Love Fort Wayne Podcast
The Love Fort Wayne podcast amplifies the stories of everyday people who are loving and leading in Northeast Indiana to spark imagination, root inspiration, and ignite transformation.
Love Fort Wayne Podcast
Uniting Community and Compassion | The Future of Love Fort Wayne
Feel the heartbeat of Fort Wayne as we sit down with Mike Packnett and Brenda Gerber-Vincent, visionaries leading our board, to reminisce about a year where our beloved city has blossomed like never before. Together, we've turned dreams into solid ground – from the establishment of a 24-7 prayer room radiating peace from Electric Works to tangible support initiatives transforming lives at Adams Elementary. As we reflect on these accomplishments, we don't just share successes; we offer an invitation into the very essence of a community united in purpose and action.
Our city's narrative is one of unstoppable growth and collective ambition, with Fort Wayne emerging as a shining example in the Great Lakes region. This episode is a testament to the synergistic power harnessed when business acumen meets compassionate resolve, with strategic economic developments and the Love for Wayne initiative setting the stage. The spirit of unity has coursed through our veins, flowing into every conversation about building a thriving environment where connection is the cornerstone. It's a story of hope, collaboration, and a shared vision that beckons others to take note.
Join us as we cast our gaze forward, energized by the poignant moments at the Global Leadership Summit and the monthly community prayer gatherings that have become the city's lifeline. Our dialogue with Chris Norman is a profound reminder of what lies at the heart of Fort Wayne – a resolve to invest in our pastors, our children, and our collective future. It's a future where Love Fort Wayne isn't just a phrase, but a call to action that propels us to nurture and support the fabric of our community. Stay tuned for our next conversation with local leaders whose dedication speaks volumes of their love for this city.
Welcome to season four of the Love Fort Wayne podcast. The Love Fort Wayne podcast amplifies the stories of everyday people who are loving and leading in northeast Indiana to spark imagination, root inspiration and ignite transformation in our community and beyond. At Love Fort Wayne, we believe the pillars of a flourishing community are its leaders, pastors, schools, families and prayer and in season four we're excited to learn from and be encouraged by people who not only lead but love our city in these areas each day. Before we die, then, we want to say thank you to our partners at Remedy Live, dream On Studios, our financial brotherhood mutual and shepherd family auto group for making the podcast possible.
Speaker 1:Welcome everybody to the first episode of season four of the Love Fort Wayne podcast. It's a special episode and I love this episode because we get the opportunity to look back at what has happened with Love Fort Wayne in the year past but also take a hopeful look at the future of Love Fort Wayne. I'm excited because I'm joined by Mike Packnett and Brenda Gerber-Vincent, who will be the chair of our board and the vice chair of the Love Fort Wayne board in 2024, this year, excited to have you all on the podcast and to hear from you, and just to hear your heart for Love Fort Wayne, but not just Love Fort Wayne, the city of Fort Wayne, the community of Fort Wayne as well. So thank you for joining me on this episode.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 3:Jeff.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So let's just kind of kick off this opening podcast by taking a look back at 2023 and can you just pull out a few highlights of what God was doing and through the mission of Love Fort Wayne in 2023. And the second part to that is how was some of the things that we were able to see, things that we saw happen, I should say, in 2023, connected just to the overall history of Love Fort Wayne and where God has led this mission up until this point?
Speaker 4:Want to let Brenda go first. Yeah, yeah, but I want to say thank you to Brenda. Thank, you. To be the leader and we're still somewhat in our formative stages. We are, and just thank you for the time I appreciate that.
Speaker 3:It was an honor to lead this board in 2023 and I would say it was a year of transition. It was a year of transition and I think that the thing that stands out for me is that the board became very focused. Right, we still have a long way to go as far as like determining the direction, and we bet so much of it up to God, but I really feel that the board came together in a way that provided the structure that we needed to build Love Fort Wayne, so that we're able to serve our entire community.
Speaker 4:And I agree with that. It's after years of praying. Lord, give us more light about what you want to do now. He's enough light, so we're still trying to figure out, how do we do this in the best way? And just thinking about two of our pillars the prayer love our city through prayer and just going back and thinking about the opening of the 24-7 prayer room.
