Worship Center Ministries' Evolved From an Adult Bible Study to Gems & Jewels

Worship Center Ministries (WCM) was launched September 2004 as a bible study and prayer meeting, operating in Charleston, MO. WCM is dedicated to teaching individuals about prayer, spiritual warfare, deliverance, and kingdom principles for successful living. It operated, as such, bi-monthly for three years (2004 - 2007).

In July 2007, after taking a once in a lifetime trip to the "Fatherland" of Israel, God spoke to me while there and said, "When you get back home, I want you to start a youth outhreach ministry in your hometown of Charleston, MO. I questioned God concerning how could that happen since I lived 160 miles away. It took a series of miracles to make it happen (story forthcoming), but on November 3, 2007, WCM's founder, Pastor Dorothy Bracy Alston, launched its youth outreach ministry called Gems & Jewels. The program met every first and third Saturday at the Helen Currin Center in Charleston for two years (2007 - 2009), serving youth ages 3 to 16.

On the first day of the program’s launch, 20 children showed up. The program grew steadily from its inception. By the time Gems & Jewels celebrated its first year’s anniversary, WCM had registered and served 113 youth. For a small town like Charleston, (with the population just under 6,000) that was a successful beginning. And by the time the program came to a close, in late 2009, Gems & Jewels' program had served just over 180 kids.

Gems & Jewels provided a free fun filled environment where children came to enjoy refreshments, games, crafts, various learning activities, character development, cultural opportunities, including biblical teachings, wisdom for life, as well as academic learning in a fun, and safe, nurturing place. The curriculum was designed for participants to learn Christian principles for successful living, and have a good time.

The last official meeting with the Gems & Jewels was in late 2009. It's hard to beleive it's been right at eight years ago. Since that time, the young people's whereabouts came through word of mouth. Former Gems & Jewels' program volunteers updated us with the going-ons of what I now call “my children.”

Even though I lived in Memphis, TN then, as well as now; I spent five joyous years traveling up and down the road (160 miles one-way) to my hometown, serving those young people. I grew very fond of them, and still consider them “my children.” Eight years from the last time I saw those young people, so much has happened, both in their lives and mine. Most of them are grown now. Remember the youngest participant was three-years-old, and the oldest was sixteen, at the time Gems & Jewels was formed. Now the youngest is twelve and the oldest is in their twenties. Some are still in school (middle and high), some have had babies, one is married, and my proudest report was to learn that ten of them are now in college.

After years of keeping up with their successes, as well as failures and tragedies, I was pleased to learn that they kept asking my former volunteers of my whereabouts. "Where is Ms. Dorothy and when is she coming back to start the program again?" Of course, that was a proud feeling to know that I imparted something positive in their lives that made them want more. At the program's end, I knew regardless of whether I saw them again or not, “they were in my heart.” They were constantly in my thoughts and prayers.

And when tragedy hit, I was devastated to learn of the deaths of two of the grandmothers, whose grandchildren were the cornerstone and anchor of the Gems & Jewels ministry. I was heartbroken that I couldn’t attend the funerals...but I continued praying for “my kids.”

Fast forward eight years to Saturday, October 15, 2016; I was in Charleston for a prayer evangelism ministry event, that my ministry (Worship Center Ministries) hosted, and unbeknown to me, four of my Gems & Jewels were at that prayer event. When I finally discovered who they were; I was overjoyed. I hugged and kissed them until I was embarrassed. They too were just as happy to see me. That’s when I knew it was time to plan a full-fledged reunion of my Gems & Jewels. Up to then, I’d been planning to do a reunion, but at that moment, I knew it was the right time...It was a kyros moment.

On Saturday, December 10, 2016, Worship Center Ministries hosted its first Gems & Jewels reunion, with the help of Pastor Veronica Dunigan of Nail Ministries in Charleston. It was a pre-Christmas gathering. I left with an even greater burden to do more for my now adult and young adult Gems & Jewels. Because of that meeting, I received a thorough update as to the whereabouts of the ones who were no-shows; most of the reports were good and a few not so good. Holy Spirit was speaking to me..."Go ye into the hedges and highways and compel them to return to the Lord.

What's Next is still under development, but I know it's time to reconnect with "my kids." Now adults and young adults, it's time to reestablish those relationships and reintroduce them to the kingdom teachings, they so willingly received during those former days.

Anyone who may see this post, I implore you to pray for us. We need your prayer support. Too many of our African American youth are dying, dropping out of school, and are victims of gun violence. I'm glad to report that's not the case with my "Gems & Jewels." The overwhelming majority of them are still on a solid footing and on the road to potential success, but there are no guarantees that will continue.

We all needed guidance to make the best choices for our future, which determined if we would succeed or fail, my Gems & Jewels are no different. They need wisdom to make the right decisions, and I need wisdom to know how to help them.

PRAYER WORKS. PRAY FOR US...