Dear friends and family,

We are so excited to send out this update. We delayed a month in order to be able to share what the Lord did through the Known Seen Loved Celebration. It was clear from the beginning that this was His event and for His glory, and it was evident in every moment.

In exactly 40 days, (isn’t that exactly like Him?!) He put together an amazing eight-person event team, 80+ volunteers, connected us with Nicole C. Mullen to be the keynote speaker, pulled support from over 50 local businesses, and covered every single expense through donations to within $100 of the final cost. To God be all the glory!!

Our overall goal for the evening was that not a single woman could walk in and out of the event without truly knowing that she was known, seen and loved by someone.

To make sure we accomplished this, we asked ladies to be table hosts, serving as a personal connection to 6 or 7 ladies at her table. We hand-selected godly, mature women— many of whom had been single mothers themselves — who we knew would be the hands and feet of Jesus to broken, hurting women. This made a huge difference to the attendees, who were thrilled that they would not be left to themselves. They craved relationships, and we wanted to provide the best that we could.

Beyond our own team, however, we wanted to make sure that every single detail would show those in attendance that they are known, seen and loved by their Creator. We had bouquets lovingly crafted so that each lady had a living reminder of His love for her. We had a local young lady who spent hours hand-writing every individual name tag in beautiful calligraphy, demonstrating that the Lord knows each of their names. And finally, each place setting featured a a handwritten Bible verse on every napkin — more than 200 of them. What amazing acts of love! We heard story after story how the verses that had been randomly — by human standards — placed at each seat were the exact verse that the lady who had chosen to sit there needed to hear. Truly, His Word does not return void!

Beyond all that, however, our favorite part of the evening (besides giving away the 40 LARGE gifts provided by businesses in the community) was our guest speaker, Nicole C. Mullen.

Nicole had been a single mother herself and had escaped not one but two abusive marriages — the first physical, the second emotional through infidelity. Her story resonated with the ladies, and the truth that she was able to share about the God that saw her, knew her, heard her and loved her through every moment of her story hit home in the hearts of the ladies attending. There wasn’t a dry eye in the audience by the end of it, and she received a standing ovation.

Because of the Celebration, many businesses and individuals have reached out to continue serving with 431 Ministries. New partnerships are beginning to form, and we are praying for wisdom and discernment for every step along the way. One of those new opportunities came from one of our table sponsors — the Concordia Arts Academy. The Academy's owner, Kate Bulter, was a single mother herself and is passionate about the work that God has called us to do. With her help, we will be hosting our first-ever fundraising benefit on April 10. We hope that you will be able to join us.

Please continue to pray with us for our entire board as we examine the paths that appear to be in front of us. Pray for the additional staff members that we still need and the building that we continue to move forward toward. Pray for the fundraising benefit and the additional support we will need to make those purchases/additions. Above all, pray for the ladies that we serve, that “they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:2-3, NIV)

It’s in Him that we remain and Him we praise, The 431 Ministries team.

The story of the first mom came about somewhat unexpectedly. Justin and Rachel both had corporate jobs and worked 40+ hours a week. But they had been praying about areas to serve and felt drawn to serving women and children. God was preparing them for something, but they didn’t know what yet.

On a cold January day in 2016, a mom walked into the corporate office Rachel worked at. She had been given poor financial advice and after a series of events, had ended up living in a hotel after losing her apartment. Obviously that wasn’t sustainable and she had nowhere else to turn. Hearing her story from a coworker, Rachel knew immediately that this is what she and Justin were waiting for. This was a ministry opportunity like no other! Justin agreed 100%. They were introduced by email, interviewed her over the phone to hear more of her story, and then set up a time to talk face-to-face.

For the face-to-face meeting, Justin and Rachel invited them to their home, fed them a meal, heard the full story and prayed with them. (Following the example of Acts 2:42!) They were clear on what they were offering. This wasn’t a mansion with private rooms for all! The mom and daughter would share a room and a queen-size bed. But it was safe, it was warm and it was stable. Then they invited these complete strangers to move in.

The mom and daughter lived with Justin and Rachel for just under 9 months. During that time, they did life together. They celebrated holidays, birthdays, new jobs, promotions, and more. The mom learned to budget, saved up an emergency fund and rebuilt her confidence. The daughter learned life skills on the farm and had a positive male role model in Justin. She was proud to be able to “take care” of the farm, which built up her confidence too. And throughout the entire time, they watched what a Christ-centered marriage and relationship looked like. Not perfect, but constantly seeking after Jesus.

