Common Ground Case Study
Introduction to the Agency/Overview
Common Ground Ministries vision is to provide services to 100 children each year in a professionally staffed, properly equipped, and safe facility that allows all its participants to achieve their full potential. Biblical it is said “train up a child the way he should go, even when he is old” CGM strives to do this on a daily basis through several different programs helping the low income families of East Waxahachie. Beginning in 1991 as a Sidewalk Sunday School Program CGM has grown into one of the most influential helpful programs in Waxahachie today!
Historical Perspective
Waxahachie Texas was a growing city in 1990, families of all race and social standing began to call “Gingerbread City” their …show more content…
new home. Churches were growing as well as the population one church in particular was a revival like never before First Baptist Waxahachie was this church. A few men from this church (Paul Tribble and Bill Pouland) felt the Lord telling them to seek out about needs for the poor in Waxahachie. After prayer and seeking from the Lord and also guidance from Pastor Fenton. Later that year a couple moved into town and also began to feel the needs of this city. Pastor Fenton brought these three families together so they could meet and talk about how to help this city. Six months of prayer, research, and discussions among these families led the families to attend a seminar. This groups decided the focusing on the children and the challenges that they face daily growing up in poor community.
Following six more months of prayer and research it was decided to for an independent non-profit organization to be names Common Ground. Common Ground is based on Proverbs 22:2 which states “The rich and poor have a common bound, the Lord is maker of them all.” Bible Club for children six-twelve started to help develop children and youth leadership skills was step one in a very long process. June 13, 1991 Promise Kids Bible Club started in a back yard of one of the families’ homes with twelve children in attendance ranging in age from six to twelve years …show more content…
old. October 24, 1991 First annual Common Ground Ministries Banquet was held at First Baptist Church to help raise funds and introduce the ministry to the community. A brochure was made and handed out at the banquet with the CGM logo and a cross and rainbow to show hope and our promise in Christ! Guest speaker Kathy Dunley who at the time served as the Executive Director of Voice of Hope Ministries in West Dallas. Waxahachie was excited to support this and shortly following the banquet the doors to their own building were opened and Felicia Snell because the first Director of CGM. While opening this agency was needed for the community it also came with several challenges. Nothing like this was in existence in Waxahachie or the surrounding area. The directors at the time had to over come the diversity in East Waxahachie. The current director of CGM stated that she was once told “How is this old white lady going to help me.” Through prayer and guidance from the Lord these leaders have been able to bridge the gap and overcome these issues.
Funding for CGM comes from several different sources, Scholarships are provided to the Organization but also to individual children and families. Grants come from the government or other non-profit organizations and those funds go towards specific things such as the reading program and the math program that we are currently attempting to start. Several business and individuals also support individuals for smaller amounts to go into the general fund that help support things or needs of the children. These items can include new glasses, shoes, backpacks, or clothes. One of the biggest support comes from the sixteen churches that help support through volunteers’ and financially. The biggest culture of this agency would be pouring the Bible into poor low income children of East Waxahachie.
Populations Served
The style of population that CGM serves is a mezzo system because, it is focused towards a community specifically. The biggest issues with this population would be bridging the gap of diversity between the community and the current leaders of CGM. Diversity gaps can include the community feeling inferior to the organization/agency. Often they feel like we could never understand what they feel or how to help them the right way. As a Social Work you have to be able to come in and build trust and allow the community to open up to you. CGM issues would be finding and meeting the needs of each individual student. Looking to see if the need is financial, emotional, or spiritual help and provision. Providing different services is how the Board and Volunteers try and help the different needs of the students.
CGM provides tutoring with includes helping the children with their homework daily and a reading, which incudes reading a book at the child’s level. Being able to see the growth in the kids is so amazing and worth the work of struggling with them to read each day. Also we provide mentoring through one on one relationship building with the students. Building these relationships through Bible Club and Summer Programs to grow trust and build relationships where the child will open to the volunteers.
CGM has three different type of workers which include Volunteer, Assistant Director, and Executive Director. If someone is wanting to help at CGM as a volunteer all they need to do is come and meet with current Director and pass their approval after speaking with the individual. Currently there is no Assistant Director and CGM is looking and praying for the right person to come into the position. The requirements for this positon are ability to plan, prepare & supervise activities for k-5 children. Tutor students with homework and develop and present bible stories. Communication skills, love of children, at least 18 high school diploma, background check. Director requirements include those of an Assistant Director and a Bachelors Degree and a few more specific for the current time of the employment.
