Baccalaureate: The final post

If you have been following my blog, you know that for the past 12 years, I have chaired the Baccalaureate Committee. This year, in December, I was called to meeting with 2 pastors, a youth pastor and several others who had issues with me. I didn't know the agenda of the meeting: I just knew that everyone who had issues with me were going to be together in one room – against me.

The bottom line was that they wanted Baccalaureate. They never talked to me or asked me any questions. I was discussed, but I was never included the discussions: they were all behind my back. I think that is called gossip.

Baccalaureate is this Sunday. There are no signs at the schools. There have been no announcements, nothing on the marquees. There are 61 likes on the facebook page for both schools. (Last year at this time, we had 69 for PHS and 44 for DHS.)

Over my 12 years as Baccalaureate chairperson, I had scores of files. Lots of data. For instance, I know which church was the largest donor to Baccalaureate and I know their pastor was not invited to the meeting, did not approve of the decision or how it was handled. But of course, this pastor participated in Baccalaureate: His church gave. He had a committee member. His church prayed for Baccalaureate. His church hosted a table every year.

I know that the pastors who led in this decision: Their churches ranked 6^th and 19^th (out of 22) in Baccalaureate giving. I know that 6^th was only 6^th because of a large gift last year: that single gift moved them from 12^th to 6^th and more than doubled their previous Baccalaureate giving. Neither church had been part of the Baccalaureate committee. 19 had never even hosted a table. And, of course, the #1 donor to Baccalaureate wasn't even invited to the meeting.

For 12 years, Baccalaureate was my baby – I treasured it, protected it, promoted, nurtured it and kept it alive and going forward. When it was threaten, I responded. When people talked about canceling it, I promoted it. I thought it was the most under used way to impact a graduating class. My children joke: My first word was Baccalaureate – what was yours? We lived Baccalaureate at my house.

Baccalaureate is Sunday. I have been advised not to go. The thought is that I have been in charge and responsible for so many years that people will still think I am responsible.

It is always difficult to be fired. It is more difficult when you did an excellent job and worked for free. Unless something happens, this will probably be my last post on Baccalaureate. I will focus on my healing.

What if God is protecting me?

If you follow this blog at all, you know that I have been thru some terrible shunning and exclusion at the hands of one particular youth pastor – let's call him Skippy. That what my boss calls him. . .

I had a turning point on Saturday morning. I was concerned about my talk to Garden Road – I was speaking for their Woman's Tea that day at 11:30 am. I was thinking about how terrible and underhanded that Skippy was being to me. I always have to juggle what I am going to say and not say. I'm thinking about how angry I am that the guys who are my friends have not stood up to Skippy for what is right. In that small still voice, God pointed out that if Skippy had included me, because my priority is community and working together, I would be there, trying my best to work together. He pointed out that I have reason to believe that Skippy might have some serious mental/ego issues, but that I would still be there, part of the group, trying to work together. I acknowledged that God was totally right. Then, He asked me a question: What if I'm protecting you?

All the sudden, I could see it. I could see that I would be trying my best to work in a horrible situation and I became so thankful that God is protecting me. I can't even tell you. I'm rejoicing. God is protecting me!

1984: An unsent Ministry Letter from April 2008

While clearing out files, I found this and I thought it was so good, I decided to post it.

Dear Friends,

1984.

I know it is the title of a book, but it is also the year I did the same thing I'm doing now. Not changing jobs, but changing the organization I serve under. On January 1, 1984, I transferred from Camp Peniel to Youth for Christ. On April 1, 2008, I transfer from Youth for Christ to Cross in the City.

On January 18, 1981, I spent my first Sunday at the Harris County Youth Village. I was an intern student from University of Houston – Majoring in Human Development and family studies. My atheistic professor had recommended I do my internship with a "religious organization."

During April 1981, I went on staff of Camp Peniel as the part time girls' Chaplain at the Harris County Youth Village. The Youth Village was a long term placement of the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department.

During the years from 1981 until December 31, 1983, I graduated from U of H, married Mark Cooper and served as the Girls' Chaplain at the Youth Village. I looked so young and I was so confused about my role, I was often mistaken for a resident. I remember that one staff yelled at me, saying "Did you do your job?" I answered "I sure hope so."

My salary was whatever came in that month, which was suppose to average to about $600 a month.

On January 1, 1984, I joined the Staff of Youth for Christ. Because Youth for Christ was serving delinquents at the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center, I became the Protestant Girls' Chaplain at the Juvenile Detention Center, while continuing as the Girls' Chaplain at the Harris County Youth Village.

My salary was $1050 per month.

During this Chapter, I taught Sunday School at the Youth Village, I lead discussion groups at the Detention Center. I lead singing at the Youth Village and I lead the Sunday afternoon Chapel Services at the Detention Center.

