Weaving together villages of care to nourish the souls, minds and bodies of our children.
What’s Next with Me & SBV?
Personal Update on Rev. Christy, Executive Director
I hope all is well. I had thyroid surgery last week! I had a left lobe lobectomy the previous week. The test results already came back, and the tumors extracted were benign /non-malignant. I am great this week. I’m not taking that for granted, and I’m still taking it easy. God is so Good, and I am so grateful. Still taking it easy this week before we kick into full swing.
I wanted to drop in, though, and share my website so that you all can see what ministry looks like for me at the moment and soon. I’m presenting at the #BlackFamilySummit National Association of African-American Parents and Youth (NAAAPY) on February 31; for $49.95, participants have the opportunity to register for a white variety of workshops starting at 8 AM and ending around 5 PM. Our flight is at 2:30 PM, and our presentation is #ATasteOfTheVillage. We want to show parents, teachers, and other lovers of children what our full curriculum is like in the hopes that they will register or refer us to others and their networks. You’re invited! I’ll include the link HERE.
At the website you can learn more about who NAAAPY is. I’ll just say here that they are another local nonprofit in the Los Angeles area, serving the educational, emotional, and physical needs of children and families.
SBV’s Effective Black Parenting Course On Zoom – Feb. 6
YouTube invitation 🙏🏽🎆yeah! Cohort 3 of our Effective Black Parenting Course is about to start. I am the instructor, and we are beginning to teach on February 6. The course is on zoom; the chorus will be Monday and Thursday evenings 7 PM to 9 PM on Zoom from February 6 through March 30, 2023.
Our students have included parents, mentors, teachers, grandparents, ministers, and others child and youth caregivers. There are no costs, and donations are always welcome. We prioritize those court-mandated to take parenting classes and welcome all.
Please go to SBV’s website, like it, or give feedback. I’m a new entrepreneur, Cal-Pac UMC Provisional Deacon, so I can use all the community I can get. Much love! #AskForWhatYouNeed #WeAreTheVillage
I am, as you are, part of God’s great story. Writing is my way of putting voice to the chapters of my story. I wrote my first little story in Braille in elementary and have loved writing poetry, articles, short stories and even newsletters ever since. I have always had the feeling I should write a book, but no idea has quite solidified yet. Should I write an autobiography, creative nonfiction, the first Systematic Theology Text by a Black female Methodist? What?? Time to try my hand at blogging!
So, as you know by now, my name is Christy! I am a mother to Shaun, who is 11. I am married to my high school sweetheart and we have a Terrior Puppy! All of us are life-long Californians!
Vocationallly, I am Minister Of Children, Youth & Young Families with Saint Mar, Los Angeles. Concurrently, I am working toward ordination in the United Methodist Church as an Ordained Deacon, called to word, service, justice and compassion ministries. As our children, youth and families grow in faith and receive the vital nurture they need to thrive, they will take their stories out into the street and be the bridge to Christ for a broken world who so strongly needs hope, love and healing. My Master’s In Divinity (M.Div.) from Fuller Theological Seminary (2015) and B.A. in Collaborative Health, Human Services and Public Policy/Social Work reflect my conviction that the Child Welfare System and policies of our nation must be overhauled and our children must be protected and defended and the church has a key role in making sure this work is done.
Much of my childhood was spent in foster care, and so I am dedicated to being the light especially for at-risk youth and young adult populations, but also for all of those whom God sends my way. In 1985 at the age of three, I lost my vision and I’m to this day partially sighted, so I also have a special need to serve as a light for those with physical disabilities who the world often pities and/or shuns. We give lip service to justice for all, including children, the disabled, people o( all sexual orientations and races, but this is not the reality in many cases. So, the fight is going strong for social, political economic and all other forms of justice in the world.
For this, my first blogging attempt, I will journey through Lent with you. Starting Wednesday, which is Ash Wednesday, and leading up to Easter, which falls on April 21 this year, I will post daily on my journey to the cross with Christ and you all. I post pretty regularly on Facebook and Instagram anyway and figure it is time to try my hand at blogging. This is also a spiritual discipline and a way to hold myself accountable to daily reflection on journeying with Christ. My goal is to provide you with solidarity, resources, which will help you along your journey and have a lot of fun in the process. I hope to hear from you as to what you think, what would be more helpful for you, and any prayer requests you may have. May God bless you today and always. Shalom! Thank
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