From the Beginning

The walls are constructed, the carpet is laid, the beds are made and move in day is tomorrow. What began as a dream some 20 months ago to impact young men in a way that will change their lives forever will reach another milestone, welcoming our first class of participants. At times this week it has been an emotional week for me as I sit back and reflect on the work that God has done to bring us to this point. I, along with members of my small group, had been spending extensive time in one of the housing projects in the Avondale area of Birmingham. Through this time I began to think there has to be a different way to have a meaningful impact on these young people. We would spend one, two maybe three hours a week with these young people but the need was much greater. As I began to speak to some of the high school kids about their dreams for the future I became saddened - not necessarily because they had low expectations (which they did) but rather because their goals and dreams were misplaced. Nothing seemed to focus on God or life in Him. From this point I began to pray "God if I can be used to impact this generation use me." From that point He birthed a vision of what was to come.

I remember sitting in the former Anchorage Restaurant in Homewood sharing the vision of what has become ThreeSixty to Clark Watson. At this point there was nothing on paper, there was no written plan, it was a God birthed vision. Clark was the first person (besides my wife) to hear about what I then was referring to as "The Center for Urban Disciple Making." Much to my surprise Clark was interested in this ministry and provided great insight and wisdom. Soon Josh Caldwell and I would stand talking in the lobby of Brook Hills for long periods of time about this dream of impacting the nations by radically impacting a select group of young men. I praise God for men like Clark Watson and Josh Caldwell who are willing to follow God's leading.

From that point I began to prepare a formal outline and plan. I conducted extensive research (I am sure that my wife will long remember the 900+ pages of research that I had "neatly sorted" throughout our home for weeks. I say neatly sorted because I knew where almost every article or statistic was but to the casual observer it looked like my children had gotten a hold of a large stack of papers.) Through many hours of prayer and much research a 25 or so page document outlined the need and the plan that God had birthed. It was this document that I would soon present to my pastor, Dr. David Platt. I remember David asking one of his staff members "What am I supposed to do with this? Does he really expect me to read this?" He did end up reading it and told me in the end he couldn't stop reading it. I remember David asking the question "who is helping you with this? Who is supporting you in this?" My response was "well I have shared it with Clark Watson and Josh Caldwell." For the most part to this point it had been me and God and I was the only hindrance in the group. Just as God used Clark and Josh to provide wisdom and insight, He also spoke through Dr. Platt.

Several months go by and I begin to share what God had birthed in my heart with a select group of believers. Each time that I share this vision God continued to clarify His plan. I began to realize that "The Center for Urban Disciple Making" was not the most appealing name to the age group we would be serving. I began to trust God to reveal the name of this ministry He had birthed. I was taking the family on a beach vacation and we passed a sign that said "OneEighty". I immediately proclaimed aloud "that is it! It is supposed to be called ThreeSixty". This declaration needed clarifying. Why ThreeSixty? ThreeSixty is representative of 360 degrees - a complete circle. Or more appropriately defined as ministering to every aspect and area of a young mans life.

To fast forward to today. God has brought a diverse group of young men together for the purpose of glorifying Himself and has burdened the hearts of men and women throughout Birmingham to help prepare these young men to be world changers - to be disciplers makers - to long to see the fame of Jesus spread to every nation, tribe and tongue. May it be so. May God use these men to shake the nations for His glory.