I wrote Bible story plays for the students at the Youth Village – Rahab and Jonah and I directed the students in the plays.

I started visiting girls who were adjudicated and put the county jail. One time, I showed my driver's license and the guard's face clouded. He came out from the booth and said "Come with me." Not a good thing for a visiting Chaplain. We went in an office and spoke to another person. "Let us clear this up. There is a warrant for your arrest." Somehow, they cleared it up and I got my driver's license back.

On March 12, 1987 my first child, a daughter, Jessa was born. Jessa changed my life. I couldn't take her to the jail! But I could take her to the Youth Village and the Detention Center. Sometimes, Mark and I would meet at a store on his way home from work and I would give him Jessa and go back to work.

During the time after Jessa's birth, we started doing Vacation Bible School in institutions with juvenile delinquents. I would write curriculum for various TBS – for Take a Bold Step. We – staff and volunteers would spend a week showing Christian Music Videos and doing crafts and teaching Bible stories to gang kids. It was amazing, watching these kids from various gangs coloring and enjoying popsicles.

During the closing of the YFC office, I had 6 boxes that I had to go thru. Those boxes were like time capsules. I would open them and find all my CADAC – Certified Drug and Alcohol abuse Counselor paper work. I did all the classes, but I didn't finish the practicum. I would find a copy of the Teen Mom's hand book and a paper chain – remember Jessa was my traveling buddy, so she would amusing herself at the office. A ream of fluorescent paper and Jessa's paper doll cut outs. And letters from my early Youth Village girls. Girls who must be in their late 30's and early 40's.

As I go thru the boxes, I start to wonder: how many kids' lives has God used me to touch? It's impossible to know, but I wonder . . . 50 a year for '81 – '83 and 100 a year for '84 – '95. No wonder those years are a blur. 1050?

On September 14, 1990, I received a phone call from a Pearland High School Senior, Brandon Russell. It was a life changing phone call for me, although I didn't know it at the time. Brandon was looking for someone else, but he got me. Brandon was concerned because even though his school just had 300+ students show up for the first ever See you at the Pole, the only Christian Club they had was FCA. And he thought they should have a Christian Club – if they had that many show up for See you at the Pole.

I lived in Alvin – a town near by Pearland. I offered to meet with him and help him. After years of working with juvenile delinquents, I now was working with National Honor Society students who wanted to see their campus on fire for Christ. I spent many of these years feeling like I had one foot on either side of the tracks.

From 1990 until 2004, that program grew from a low of 3 kids to almost 500 kids a week on 2 campuses. I always encourage kids to make the phone call. Who knows what God will bring out of that phone call?

On June 16, 1995, I gave birth to my second child – Allie Jean Cooper. At that point, I stopped doing the Sunday Morning services at the Harris County Youth Village. For over 14 years, my Sunday mornings had been spent doing church with the juvenile delinquents – not exactly a traditional Sunday morning experience.

In August of 2000, John Butler, my supervisor and mentor, received a letter from Harris County Juvenile Probation Department terminating our services. John ask some questions and got us and additional 3 weeks, but still that final Sunday and Monday, I walked thru the units, openly weeping. I was so distraught. After nearly 20 years of playing the guitar for those kids, I have never picked up the guitar again. I guess it is my silent protest.

Mark was also sent home from his job during this time due to a diagnosis of cardiomyopathy. In May of 2001, he was terminated.

In August 2001, I found out my life insurance on Mark was being canceled. Youth for Christ continued to bill us for the insurance, but it had been gone since 1998. Mark was now uninsurable due to his heart condition. (They eventually reinstated his life insurance, but at a lower amount than I had been paying for.)

Mark died December 2, 2002, leaving me with 2 daughters, ages 15 and 7.

Pizza@Lunch was closed down in October 2004. It took until March 2005 to get a final decision.

I married William Dean Hinesley on 7/16/05 and gained a new husband and a 4 year old step daughter, Taylor.

And that brings me to today. When God made it clear I was to continue in Pearland, where my contacts and connections were, I made plans to restart the Pearland Youth Ministry Alliance. In the fall of 2006, when I discovered there wasn't but one Christian Club in the Pearland middle, junior highs and High School, I started asking things like how can we make Pearland "Christian Club Friendly." What can we do to support any Christian Club that starts? What can we do to insure that those clubs continue and don't die out? How can those clubs be connected to the local churches?

So, today, I work with Christian Club Teachers. I am part of a team that supplies Snacks to any Christian Club – as often as possible. I connect the clubs to the community by asking local youth pastors to speak at the clubs. I research and discover available Club materials. If need be, I write materials for Christian Clubs. I plan events to bring the clubs together. Sometimes, I speak.

