Transformation Weekend August 8th - 9th, 2008

08.08.08 Weekend Sponsorship Opportunities

We are currently seeking sponsors for this event. Would you, your ministry, church, or business consider obtaining a sponsorship for the '08 Weekend? Please contact us at (601) 991-9755, (601)914-4214 or (601) 540-5690 for additional details.

All sponsorship proceeds will be divided equally among 6 faith-based organizations in our designated "Ground Zero" of the Metro Jackson area. We hope that you will remain prayerful and consider obtaining a sponsorship!

As we continue to thank God for what He has done and for what He will do in our city, we'd like to share with you concerning an exciting event taking place right here in the Metro Jackson area! This will be a time of prayer, celebration, work and fun to unite those serving to bring transformation about in the city of Jackson! We are inviting all individuals, churches, ministries, and businesses to become a part of this event! We are indeed believing God for a MAJOR movement on that weekend.

08.08.08 Weekend events are as follows:

The Old Big Lots Building (Ellis Avenue - On the hill overlooking the city!) This will be an outdoor event including prayer, praise & worship. Come with expectancy! (In case of rain, we will be on the inside of the Big Lots Bldg.)

First Baptist Church has allowed Transformation Jackson to sell sponsorships for their Run for the Sun event August 9th. All the sponsorship revenue raised will go to six organizations in the targeted Ground Zero area. This is a great opportunity to make a significant impact in Ground Zero. Learn more about 'Run for the Son' by visiting their website at http://www.runforthesonjackson.com.

There will be various volunteer projects going on at different facilities around the Metro Jackson area for our youth to participate in. You may e-mail info@transformationjackson.org for a detailed list of work projects or call (601) 914-4214. We need your assistance in encouraging our youth to participate in these projects.

This will be a talent showcase being held for our Jackson Metro Area youth at the old Big Lots building on Ellis Avenue. If you know youth who would like to participate, please do let us know! This will be an awesome opportunity for our youth to experience some clean fun and fellowship!

We continue to remain humbled and grateful for all that God is doing through Transformation Jackson. We ask that you continue to keep us uplifted in prayer and if you'd like to become involved, by all means, please DO let us know!

Again, we are grateful to each of you for your support!

Metro Christian Living Feature

Transformation Jackson will be features in the upcoming Metro Christian Living April issue. Transformation Jackson will be featured on the cover with a seperate article on the Prayer Groups.

Please Visit the Metro Christian Living website.

Transformation Jackson Volunteers Help Renovate West Jackson House

Each year volunteers from across the country come to Jackson to help the John M. Perkins Foundation (JMPF) repair and renovate houses purchased for its Zechariah 8 (Z8) Community project. But on Saturday, November 3, 2007 local volunteers came to help with renovations to a house the Foundation recently purchased on Alta Vista Boulevard in West Jackson.

Z8 is the brainchild Elizabeth Perkins, JMPF's Executive Director and daughter of founders Drs. John and Vera Mae Perkins. After spending many years working with youth and growing up in a family that practices Christian community development, Elizabeth realized these youth need the kind of community described in Zechariah 8 – an environment where the values, culture and heritage of the past are transferred to a new generation.

Z8 is not a new concept, but a fresh idea. In Phase I of Z8, JMPF purchases houses for about $40,000 to $60,000 and rent them to mainly fatherless families. JMPF estimate renovations on these houses to cost from $10,000 to $20,000, using both volunteer and professional labor. In Phase II participants are taught how to save for a down payment and make monthly mortgage payments. Z8 sells them a home and the proceeds are used to purchase and renovate additional houses in JMPF's target area in West Jackson.

"To have local people to come in and help us truly a blessing to me," said Wayne Perkins, JMPF's Project Director. "I've always wondered why we could always get people from other states to come in and help, some coming as far as California and Washington. But seldom do we get Mississippians, better yet, Jackson area residents to help us.

"Having such a nice turn out and people eager to work was a great encouragement," he added. "We are so very appreciative of Transformation Jackson."

Transformation Jackson is a faith based Community Development Movement seeking to improve the Jackson, Mississippi Metro Area. About 20 volunteers were on hand to help with scraping, painting and minor housing repairs. Two volunteers took on the challenged of assembling the power spray painter which made painting the outside of the house a lot easier.

Among the volunteers were Dr. Gene Henderson and friend, Randy Russ and friend and Gatlin Grant and friends. James Forrest one of the directors of Oakley Training School's Paramilitary Program, along with two juvenile care workers and eight students also helped.

Don Taylor, Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services was instrumental soliciting volunteers from Oakley. He said youth voluntarily participate in the program which is designed to teach the youth those values that permits them to be successful in any endeavor in life. It gives them a sense of personal responsibility, the value of education, respect for constituted authority, a sense of urgency, attention to detail and a strong work ethic. He stressed that the paramilitary program is not a boot camp.

"The students had a wonderful time volunteering," said Forrest. "It was a great experience because this was the first time the guys have ever helped to restore a house."

He added that the teens have talked about the experience all month and are looking forward to volunteering again. So is Forrest, who sees the experience as a great opportunity for the youth to utilize what they have been taught at Oakley.

"We teach them about giving back to the community and learning and developing skills they can use to keep them off the streets and out of trouble," said Forrest. "They can use their hands to make a few dollars instead of stealing and doing other things for money."

Thanks to the youth and help from other volunteers, Wayne Perkins said he was able to get a lot of work done on the house. The next volunteer team isn't scheduled to come in until mid-December. If the volunteers recruited by Transformation Jackson hadn't come in, he perhaps wouldn't have started on repairs on the house before then.

"I was really excited to have the youth with us," said Wayne Perkins. "They made the work fun because of their enthusiasm about painting.

"They painted all of the outside and the porch and pretty much did all of the trim and shutters. They all did us a big favor. It was just wonderful time of fellowship."

Although the volunteer day was scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., some of the volunteers worked until about 4 p.m. They helped Wayne Perkins put away all of the tools and clean up the work area, a task he usually have to do alone. Also, Transformation Jackson Board Member Doug Wilson, President of Wilson Dodge, Wilson Hyundai, and Wilson Kia, came a week earlier and assisted with minor repairs to the house. He also purchased equipment and everything needed to completely repair the inside of the house.

It's Wayne Perkins' prayer that the Transformation Jackson volunteers can come again sometime soon.