Pray for Rebirth

Posted on June 13th, 2008 by Mo Leverett.
Categories: blog, ministry updates.

Rebirth International is an organization in a launch mode. We are still raising the awareness of our work to the general Christian community. And we are developing a new donor base.

Our purpose is to advance urban ministry initiatives in pockets of poverty stateside and worldwide. In service to that vision we are focusing on three primary objectives: 1) REVIVING indigenous ministry in post-Katrina New Orleans; 2) RESOURCING the church in urban ministry consultation services; and 3) REPLICATING incarnational ministry in specifically targeted communities across the country. (more…)

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Just a Quick Update To Let You Know I’m Still Here!

Posted on June 6th, 2008 by Mo Leverett.
Categories: ministry updates.

It’s been a while since I’ve written. Here’s a brief update so that you know I’ve not dropped off the planet.

I’m headed presently toward Quincy - a small town with a reputation of great need in west Florida. I will scope it out to determine the possibility and nature of a ministry launch there. I hope to also meet with a prospective ministry leader and former intern there. (more…)

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Swinging For the Fences

Posted on May 20th, 2008 by Mo Leverett.
Categories: ministry updates.

Swinging for the Fences
- a ministry update from Mo Leverett, May 20, 2008 -

My oldest daughter has inherited many traits from her father. Swinging for the fences is one of them. She’s playing fast pitch softball and she’s discovering some of the drawbacks to that particular character trait.

I was in Corpus Christi this past weekend and spoke and performed in numerous churches - Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian and at least one or two churches that didn’t know who they were! Not sure if I hit any home runs but I think I hit a few singles, scored a few runs and hit plenty of foul balls. And when a batter hits a foul, some lucky kid goes home with a cherished piece of memorabilia. Point being, that even when we don’t feel like we’ve done well, the Holy Spirit still works. (more…)

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More than I Deserve

Posted on May 8th, 2008 by Mo Leverett.
Categories: ministry updates.

More than I Deserve
- a ministry update from Mo Leverett, May 8, 2008 -

I am a blessed man. Besides having my many sins cast from the east to the west, besides the certainty of sustaining love, besides the gift of hope and grace - He also entrusted to me a highly capable Mother as my beautiful wife. And she has given to me an amazing family, and together we share in a commitment to God’s advance in mercy! I hope you will endure my bragging about them a bit…they are much more than I deserve. (more…)

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I Love to Tell the Story

Posted on April 24th, 2008 by Mo Leverett.
Categories: ministry updates.

Manning (my 9 year old son) and I have been reading through The Cross and the Switchblade together, the story of Pastor David Wilkerson’s work with street gangs in New York City many years ago. I remember reading the book, as well, when I was in high school. I found it deeply inspiring, and the story may have had more of an impact than I’m even aware on my sense of call to the Desire Projects of New Orleans. My prayer is that Manning might want for himself, after hearing the story, a radical expression of his own Christian faith. (more…)

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The Spiritual Gift of Sadness

Posted on April 22nd, 2008 by Mo Leverett.
Categories: ministry updates.

The Spiritual Gift of Sadness
- a ministry update from Mo Leverett and Rebirth International -

Jesus once said, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.”

When we are in a relationship with God and are devouring the rich content of the scriptures, it is much like a feast. When one reads the scriptures rightly, he always finds Christ behind, in and through every morsel. Lately, I’ve been feasting on Him in the Psalms. (more…)

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Is East St. Louis the next launch for Rebirth?

Posted on April 7th, 2008 by Mo Leverett.
Categories: ministry updates.

It is exciting to be on the faith walk again - seeing God provide - Him confirming new directions in our lives - Him opening new doors - God doing what only He can do.

I’m in Birmingham now after a short flight from St. Louis. Depending on how long the delay out of this airport will be, I should be home around 10:30 or 11:00 pm. I will have a couple of full days in New Orleans before venturing out again for a short trip to Jacksonville, FL. (more…)

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Up the Mississippi for a few days or so…

Posted on March 30th, 2008 by Mo Leverett.
Categories: ministry updates.

Up the Mississippi for a few days or so…
- A ministry update of Mo Leverett, March 30, 2008 -

Many thanks to all those who generously helped us through the month of March!