Speaker 3:It's such a special celebration.
Speaker 4:At Electric Works. You know thank God for Pastor Chris Norman.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:I remember when he got that assignment from the Lord at a GLS session not just a 24-7 prayer room, yes, but not just anywhere at Electric Works and to have prayer works there, and the testimonies that have come from that. You know, Jeff, I especially remember the celebration of the opening night and I forgot what time it started, but I thought I was getting there early.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Was it 6.30?
Speaker 1:Yeah, something like that.
Speaker 4:But I got there, I think at 5.30, and I was late because people had been there for several hours praising. So when I walked into that room the presence of God was already there and it was great to see throughout the night, so many different churches, so many different people. I remember seeing Father Brian praising and worshiping along with the sisters on the front row but so many different churches. I remember Solomon jumping yeah, Solomon's got some leaps.
Speaker 1:Yes, he does.
Speaker 4:He can praise God, but that was a special night.
Speaker 2:And.
Speaker 4:I think the culmination of a lot of work and a lot of generosity from people to be able to build that 1700 square feet on Dynamo Alley Come on, yeah, it's one of the most important 1700 square feet in our city in many ways. And then if you think about our work around loving our schools, you know we took some steps forward and 2023 to figure out what does that mean? How do we, how do we love our schools more? And To you know you've been an Adams elementary champion, but I remember those Time sitting with Principal Alley.
Speaker 2:She's a rock star.
Speaker 1:She's a rock star for sure, yeah, rock star.
Speaker 4:So, listening to her, you know, when this, you know, our methodology is to ask the principal how can we help you? What's what's your, what's your number one, number two, number three things we can help with? And hers were Food, food, food. Yeah, all right, and in 2023. Yeah, to think that that's the, that that kids can't Learn because their, their stomachs are Empty. But then by the second time, we got together To bring the right people around the table and, you know, thank god for the, the food bank and associated churches and the folks from ash brokerage. You know just.
Speaker 4:It's, it's. Isn't it wonderful just to see these different people coming around and Um coming together to solve things that, on one hand, shouldn't have to be solved you think, in 2023, but they? That's where we had to start, that's right. And now Alley will tell you right that this not the number one thing. That's right. Yeah, there's um, there's a food bank there. On site, there's a Pantry for kids to be able to get things, and now we can do the second and third things on her, her list going forward.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know you guys share some things in regards to, internally, the makeup and the structure of Um, how god has asked us to lead this in stewart love, fortway, and then also this, these external things of prayer and serving our community and serving our schools. I, I think about my unique seat, sitting across from you physically now, but Really sitting with you and sitting and standing on your shoulders. Um, in regards to, yeah, the, the board coming together and saying this is where we're going to align this thing because god has called us to this. Us and I get to be the leader, benefactor of that, as I learn from you and watch you and hear about how you've prayed for Direction and alignment for so many years, and I think it's important for folks to know that like it, that alignment in 2023 internally just didn't happen because we pressed toward it. It was discernment and time and prayer from people that care about our city and call this place home.
Speaker 1:And Um, yeah, the, the culmination of a 24 7 prayer room which is connected back to 5, 6, 7 years of corporate prayer and inviting the body to be together and say you should be here, because the body is here. Let's pray together for the peace and prosperity and the overall unity of our community. And then what should we do to help our community? And then what should we do together in our city which leads to loving our schools together and and and not fighting about who gets the credit. Let's just love them where they need it.
Speaker 1:And so I just let the tie-ins for me from what you all shared about these are the beautiful reflective things of 2023, but it came because of trusting the lord, that, discerning what he's saying and then moving our feet into action. And so just thank you for those highlights and how it's connected to to where we've been and also where we're going, and we're going to talk about that a little bit. But I wanted those listening to hear from you, your, your thoughts on the state of our, our community. One of our friends, eric Swanson, who, for those who are listening, city guru, city movement guru loves cities, loves God's heart for communities and cities he talks about. Like you, can only really love your city if you know your city and the needs of your city, but also the folks that are that are loving the city as well. And so can you just share your perspective on the state of Fort Wayne, the good things, the transformative things, but also the hopeful and the needs of our, of our city, as we enter into 2024.