I am often heard saying "I don't know anyone who has ever done this before." Maybe there is someone some place . . . I would love to meet them and exchange ideas.

I still need people. People who will collect and deliver snacks. I still need people who will help with some fundraisers. My salary is currently about $450 a month.

 

 

Baccalaureate: Closing the Doors

I am bringing closure to my Baccalaureate Chapter. The letters went out last week as well as all the certificates of appreciation. What follows is the letter I sent out and the 5 people I chose to honor with Certificates of Appreciation. I have chosen to post the Cross in the City letter as a sample. The letters were personalized to the giving churches.

April 28, 2011

Dear Cross in the City,

Thank you for your support of Pearland's Baccalaureate Services from 1999 to 2010. It has been privilege to be the Baccalaureate Chairperson. Over the 12 years, your organization contributed $1150 to Baccalaureate. Thank you for allowing your staff to serve as the Committee Chair person, a gift that over the years in uncompensated time was equivalent to over $100,000!

During my tenure as Baccalaureate Chair, the Baccalaureate Leadership Committee took Pearland's Baccalaureate to a new level. Our Baccalaureate Services were the best in the area: I know, I loved to do field trips to other school's baccalaureate services. On February 19, the former Baccalaureate Committee got together one last time and we celebrated the work God allowed us to do and this included the following:

We did 13 (2 in 2010) great Baccalaureate services that impacted the lives and families of about 1000+ students. (Our lowest attendance was 65 (2009) and our highest was 143.)

We came up with a committee structure that allow for all churches to be represented.

We did a unique service for each graduating class, searching for unique students that had gifts that we could utilize in the Baccalaureate service. Each year we fine tuned the service adding power point, worship, student testimonies, student led prayer, a prayer team.

We added a reception in 2000 and gifts to the graduates in 2002. We added the gift t-shirts in 2004 and the logo in 2003

We worked with anyone who wanted to help with Baccalaureate.

Regretfully, I am no longer responsible or involved in Pearland's Baccalaureates in any way. In many ways, I'm sorry to see this door closed. It has been a privilege to serve this way: it has been the source of much growth and many challenges.

Thank you for your continued support.

Dottie Cooper Hinesley

Because this is the end of some long term working relationships that revolved around Baccalaureate, I have considered my 12 years of service leadership and I have chosen people to present with Certificates of Appreciation for their Service to Baccalaureate.

Vicki Frame of Garden Road Baptist Church. Vicki coordinated the reception starting with the 2000 Baccalaureate service and she joined the Baccalaureate Leadership Committee reluctantly. She did an outstanding job on the reception and became an outstanding committee member. She has an excellent memory of what we tried and what worked and didn't work. She is extremely logical and could think thru the ramifications of potential decisions. She could also think thru the issues of leadership and logistics with amazing clarity. During the her last year on the committee, Vicki also coordinated the environment team, which included reception, decorations, ushers and pre-show for the graduates.

Mike Cotter of Southway Community Church. Mike was a great committee member and asset to the team. Mike joined the Committee in 2007. As a safety engineer, Mike brought a unique perspective to the Baccalaureate Committee. Mike was good at filling in the gaps: asking questions no one thought to ask and researching things he notice. He brought his camera to our tour of Dawson HS and to the Manvel Baccalaureate service. In 2010, Mike researched the suggested speaker and the new version of Pomp and Circumstance that was being used and had his own set of questions that were based on his research. Mike was also our only male long term committee member.

Nancy Pridgen of 1^st United Methodist Church of Pearland. Nancy joined the Committee in 2002. Her primary focus was on printed materials and advertising. She did a wonderful job involving her fellow church members in Baccalaureate. Nancy also coordinated with our graphic artist, participated in the choosing of logo and the phrase: The blessing of the Graduates. Nancy held a strong belief in Baccalaureate and the value of what we were doing. Nancy also suggested the design for the back of the t-shirt.

The following 2 are PISD employees or former employees.

Anita Holmes of 1^st Baptist Church of Pearland. I believe Anita Holmes is called by God to be the receptionist for Pearland High School. She is a wonderful asset to the Christian community in that position. Anita has used that position to be helpful to the cause of Baccalaureate in ways that are too numerous to be named here. Anita also knew the students and was able to suggest and confirm possible names for testimonies.

Darlene Woods of New Harvest Christian Fellowship Church. Darlene Woods was the former Senior Class Secretary. She was wonderful at her job and another person that I believe God positioned for His purposes. She used that position to advocate for Baccalaureate in several ways. She was eyes and ears, letting me know pertinent information, like when Balfour would be on campus. She also knew the students and would recommend or confirm the names of students who were known for walking the walk and talking the talk on campus.