 Who are the Sharks? They're entrepreneurial leaders in the North Texas Conference Churches with a passion for reaching new people for Christ. The Reverend Debbie Lyons serves as the senior pastor at First United Methodist Church, Winsborough. Her passion for community engagement has earned her the mayor's key to the city. Phillip Neely, a lay member at Whaley United Methodist Church in Gainesville, has more than 20 years of experience in business development. And currently serves as president and CEO of Trident Process Systems. The Reverend Sylvia Wang serves as the senior pastor at First United Methodist Church, Archer City. As chair of the conference's journey towards racial justice coordinating team, she helps develop strategies to create an equitable future for all people in the North Texas Conference. Greg Hickman, lay leader at Whitesboro United Methodist Church, is the owner and CEO of First Texas Home Health, a leading home health care system. The Reverend Dr. Andy Stoker is an interfaith leader who has served as a United Methodist pastor for more than 20 years. Today, he is chief engagement officer at the Thanksgiving Foundation. Jessica Vargas, mission coordinator in the North Texas Conference Center for Church Development, supports leaders across the conference as they identify new ways to engage their communities for Christ. First into the spark tank is Pastor Doris Smith of Mount Zion United Methodist Church in Paris, Texas. Their bridging the gap ministry seeks to connect seniors in the church with students in the community in need of tutoring and after school engagement. Well this idea came to me because of the new generation and I feel that the older generation need to be able to understand where the new generation is and a new generation need to be able to understand where the older generation has been and how can we bridge the gap in between? We have to listen and learn from one another. Our hope is to be able to bridge the gap with the older generation with the younger generation through technology. Look at the new shorts. I am Doris L Smith from Mount Zion United Methodist Church in Paris, Texas. I'm the pastor of the church and here with me are several of members who came in support of this bridging the gap is the name of our proposal that we are going to present to you all today. And so we are asking for $10,000 for bridging the gap if that consists of technology, that consists of asking for tablets, that consists of putting a app on these tablets for reading comprehension, also being able to take the youth and children on special trips in order for them to see some things that they have not seen before. Even also asking and requesting for a license. Camsor would come in and sit and talk to these kids including food and snacks that we have to give them in order for them to be there to make sure that they're okay. Also we're asking for bibles to be able to give to the children because most come they don't have a Bible and even Bible and biblical literature such as the John Wesley literature that I am pushing so hard and heavy because we don't want to lose the children to the street we want to bring the children within the church. And I do know that the John Wesley three super rules do no harm to the state and love the God is one of our profound principles that we have within the United Methodist Church. Also to promote any swag or literature or t-shirts, anything that says bridging the gap, the unit that Malzahn can have that will help these kids and people within the Calimbrith that surrounds the church would know that that's what Malzahn is about. So I also know that Malzahn building the gap program aims to help close the learning gap for the children and students within that community and to also bring a safe and supportive place for the kids to come at Malzahn United Methodist Church in order to grow academically with volunteers within the church and even the people within the community. Also the reading comprehension portion that we'll talk about putting on the tablet. It is positively affecting when students are motivated and engaged and encouraged to be able to learn because we have been faced with several children that are not on their reading level, they're not where they need to be, but the church is a support group and in our building the gap proposal promotes a multi-generation approach to reach the children and the youth. And also our proposal vaguely not only the internal but also the community outreach with children and youth, whether they are already connected to faith, community or not, but Malzahn building the bridge proposal aims created, creativeness that which it will support the children and youth academically, even with discipleship and it helps them to develop a spiritual sense of what the church is doing. You have to be able to read to be able to understand and when we preach and teach within the church we want no one left behind. So that is our mission, that is our goal, but most importantly for us is that we want the children and the youth to associate the church with someone who cares about them. We want to be that place that makes them feel like they are being seen, they are being heard and that they can experience the love of God. Anything juncture with expanding their horizon and that's really our hope at Mount Zion United Methodist Church and we are also looking forward to building something new within the community and bringing everyone aboard. So Doris, I am so glad that you clarified some of your mission. I didn't hear in your proposal as much about the educational foundation of this, the field trips that are going to expose the kids. In your proposal I think it's also important that you are giving them a place to vent and talk about bullying and their fears and their worries but I think what you've just shared with us today will definitely take you from zero to hero. I believe in you. I believe in you Doris, what you've done, where you've been, so I'm just going to start out with a partial deal for you and hopefully some of my co-sharks will also buy in after they've asked their questions. I'm going to start with start you with 2,500 and my big question to you is to do this every single day after school and you said it's a Wednesday, right? We will do it Wednesday, we can do it Wednesdays and then also make it more effective when I'm there for Friday from Sunday, make it on a Saturday