One of my friends recently shared a newspaper clipping from the day my dad began his ministry at First Presbyterian Church in Leesburg, Florida. It was 1967. He was 41 years old, and I wasn’t even two yet. His ministry in Leesburg was incredibly fruitful. During those years, the church served the community in creative, hands‑on ways—opening a clothes closet, offering sewing classes, hosting a daycare, building basketball courts, bringing in Young Life. They also raised a lot of money and sent it overseas to build clinics and hospitals, start schools, and plant churches overseas. He always looked for ways to honor God in the way he led, and there always seemed to be a new initiative taking shape.
I think that’s where I caught the bug—as my mom would say— I watched as my dad noticed needs in the community and around the world. Then I watched him try to do something about it.
Something else stands out in my mind: none of those ministries were created to serve the church members themselves. Most of the congregation were older retirees who were pretty well off. The ministries served young people, foreigners, and the poor. The people being served didn’t start attending the church—but the congregation developed a kind-heartedness toward the people and places the church was serving. I don't know for sure, but I suspect many of those who were helped eventually “paid it forward.” Because they had been lifted up, they were able to bless and serve others down the road.
That spirit resonates with what we’re trying to do at Mended Oak. We want to help people build a house. There’s a real need for that and starting Mended Oak is simply what I am doing about it.
So—do you want to build a house? Whether you’re working toward homeownership, building a place in the back yard for a relative, or creating an investment property, we want to help. At the Mended Oak, we believe a good house—a good home—can bless an individual, a family, and even a neighborhood. We want to help. We want to see that happen. Our plans are affordable. We work to keep material costs down. We lay things out in such a way that allows you to build all or part of it with your own hands.
Back to my dad's story—how did it all play out? He stayed at that church for 26 years. During that time, the church prospered and grew. Eventually, he helped plant four other churches in town, which is pretty rare for Presbyterians. It felt as though the Lord was building the church while my dad was faithfully laboring to build it. (See Psalm 127.) My hope is that the work we do at Mended Oak honors God and blesses people. As we labor to build, we’ll trust the Lord to do His part.