After 9 months, the mom and daughter were ready to be on their own again. The mom had an awesome job, the daughter returned to a traditional school, and they lined up their own place. It was a bittersweet time. Plenty of mistakes had been made, plenty of tears had been shed. But at the end of the day, these complete strangers had become family. Rachel and Justin sat back in their quiet house after they moved out, praying. Rachel was reminded of a strange prayer that someone had prayed over her right before these two had moved in. The person had prayed for the mom, daughter and ALL the other women that they would have in their home. At the time, Rachel panicked, informing God that she had signed up for ONE TIME, but now, they were talking about doing it again. Only God can take an introvert and change a heart from one of solitude to one of hospitality. And all it took was a dangerous prayer: “Lord, break our hearts for what breaks yours.”

The mom and daughter came back recently. They were part of a crew that worked on the tiny house during its construction. It was a wonderful time of fellowship, connection and service for the next round of ladies. God had once changed their lives through willing hearts and hands. Now they had a chance to change someone else's future.

There are three steps to alleviating poverty. Relief, rehabilitation, and development. Relief is one step in the process, but so often churches stop there.

When we respond to a chronic issue as if it were a new crisis we can do far more harm than good. Why do we persist in giving away free stuff when we know it creates dependency? Because it’s easier, it takes less time and money. And it’s just enough to feel good about serving the poor without being involved in complicated relationships.

Relief serves a purpose, it is there to help someone through an immediate crisis. But the moment that need is met, we need to move into the rehabilitation step.

The problem is, that takes commitment. A hungry person can be fed in a matter of minutes, even sent along their way with bags of groceries. But to move forward with rehabilitation is a time commitment most people avoid. Even to broach the subject of how someone got into their predicament in the first place, can be an hours-long conversation.

This is the true story of an experience we had at 431 Ministries.

Does your church have a line item named the “benevolence fund?” Most churches do, and those who have learned to take advantage of churches, know it.

A woman with a 10-year-old child was referred to our ministry. We will call her Clara. Clara had reached out to a local church partner with some very specific questions. She started the conversation by asking directly if the church had a benevolence fund, and how the balance of that account was looking. The church was caught off guard and answered the question thinking this was perhaps an unknown member of their congregation interested in making a special gift.

No sooner had the church answered, when Clara changed her tone. She began to share a sad, heart wrenching, and presumably true story about her predicament. Ultimately commencing in the final request: “I am staying in a hotel, I don’t have any money, and I don’t have a place to stay tonight. Would you pay for a few more weeks?”

The church had the financial resources available to pay for a hotel room, but recognized they lacked the resources, specifically man-hours, that were necessary to ensure Clara would not be in the same predicament when those extra nights ran out. Rather than choosing the quick and easy option of calling the hotel with debit card in hand, they explained to Clara that they not only wanted to make sure she had a roof over her head, but wanted to make sure that all of her other needs were met as well. They gave Clara the phone number for us at 431 Ministries and asked her to call and explain her situation.

Later that morning, the church called us directly to see if we had heard from Clara. We hadn’t but explained we would check voicemail to see if we had missed anything. It turns out we had missed a call that morning, but it was from another church Clara had reached out to. The voicemail explained that they were uncomfortable with the details of her story and thought it may be a scam. They also left us with her name and phone number.

A little while later she reached out to us directly and we explained that we had heard of her situation, and would be happy to see how we could come alongside her and help her to get back on her feet. We set up a time to meet in person later that afternoon as we needed to get a better idea of the big picture.

When Clara sat down at our kitchen table, we began what would turn into an 8-hour investment of our time into that one conversation. She shared a well-recited story of all the sorrows, trials, and hardships she had faced in her life. To this day we believe that most of her story was true. But something very peculiar to us stood out in that conversation. We had seen chronic poverty time and time again—people who repeatedly made the same choices that held them back from any chance of progress. But her story avoided all references to a timeline. We began to dig a little bit deeper, asking when these things happened, and how long she had been in the hotel. Her entire story had taken place 15 to 30 years in her past, stemming back to her childhood. She had experienced no real crisis in recent years, remaining stagnant with no progression in her life. She also shared that she was nearing one year in this particular hotel, but that she had had long-term stays elsewhere as well.

As she continued to share more details of her living arrangements, it came to light that she had spent 9 years living in hotels, and that her 10-year-old child had never been placed in school, and even had no recollection of ever living outside the four walls of a hotel room. For NINE YEARS, churches and ministries had paid for those hotels. She would call one church after the other, and over and over again they would pay for a few days, a few weeks, and sometimes even months. When she finally burned all of her bridges in one area, she would pick up, move to another state, and start the process over. Each time she spent between two and four years in a single location.