Speaker 3:We're a growing city. I mean there's there's something special going on in Fort Wayne and Allen County in northeast Indiana. It's it doesn't happen overnight, right, but we can feel the momentum. We're the second fastest growing city in a five state area called the Great Lakes area. So it's Wisconsin and Illinois, wisconsin, ohio and Indiana. Out of those five states there's 59 metros. We're the second fastest growing. So it's not just us that thinks that this is an incredible place, but people from all over the country. The statistics and the data will show that people are coming from California and Texas, they're coming from Illinois and Ohio. They know there's something very special going on here and we have the momentum to prove it.
Speaker 3:And I think, because we are doing so many things right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's right. Yeah, it's good.
Speaker 4:I have a couple different thoughts about where we are, but I want to get this first thought in and Brenda and I I don't think we've really talked about this, but the love for Wayne work that we're doing is not unlike the economic development work that we started back in 2006 to bring people together in ways they hadn't been together and to be aligned with each other. And now to think about what love for Wayne is. It's bringing very different groups together that haven't ever worked together before. But you know we've talked about a John 17 unity forever. But you know, I think I think the practice we had on the economic development side and the relationships maybe the networks and the relationships we built over.
Speaker 4:You know, almost two decades now to to be able to tap into those relationships.
Speaker 4:We're not starting from zero.
Speaker 4:And so to tap into that because the great news is there's a lot of very strong faith filled people in the business sector not, obviously not for profit sector schools, all the different sectors there's just a lot of strong faith filled people and to be able to to tap them in a little different way, to to really try to address what have seemingly been intractable issues in our community.
Speaker 4:So I think we see the prosperity, but we also see the brokenness. So the prosperity isn't even the brokenness and even isn't even either. But I think where we can step in is how do you, how do you bring the abundance to the need in ways that have been very channel oriented, meaning you know, a not for profit will will just that's their lane, rather than a not for profit working with the church, working with the business, to maybe solve some of these issues that the metrics just aren't what we want them to be. And so I think we have a real chance in the coming years to to really bring these networks of people together Unlike any time in our history. Yeah, yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 3:I agree with that, and then, like you, touched on something with the business community and Mike, what your listeners may or may not know, but Mike was his vision for.
Speaker 3:Greater Fort Wayne Inc to bring organizations together, like Economic Development, leadership, fort Wayne, the Chamber of Commerce, bringing it together so we could be a stronger, a stronger community. And when we talk about love for Wayne, it's not just in the churches or the ministry right, it's in the business community. So many business leaders, community leaders have have have modeled that you can be both a Christian and a believer and you can work for a secular company and we can do both and we modeled that so beautifully in our community.
Speaker 1:That's right, yeah, and that I think it sets an example for those who aren't believers in our community, but also the remainder of the church, to say, yeah, this is, this is how we're supposed to live. We're supposed to live in that John 17 unity, which looks like love, it looks like relationship, it looks like giving of ourselves, releasing some of our own preferences so that we might be drawn closer together to do the thing that really we can't do on our own. We need God's help, first and foremost, to do it, but in our own strength we can't accomplish as much as we think we can, but collectively we can. Our listeners are going to hear me say this, probably in some other episodes.
Speaker 1:I think about three C's, as you guys were sharing, which are connection, collaboration and coalition, and I think even generationally.
Speaker 1:As a 39 year old, sometimes you can get eager to see the movement, see the coalition of people working together, but actually it's the connection and the long stay of connection that happens, of building relationship and friendship and coming to the table, that then sparks oh, there's some collaborative things that we can do together.