and I realize that people want to keep their weekends but I am one that wants to stand out front and do what it takes to help these kids get where they need to go. So what day are you going to do this? Are you doing it two days or one day? If there'll be two days. Two days, yes. I see all your lovely volunteers here that are willing to support this ministry. Where are the rest of your volunteers going to come from? This is a big job. Well what our proposal is is that we're going to reach out to other churches within the community that has problems and issues with being able to give the kids on board and keep them on track. We have churches that sit around our church on every corner so that is not a problem at all. Matter of fact we have united with one of the bigger churches like the Peeblocks during our church anniversary and that past is on board with what we're doing and think that this is an excellent idea but again they're limited with resources as well so if we can pull in some of their people to come and help us they will be excellent. Have you been in touch with the NAACP in the Northwest Texas workforce? They are members of our church and they are willing to help. Okay good good. Doris it's so nice to meet you in person. I think we've some time ago met on zoom on another meeting. You have wowed me with your presentation. I'm going to contribute invest $2,500 from my fund into the bridging the gap and I just want to applaud all of y'all for showing up and just supporting supporting God's work in your community for the children and youth. There's so many things we want to do for our kids and help them out but take concrete small steps at a time so as to prevent burnout of laity and clergy and it's also the partnering with other community organizations and other churches just awesome so thank you so much for your passion for all of your passion thank you for showing up that's that's tremendous support for God's work here and just stop your love for your pastor thank you so much so I will commit $2,500. I serve on the school board in Gainesville and we have a section of low performing students and the thing that you the thing that you said that really hit home with me is the reading gap if there's a statistic and I don't know know it exactly but we focus heavily on it if a if a child can't read by the time or in third grade they're behind forever they can't catch up on math or anything else so it's it's so important and I think it's great that you guys are doing it in your church the other thing the other thing the questions I add was the the involvement by Paris ISD do you have commitments there or will this help you get a commitment this will help us get a commitment and based on the reading proficiency but Paris ISD was at 38% and that is in the bottom 50% of Texas schools so we've done some research on that but this will give them to assist us especially with their curriculum how they they teach which is a lot different from how I learned and and many people learn but we have people that are within the school within our church that will be helpful to help us be on line with the with PISD Paris Indian School District. The thing I would like to see us do because I'm going to invest $5,000 in this I'm going to get your full $10,000. Wow. I think what I would like to do as we help and resource wise is is find a similar type of program that you can kind of either go look at or talk to to see hey are these guys doing it because it exists and they're very successful programs and I think what what someone said before is a small step is a huge step so I'm excited to invest $5,000 with you and thank you for your time. Thank you. Doris I want to jump in here I we're we're we're you're maxed out on sharks I'm wondering if I could be helpful from a public education advocacy space I think like Phil was mentioning I'd like to walk along with Phil and offer any further conversation as part of my work with pastors for Texas children and that larger network to figure out who else is out there doing this type of work so you don't have to create from nothing there's something for you to build on and really and really expand this in a holistic way and make this $10,000 expand and grow and be shaped for not only this coming school year but the school years to come so I want to offer my my help to you as as needed as well we definitely will reach out because we definitely need it and we don't know everything and and that's why we have to work together to breach the gap amen amen amen this will teach me for talking last because there's no more money to give out I know what you got my proposal I said $2,000 we want to go over and I will tell you I'm on the school board here in white sprawl as well I've raised four boys uh and I know that's over what it's hard to raise kids around and these kids not only I personally think what these kids need more than anything is compliments they need to know that they have people that believe in them that they can do whatever it is they want to do and and we as a church community we as just society need to build those kids up again all the money's been given but I'll be more than happy to do whatever it is that you guys might need I have a business in white sprawl that we have a lot of technology a lot of laptops some notebooks some things like that that we really can't use anymore because our software is it's gotten too big for these computers and it's I would much rather have them go to a good use like that than just sitting in a closet so I can go through that inventory to see what we've got maybe some we might have a couple of TVs that are flat screens that we're not using anymore that I'd be more than happy to throw that in we will we will come back and pick it up you think it two weeks I will go through it on Monday you guys are doing a great job and and our kids need more people like you so I applaud all of you yes thank you good job well um pastor Doris this is the first in our spark tank we you got your full funding ten thousand dollars and you got the five charts that are committed with time and efforts to help you out and technology to help you out and get this space and become a reality well I have to thank you the members yeah absolutely a lot of this was there are absolutely so thank you thank you thank you so much thank you for being part thank you for your time thank you for your time and effort in putting