CGM serves children in Kindergarten through Fifth Grade. There is only one requirement to be accepted as a client at CGM and that is you must currently reside on the East Side of Waxahachie. As applicants come in the Director will look over it and pray about that child and if there is room then the student will enter the program. One of the drawbacks is that CGM has a limit and that is when a child leaves fifth grade they then “graduate” from the program.
Connection of the Agency to the Community There are several ways that CGM connects to the community, and the community is so helpful in supporting this agency.
One of two main ways of connection between the agency and the community would be financially supporting the needs of the organization or an individual child. The second way to help is to come and volunteer to work with the children on a yearly, monthly, weekly, or daily basis. Awareness is made about CGM is done through word of mouth, Radio, Newspaper, and SAGU students helping through SMA. Waxahachie is behind what CGM is doing for the community. After speaking with several parents, they say their child is better because of what CGM does for their child. One parent told me “Great people helping great kids! The staff has a passion for what they do!” I also got in contact with a few men and woman who actually went through CGM and this is what they said “This place raised me.
By far best after school program and summer program I've ever had as a child.
Wish I could find pictures of my days there.” Another individual said “I have many fond memories of this place as a child and a volunteer. I love this ministry. Thank God it is still around!” It is great to see where CGM has been and even more exciting to see where it is
going.
Role of the Church
Churches and their members are one of the best support systems that CGM currently has. Prayer, volunteering, and financially are the ways that the sixteen churches and their members help grow CGM to what God has called it to be. There are several Bible Verses to help show how the church should support this agency. Psalms 127:3-5
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Luke 18:15-17
Now they were brining even infants to him that he might tough them. And when the disciples say it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him saying “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.
1 Corinthians 13:13
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
What is the vision of the agency (future)? CGM has a bright future and the Lord is going to do great things in and thru this ministry. God is moving and shaking in this ministry like never before and I personally cannot wait to be a part of that. Seeing and hearing the Board talk about how they want to grow not only CGM but the community in East Waxahachie not only makes my heart happy but it also makes the Gods heart happy! This agency has been a God sent to me and I know without a dough that I am going to be a part of this ministry for many years to come!
Common Ground Ministries vision is to provide services to 100 children each year in a professionally staffed, properly equipped, and safe facility that allows all its participants to achieve their full potential. Biblical it is said “train up a child the way he should go, even when he is old” CGM strives to do this on a daily basis through several different programs helping the low income families of East Waxahachie. Beginning in 1991 as a Sidewalk Sunday School Program CGM has grown into one of the most influential helpful programs in Waxahachie today!
Historical Perspective
Waxahachie Texas was a growing city in 1990, families of all race and social standing began to call “Gingerbread City” their …show more content…
new home. Churches were growing as well as the population one church in particular was a revival like never before First Baptist Waxahachie was this church. A few men from this church (Paul Tribble and Bill Pouland) felt the Lord telling them to seek out about needs for the poor in Waxahachie. After prayer and seeking from the Lord and also guidance from Pastor Fenton. Later that year a couple moved into town and also began to feel the needs of this city. Pastor Fenton brought these three families together so they could meet and talk about how to help this city. Six months of prayer, research, and discussions among these families led the families to attend a seminar. This groups decided the focusing on the children and the challenges that they face daily growing up in poor community.
Following six more months of prayer and research it was decided to for an independent non-profit organization to be names Common Ground. Common Ground is based on Proverbs 22:2 which states “The rich and poor have a common bound, the Lord is maker of them all.” Bible Club for children six-twelve started to help develop children and youth leadership skills was step one in a very long process. June 13, 1991 Promise Kids Bible Club started in a back yard of one of the families’ homes with twelve children in attendance ranging in age from six to twelve years …show more content…
old. October 24, 1991 First annual Common Ground Ministries Banquet was held at First Baptist Church to help raise funds and introduce the ministry to the community. A brochure was made and handed out at the banquet with the CGM logo and a cross and rainbow to show hope and our promise in Christ! Guest speaker Kathy Dunley who at the time served as the Executive Director of Voice of Hope Ministries in West Dallas. Waxahachie was excited to support this and shortly following the banquet the doors to their own building were opened and Felicia Snell because the first Director of CGM. While opening this agency was needed for the community it also came with several challenges. Nothing like this was in existence in Waxahachie or the surrounding area. The directors at the time had to over come the diversity in East Waxahachie. The current director of CGM stated that she was once told “How is this old white lady going to help me.” Through prayer and guidance from the Lord these leaders have been able to bridge the gap and overcome these issues.
