About three months ago my wife, Lauren, and I attended our first Mercy Monday. We weren’t really sure what to expect or what exactly we may be doing. We ended up prayer walking. This is something Lauren and I have heard of before, but never actually participated in. As we exited the 930 I asked Nathan Ivey what prayer walking was. Did you pray to yourself? Was it something done through conversation with one another? Or did you simply pray out loud? As we began walking down Mary Street Nathan instructed my wife and I through example and began praying for the Germantown community.
Immediately we came to a young high school girl and boy who were sitting on the front step of the 930. We learned that they used to attend the elementary school that once was inhabited the 930, and that they thought of the building as a safe place to hang out to get away from the negativity that is within the surrounding community. That’s right: Sojourn is seen by Germantown residents as a safe place to hang out.
As we dove deeper into conversation with the two high school-aged kids we were able to learn about their past and current situations. It turns out that one of their families are in great need for a place to live. As we engaged the 15 minute conversation, God gave us the opportunity to share the gospel with them and invite them out to QUEST on Wednesday nights. The young girl exchanged phone numbers with my wife and arrangements were made to walk her to the building that next Wednesday.
As we left the front steps and continued down Mary Street I began to pray and ask God begin to open their hearts to the good news of Christ and to allow us to pour into their lives. That next Wednesday God opened the doors for Lauren and I to meet the young girl’s family and to walk her to QUEST. I couldn’t believe that inviting someone – an unbeliever, a stranger – to church was so simple. Strangely, after a few conversations, we weren’t strangers anymore. My wife and I cared for this young girl. God warmed our hearts as we longed for her to know Christ. She too, responded to us with warmth as she acknowledged our newly forming friendship.
Let me fast forward a few months. The young girl has yet become a believer, but God has provided and is continuing to provide opportunities to surround her and her family in gospel community. We have been able to bring our community group along side of us in this mission, and have been welcomed into the young girl’s home with smiles, great hospitality, love and prayer. We can see evidence of God’s common grace all throughout this journey are continuing to praying for God’s saving grace to penetrate the lives of this young girl and her family!
Rob Maine, the writer of this blog, is a Sojourn Community Group Leader. To contact Rob or to join his group on mission, you can reach him by emailing him here.




This past Monday, August 17, 15 Sojourners gathered at 6:30p.m. at the 930 to kick off Mercy on Mondays. We split up into three groups. One group celebrated with a member up the street, one group went grocery shopping for another neighbor, and one group prayer-walked down Mary St. and St. Catherine. It was beautiful to see the body of Christ coming together to serve and pray for the people of Germantown. As we went our separate ways to serve, I was reminded of the words of the Prophet Isaiah: