God has been busy transforming the hearts, minds, and actions of many people this year! The truth of God's word has never been more relevant and accessible to help people with the needs they face in life and work.

God — through the generous involvement of so many different people — has made The Center a significant influence for the transformative growth of leaders and organizations in Memphis.

We established our mission in the summer of 2020. As you remember, those were the early days of pandemic and the height of recent racial unrest and turmoil. The combination of crises created a fog in much of the world about what to do next, but God gave us amazing clarity of vision and purpose for why and how The Center could be part of the solution.

If leaders all over Memphis from different backgrounds, ethnic groups, companies, job roles, neighborhoods, and perspectives could all start to work together The Way Jesus calls us to work — doing everything in His name (Colossians 3:17) —  then our city could not only survive but flourish!

Our mission is to help leaders define reality and offer hope through the truth of God’s Word applied to everyday life and work — with the goal of transforming lives as we lead our families, organizations, and our great city.

I have written about how thankful I am for how God has used the gifts of preparation, partnership, participation, and proclamation of so many people in Thanks Giving. Now, it’s time to share our impact through stories and statistics. First, here are some examples of what people are saying —

"I love the lunch meetings and discussions. I think the “bring your business” element of the time is super helpful and practical. ” – Allison Bradsher

“The Center brings leaders together to discuss challenges and opportunities in each of our business lives.” – Brian Moak

“I want to make a difference in the lives of those I encounter. The Center has been a great source of encouragement and direction. I have enjoyed meeting professionals from other industries who share their perspectives on work-related issues. The most important direction has come from viewing the gospel and its impact on my work life.” – Frank Warren

“I want to see transformational change happen in the people I serve. The Center helps me do this by gathering a business community to learn, grow, and share insights with each other all through a biblical lens.” – Keusi Donald

“The Center provides a resource for our workforce to tap into & be salt & light in the City.” – Kem Wilson

Together, as a community, we seek to achieve this mission in four primary ways. Here are a few numbers that tell this story from 2022 —

Purpose for work — Over 120 people attended at least one of the 180 groups — over 60 attend one of the 5 groups on a regular basis. Our digital content has been accessed over 10,000 times.

Advice for work — Our network of over 50 advisors and staff have met with over 200 people guiding them professionally and pointing them to Jesus.

Find work — Over 25 people have been coached through career transitions or started new jobs.

Create work — We are involved with 10 entrepreneurs and resource them in their endeavors.

Praise God! There is a lot happening at The Center!  

The progress is much more than we would have expected, and now we can see how much more is possible!

If you would like to join us in transforming Memphis, email me or follow the link on the site and consider giving to help accelerate our efforts. Click here to give.

Thank you for encouraging and enabling our work! I am so grateful for you!

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:3-6