Speaker 1:And then you start to see the momentum of coalition of people actually again in our context loving families together, loving leaders together, loving schools, loving pastors being in the prayer space and loving through prayer together. And so thank you for your example and that, even saying it started back in 2006 where we just we champion people to, hey, let's get connected unto this, this movement that you even spoke to, brenda. People are coming here because they see people living, working, playing and serving together and they can feel the momentum, which is, which is great. You all hit on this already, but maybe you expound on, like the unique position that we're in as love for Wayne to help convene our community unto these things that you were just kind of talking about. God's given us this unique that we believe in.
Speaker 3:Right, yeah, you'll take that.
Speaker 4:You know, I think, starting with our board first, you know we have we have people from all those different sectors. It's the best board that I've been on.
Speaker 4:Well, it's just such a well, it's such a great group of people and for you know, we talk about. For a time such as this, I am so tired of all of the divisiveness and the things that tear us apart and this board. I think the uniqueness it has is to be able to bring these disparate networks together. That you know we, brenda and I, have pretty wide network, but you know, javier has a different, you know, a network.
Speaker 4:That's additive to ours and you look at all of our other board members. I think that helps with this unique advantage that we have, but also this assignment that God's given us to bring people together, kind of knit people together, blend people, bring the synergy into play. I think that really is part of our unique advantage, certainly unique calling to bring people together, bring denominations together, bring the Catholics and the Protestants together. I didn't say that comment.
Speaker 4:As part of what we might do, which is just fantastic. So I think that's a little bit about what I would say, Brenda.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, I agree. And when you walk into GLS, I can remember my first GLS 13 years ago.
Speaker 3:I walked in it was the first time it was at the Grand Wayne and again, mike and several others, kelly Byrd and who helped me, chuck, came together and said you know what, let's move this out of the church and let's move this into a bigger location where we can serve our community. And I'll never forget walking into that room. It's an overwhelming feeling to be in a room that big at the Grand Wayne Center and everyone is there for the same purpose right. To learn leadership skills, to be inspired to work together as a community.
Speaker 3:That's that magic I mean, that's the magic of being together. And then the prayer gathering. I mean once a month our community comes together to pray for our community pray for our community. People get up really early, right. They get up at the Mero Center at 7 am and we pray for our community and we pray for our leaders and we pray for our medical personnel and our teachers and our kids and our students and I believe God hears those prayers and he answers them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, you guys will love this story because it comes from Chris Norman. He's always got great stories, doesn't he Like? And he was sharing with Lori and I recently. If you're listening, lori's are the backbone of what we do. Really, coo has been a part of the organization for in the outreach for since the beginning and Chris was sharing with us and some other folks. Hey, my friends, see some of the post about the monthly prayer gatherings and other things and he said he messaged me. He said, man, fort Wayne must be the most prayed over city in.
Speaker 2:America.
Speaker 1:And we were laughing and just like he was like, well, it's Drew, isn't it? And like, yeah, but God's people will come together from their different sectors and denominations and come together again to pray for the peace, the prosperity and the overall unity, togetherness of our city, Cause we believe that he's up to something and he's doing something here. So I love that. As we look at 2024, like, what are you most excited about? What are you most looking forward to and I think I wanna ask this both personally as Mike and Brenda, but also as board and vice chair of Love Fort Wayne where do you guys excited about this coming year?
Speaker 3:Yeah, you want me to start off on that man there's so much to be excited about. I think that the best is ahead of us. I think we're just getting started. I mean, as Mike alluded to earlier, like we're kind of at our infancy, although we've been around for a long, long time right, we've been doing this work, but I think that we're just getting started. I mean, I think that there's so much yet to be done.
Speaker 3:When we talk about loving our pastors there are so many pastors in our community that are weary when we talk about helping kids I mean that just strikes a chord Just for so many and for me, being in economic development, that's our talent pipeline, those are our future workers, those are the people that we need to start pouring into at a very young age, and to know that we have a part of that is exciting. But you can't learn if you're hungry.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 3:And so you know I think about that space that Love Fort Wayne fills. I'm also super excited about the upcoming GLS. I love that event right.
Speaker 3:And it's an event and we get to, you know, shepherd that event and invite. But Love, fort Wayne is so much bigger and broader than that with the different pillars. But I think that we're only just kind of scratching the surface of what we're going to be able to do. And I am specifically personally excited about the prayer room. I love giving tours of electric works and it's fun when out of town guests come and to point out that we have a 24 seven prayer room and every single person just says no way can.
