Mississippi RBI

You can reach me here - Brian@MississippiRBI.com or call me 601-665-7884

I have been involved with inner city ministry in Jackson, Miss for years and one thing that continues to frustrate me is the opportunities that inner city kids miss out on.  That will not happen with our baseball clinics and summer league.

Any baseball camp that features MLB scouts and coaches from all levels, like our clinics, would normally cost major money which eliminates many kids from being there. 

Major League Baseball’s community program, Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities, is funded in part by MLB which allows a top-notch baseball clinic to be FREE to the participants!  The City of Jackson’s transit system will come right to the ballpark.

RBI’s main objective is to allow kids to play baseball and softball more often through the year.  One of the main objectives of Mississippi RBI is helping kids get into college.  We will have college academic recruiters at all of our clinics. Also, during the summer league we will have academic recruiters from local colleges and junior colleges on hand to get information to the players, hopefully giving them a better understanding of how to get into college.

God has burdened my heart with a desire to influence inner-city youth. The funny thing is that I am not a natural born-leader at all.  However, God is the “Ultimate Leader” and he calls every believer to lead others and I can’t help but notice the call to leadership is a pretty consistent pattern in the Bible. 

John Maxwell says leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less.  If you are being salt and light as Jesus commanded, then you have begun to obey God’s call to leadership.  I’ve only just begun to notice this in my life and hopefully many of the kids in RBI will notice it in themselves too.  

“Transformational Leadership” (Maxwell) follows the pattern laid down in scripture.  It is the kind of leadership where people’s lives are changed from the inside out.  It is based on character, conviction, and Christlikeness.  So, everyone has the potential to be a leader. Our goal is to transform these kids into leaders in their community both on and off the field.

Another problem I see so often in the inner-city is fatherlessness and recurring disappointment in the kids that stems from broken promises from adults.  I’m certainly not a perfect parent and I make mistakes all the time.  I’m not picking on anyone.  Though I really do feel that everyone involved in RBI will leave blessed.  Maybe that will lead to improved conditions at home?

It only took one clinic before some of the fathers in attendence approached me about forming a booster club whose main job is feeding the players after clinics.  Barry Henderson has agreed to use his equipment to fry fish for everyone to close out each clinic.   

Another thing I have discovered about myself  in my walk with Christ is that in order for me to love the inner-city I must hate many of the sinful things that cause the problems there.  Once you decide what really hurts people, you hate it.  Once you decide what dishonors God, you hate it.

I pray that this league will be a year-round community-building, confidence-boosting, relationship-creating program.  

A little background info on me:

My girls - Heather and Cameron at Trustmark Park. Cameron lost a tooth that day.

I am now 31 years old and I was born and raised in Madison, Miss and graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in sport communication.  I also have a master’s degree in sports management.  I’ve served as a deacon at Pinelake Church and I love the Lord and I thank Him all the time for what He has done for me and my little family.  I also work in sports marketing for Hinds CC and teach in the developmental computer lab.  I also serve as the Chaplain for Hinds CC Baseball.

I’ve been married to the former Heather Woodcock of Meadville, Miss for over 8 years and we have one daughter Cameron, who is 6 years old.  We live in Clinton, Miss.

How I got into inner city ministry:

Working with my good friend Vince Gordon, who serves as the Area Director for Young Life Inner City here in Jackson, has given me many opportunities to see first-hand how inner city kids are often left out of activities.

Vince, who was raised in Los Angeles, has served in that role for nearly 10 years and he really has a heart for the youth of Jackson.  His home is 20 feet from the doors of Lanier High School (he is an ‘82 graduate of LHS) and he empowers volunteer leaders like me to go with him into eight high schools in Jackson (also a teen prison ministry in Hinds county and the MS School for the Deaf) and use our own life experiences to help others. 

We tell them of the amazing grace and love our Lord Jesus Christ covers them with.  We meet for 30 minutes before they begin their day at school and hang out at the Perkins Center on Robinson Road every other Wednesday for Club.  Vince and the volunteers meet with students from Bailey, Callaway, Forest Hill, Jim Hill, Lanier, Murrah, Provine, and Wingfield high school.

Our Heavenly Father can answer all your questions in life and Vince (or Mr. G) and all of us volunteer leaders can tell them how He has changed our lives.  Below is my personal “life verse”

Yesterday I hung on the cross with Christ; today I am glorified with Him: yesterday I was dying with Him; today I am brought to life with Him: yesterday I was buried with Him: today I rise with Him. Let us become like Christ, since Christ also became like us. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” Galatians 2:20