A Tribute to Don Tack Part 2: How I Experienced Life-on-Life Mentoring
A Prelude to UTM's August 1st Lunch & Learn
When Don Tack began mentoring me, I had grand expectations of what that would look like. I envisioned one-on-one meetings with Don where he would impart to me a comprehensive list of how-to's in the Christian life, including ministry to the poor. Compared to what I experienced in the churches of my childhood, which structured discipling into an organized, systemized program, Don's approach was radically different. Rather than providing me with a set checklist of how-to's in the Christian life to discuss each week, Don shared his life in Christ with me. Although he was purposeful in what he wanted me to learn, there was no formal program or systemized checklist to adhere to. And his life was the streets in the Heartside district of downtown Grand Rapids, along with the underpasses, bridges, and banks of the Grand River, where hundreds of homeless individuals made their makeshift homes.
Don was a dynamic individual who exuded action and energy. Even in my early twenties, I struggled to keep pace with him, despite the 27-year age gap between us. Here are some memorable moments from the initial 5 years of my life-on-life mentoring journey with Don:
Accompanying him on close to two dozen hood hikes that brought concerned Grand Rapids area residents face-to-face with the crisis of homelessness.
Doing lunch numerous times with him and several homeless individuals at God's kitchen in order to gain their trust.
Helping him search and locate many homeless people who were sleeping under bridges, underpasses, abandoned cars and buildings, and the woods along the Grand River.
Joining him in justice advocacy interventions for several mentally ill individuals that he befriended who were not receiving the necessary care and support from local government and non-profit social service organizations.
Assisting him as he took on multiple crisis interventions for those who were about to become homeless.
Observing him speak at numerous churches, civic groups and businesses all over West Michigan.
Learning and interacting with him in several college-level classes he offered through Servants Center such as Biblical Perspectives on Poverty Ministry.
During our time spent on the street doing ministry among the poor and homeless, I discovered just how vital prayer was to Don as a spiritual discipline in opportune moments.
He taught me about the significance of genuinely relying on Jesus by "Never Stop Praying" (I Thess. 5:17 NLT) and to "Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion." (Eph. 6:18 NLT). Coming from a Fundamenalist Baptist background, the examples of prayer I encountered often emulated dedicated missionaries from the 18th and 19th centuries like Puritan pietists such as Dave Brainerd who would pray several hours a day without pause. This posed a challenge to me, given my struggles with concentration due to my ADHD. It also burdened me with a ton of guilt as well.
For Don, prayer was like breathing. He revealed that he was constantly in a mindset of prayer. While we scouted for homeless encampments under bridges and overpasses, Don quietly prayed, relying on the Holy Spirit to guide him. As we were about to converse with homeless individuals or social workers, Don paused to pray before we began the conversation. These would continue throughout the entire day. In those moments, I was amazed at how God opened doors to help solve a crisis or share the gospel of Jesus with a homeless individual or an agnostic social worker who was asking Don why we went the extra mile to help mentally ill in the most dire situations get off and stay off the streets.
Eventually, Don asked me to become the resident manager of the Coit House, a transitional homeless shelter for men, including some with neurological brain diseases such as schizophrenia. Spending time with Don all those years led to adopting many of his habits and ways of doing ministry. But most of all, relying on Jesus through prayer as I navigated crisis interventions with the Coit house residents, provided accountability with the goals the residents set, and entered into natural conversations to share the gospel with them in those critical moments; all of which became part of my regular routine.
Part 3 will be published on July 31st.
Click Here for “A Tribute to Don Tack Part 1”