Happy Spring friends and family!
Thank you for keeping up with and praying for and over what the LORD is doing here in Kensington. Prayer is such an awesome gift that we as believers get to share in. Through aligning our hearts with the heart of God and his will and exercising the faith that the LORD has given us, we get to ask boldly as children of the giver of all good things participating in partitioning our LORD to bring about incredible God sized change in this dark and broken world.
Kensington Update: Over the past two years Mayor Cherelle Parker has been working incredibly hard to clean up Kensington and the drug market that ravages the neighborhood. Through this we have seen a significant increase in police presence, a new courthouse opened, specifically designed to handle homeless drug addicts and to give them an opportunity to get the help that they need to recover and be rehabilitated. We have also seen a significant decrease in the trash that plagues the neighborhood thanks to consistent street cleaning and trash pickups. Through the Mayor's efforts to combat the drug trade we have seen two joint operations between the Philadelphia Police Department, FBI, and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) successfully take down two of the biggest gangs here in Kensington.
Looking Back: Oh how busy our “slow” season has been. The winter is our time with significantly fewer groups so we get a chance to work on the overall function of the ministry, improve our facilities, and continue digging deep with our ministry partners and in the community.
Break down of specific ministries and what has happened with each-
Cornerstone Community Church: Over the Christmas season, we got to bless the community through hosting Christmas parties and providing gifts for the kids, teens and adults, through which the gospel was shared.
Prep for insurance inspection- There was a lot of work to be done at church in preparation for the big inspection. The gym floor had to be sanded and re-finished, a lot of drywall and plaster had to be redone, and many other projects. The LORD had his hand on the inspection and gave us favor in the inspector's sight and everything went incredibly smoothly.
Kids/Teen club- Kids and Teen clubs have continued faithfully sharing the gospel and creating a safe fun environment for kids and teens to be away from the challenges and dangerous things that happen within the school and on the streets.
We also had the opportunity to take our teenagers to an apologetics conference by Stand to Reason where they spoke on the topic of worldview and how that informs the way we view every significant issue and problem with the world. This was great for our teens and us as leaders to hear about.
Food distribution- We have seen a large increase of people who come to food distribution starting to attend Sunday services which has been so cool to see. This is through the commitment of Pastor Manny, the newest addition to the cornerstone pastoral team. He has been faithfully building relationships with those who come to food distribution.
The Rock:
Community Chaplaincy- with the Rock, Paige has consistently served as a community chaplain sharing the gospel and offering an opportunity for the homeless and drug addicted to get help and off the streets. However, she will be stepping back from this for health reasons as we anticipate the birth of our child.
Willard Elementary:
Library- Paige has continued serving and building relationships with the teachers and students at Willard through working in the library, which is such a cool opportunity to be involved in and be so deeply connected with a public school.
Recess- We also get the opportunity with groups to do recess and play with the kids at school. Sometimes we just play games like basketball and soccer and whatever the kids want to do, while other times we bring home made carnival games with candy prizes which the kids love to play.
Groups:
We had a group from Calvary Bible Church in MT. Joy, PA serve with us for a day in February. One of their highlights was getting to serve at Cast your Cares ministry where they got to hear people’s stories and serve them a warm meal.
13 students from The Well ,a campus ministry from East Tennessee State University, chose to spend their spring break serving with us here in Kensington. It was really encouraging to have a group of college students that were all in during their time here serving with us. They jumped in with open hearts to what the Lord was going to do and flourished in that!
We also had Pleasant View, the Lancaster site from ONELIFE Gap Year, spend three days with us as part of their experiential learning. They are always a great group to have especially because they are part of the program that Paige and I attended. An impactful part of their trip was getting to serve at the Rock ministries, serving coffee to the homeless. Many of them were prompted to think deeply about the things that they saw and experienced while there. They even got the joy of walking someone to the chaplain station, who was ready to go to rehab! Praise the Lord!