Speaker 1:I go in. That's right, absolutely.
Speaker 3:And then, once you got them in, they don't want to leave, which is a lot of fun. So so much to be excited for in 24.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's so good.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah. Brenda touched on several things I would say as well, I think, for 2024,. First of all, it's just fun to be in retirement and be able to give more time to this because I think it's in this still form.
Speaker 4:We're still forming exactly in some of the areas families and pastors but I think we're going to see begin to see some early fruits in schools and then some the GLS I would say. I would confess that there were periods of time I didn't know how important the GLS was. Is it important for us to raise this much money to bring it to Fort Wayne? And Jeff and I have been talking a lot about the importance of large gatherings and I'm learning and I believe now that the GLS, or let's just say a large gathering where we bring people together like this, we'll never really understand all the benefits that have come from this. I know, we know personally friends that have their lives have been transformed from this but there's a corporate benefit that it's important to have these large gatherings.
Speaker 4:I'm just now really comprehending what I think the Lord wants to do with this and other larger gatherings. It's beneficial for the whole, but it's helpful individually too.
Speaker 4:That's pretty good to when you can get both of those things working for you.
Speaker 4:So I'm very confident in our as our mission to bring people together in big ways as well as in the smaller groups as well, and to think about how we're getting more and more people involved in each one of the pillars, and some of them have been involved for five plus years some 20 years for GLS, but some five years with prayer and now with the love of our pastors. I think it's just really encouraging to see that the momentum is building and we'll continue to see some early fruits in what we're doing. And I think that always helps when you can get some earlier wins. And what better earlier win than have some kids that are gonna be able to be ready to learn better than they were ready to learn before. The teachers are not teachers not gonna resign because now that they he or she feels seen and heard and loved on, I mean it's pretty good, that's pretty good dividend, pretty good win early on. So I think in all those different pillars, there's really good work going on and something that we can build on in 2024 and beyond.
Speaker 1:Yeah, super excited For our listeners. Mike and Brenda know this story. We were Lori and I got the opportunity in 2023 to go to a city leaders collaborative out in Colorado and there's a gentleman by the name of Rob Kelly and they have a city movement like our movement, similar to our movement in Charlotte, called For Charlotte. Check it out. Hey, I'll say this we will always pub what God is doing, not only in our city, but what he's doing in cities, cause I think it inspires us to see God's on the move here and he's on the move in other spaces and it encouraged us to get our tails moving together as the church. But Rob was just saying like, be encouraged, fort Wayne.
Speaker 1:I can sit something happening in Fort Wayne and so, if you're listening as Mike and Brenda are sharing about their hopes for our city and what we have been called to do in helping our city move forward, as left Fort Wayne, other folks in our nation are saying be encouraged, fort Wayne, god is doing something here. So I think my last question for you all and almost in contrast to that is how would you encourage folks that are maybe hesitant to be apart with others and to seeing our city transformed, because that's a reality. We're human. There's some prideful stances that we take, there's some things that we would love to do on our own, or perhaps we just don't even understand why it might be important to convene with others to love our city. What encouragement would you give folks to maybe change their hearts? Look at that a little bit deeper and dive in with other folks?
Speaker 3:Right, well, if you're listening, mike, and I personally invite every single listener and beyond to be a part of love Fort.
Speaker 2:Wayne.
Speaker 3:There's an entry point for everyone. There is something for everyone to love Fort Wayne as we continue to provide opportunities for growth. We personally, you don't have to wait to get invited. You don't have to wait to see what's happening. Jump in, join us. Get your tickets now for GLS or go to our website. We have a really cool website that I would recommend for you. If you're listening right now, go to our website after you listen to the podcast, kind of go through the pages, see what opportunities and then come join us at the prayer gathering, Join us in one of our committees. I mean, there's so many ways that we can love Fort Wayne together.
