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The Networking Station Comes To The Written Word Bookstore

Psalmist Kimberly Whitsett

By: Brenda Underwood
Photos By: Carl B. Phillips

Dateline: Saturday, March 4, 2006, Detroit, MI.

Detroit Gospel.com's Carl B

Psalmist Kim Whitsett and the proprietors of The Written Word Christian Book Store, located at 3429 Fort Street in Detroit, recently joined forces to highlight an African-American owned Christian Bookstore and to display what Psalmist Whitsett called “The Networking Station.” This event gave various speakers the opportunity to showcase their various talents and businesses along with sharing how their visions came to fruition and as Kim put it, “to assist in helping people connect and encourage each other with their testimonies and experiences.”

Among those who spoke and shared their visions were:

• Detroit Gospel.Com’s own Carl B. Phillips who stated, “If God gives you a gift, you must multiple it.” He related that to the scripture where the master gave three of his servants varied amounts of talents. He also stated that networking was an important entity.
• Janine Edwards, an author, spoke on how she came to write a book and provided us with a wonderful outline that mapped each step and how it worked for her. When she asked the Lord how she was to distribute the book, the Lord told her to “sell your oil” and she reflected on the scripture of the widow who had to provide for her son and herself and all she had was a small bottle of oil, but how under God’s direction, it multiplied as she sold it and all their needs were met.
• Rev. Keith Nelson spoke on the preacher/musicians relationship within the church service. Rev. Nelson stated, “only one shepherd is over a congregation and there should be a theme/direction in the service. If your music ministry is not grounded in God, your ministry will be like a ship drifting.” He also stated, “we were created for His Glory, His Majesty.”
• Minister Kevin Hobson, Minister of Music at Kadesh Baptist Church shared how God can only use you in the blessing of God’s people if you yield to the Lord and not go out for show. The Lord cannot use you if you are puffed up – not of God.

When Kim asked the audience to share their dreams we were inspired by some of the following persons in attendance:

• Minister Robert Jefferies, one of Detroit’s premiere gospel artists stated he has a burden for helping people who are hurting.
• Sister Lydia Wright, a singer with Bobby Jones Gospel, shared that the gifts and efforts in ministry will only be a blessing if God gets all the Glory from what it is you do.
• This writer piggybacked on what Minister Jefferies stated that my vision is for a safe haven where people – children, youth/teens, women or men came come out of a volatile situation, seek shelter and resources to assist them in being “fishers” and not just continuing to eat “fish sandwiches.” The vision is to secure a building to turn into the “NEHEMIAH Action Coalition” with NEHEMIAH meaning, “nurturing every heart, every mind, in a home.”
• Elder Karen J. Butler shared how she told the Lord she wanted to play the violin and she testified of the struggles and situations she had to go through, but God blessed mightily and birthed “Butterfly of Love Ministries” bolm_n_air@yahoo.com.
• Sister Alicia Jacobs who shared she loves children and has started the “Sweet Home Day Care” and shared her information, as did many others.

The afternoon ended with Rev. Whitsett taking over the reigns of facilitator for Psalmist Whitsett who had to make another engagement, but who was pleased with the turn out and the information that was shared. To God be the Glory for all that He has done.