Looking Forward:
Events- Our summer is kicking off with one of our 2 biggest outreaches of the year, Family Fun Day, in which we partner with Cornerstone community church to minister to families. During Family Fun Day, we invite families from all over the community to join us for carnival games, inflatable challenge games, and many many more activities. During this event about 1,000 people are exposed to the gospel and invited to join us for church on Sunday. If you or anyone you know would be interested in helping to serve at this event it is a great way to get involved with the ministry and what is happening in Kensington. The event takes place on Sunday, June 7th from 3pm-6pm. If you are interested in coming please feel free to reach out to either Paige or I at isaac@productivelives.org or paige@productivelives.org and we’d be happy to answer any questions you have or provide more information.
Groups- Our summer season is the time for groups. At this time from June- August we have 6 groups coming for 3 or more days along with others that are coming for day trips and other service opportunities. These groups consist of churches, youth groups, and a group that comes once a week from Fuge camps to serve with us. If you are interested in bringing a group or coming by yourself or with your family we would absolutely love to have you join us. For more info on that visit our website https://www.productivelives.org/ or email Paige at paige@productivelives.org
Navajo missions trip- July 1st-12th we will be taking a team from Kensington, Virginia, Maryland, and Tennessee to Arizona to serve the Navajo people through hosting VBS and doing maintenance projects like repairing a crushed sewer line and other things at Hidden Springs Bible Church. This is a great opportunity for people in our community to get out of the context they know and serve alongside believers in a new place with different challenges and needs. The trip will be hosted by Productive Lives and led by Pastor Bill Manning from Cornerstone Community Church, who previously served as a pastor on the Navajo Reservation.
Converge Gap Year Program: We are excited to announce the launch of the Productive Lives residency gap year program Converge. Paige and I will be taking the lead on discipling college age students in what it means to live as a servant leader. We are so excited to do this because a gap year program was so impactful to us and so has living in Kensington so why not combine the two? We want to share the experiences that God used to shape and grow us with other young believers who are willing to step out of their comfort zone and live a radically different life and make an eternal difference wherever God calls them. We are looking for 6 college age students who are looking to grow in their faith, learn and experience what it means to be a servant leader by studying the perfect example of true servant leadership, Jesus Christ. For more information visit https://www.productivelives.org/converge or email me at isaac@productivelives.org
Productive Lives Summer Internship: This summer we are offering a summer internship for high school graduates - college age students. During the summer, interns will help lead groups and serve with our weekly ministry partners. Interns will be poured into by our staff and ministry partners, encouraged to grow in their faith and equipped to live a life of servant leadership in any situation or context that God calls them too, whether it is in Kensington, the workplace, or ministering to unreached peoples the principles learned will help them thrive in any situation turning them into powerful opportunities to share Christ's love. If you or anyone you know might be interested you can find more information here https://www.productivelives.org/opportunities/summerintern or email me at isaac@productivelives.org
Family Update:
Paige and I are anxiously awaiting the birth of our daughter Sheridan Elizabeth Watson; her due date is June 9th! Paige and I will be heavily stepping back from our roles for the month of June to focus on our family and get used to life with our daughter. We will not totally stop our work in this ministry, but reduce the responsibilities that we have for a time.
How to Pray:
Please pray for our summer groups as they come that the LORD would move and help the teams and us grow closer to Him and understand Him in new amazing ways.
For our staff as we lead groups, while it is very fun and encouraging to lead groups it is also exhausting, and this year will come with the added challenge of adding a newborn into the mix. Please pray for endurance, to give each group the energy and care that we give the first one. Also pray that anything the devil may use to thwart the work that God is doing would not only be overcome, but turned into a powerful testimony for the glory of the LORD and used to bring about the salvation of many.
Pray for the community. This community is so broken, 26% (quite possibly more) of families are single mothers, drug abuse and homelessness rule the streets, and gangs have made their way into the schools leading to unsafe and very unproductive school settings. Please pray that these conditions would drive families and individuals to Christ and the Church who hold the hope and answers that that we all so desperately need. Pray that the LORD would work in the hearts of these people and convict them through his Holy Spirit of the hopeless situation that we would all be in were it not for the work of Jesus Christ on the cross paying the debt that we never could. Jesus reconciled us to the Father so that we can be called children of God and heirs with Christ.