Funding for CGM comes from several different sources, Scholarships are provided to the Organization but also to individual children and families. Grants come from the government or other non-profit organizations and those funds go towards specific things such as the reading program and the math program that we are currently attempting to start. Several business and individuals also support individuals for smaller amounts to go into the general fund that help support things or needs of the children. These items can include new glasses, shoes, backpacks, or clothes. One of the biggest support comes from the sixteen churches that help support through volunteers’ and financially. The biggest culture of this agency would be pouring the Bible into poor low income children of East Waxahachie.
Populations Served
The style of population that CGM serves is a mezzo system because, it is focused towards a community specifically. The biggest issues with this population would be bridging the gap of diversity between the community and the current leaders of CGM. Diversity gaps can include the community feeling inferior to the organization/agency. Often they feel like we could never understand what they feel or how to help them the right way. As a Social Work you have to be able to come in and build trust and allow the community to open up to you. CGM issues would be finding and meeting the needs of each individual student. Looking to see if the need is financial, emotional, or spiritual help and provision. Providing different services is how the Board and Volunteers try and help the different needs of the students.
CGM provides tutoring with includes helping the children with their homework daily and a reading, which incudes reading a book at the child’s level. Being able to see the growth in the kids is so amazing and worth the work of struggling with them to read each day. Also we provide mentoring through one on one relationship building with the students. Building these relationships through Bible Club and Summer Programs to grow trust and build relationships where the child will open to the volunteers.
CGM has three different type of workers which include Volunteer, Assistant Director, and Executive Director. If someone is wanting to help at CGM as a volunteer all they need to do is come and meet with current Director and pass their approval after speaking with the individual. Currently there is no Assistant Director and CGM is looking and praying for the right person to come into the position. The requirements for this positon are ability to plan, prepare & supervise activities for k-5 children. Tutor students with homework and develop and present bible stories. Communication skills, love of children, at least 18 high school diploma, background check. Director requirements include those of an Assistant Director and a Bachelors Degree and a few more specific for the current time of the employment.
CGM serves children in Kindergarten through Fifth Grade. There is only one requirement to be accepted as a client at CGM and that is you must currently reside on the East Side of Waxahachie. As applicants come in the Director will look over it and pray about that child and if there is room then the student will enter the program. One of the drawbacks is that CGM has a limit and that is when a child leaves fifth grade they then “graduate” from the program.
Connection of the Agency to the Community There are several ways that CGM connects to the community, and the community is so helpful in supporting this agency.
One of two main ways of connection between the agency and the community would be financially supporting the needs of the organization or an individual child. The second way to help is to come and volunteer to work with the children on a yearly, monthly, weekly, or daily basis. Awareness is made about CGM is done through word of mouth, Radio, Newspaper, and SAGU students helping through SMA. Waxahachie is behind what CGM is doing for the community. After speaking with several parents, they say their child is better because of what CGM does for their child. One parent told me “Great people helping great kids! The staff has a passion for what they do!” I also got in contact with a few men and woman who actually went through CGM and this is what they said “This place raised me.
By far best after school program and summer program I've ever had as a child.
Wish I could find pictures of my days there.” Another individual said “I have many fond memories of this place as a child and a volunteer. I love this ministry. Thank God it is still around!” It is great to see where CGM has been and even more exciting to see where it is
going.
Role of the Church
Churches and their members are one of the best support systems that CGM currently has. Prayer, volunteering, and financially are the ways that the sixteen churches and their members help grow CGM to what God has called it to be. There are several Bible Verses to help show how the church should support this agency. Psalms 127:3-5
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Luke 18:15-17
Now they were brining even infants to him that he might tough them. And when the disciples say it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him saying “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.
1 Corinthians 13:13
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
What is the vision of the agency (future)? CGM has a bright future and the Lord is going to do great things in and thru this ministry. God is moving and shaking in this ministry like never before and I personally cannot wait to be a part of that. Seeing and hearing the Board talk about how they want to grow not only CGM but the community in East Waxahachie not only makes my heart happy but it also makes the Gods heart happy! This agency has been a God sent to me and I know without a dough that I am going to be a part of this ministry for many years to come!