Dear Friends,
For 20 years now, it has been one of the great honors of my life to walk alongside you through the work of Common Ground Montgomery. Together, we have labored for the good of children, families, and neighbors on Montgomery’s Westside and beyond. Your faithfulness and generosity have shaped this work and have shaped me more than you know. I am deeply grateful.
I am writing to share an update about the next season of my calling.
Over the years of serving through Common Ground, it became increasingly clear that the needs around us were greater than what any single organization could carry. Out of that awareness, we had the privilege of helping to plant Mercy House, after seeing both the depth of need in our community and the long-standing faithfulness of Pastor Ken Austin and his pastoral vision to impact families. Ken had been serving quietly and consistently on the Westside for years before we arrived, using his off-time from work and his own financial resources. His heart to continue and expand that work in ways that matched real community needs deeply resonated with me.
After much prayer and discernment, I have decided to spend this coming season alongside Ken with Mercy House and MAP Montgomery. This step stems from shared relationships, a shared history, and a shared desire to love our neighbors well.
For much of the past twenty years, my family and I lived and worked deeply embedded in the community. We shared our lives with children and families whom we grew to know and love. We also experienced profound loss, including violence and the deaths of children whose stories remain with us. That kind of proximity changes you.
Over time, I became aware of the toll this sustained exposure to trauma and grief was taking on my own mental and emotional health. Rather than push through or ignore that reality, I felt called to respond faithfully. Over the last year and a half, I completed most of the coursework in a clinical mental health counseling graduate program to better understand trauma, grief, burnout, and healing. Over the next year, I will focus my clinical training primarily within our community, serving those who serve and continuing to walk alongside the children and families we know. Mental and emotional health will be central to the work ahead.
Some of you are aware that the camp project we had been exploring did not come together as planned. While disappointing, it brought clarity and refocused my attention fully back to the Westside, the place that has always been at the heart of this work.
As Mercy House and MAP Montgomery continue to grow, several developments are underway. Youth services are expanding out of the former Common Ground facilities, now known as the Youth Navigation Center. Our work with homeless neighbors is deepening through the MAP Center and the hiring of Patrick Aiken, who will walk alongside people with consistency and care. A year-round leadership program is launching to mentor local college students and provide room and board while they attend school. The Manna House is also preparing to open and will serve up to one thousand hot meals each day to children, families, and neighbors across our city.
In light of this transition, I want to be clear and transparent about my intentions. During this season, I will not be soliciting donations for Common Ground Montgomery. Instead, I invite you to consider supporting Mercy House as we expand our scope of work to benefit our community.
As Ken and I step into this work together, our hope is simple. We want to love our neighbors well and connect people within and beyond our city in ways that transform us all.
Thank you for walking with me over these past twenty years. Your trust and support have meant a great deal to us.
With gratitude and hope.
Psalm 34:3,
Bryan Kelly
Bryan@cgmlife.org
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