Powerhouse Ministry Worship Center

 A friend of mine suggested I take a look at some of what is happening on the East side of town. Having been invited to visit Powerhouse Ministry Worship Center, I made the trip into a part of Chattanooga unfamiliar to me. As I approached  the address I had been given, off of Taylor Street, I was first struck by the grand brick church that was sitting in the middle of this residential section of town. As I stood just feet away and looked up at the side of this church, I was absolutely overwhelmed by emotion, feeling the power behind this building that has been in Chattanooga for over 100 years. I thought about the hands that have been on it, the people who have worshiped there and the prayers that have been said over it and around it over the last year as Pastor Mott and his wife, Trudy, have begun fulfilling a vision and a passion placed in their hearts. 

“About a year ago a young lady walked up to us here and asked us about having a block party. Having Christian artists come out and having an outdoor concert right here in the street.” Pastor Tom Mott has a wonderful smile on his face as he talks about what he sees for this community and Powerhouse Ministry. “Can you imagine? This is one of the heaviest crime and drugs areas in Chattanooga. To have drug dealers walking up to us, thanking us for bringing a hope and a future, is simply incredible.”

Pastor Mott and his wife are here to stay; when you talk to him and walk around the church you can begin to see what he sees. “We have church here on Sunday mornings at 10 am; we have a ‘Man of Honor’ class on Monday nights, and we want to see Friday nights as a time for local bands to come out and play. Give these kids somewhere to hang out besides the streets.”

Pastor Mott walked us around to the back of the church, where the neighboring house had been busted for drugs. “These are the ones I want to have coming to church. These are the people we want to be available for. We can’t be afraid to walk down the streets; we can’t be too busy to stop and talk. Walking by with a ‘hi, how are you’ is not enough. A conversation is needed and a true compassion for what is going on in their lives. This  is the connection people are looking for.” Pastor Mott points to a room, or what used to be a room, made up of bricks and brambles at this moment, describing more of what is planned for this building. “It is a community center. Kids will come after school to study. We will have a library, a study center with computers and Internet access, a game center, a food bank, clothing and basic needs area. We want to minister to convicted felons, empowering them to look at life differently, to have available a recovery program and resources to continue the changes in all areas of their lives.”

The stained-glass windows have been broken out over the years, and Pastor Mott says this was a good thing, “We have actually had people in the community tell us the stained glass made them feel shut out and unwelcome. When we began putting in the new windows, they would let us know they now felt they could come in and join what we are doing.”

There has been much support from the community, including help from the Modern Woodmen of America, Chattanooga Matters Leadership 21 class, Unity in the Community and the Salvation Army. More help is needed to see this vision come to fruition. For those of you wanting more information on how you can be a part, you can visit the website www.ChattanoogaChangeCenter.com or call 423-394-9349.

Prayers and Praise continue to go up. Pastor Tom and Mrs. Mott have a vision, and they see it even when the very spot you are standing on is mere brick and bramble.
-Rachel Noble