Pray for workers to be sent not just here to Kensington, but all over the world to share the gospel and carry out the ministry of reconciliation that God has given us. But I do ask that you specifically pray for more workers here in Kensington. And if God is calling you to be a worker here or anywhere else that you would answer His call and boldly step out in faith and allow him to show you how awesomely powerful He is, and the blessings that he showers on those who live wholly dedicated to Him.
Please pray for our family. Please pray that Paige's labor would go smoothly and that there would be no complications. Please pray for Sheridan that her body would work the way that God designs it to. And pray for Paige and I as we parent her, pray that God gives us wisdom in all situations, especially as she will be exposed to many dark and evil things at a very young age. Also pray for me as I lead our family that I would seek God with my whole heart and faithfully lead Paige and Sheridan to seek and trust Him.
Other Resources:
Serving changes everything lead the way: This book was written by our president DR. Cam Garvin on servant leadership and practical applications of it. All proceeds go directly back into the Productive Lives ministry.
https://www.amazon.com/Serving-Changes-Everything-Lead-Way/dp/1964046858/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0
Productive Lives Podcast: Hear encouraging stories of people who are living productive Christ centered lives.
https://www.productivelives.org/podcast
But you must remember beloved, the prediction of the apostles of our LORD Jesus Christ. They said to you, “in the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude verses 17-25
For God’s Glory
Isaac, Paige, and soon to be Sheridan Watson.
Teen and Kids Christmas Parties
Apologetics Conference with the Teens
Calvary Bible Church
The Well serving at The Rock ministry
One Life Pleasant View
Hello Friends and Family,
Thank you for signing up for our newsletter and for staying connected with us and the ministry. Through these updates, we want to share highlights from each season of ministry, what we are looking forward to in the coming months, and specific ways you can pray for us, the community, and the work God is doing here.
Before we begin, we want to give a brief overview of Productive Lives, our role in Kensington, and what the Kensington neighborhood is like.
Who We Are & What We Do
Productive Lives is a para-church organization that exists to support and connect like-minded ministries by providing manpower and resources so their impact can be maximized—for the expansion of the gospel and the glory of Jesus Christ. We do this by participating in weekly outreaches hosted by our ministry partners and by hosting short-term mission trips, primarily in Kensington, for groups such as schools, churches, and other organizations.
For more information, please visit:
https://www.productivelives.org/
About Kensington
Kensington is a neighborhood in Philadelphia measuring only about one square mile, yet it is the largest open-air drug market in the world. Drugs are bought and sold openly, making it the center of the opioid crisis and a place where drugs are among the cheapest in the country. People often travel here from all over the nation intending to stay only briefly, but many become trapped, broke, addicted, and homeless.
This reality has deeply affected the neighborhood’s value and reputation. However, it is important to know that the majority of residents are not addicted. They are families and individuals simply trying to live, work, and raise their children in the midst of very difficult circumstances.
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Looking Back
Groups
This past fall, we hosted two groups. One group came from the Lodestar Mountain Inn Gap Year Program in West Virginia. This visit was especially meaningful to Paige and me, as this is where we both attended and met. The group was here as part of their evangelism and discipleship class.
While in Kensington, they participated in Coffee House with The Rock, a ministry within Rock Ministries’ community chaplaincy program. There, they engaged with the homeless community—inviting people to sit down, warm up with coffee on a cold fall day, and hear the gospel in a welcoming, relational environment. They also served in food distribution with Cornerstone Community Church and participated in Teen Club.
We also hosted a young adults group from East Swamp Church in Quakertown, PA, for a weekend. They helped with a resource fair hosted by Rock Ministries, where hot dogs were served and resources were offered, including free pregnancy care and ultrasounds, haircuts, and options for detox and rehabilitation. We also led the group on a prayer walk through the neighborhood, asking the Lord to intervene in Kensington and to strengthen His people who are faithfully serving here.
Family Fun Day
Family Fun Day is one of our largest outreach events in Kensington. Twice a year—once in June and once in October—Cornerstone Community Church and Productive Lives partner with volunteers from all over to host these events. We offer carnival games, inflatables, candy, prizes, and get to share the gospel with many people.
Across both events each year, we typically see around 2,000 community members attend with their families. These days are an excellent opportunity to connect families to Kids Club and Teen Club and to continue building relationships within the neighborhood.