this together and and helping all the kids thank you we appreciate you've been here today thank you all congratulations I didn't create you all very excited very thrilled that they saw what we see as a need for our church we're so anxious to get started and to let our children know that we care we're so anxious to bridge the gap we and we think that with the help and with the mentoring that they're going to give us that we can do this and we just say to God be the glory for what he is allowing us to do it yes and I am excited about all five sharks they are each one of us very supportive each one had a step to offer Mount Zion in our efforts to put on the bridging the gaps with the children in the community and the and the elders of the church so we are over over jealous about everything so we know which is over the top about everything and we know that with their support and their words of encouragement on today and the funds that they gave us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens them amen pastor Dallin Morgan of the gathering Anna is next into the spark tank she's seeking shark support for taste of Anna which will leverage the church's unused property that has been vacant since a 2020 fire to host food trucks and serve as a new community gathering site so two months ago we were given the opportunity to use the old personage for Anna UMC as a new ministry center for the gathering and a group of us came together and we looked at the space which is the space that the burnt down church was once in and we looked at it and we prayed over the space of what could be and one of the most interesting things that came out was this food truck park um and part of the 2050 comprehensive plan for Anna was to have a food truck park and so we thought what a great place it's really close to our brand new city hall and it's going to be right next to our library this would be a great place to be able to have community and have all the trip food trucks together hi my name is Dallin Morgan and I'm the planting pastor of the gathering at EMS I'm also serve as a division or I'm sorry the diversity and inclusion board of the city my name is Michelle Clemens I am a lady planter work with the youth at Anna UMC um I serve as a commissioner on the planning and zoning board for the city of Vienna um and also builds a business plan for a non-profit that's been going two years strong now where is this place currently Anna UMC has a large lot located spack dab in the middle of Anna um one block away is the beautiful new city hall and right next door is where the state of the art library will be directly across the railroad tracks in our most coveted play area surely heritage park and we're in the next few months we're getting our train placed um it's also where we have our annual Christmas tree lighting and it's right in the middle of Anna why we chose here um we don't have any a lot of sit down restaurants in Anna not a place for people to meet we don't have event centers so really we thought what a perfect place to have it in downtown Anna somewhere where they can go Anna's comprehensive 2050 plan and Catesburg thriving downtown area with a lifestyle with lifestyle areas and so we wanted to be able to bring that lifestyle area through Anna UMC so the biggest question that I know is a church that we often ask is how will the taste of Anna create discipleship so for me there's two ways to create discipleship one is knowing who's leading the discipleship so first the people who lead this discipleship path will actually be the lady who are responsible for having the food trucks who show up and are doing the work in the ministry of the church uh so the whole food truck park which is the taste of Anna is led by the lady of the food trucks so we are simply a host site for them to come but also we have a discipleship path which is our three C's which is connect with relationship connect with God and connect with community obviously through the food trucks we are connecting with community not just those who own and run the food trucks but also those who come the children the youth the adults the seniors all who come connecting with God we actually have a way that we want to start to have worship at the food truck park one of our sites that sits right next door has an enclosed plate area where we intend to put really pretty tables and lighting it's enclosed so so children can play while we have worship we want to start with messy church it's outdoors it's perfect for the spring early summertime uh to kind of give a taste of what the gathering will be um but it creates that intentional community so what do we need to bring this to happen we don't need much but we do need your money okay we are asking for ten thousand dollars for the initial cost of the grading and crust concrete but their door so if you'll turn the page the major cost is to put the grading and crust concrete down so we are working with the new business grant through the city of yana we've already gone and had business meetings with them they've actually said three different places have come to them wanting to do this and we have the best site available because we're on the northern end um and we have the parking everything's kind of there um and so the initial cost is set up we think it's thirty thousand dollars so with your help and with the grants that we are expecting and get through the city and falsely the other grant through the conference we're hoping that it is paid for and once it's set up it's maintained by food truck owners themselves as a part of the nonprofit lease agreement that we'll have but it's also a way for the church to have um income revenue to help sustain the ministries of worship of children of youth gathering and such so together this is how many food trucks do you have commitments for to park in the space well we have none with commitments because we don't have the space yet but i uh spoke to about 13 of them that are from anna and they were all very excited for the opportunity to have that as a place that they could stay so you're leasing the space to them or providing it to them free so that is something we're working out with the conference uh we want to make sure that we're working with them the correct tax realm uh and so it will probably be a non-profit space agreement where they donate a portion of their revenue cost back to the church one of our just being the