. We participate in outreach because it is the place where eternal change can happen. And, the ministry center is where the collaboration is created and sustained. The goals of these ministries are accomplished through volunteers and the mobilization of the church. 

Our future is built on the foundation of a vision that allows us to connect resources with needs in order to see lives changed through the power of the Gospel.  Thank you for walking with CSM through the last five years of change and I look forward to partnering with you for an exciting future.

Rebuilding A Family Home In Pratt City

The homeowner received a grant from ARCH
 to rebuild her home. 

Many Birmingham city residents are still dealing with storm damage from the April 2011 tornadoes, living with family and friends, and trying to figure out ways to put their lives back together. This winter we met a working single Mom of two through our partnership with ARCH who asked us to rebuild the a home completely destroyed by the tornadoes. CSM is excited to be able to bring this Mom and her children back into a home and it is even more special because it is the same land where she grew up.

This spring we were reviewing our commitments and realized that we needed some additional help with this home. A few days later God provided and sent representatives from B.L. Harbert to meet with us. As part of their company values, each project has to complete a community project and we were so excited that they chose us! B.L. Harbert will be completing all the inside and exterior landscaping work so watch for more news to come on this great collaboration!

God brings the right people at the right time to help us accomplish our goals.

Everyday one of us is asked by a volunteer or community member "How is the Mission able to accomplish all that it does?" God has given us a great opportunity with the large building space, food ministry, the ability to rehab and build houses, gardens, outreach, discipleship, mentoring, and so much more. Our Executive Director, Tracy Hipps, is often heard quoting 1 Thessalonians 5:24 "He who calls you is faithful, He will surely do it." And over and over we get to watch a need arise and God bring just the right people to fill it. 

The Jackson Olin Class of 2015 picked CSM as their Senior project and we loved working with them. We had several projects that needed a lot of hands and this fun group came in and got straight to work helping us accomplish our goals. Because of their large size, we were able to split them up and have groups working in our gardens, sorting food donations in the cooler, sorting large donations in the warehouse, and turning a forgotten storage room into an activity room. The groups were so much fun and we hope they come back and volunteer with us again in the future! 

Video: Tate Hipps
Music: "Nothing I Can't Do (feat. Trip Lee and Lecrae)" by Tedashii 

•