The men of North Lawndale have been working on something big during the 2022-23 academic school year. The school year has been good to those within the ministry, especially the leaders of the organization. Marcell Pickett and Pastor Eric Crawford have been working with this ministry for years to bring together adult men to engage in conversations about Jesus, followed up with the game of basketball. The ministry has been able to spread messages and connect on a deeper level. Mighty Men Ministry started off as just a group of men gathering to bring Jesus and basketball together as one.
The Mighty Ministry basketball tournament brings the community together by impacting men who are connected, want to be, or want a deeper connection with Jesus. These men were once part of another non-profit organization called the Young Men’s Education Network or YMEN. The tools that YMEN taught these men in their younger days helped shape what Mighty Men have been able to produce in a short few years.
Connections of Tomorrow
A member of the Mighty Men shared his thoughts about his time in the organization so far, “Learning more and developing a connection with Jesus is the focal point of the ministry. We have been able to ask questions and figure things out about life or even things we struggle with as a man. Joining Mighty Men really changed the way I see life. To go along with joining the organization as a bonus my health has been consistent and the basketball after fellowship really brings a sense of peace for me. My faith has been strong and my body became even stronger.”
The Mighty Men basketball tournament brings the community together to show unity amongst the men of North Lawndale. This gives the young men of the community someone to admire especially those without father-like figures in their lives. The way the men interact with each other represents a brotherhood.
Making Leaders of Men
Creating the leaders of men in the North Lawndale community shows how much strength it has, one step at a time. The understanding of how to create a safe environment with this new generation is necessary in order to change the narrative of the situation. When young men see that there are leaders in the community that look like them, it shows them what they could be in the future.
By taking the necessary steps in order to create change in the neighborhood, the world has the potential to be better tomorrow than it is today. When doing so, it instills the purpose of the older generation mentoring and teaching the younger generations.
Austin McDaniel, a member of the Mighty Men ministry, recently joined the organization. “I haven’t been coming to the program as long as others, this is really my first full month being part of the organization,” he stated. “With my time here, I am just now getting through the mix of things, especially being able to communicate about what I want. I’m not really good with meeting new people. But now since seeing how others interact, creating these relationships that we have inside of Mighty Men really seems to stick for life. Mighty Men members have to tell me they have been here for two or more years and they have continued to come since then.”
Setting the Foundation Within Discipline
The discipline learned between Jesus and basketball can be crucial to navigating life. In doing so, there are multiple different lessons to learn that can shape the characteristics of a person.
Those lessons can show that individual what they need to understand, learn, and change. Jesus teaches characteristics that can shift a person’s life for a different purpose. Basketball’s teachings bring others together in order to accomplish a specific goal.
The Mighty Men ministry has blended both in the sense of the world we live in. Creating healthy minds, walks of faith, and even the physical body of it all. Furthermore, the ministry is something that everyone in the North Lawndale community should support regardless. The Mighty Men’s Ministry is an organization that will be around for generations to come. There is great work being done amongst the people of North Lawndale and it’s time for everyone to know about it.
Written By Semetrius Holmes
Sources:
Interviewed: Austin Mcdaniel and Anonymous May 2, 2023
Might Men Game: April 2023
Photos Courtesy of Chris Langkamp