gathering one of our tenants is generosity where we take 10 percent of our uh income that we receive our regular offerings and give back to the community so part of that is that we're going to ask them to do a similar percentage of their profits to give right back to the church obviously you guys are versed in how the city of anna's working and you already are working on the grant so it's very impressive that you're taking this to to turn that into a lot bigger deal a lot bigger uh project so i think that's great um this this project isn't for me but i hope i wish you all the success and i think you did a great job on your presentation thank you it's great people abide by the use of the space but also there might be people who might come into the space and maybe damage the space and so so i don't just bring up some of the risks involved in in creating new property sure that's something i'm already working with the conference on is what kind of insurance would each good truck holder need to hold but also name just what type of insurance would the conference need to hold on that space so something was to happen um the effort trucks on their own would be insured specifically by them so we the church would not be responsible for that the most damage that they would do to the outdoor space might be the lighting that happens or the grading of the crushed concrete um so we would make sure that that is covered i think anytime you take church outdoors you have kind of that risk of what would people do with that space we would ask for extra patrol but the nice thing about it is the police station is one block away so we are in the downtown area that they're already highly patrolling um and so we're not concerned as much about that as just making sure that we have posting signs like what is allowed when does the park open when does that close so that there are people out there after hours when there's not people visible that the authorities are alerted like hey something might be going on there is the cost of portable toilets built into this so the city right now is not requiring that because we have the ministry center right next door that has bathrooms accessible to them also the city building is within less than a walk walking distance that has that so you would open the church for people to use your restrooms right so they're okay right now at this stage that might change later but at this stage they're okay with us having designated bathroom times like the building is open and the restrooms are accessible um they know we're not going to be open from morning tonight that we can't have that house um if it is something because i have talked to the conference about that as well if we need to have portable bathrooms the actual cost of portable bathrooms is not a lot it's the expense of maintaining them so that is a part of what we're working on with the city um would they maintain it like a public restroom at the parks that they're already having to maintain uh this site for right now for the next few years with the place for us to do ministry but we are trying to move to our permanent location the city said if we invested in something like this they would be really interested in buying this in a few years even if it's not for a boot truck lot but as the parking area of the trail that they are getting ready to put in so putting crushed concrete down and doing something with that space is something the city is interested in purchasing in the future which is always the nice bonus yeah and i i can tell you too i i served on the parks um board first and then i said uh served on the planning and zoning board and the parks is really big and uh we have matching grants to do the trail system through anna and this spot is just it's like prime so i have a feeling that in a couple years uh while i don't think we should though um it would be perfect for the city there's just not a whole lot of land left in anna to buy have y'all been to jake's place in uh north shaman between shaman and then it's a very similar situation you know i think go back to where you were talking about the each vendor would be an agreement that they would then give back part of their profits to the church and and is that that's going to be well understood by them and will there is there a mechanism to i mean make sure that happens so everything we do because we are actually listed at the north texas conference would be managed by the north texas conference okay the bookkeeping is all done through the north texas conference and so i we have not worked through the specifics of how it would be managed other than i would probably receive a report of what's been paid and then at the managing pastor make sure that hey if they haven't been paid to follow up with them at their lease agreements so i would be the interim of that i think it's a great idea food trucks and we've got some here in white swirl that i mean you go out there any day at lunch and there's you know there's 15 cars in a parking lot and people lined up so uh you know that i'm willing to give $2,500 uh to this project i think it's good i think it's an opportunity to get outside and meet people maybe that aren't coming to church i think that it's important maybe somehow get your youth involved in it to where they're going out and it's a good place for them to you know to gather they can bring friends uh you know and have youth functions there where maybe they're not inviting people to school hey once you come to church with me hey you want to go to the food trucks you know and and do things like that i think that's a good way to reach those you know that that population but you know with that i'm willing to give $2,500 well congratulations thank you so much for coming in thank you for bringing this idea just know that you'll have a shark was giving you two hours and $2,500 and um you get all our prayers for this to continue to grow and serve as a connecting to the community thank you so much thank you for being here thanks gash go excited very excited yeah i'm excited that means there's some energy behind what we're doing so to see it from the community to see from the lady to see it from those who aren't even in the community support this idea it's really exciting it allows me to go back to this city and say we have a little bit of stake in what we're doing so that we can further the grant that they're willing to come alongside us with