Weekly Ministries
Willard Elementary School-
We have a unique partnership with Willard Elementary School, one of the local public schools. Every Tuesday, Paige and another staff member, Liv, serve in the school library as a way to love on students and support teachers who are working tirelessly in very challenging circumstances. Many of these children come from broken homes with very little family support.
Through this partnership, Paige and Liv also bless teachers with coffee and donuts and provide much-needed supplies such as printer paper (which is a hot commodity), along with small prizes for students. These efforts have built trust and opened meaningful relationships with both staff and students. While we are not able to explicitly share the gospel at the school, the principal allows us to invite students to Kids Club at Cornerstone Community Church on Tuesday evenings, where many do hear the good news of Jesus Christ.
Kids Club – Cornerstone Community Church
Every Tuesday night, Paige and I serve at Kids Club, which functions similarly to a youth group and is divided into three age groups: ages 5–6, 7–10, and 11–12. We work primarily with the 11–12-year-olds and have been able to build strong, meaningful relationships with many of these kids.
One of the unique aspects of ministry in the city is how much daily life overlaps. We frequently see these kids at school, the corner store, or the grocery store—allowing us to share life alongside the people we serve.
Teen Club – Cornerstone Community Church
Teen Club is similar to Kids Club but is focused on middle and high school students. We walk alongside teens as they navigate the challenges of adolescence, helping them understand biblical truth and encouraging them to stand for what is right.
High school in Kensington presents unique difficulties, including the presence of gangs within schools—the same gangs that operate openly on Kensington Avenue. This creates difficult school situations because these gangs often have brawls in the school. Being able to help teens navigate these hardships is crucial so that we can help prevent the kids from ending up in one of these gangs and stay out of the street life.
Food Distribution – Cornerstone Community Church
Every Thursday morning, Cornerstone Community Church distributes food to low-income families. This outreach is focused not on the homeless population, but on families and individuals who are struggling financially.
Food is donated by local Target and Walmart stores. During the recent government shutdown, this ministry became especially vital, as many social services were temporarily unavailable. During that time, weekly attendance increased from our normal 70 people to around 100 for several weeks.
For more information about Cornerstone Community Church, visit:
Rock Ministries Chaplaincy Program-
Every Wednesday, Rock Ministries operates a chaplaincy program where teams go out into the neighborhood to evangelize, build relationships, and connect people to resources. These include detox facilities to assist with withdrawal and rehabilitation programs that help individuals reenter society.
Most of the Productive Lives staff participates weekly, sharing the love of Jesus and reminding people that God offers something far greater than addiction and despair.
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Looking Forward
This season of ministry is quieter, as Kids Club and Teen Club are on break until the end of January. Over the past several weeks, we have hosted multiple Christmas outreaches, including parties and gift giveaways for both children and adults connected to the church.
In January, we are excited to welcome a group from the OneLife Gap Year Program at their Pleasant View location.
This slower season also provides time to strengthen systems and complete several building projects while the schedule is more open.
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How You Can Pray
Paige and I are excited to welcome baby Watson into our family in June! Please pray for Paige's safety as the pregnancy progresses, and for the baby as he or she develops and grows.
Pray for the homeless and those struggling with addiction as winter temperatures drop—that the Lord would use this season to soften hearts and draw people toward recovery and lasting change.
Please pray for Cornerstone Community Church, which is facing several significant challenges. The church’s electrical system needs to be completely redone, which will cost a substantial amount of money. Additionally, it seems as though the insurance company that currently covers the church is trying to drop its coverage—this is the only agency willing to insure us. The LORD knows what is needed in these situations, please pray for favor with the insurance company, wisdom for leadership, and above all, that the Lord’s will be done.
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Thank you for reading, and thank you for your continued support and prayers. We hope that you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
— Galatians 4:4–5
For God’s Glory,
The Watsons
Productive Lives Staff
Food Distribution at CCC with Lodestar
East Swamp Young Adults serving at The Rock
Family Fun Day
The Library crew that volunteers at Willard
Teen Club at CCC
Kids Club at CCC
Chaplaincy at The Rock