We were shocked, but after countless conversations with other shocking backstories, we knew better than to show our surprise.

We told her we wanted a better future for her and her child. That we had a host family available ready to take them in and provide them with shelter. But not just shelter, they would be treated as part of the family, taking part in meals, activities, devotions, and would be equipped with the resources necessary to live an independent life. We shared with her connections to childcare, employment, budgeting, and any other infrastructure she would need to be successful. She appeared grateful, and even enthusiastic. But she said she had a few more days in the hotel so would get back to us to finalize arrangements.

One of the requirements for the women we work with is that they find employment and maintain it.

Seeing that her chronic lifestyle of living off the “generosity” of churches was coming to an end, she applied for, interviewed with, and received a job offer with a local restaurant. Although she could have started immediately, she postponed her start date to the day after she would have to leave the hotel. She explained that with the stress of moving, she wouldn’t be able to give her all at work.

Two days later we received a phone call, and it broke our hearts. She had continued to call churches after leaving us that day and was calling to share what she saw as a great victory. “You won’t believe it,” she said. “The Lord has blessed me yet again. Another church has paid for two more months in this hotel. And I have a few other churches that are making arrangements to do the same. I’m so grateful; I don’t need to take that job.”

We don’t know who made those payments, or how much of her story they listened to before doing so. But in the name of relief, the opportunity for rehabilitation and development was severed. Someone with good intentions had once again postponed the opportunity for Clara to live a life of dignity. They had once again pushed her back into her chronic poverty. And once again, they added to the months or possibly years that child would spend in a hotel room watching a mother chose to beg over moving forward to an independent life.

We were at a loss, there was nothing more we could do. We prayed with and for her, and hoped that when the money ran out, she would choose a life of independence. On occasion, we still get calls from other ministries and churches asking if we can help her. Each time we ask them to give her our contact info and to let her know that when she’s ready, we are here to help her make a plan.

Hearing this story, you are faced with a choice. You can be a church that continues to enable in the name of love, or you can decide to be the change. We even came up with a handy little guide on how do so!

Be the CHANGE

C - commit to partnering with more than just relief organizations. YES, those are important, but if that’s all your church does, you are missing a huge opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
H - Honor the calling that God has given the church, remembering that “those who do not work do not eat.” Give people the dignity of working for their own future.
A - Always ask more questions. Dig into their life, their story. Sometimes that push for a connection literally makes the difference between life and death for a person in need.
N - Never be afraid to say no. Sometimes that’s the healthiest answer for that person and they need to hit the valley to be able to start climbing towards the peak.
G - Give other resources. Offer time and talent. Push into the reasons behind the need and address those issues rather than putting a bandaid on the obvious symptom.
E - Evangelize everyone. Point every single person back to Christ as you work through a solution.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you. Not everyone will get it. Deuteronomy says that there will always be poor in the land and it’s our duty to serve them. So today, we’re asking you to choose to CHANGE. Be the difference in your community and support those who are doing the same.

Dear friends and family, 

What a year! The Lord has moved in miraculous ways during the last 11 months, and we know He’s just getting started. Here are some awesome stats for the year:

But most exciting of all - WE BUILT A HOUSE!

What a story of God’s faithfulness. Over and over, when we think of the way the Lord provided it, we can’t help but marvel. We’re reminded of the lyrics from “Be Thou Fount,”

Here I raise my Ebenezer,

Here by Thy great help I've come.

And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,

Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wandering from the fold of God.

He, to rescue me from danger,

Interposed His precious blood.

While there are many lines in that particular verse that have deep meaning, the idea of raising an Ebenezer to stand testament to the Lord’s faithfulness is the most profound. In Hebrew, Ebenezer means “stone of help” (eben = stone; ezer = help). When Samuel raised this stone in 1st Samuel 7, it was after God provided for them in a miraculous way. Samuel wanted the people to remember, not just for a few days, but for years, decades and generations, how God had come to the rescue of His people when they humbled themselves before Him. For us, literally built on bedrock, the “Tiny House” is indeed our Ebenezer. Check out the full story we've enclosed.

