Cody Book Club

Oak Pointe’s reading/mentoring program at Cody High School is commonly known as The Book Club. Each Thursday throughout the school year, students from 9-11 grade gather during two adjacent lunch hours to read a selected book along with members of the Cody Partnership team. The book is chosen to provide positive life lessons for kids growing up in a difficult environment. Volunteers sit with small groups of students, and each student and mentor reads a section of the book out loud. The content is then discussed with the larger group.

Bob & Sharon Garnham lead this ministry, providing lunch to as many as 30 students, leading the discussions and guiding/encouraging the volunteers. There are typically 6-7 volunteers from Oak Pointe that make the drive from home just to invest a few hours with these kids who are hungry to improve their futures.

Toward the end of this year’s Book Club, we asked for anonymous feedback. What we received was very encouraging. Many hope we keep doing this and intend to return next year. Reading and interacting with others about powerful subjects was new to them and very stimulating. A number stated that the reading brought students together in a positive way. Several stated they wish the session was longer.

To align with public school policies, we do not actively preach the gospel. On the last day, one student attendee and contributor made an interesting observation. He was unaware that the volunteers were all from a church called Oak Pointe. He said that we were “pretty chill” for a bunch of Christians. His prior experience was with Christians that were racist, homophobic, had their own agenda and were always yelling at you. He didn’t feel that way about the Oak Pointe team in The Book Club. He closed by stating with a smile that Jesus was not white with blue eyes.

God has a life assignment for each of us. Ephesians 2:10 says we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Have you given much thought to what your assignment is?

We have access to a six-session study called God’s Dream, Your Purpose. It is designed to help you reflect on, name, and clarify your purpose. The six topics are:

• God’s Plan
• God’s Investment
• Trust and Surrender
• Life Seasons
• Divine Intersections
• Aim to Finish

Each session includes a short video, (ranging from 8-12 minutes) scripture references, and discussion/reflection questions. Whether done alone or with others, I have found it meaningful.

Please contact Dennis Haggerty, if you’d like more information or to request the workbook. I want everyone to be the best version of what God wants them to be!

Brittany Agee – A Grateful Mentee for the Long Haul

Resilient, brave, and determined are just a few words used to describe Brittany Agee, who was raised in Detroit by her Auntie. Auntie often said, “study hard, work hard.” Brittany was thirsty for knowledge, success, and her past trauma only encouraged her to keep pushing forward.

When Brittany began her education at Cody High School, she was identified as one of the top students. She was bright, tough, motivated, and showed potential to be a successful adult. She took advantage of several opportunities available to her to achieve her goals, including opportunities from GM and meeting mentors. She was aware of Oak Pointe Church’s desire to mentor Cody students and the potential of a mentoring introduction meeting. Brittany and a group of seniors suggested a “speed dating” type of ice breaker event. Though she wondered why the Oak Pointe team kept coming to Cody, she was eager to see what might happen. During what turned out to be a life-altering introduction, Brittany met Melissa Meadows, who stood out as special, and their relationship began to form. They met regularly during the official mentoring sessions and organically began spending time together, outside of Cody High School. Early on, when Brittany mentioned her desire to attend Alabama State University, but had no idea how she would get there, Melissa stated that, of course, she would drive her! That trip, which included her Auntie, was a time of relationship building. Melissa includes Brittany in many family events with her children. Many memories created include dinners, shopping, graduations, prom, and navigating life’s next steps, but it’s the friendship that’s truly special. It isn’t “what” they do together, it’s the friendship. This relationship makes a lasting difference in both of their lives.

Through GM’s Student Corp program, Brittany returned to Cody High School as a mentor for three summers (mentee became mentor). Now, with a bachelor’s degree in social work from Alabama State University, she is a case worker for the State of Michigan, with work that is computer related. Interestingly, she longs to increase her impact in the world by working directly with high school students and/or the elderly.

In summary, Brittany believes many people from Oak Pointe could be mentors and would themselves be greatly enriched. She says that anyone must go into this opportunity with a commitment to be consistent for each mentee, without hoping to “be a savior” or just for the “photo op.” Melissa is an example of a great mentor, who jumped in when she had no money, no time, three kids and multiple jobs. Brittany and Melissa have both been so blessed by their nine-year relationship – that will go on and on.

The Cody Partnership only works because of the team. One person cannot do it alone. One person does not have all the ideas. One person cannot build and sustain all the relationships.

It’s the same way in life. We are built for relationship and need others. As I read once, even difficult people can serve as bad examples. Who are the people in your life? Do they know they are important to you? How do you invest in them? It’s sometimes hard to put in practice, but one of my mottos is ‘people over projects.’

We will all have different levels of friendship, relationships, and acquaintances. People will come in and go out of our lives for different reasons, during different seasons of life. That may be either good or bad, but it will happen.

But do you know who never leaves? Do you know who never changes? God. God is always there for us, in good times and in bad times, during every season of life. So, make that your primary relationship.

Melissa Meadows

Melissa was raised in a Christian home and baptized as an infant. After a painful divorce and a serious health scare, she began attending Divorce Care at Oak Pointe where she met a group of people that would end up forming a Life Group and forging eternal friendships. Dennis Haggerty was one of them. During that time, she had a spiritual reawakening and was baptized at Oak Pointe in 2013.

Melissa has always had a heart for non-profits and jumped right in when Oak Pointe committed itself to Life Remodeled and Cody High School (she even worked for Life Remodeled for a time). A fun fact: Melissa had to “urge” Dennis Haggerty to get involved with Cody High School! In 2014, she responded with enthusiasm to the new mentoring program at Cody High School. The first event was like speed dating where students and mentors spent just five minutes getting to know each other before moving on to another. The following week, Melissa learned that Brittany Agee had picked her to be her mentor.

At first, Brittany was very cautious, wondering why Melissa would invest in her. And though Melissa could only provide her time and talent, trust was built and Melissa became one of the only constants in Brittany’s life. From Brittany’s senior year of high school, Cody graduation, college graduation, and for the past nine years, Melissa has been there for Brittany. Today, Brittany is a college graduate, financially independent, and a social worker for the State of Michigan who is enthusiastic about helping others through her profession.

Melissa says “We are called by Jesus to go – and build relationships. The odds are SO stacked against the Cody students, but what we can offer is love, respect, compassion, time, and guidance. Everyone at Oak Pointe can provide that.”

Note that Melissa & Brittany’s story was described in Mike Tenbusch’s 2016 book The Jonathan Effect. We will learn more details about Brittany’s life next month.

God has a calling for each of our lives. (Ephesians 2:10) He’s even given us spiritual gifts to carry it out. Then it’s up to us to be attentive and obedient. It can be hard to trust God. It can be hard to surrender to God. But remember that our God is good. (Jeremiah 29:11) He knows we have different abilities, experiences, and seasons of life. Yet He still calls each of us to start and to finish. (Hebrews 12:1)

What is God calling you to? How will you respond? If you’re ready to explore these questions, please contact me for information about a six-session study about this. There is a place for everyone and we want you to find your purpose.