By Meghan Hatcher
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A phrase spoken off-handedly during the December cohort meeting of The Change Maker’s Project has stuck with me ever since that Saturday in Baltimore — “perpetual state of preparation.” What the pastor/social entrepreneur/justice seeker meant by that phrase wasn’t something altogether virtuous. For Rev. Heber Brown III, pastor at Pleasant Hope Baptist Church in North Baltimore, a “perpetual state of preparation” becomes an impediment to faithfully fulfilling one’s call in the world. 

By Meghan Hatcher

In April 2018, I concluded the pilot phase of my project — a storytelling ministry called the Clay Jar Project. This name derives affectionately from the biblical story of the prophet Elisha and the widow that's told in 2 Kings 4:1-7. In this story, a desperate widow is able to pay back the family's debts, thus saving her sons from slavery, through a miraculous multiplying of an undervalued, seemingly insignificant jar of oil.

By Meghan Hatcher

As I consider my “founding story,” the most salient question for me right now is who to bring with me on this journey. Since my idea is already underway and I’ve already been through the pilot phase of my project prior to joining Change Makers, I am in some ways backtracking. As I researched and voraciously read prior to and while launching my project in fall 2017, I’m realizing that the authors, sociologists, and practitioners are people I’ve already metaphorically “brought with me.” Their contributions to my idea development, strategies for implementation, and project assessment are invaluable. Now I need to navigate other areas of invisible capital around me that I can tap into for more specialized and personal interactions and contributions.