Amazed at God!
"If you had told me when we launched BALM that in two years, we'd have four full-time staff when I questioned the survivability of one, I would have said you were crazy," BALM Executive Director Craig Garriott said recently.
Yet God has done another amazing thing. Kevin Good, who has 23 years of starting and running urban ministries, is joining us as Director of Urban Ministry Leadership Development.
"Baltimore has a crucial need for gospel-centric works of mercy and justice," Kevin says. "Yet we have a severe shortage of leaders trained for these works who courageously adhere to biblical values." Kevin will partner with churches and faith-based non-profits to help build such missional leaders.
We recently surprised Kevin and his wife Anissa with a "Draft Day" celebration. As a former semi-pro soccer player and sports fan, Kevin good-naturedly entered into the fun. Watch our presentation here.
Kevin and Anissa came to Baltimore in 1998 to start youth sports leagues and after-school tutoring programs at Faith Christian Fellowship. Kevin then founded and led a similar youth development program, Acts4Youth, for over 12 years. When he felt God leading him to new adventures, he, Craig, and Stan began dreaming about how Kevin could help BALM multiply cross-cultural disciple-making leaders.
Even though Kevin is busy raising his support, he is already planning several initiatives in line with BALM's Head-Heart-Hands model of theological training, coaching, and gospel-driven works of mercy-justice:
Establish a Youth Leadership Institute where high school students cultivate their faith, develop their leadership capabilities, and gain a vision for additional urban ministry training;
Build a team to explore developing a Christian program to educate and mentor males in grades 3-8;
Recruit and mentor 15 new adult students into the urban ministry training program;
Develop partnerships with churches and ministries where qualified students can do mercy and justice internships.
Kevin says, "Baltimore faces a multitude of challenges -- addiction, violence, crime, injustice, racial tensions, under-resourced schools, unemployment, and fatherlessness."
Yet his decades of ministry experience prove that God can bring healing and hope. "Families--and especially youth who experience regular trauma--need the gospel and God’s presence and truth."
