We have all heard the adage that it takes a village to raise a child. The vision of JMCSS Strong, a newly formed public school advocacy group in Jackson-Madison County, is for each child in our school system to have a village to help him/her succeed. Since we know that villages are formed by connecting people to one another, we want to make sure that children, along with their parents and teachers, are not disconnected from the larger system.

The Reconciling Power of The Gospel

My friendship with William Watson, Pastor of Historic First Baptist Church, began with a telephone conversation in the Fall of 2011, and the partnership between our two churches began soon afterward. But, truth be told, that’s not really where this story begins. No, this story actually begins long before William Watson and I were even born. It begins in the 1800s, and it begins with one First Baptist Church in Jackson, not two. Let me explain.

New Place

It has been nearly seven years since I landed in Jackson, and in that time I have lived at all three corners of this town’s Kroger Triangle. First I lived on Union’s campus and then in Midtown for a couple years, until eventually moving back north. Then, last summer when the lease was up and I had already given notice at work without knowing the next step, I crashed with my friends Angie and David’s family while I took time to “figure things out” (very millennial of me, no?). For about two months I was unsure of whether or not I would stay in Jackson, but by the end of the summer I was settling in the Lambuth area into a little apartment of my very own.

StoriesJosh GarciaFebruary 16, 2015Jackson TN, Josh Garcia, Union University

The Man Behind the Beard

I walk into Rafferty’s and approach the hostess desk, informing them that I have a meeting with Santa. I am pointed in his direction without much hesitation, and he isn't difficult to spot. He wears a traditional Santa hat, and his coat is draped over a chair next to him. We exchange a firm and welcoming handshake as I pull up my chair. I take in the details of his extravagant red and gold paisley vest and a vintage cream shirt, along with his red pants and bells on his boots. I am impressed with his attire.