Before heading off on my next set of travels, we will have Bible Study, as always, with the kids from Clark High School in New Orleans on Tuesday evening. There are about 30 or so kids involved in this ministry. Richard Johnson is its leader, who is coaching football and track there, though he has asked me to teach the Bible Study over the last few weeks while I’m in town. He says it’s because I’m good at it, but I know he’s just looking for a break in the action. The Bible Studies are held in Sam Rauschenberg’s house, one block away from the school. (Sam is a teacher at Clark and a volunteer at Rebirth). We normally have burgers or chicken wings from Manchu, (a Chinese hole in the wall restaurant that specializes in wings and chicken fried rice). We of course integrate games but then get serious and explore the implications of grace in justification and sanctification and in all of life.

This Bible Study is a good start to a hopefully growing ministry movement in the resurgent urban schools of New Orleans. You see, pre-Katrina, New Orleans was a study in concentrated poverty around large and rough public housing projects. That poverty is more dispersed now, as the projects are being torn down, but it concentrates during school hours in the Recovery School District (RSD) and other public schools. These are now our target zones. We hope to plant a ministry center in the middle of these schools but have an outreach in each one of them.

One young man who we had led to Christ many years ago called me this past week, and in tears pleaded with me to relaunch the church that was Desire Street Fellowship. Of course that is on our heart. But I have much to do, and I’m finding that my body only allows me to do so much in my forties. When I was in my twenties and thirties, I thought nothing of holding down 4 or 5 full-time jobs, like senior pastor, school head-master, director of development, recording artist and so on and so forth. These days, however, the full-time job of fathering teen-agers forces a particular pace which I’m having to reluctantly submit to.

I will be headed to St. Louis this next week April 3-6 to speak at Covenant Seminary, Grace Presbyterian Church and Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church. Joining me will be Torey Angeletti, who we led to Christ in his younger years and who now feels led of God to become a minister. He has become my shadow over the last few weeks, is pleading for mentoring and is assisting me in my efforts. Another gentleman will meet me there as well, who is prayerfully exploring the possibility of becoming an incarnational urban missionary in East St. Louis. Be in prayer for all of us in these regards.

Following my weekend trip to St. Louis, I will fly to North Florida College in Jacksonville on April 9th to do a number of things there too. I really don’t know what all I am doing at most of these sites until about 24 hours or so before the event. But I am the master of quick assessment and adaptation.

So I hope I can count on your prayers this next week for this flurry of activities.

I’m also working on recording a new hymn project that should come out this year. I’m talking to a few friends in Nashville about where to go from here with my whole music thing - there’s some exciting possibilities that we are discussing. Stay tuned.

My family is well. I took Lindsay recently on a three day college tour. She’s excited about at least one good option. We’re working toward placing our other kids in public schools here in New Orleans. Finding a good school that would work for us is like the proverbial needle in the haystack, but we’re trusting God. Our kids have been blessed, despite living in poor neighborhoods, they have been afforded an education that I would not have known how to hope for.

Manning is building forts and making his own weapons of spears, machine guns, bazookas and missile launchers. Again, I become the object of his aggression but I must assume that his way of saying I love you is to imagine a grenade blowing me to smitherines. As best I can I accommodate and accept his destructive affection.

Many blessings to all…

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Giving the Bunny the Pink Slip

Posted on March 21st, 2008 by Mo Leverett.
Categories: ministry updates.

If I’ve heard the saying once, I’ve heard it a thousand times…humans use less than 4% of their brain’s capacity. That fact, if it is true, (and how could we possibly know?), is always cited in a manipulative way by some high-chinned educator to pressure interest from a gullible student in a subject which is by nature less than interesting.

But if it’s true that we under-utilize our brains, then it is infinitely more true that we under-utilize the limitless benefit and power afforded to us in the event of Easter. Easter is the most underrated holiday on the Christian calendar. And we are the weaker for it.

Christmas has all the cool songs, all the cool traditions and such. Christmas season - the exchange of gifts, the singing of carols, the decorating of the tree, the reading from Luke. Easter by comparison feels like the less meaningful, tag-a-long and second-class holiday. Yes, we all know that it’s a grand day in the history of redemption, but somehow that significance escapes our mutual sense of cultural celebration. That ought to change.

The holiday’s proximity to the blossoming of Spring, the turning away from Winter’s cold toward the warmth and rebirth of all nature…this all helps, but still, the lack of clamor around this holiday is unfortunate if not conspicuous.