Speaker 4:Yeah, man, yeah, I would just ask if you're reluctant. I think going to come into a prayer meeting is one good way to check us out. We can give you more information. If you came to one of those, I can tell you what's gonna happen. So maybe you don't wanna do that, because God's gonna work on your heart and he's gonna show you that there's a seat at the table that can only be occupied by you, and we need you to be at that table. Nobody can be you. But here's what you get out of it. You get what a blessing that you can't get by watching from the sidelines. It's gonna change your heart. You know, when Brendan and I Jeff, gets to meet with some of the emerging leaders, I walk away from that more pumped up than the leader I'm talking to. When I go to the prayer meetings, I'm the one walking out, going.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna have a good day. That's right. This is a good start.
Speaker 4:So I think it's what God calls us. He wants us this is the body right. This is you know you gotta be part of the body. You know, if you're the finger or you're the toe or whatever you are, we need you. Yeah, that's right, we need you to be part of it. And, jeff, I'd just go back to just thinking.
Speaker 4:How we're really here today is we're standing on the prayers of mostly women prayer warriors that have been praying for this day for 40 years 40 plus years now and those you know. God has heard those prayers and we are living in this time where those prayer warriors are gonna get to see the manifestation of what they've been praying for for 40 years. And so I would tell somebody, come, cause you're gonna get to see and be a part that's right and have a seat at the table of some pretty neat stuff, cause other people, as you said, other people sense it about Fort Wayne when they come, People that have that real spiritual sensitivity they know. So come and be part of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I would say don't grow weary in doing what's good. People can sense it man being in community, in unity with other folks, it's good. I can sense it, I can feel it. And don't grow weary in not seeing it happen just yet, because 40 years of prayer, these ladies, these intercessors, they're gonna see it. They're gonna see it in their day. And so, mike and Brenda, thank you again personally for shepherding me and inviting me and allowing me to help lead this mission and this organization and entrusting Lori and I to hold this portion of it, because you guys have stewarded it so well in prayer and leadership as a part of Love, fort Wayne and other times and periods of your life, and I'm with you. I believe that God's got something special for us and he's just starting to show us what he desires for us to do, but we're gonna be steadfast and stirring at will for the transformation of the city through God's love. And so any final words that you wanna share with folks Is there.
Speaker 1:Just thank you, jeff as you alluded to, and Lori For both of you for your leadership.
Speaker 3:We talk about 2023, one of the best decisions the board made.
Speaker 4:Well, that's right. We should've started with that.
Speaker 3:I know We'll end with it, but really you and Lori have just done a tremendous job leading, and I don't think there's a week that goes by that somebody doesn't come up to me and say hey, I met with Jeff. I mean not a week. It goes by really those community partners are essential to the group.
Speaker 2:So if you, haven't met.
Speaker 3:Jeff, if you don't know what Love Fort Wayne is, reach out.
Speaker 1:That's right, and if you don't, then you'll probably get an email from me saying we should meet.
Speaker 1:There's work to be done together in our city. So thank you all for listening. Thank you for joining us, mike and Brenda, and thank you all for listening. We've got a great podcast lineup in 2024 that you do not want to miss. If you're tuning in, we'll have the opportunity to hear from local pastors, hear from men and women that are serving in schools each day as teachers and educators, but also through their ministries. You get an opportunity to hear from leaders that are coaching and walking beside leaders every day, but they're also encouraging us to be humbler leaders. And you'll hear a lot more about families and people that are coming together to serve families and love families again for the greater good of Fort Wayne, because we believe that God is on the move and he's doing something transformative here. So lock us in as one of your favorite podcasts in 2024. I promise you you won't be disappointed Until the next time that you tuned into us. We pray that you have a great month and we'll talk to you next month at the Love Fort Wayne podcast.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for joining us this month. We drop a new episode the first Monday of every month. Love Fort Wayne has some amazing episodes coming up. You don't wanna miss a single one, so subscribe today, wherever you are listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please like, share and leave a review. We wanna share your thoughts and comments with listeners on future episodes. Thanks again for joining us today. Join us next time, as we hear from leaders that don't just lead, but love our city.
