A Note From Tracy Hipps: Transformation

CSM Executive Director, Tracy Hipps, welcoming volunteers

There is a cultural condition in our communities that seek to define our worldview. It is this culture that has divided, fractured and broken relationships that are essential to flourishing as humans – our relationship with God, self, others and creation. We at CSM believe that the mission of God is centered on the restoration of these four foundational relationships.

Seeing the world through this lens has led CSM to view many of our city’s problems as a loss of relationship. In Birmingham, we see many individuals live with the values of entitlement, dependency, and separation. This leads to a culture characterized by divisiveness, inequality, and un-holiness. These cultural characters blind us from viewing human beings as we should: made in the image and likeness of God.

We believe we are a part of creating a healthier Birmingham for lasting transformation through reconciliation. Micah 6:8 helps us evaluate our health and teaches us what reconciliation looks like: “He has told you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?”

What is on God’s heart? To do justice. This is to live in the Gospel and to involve ourselves in renewing culture based on Kingdom values from God’s word.  Cultural Reconciliation 

What is on God’s agenda? To love mercy. This is to live compassionately toward all man, influencing society and the church to reflect one body of Christ. Social Reconciliation

What does God desire? That we would walk humbly before Him and reflect His glory. In this attitude we find shalom.  Spiritual Reconciliation

We see and know that God restores through the atoning work of Jesus Christ, and that only by His redemptive power transforming these relationships will all human beings be able to find shalom (the proper ordering and purpose of their lives). It is our mission that every project, partnership, and initiative in which we participate moves us towards the restoration and reconciliation of these relationships.