The Easter Bunny is much to blame. He is no match for Santa Claus. The concept of Santa is at least rooted in the sainthood and generosity of a real Christian man - but I have no idea what unimaginative soul thought up the frivolous and inconsequential Easter Bunny. Mr. Cottontail is hardly a cultural motif worthy of the real holiday’s significance.

Maybe the Easter Bunny should be given the pink slip, along with his less than masculine pink outfit. Perhaps we need a new and more relevant cultural metaphor for the holiday. Any number of historical figures who through the resurrection power of Christ were made to be different, better and purer, would suffice.

But more to the real point, we should sharpen our focus on the real Hero of Easter - a resurrected Jesus!

The glories and the benefits of the incarnation of Christ on our behalf cannot be understated, but Easter y’all is even cooler. Easter finishes what Christmas began. It inaugurates the end of death, the end of sin, the end of shame, the end of darkness and the rebirth of life, holiness, and hope for the downtrodden. Those in the darkness of their own shame are enlightened by the incomparable radiance of the Easter story.

No matter where you come from, the resurrection brings hope. If a pauper in this life, the resurrection assures for you that you will be so no more! You will be crowned and robed as royalty as an adopted son of the King who rejoices over you with singing!

Easter has serious import and real profit to those who are rich as well. Not only are the benefits of Easter afforded to you, but now you have something real and lasting to invest in. A portfolio with permanence!

Easter makes the possibility of change available to all who believe in its power. The bum and prostitute prosper from Easter or even those bums who prostitute themselves for the powers and prestige of this inferior and fallen world.

If you are bleeding in the streets from oppression or inwardly hemorrhaging from abuse or neglect, Easter is for you! If you have never received the affirmation and love your soul craves then Easter is for you! If you have stumbled or faltered in all of the many ways in which all of us have, then Easter is for you!

If we are united with Christ in his death, we are also united with Him in His resurrection, and are eternally exalted!

Can you envision a severely impoverished neighborhood transformed and enriched? If so, you’ve likely experienced Easter.

Can you imagine a dysfunctional community healed and rebirthed? Then I suspect you’ve been touched by the resurrection.

Can you see a city like New Orleans, storm ravaged and ruined by generations of poverty, reborn through the word and work of the gospel?  Then you must have some inkling of the power of Christ to endure and to overcome all things.

I’ve played many sports in many leagues throughout my life. But I’ve never been on a championship team. But in Christ, one fine day, because of Easter, you and I will lift the cup, will be thrown onto the shoulders of our Savior and carried off the field with much rejoicing. Easter is a foretaste of what is to come. And it provides the assurance and proof that the fuller Easter Day is coming!

Happy Easter to you all and many resurrection blessings to you and yours!

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Urgent Prayer Request

Posted on March 10th, 2008 by Mo Leverett.
Categories: ministry updates.

One dear sister reminded me last week, “Look to the hills Mo…there’s still help in them hills!”

And so in the spirit of prayer I am making known to all of our friends our present financial need.

I’m tied up in activities this month that require my full attention, that are true to our mission, but produce no income. This week I have a group of University of Connecticut students down for a work project/mini-internship. The event has been scheduled for a year. These experiences prove to be life transforming events in the lives of not only the individuals who attend our internship, but also for their families and relational networks.

For instance, I just heard this past week from a parent of a former intern who said, “Mo, I was scared to death about releasing our daughter to do your internship.” But her daughter was so transformed by the experience that it left an indelible mark on both the mother and her husband, as well. As a result, she has recently accepted an assignment from the Governor of Louisiana to the state board of education to advocate for and inspire excellence in the inner-city schools in New Orleans, including Carver High School. But that would not have happened without our internship.

There are many other stories I could tell like that one. Like the group of interns who are helping to build an orphanage, school and clinic among street children in Tanzania. Or the interns in Peru. Or the interns in urban medical missions. Or the interns in urban ministries in Montgomery, Chicago, Atlanta, Birmingham, Seattle, etc.

I would like to ask my friends not only to consider giving to our new work, but to encourage others to do the same. If anyone would like to invite me to a house dinner for a small concert/ministry presentation for potential donors, it would be my privilege to do so.

At the very least, would you diligently pray for us in this time of need.

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