This holiday season, we are remembering what God has done while we look to the future. He has shown up in ways that are nothing short of miraculous, and we look forward to seeing what He will do in 2021. As we count down to Giving Tuesday, we are going to be sharing more specific stories on our social media channels. We’re hoping the stories from women we’ve worked with, mentors who’ve served and host families who have changed the way they live to change someone else’s life inspire you to give toward our HUGE goal of $85,000. We have such a huge goal to prepare for the huge influx of families that the Lord will be bringing us next year. We need to expand our volunteers, expand our paid positions and buy or build a large, centralized location to do the work He has for us.

But regardless of what happens, we know that the Lord’s hand is upon us. He is the One who called us to this work, invited others to join us, and He is the one who will finish it!

Have a wonderful holiday season, and see you on Giving Tuesday!

By the end of August 2020, we had just taken on our third domestic violence case of the season. Our host homes were bursting at the seams, our mentors were full, and we had no room for even one more person.

But God is bigger than us or our plans, so we got a call. A local church, Providence Baptist Church in Nolensville, had been working with a mom for about a year. She had been pregnant when she first requested help, but when the rubber met the road, she decided her child's father was worth the abuse she was going through. She had disappeared after the final interaction, and no one had heard from her until now. She reached back out when the child's father had threatened the baby's life. That was the final straw. The church immediately put her up in a hotel while they waited to hear from us. We made arrangements to travel up to Hendersonville with John (the pastor who knew her) to meet her the next day. It was a heartbreaking lunch. Her story included postpartum depression, abuse of the system by family to remove children they shouldn’t have, and a mother who couldn’t even put down a baby girl to change clothes, so the baby was terrified to even be in the same room as us. We immediately offered her help, praying she would take it, knowing we had nowhere to place her. But God knew.

We had a hard conversation with the pastor after we left, talking about any and all options. We prayed together, begging God for an answer and the faith to accept whatever He brought.

By the end of that conversation, we had an answer. Providence Baptist was going to write us a check for about half of what we estimated a tiny home could cost. We were in shock, but we sprang into action. We reached out to two additional churches that have wanted to support us, but the timing had never been right. The Church at Station Hill (through Brentwood Baptist) and The Bridge Church in Spring Hill both threw their support behind us.

In a matter of 24 hours, God provided $15,000. In person. In hand.

We were building a house! God was for this, and nothing was going to stop it.

We arranged volunteers and started the next day. The spiritual warfare started immediately. Justin had a cardiac arrest. Two other volunteers had family members either pass away or have serious medical issues. But God gave us the encouragement to push on.

• When we thought we wouldn't have the expertise without Justin, God sent a young man from New York with construction expertise to (almost!) single-handedly build the structure.

• When someone tried to shut us down, God moved through the local government and ensured we had what we needed to continue.

• When we expanded the size of the house and calculated that the materials would cost more than we had been given, Lowe’s provided $40,000 worth of materials at cost. Roto-Rooters of Columbia provided the plumbing and a General Motors Electrician provided the electricity.

More people came. More people gave. More people prayed. And in 3 months, God built a house, and His people made it a home. And this particular home will be used in a powerful way by single mothers who need short-term stability until we can get them prepared to accept and be ready for long-term stability.

Thank you. Thank you for changing dozens, maybe hundreds of lives who can be impacted by this house. Thank you for supporting us through gifts, prayer and time. We don’t do this ministry alone, and we are so thankful for every person God has called to do it alongside us. To Him be the Glory forever and ever!!

Lord, thank you for a new month! We are so grateful for the warming of the earth, the longer days and the softer nights. Thank you for using it to remind us that just like the seasons, you are faithful!

As we remember that May is National Mental Health Awareness Month and National Foster Care Awareness Month, we want to lift those things to you. You made our minds beautiful and complicated places and want us to use them to glorify you. Sometimes that’s hard, due to our pasts, and we want to lift up those that are struggling. Remind them that you love them with an everlasting love. Send support to those that need it and remind those of us who are ok right now to check in on those who might not be. Help us to take our thoughts captive, and to persevere through this current time.

For the children in foster care and the young adults who have aged out, protect them, Lord. They have been through so much already and may not realize why this is happening to them. Especially during this time of isolation, please send people to them so they are reminded they are not alone. You are a perfect Father, one that they may not understand, but you love them. Wrap your arms around them, Lord, and flood them with the knowledge that you are there and you see them.

Thank you for your son, Father. Thank you for the ability to approach you without a sacrifice. Help us to continue to spread the hope that we have to those around us.

Father, we pray that you would bring a mental health professional to our ministry to walk alongside and support each of our girls on their journey. Send someone who loves you and will love them, while earning their trust and connecting with them.