Urban Transformation Ministries

10/13/2024

Speaking to teens at Community Kids about Christ centered marriage. The students asked amazing questions. Ro and I both left feeling extremely blessed by the kids!

08/16/2024

I go into detail about these Popular Fatherless Myths in Our Culture I talk about.

https://joelashaffer.substack.com/p/popular-progressive-myths-about-fatherlessness-00f?r=2m6z5&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&fbclid=IwY2xjawEsSVdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHU90569YpkW8QbTHZfP3pE2U7phTTS3ShnI5_D0tGxKJZUBRJ-zU7glKiw_aem_R8FIEn9fyBexV_sm5H_UXg&triedRedirect=true

Part 2: Luxury Beliefs

07/30/2024

A little over 7 months ago, the man who mentored me, Don Tack, passed away. Since the topic of UTM's upcoming Lunch & Learn is about mentoring fatherless youth and adults, I'd thought I'd go a little deeper about how Don introduced me to life-on-life mentoring.

A Prelude to UTM's August 1st Lunch & Learn

07/17/2024

Join us at North Park Baptist Church (Grand Rapids) tomorrow at noon for a brown bag Lunch & Learn on "Fatherless Myths in our Culture." My newest substack article reveals one of the many Myths we'll discuss, "The Myth that Most Black Fathers are Absent from their Children's Lives." My writing here is not intended to be a detailed, comprehensive analysis of black fatherlessness. I already went two hundred words over my intended limit. Instead, it's about creating discussion and interest in UTM's Lunch & Learn.

"The Myth that Most Black Fathers are Absent from their Children's Lives"

07/05/2024

https://joelashaffer.substack.com/p/popular-myths-about-fatherlessness

The Myth that Children Born and Raised in the Traditional Two-Parent Family Structure are Never Fatherless.

06/26/2024

Do you want to "take up the cause of the fatherless..." ?(Isaiah 1:17) Here are some book resources that can help.

If you desire to learn more about Fatherlessness and many of its related issues, I have compiled a list of 12 books that have been extremely helpful in shaping UTM's ministry philosophy and strategy for breaking the cycle of fatherlessness. Bradley, Anthony B.

06/24/2024

A special thanks to Choice One Bank with their "May"king a Difference Campaign At ChoiceOne Bank, employees can opt into "Jean Day," allowing them to wear jeans for a donation on casual Friday's. Choice One polls employees on what organizations & causes are near and dear to them, and the funds are donated during our "May"king a Difference campaign! All donations come directly from ChoiceOne employees,

The $1,000.00 gift to UTM through their "May"king a Difference Campaign became the start-up gift for the Isaiah Promise Campaign which UTM launched yesterday, and will continue through the summer.

https://utmgr.networkforgood.com/

06/23/2024

Today is National Fatherless Children's Day. It's a timely day to remember Isaiah 1:17, where the prophet Isaiah implores Ancient Israel to:

"Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow."

Click the link below to learn how you can "Take up the cause of the fatherless" through the Isaiah Promise, UTM's summer campaign.

How You Can Help Make a Life Changing Difference Now America's Fatherless Crisis. "Far too many people are unaware that society's most pressing problem in America can be traced to the father's absence in a child's life." In fact, the statistics are shocking. Fatherless children are more likely to .....