Men of Grace

Last night, Men of Grace (http://www.gracecentersofhope.org/html/men_of_grace.shtml) spent the evening with our church. Herb Mullen, Keith Hayes, Derek Vulcano, Mark Gullery, Duren Gutierrez, et al interfused their amazing testimonies with songs of hope, power, and redemption.

Men of Grace is a group of men who've gone through at least one year of counseling, treatment at the Grace Centers of Hope (http://www.gracecentersofhope.org/html/grace_centers_of_hope.shtml), led by Pastor Kent Clark. I've been investigating communities in the Metro Detroit who are adamant about living the "radical call" of Jesus--naturally, Grace Centers of Hope is one of the first stops we made while filming for the documentary. I knew after ten minutes that God was present and active in this work. Our findings will be unveiled at the Rochester College Sermon Seminar in May (http://www.rc.edu/sermonseminar/).

Here's a description of Men of Grace:

We are Men of Grace, the men's musical group of Grace Centers of Hope. Our membership consists of men that are currently in, or have completed, the one year rehabilitation program at Grace Centers of Hope. Our style is gospel-blues with emphasis on vocal harmony. Our repertoire consists of original compositions and arrangements that draw on a great wealth of musical genres. These include spirituals, hymns, contemporary styles and original music. The Men of Grace have been honored to sing for President Bush, The Detroit Tigers, Sports Hall of Fame Awards Banquet, the Governor's Luncheon, The Michigan State Fair and many more elite events.

Our Purpose:
Cultivate a Standard of Excellence. We strive for excellence in both our music and our lives as we sing the praises of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Develop Responsibility, Dependability and Accountability. Members of Men of Grace gain these life skills through long term commitment to the group and to the standard of excellence that is cultivated in their personal lives.

Demonstrate Hope and Direction. As an outreach of Grace Centers of Hope, the members of Men of Grace are living examples of how a life can be transformed from one of addiction, abuse and violence to one filled with meaning and hope through faith in Jesus Christ.

The Men of Grace have four CD's available, Saved, I Believe, One Child and The Hymns Project, Volumen One. You can order all of them for $50. All proceeds benefit the fine programs of Grace Centers of Hope. Get all the details about Men of Grace...

The name "Men of Grace" is a registered trademark of Grace Publishing.

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Mark shared his story: A good job and home was crushed by the power of darkness when his wife committed suicide. He locked his home up and decided to live on the streets of Detroit abusing all kinds of drugs. "I would wait for Pizza Hut to throw away their extra pizza. Then I would take the pizza to the dope dealers in exchange for more drugs." Today Mark is a follower of Jesus, completely transformed.

Keith shared his story: A successful chef who got caught up in drugs and alcohol--he too found himself at the end of his rope when Grace Centers of Hope found him. He could have been another statistic save the power of this redemptive community led by Pastor Clark. Today Keith is a follower of Jesus, completely transformed.

Men of Grace performed many songs (Blessed Assurance, Nothing But the Blood) in many different ways (acapella, jazz, sax solo, electrical guitar)-their message, however was uniform--if any woman or man be in Christ, she/he is a new creation.

I never thought I would cry to a sax solo of "What a Friend We Have In Jesus." But then again, I never thought God could become the central character in his own story.

Bono keeps reminding the world that "Grace has a nagging propensity of interrupting karma." I'm grateful for the divine interruptions in my all too often scattered life.