:: 2008 Events

Prayer meetings are held each Thursday at OT:
Community Prayer (open to all) is from 7:00-8:00am.
Pastor's Prayer is from 8:00-9:00am.

Click for Past Events

COMPASS CHRISTIAN BUSINESS ALLIANCE (CCBA)
The next COMPASS lunch meeting will be on Thursday, October 16. The meeting will begin at 11:45am and end at 1:00pm at the Black River Country Club. The cost is $10 per person and reservations must be made in advance by calling OT at 810.966.8660 or by e-mail to brenda@optrans.org. The other fall meeting is November 20.  
Visit the CCBA Website for more details

"MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY"
“Make a Difference” Day is Saturday, October 25. It is a nationally celebrated day of volunteerism. OT has sponsored neighborhood work projects for the last 5 years and especially wants to encourage churches and faith-based groups to do a project on this particular day. OT will highlight and publicize the events to let our community know how much churches do to be of service (all year long). To volunteer, please call OT. If your church is doing a project, let us know and we will add it to our list of collaborating organizations. Participants will be asked to meet at one location and go out from there to bless our community. Plan now to do a volunteer project to help someone in need! Click here for more info.

BOOK DRIVE for CHILDREN OF INCARCERATED PARENTS
OT is sponsoring two different book drives for the upcoming Christmas season. The first one is to collect NEW children’s books (preferably faith-based) for children whose parents are incarcerated at the St. Clair Intervention Center (county jail). Inmates sign up for the program and the books will be given to the children as a gift from their parents. The books (and other goodies) will be distributed by the Salvation Army. This is an outreach to the lonely children who are separated from their parents and serves to strengthen the family unit. NEW children’s books can be dropped off to OT by Friday, November 28, between the hours of 9:00am and 3:00pm.

BOOK DRIVE for INMATES AT THE ST. CLAIR COUNTY INTERVENTION CENTER
OT is accepting donated Christian books for inmates at the St. Clair County Intervention Center. We would like books specifically geared to marriage & family and personal development. The books should be new or gently used, soft-cover with NO staples. (Please stay away from books of a theological or doctrinal basis.) The books will be taken to the pods at the jail so a broad variety of people can use them. Please have books to the OT office by Friday, November 28.

PASTOR’S PRAYER & COMMUNITY PRAYER TIMES
There is Pastor’s Prayer every Thursday at 8:00am at OT, specifically for ministers. A Community Prayer time is also scheduled each Thursday for 7:00am that is open to all. Prayer requests may be called or e-mailed to OT any time.

:: News

8/5 MACKINAC FAMILY OUTREACH
OT had several nights of outreaches on Family & Boat Nights and Race Day during Mackinac Week, July 10-12. Thursday night was a carnival-type atmosphere, with approximately 8,000 in attendance, and 75 volunteers. Friday evening featured a concert by Caspar McCloud and his band. On Saturday morning, 30 volunteers met to clean up along the Black River. We had 21 churches be a sponsor or participate, and 27 business sponsors – the main ones being: E & A Credit Union, the James C. Acheson Foundation, Kiwanis Club of Port Huron and the Shawn Burr Foundation/Ice Hawks. It was a wonderful weekend to enjoy positive, family entertainment! Thanks to all who helped one way or another!

8/5 EOC HEALTHY MARRIAGE PRINCIPLES CLASSES
OT is working with the St. Clair County Economic Opportunity Committee on a “Healthy Marriage Principles” program. The spring classes were very successful! Mentor Couples are being sought to help with couples taking the fall classes. Call OT if you would be interested in mentoring a young couple on marriage issues; training will be provided. Classes (8 weeks) are also available for married couples and single parents who meet income and child guidelines. Call Dana at EOC for more information and/or to register for classes at 982-7233.

7/1 MPRI CONFERENCE
Operation Transformation, along with the Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initiative in Macomb County and the Thumb Region sponsored a Conference called “Coming Together – Creating Safer Communities” on June 26. It was geared to pastors and church leaders, human service providers, community leaders, business owners, family members, and anyone interested in prisoner reentry, with about 140 people in attendance. The information was well-received and speakers included a video greeting from Senators Gilbert and Cropsey, Paula Sadler representing the Governor’s Office of Community and Faith Based Initiatives, Le’Ann Duran from the Michigan Department of Corrections, and Rev. Jim Liske, Pastor of RidgePoint Church in Holland, Michigan. Audio downloads of the main sessions are available on our website (optrans.org). Special thanks to the host facility - Cross Current Church in Kimball.

7/1 EOC HEALTHY MARRIAGE PRINCIPLES CLASSES
OT is working with the St. Clair County Economic Opportunity Committee on a healthy marriage principles program. The spring classes were very successful! Mentor Couples are being sought to help with couples taking the fall classes. Call OT if you would be interested in mentoring a young couple on marriage issues. Training will be provided. Classes are available for married couples and single parents. There are income and child guidelines; call Dana at EOC for more information and/or to register for classes at 982.7233.

6/1 EOC HEALTHY MARRIAGE PRINCIPLES CLASSES
OT is working with the St. Clair County Economic Opportunity Committee on a successful marriage principles program. The first class is completed and was very successful! Mentor Couples are being sought to help with the fall class. Call OT if you would be interested in mentoring a young couple on marriage issues. Training will be provided.

5/1 EOC HEALTHY MARRIAGE PRINCIPLES CLASSES
10 married couples completed an 8-week class learning about healthy, successful marriage principles sponsored by the St. Clair County Economic Opportunity Committee. It was exciting to see the couples so open/interested in learning ways to be happily married and the positive effects it has on the whole family. The class concluded with a Renewal of Vows. Mentor Couples are being sought for the next class. Call OT if you would be interested in “coaching”, mentoring a young couple on marriage issues. Training will be provided.

5/1 INTERVENTION CENTER UPDATE
We have added another church doing Sunday Services at the Intervention Center for men and women. Zion Cathedral of Praise, with Pastor John Tate Sr., is our 11th church doing 2 services on a rotating basis. We appreciate all of the churches who participate, and those individuals who come in on Wednesday evenings to each pod. As of the end of March, 117 volunteers have ministered to 1956 inmates, doing 352 visits in 296 hours with 136 decisions!

4/1 EOC HEALTHY MARRIAGE PRINCIPLES CLASSES
12 married couples and 9 singles are going through a class learning healthy, marriage principles. It is exciting to see the openness in learning ways to be successfully married and the positive effects it has on the children!

4/1 TUTORING
OT has put together a Tutoring Application for those who are interested in tutoring students in the PHASD in need of additional help. You can get an application from the website or stop by the office. This is a great way to help our youth! You can download application forms here: PDF | WORD

4/1 CERTIFICATION
OT is currently reviewing the Bridge Builders organization as they go through the Certification process. OT has assembled a Certification Team of experts to look over a faith-based non-profit organization’s by-laws, financial and legal procedures to make sure everything is in order. SONS, Youth for Christ and BW Pregnancy Care Center have already been certified. We are looking for the next organization to review. A Certification Application can be downloaded from the OT website or picked up at the office.

3/1 CERTIFICATION
OT is proud to announce that Blue Water Pregnancy Care Center has qualified to be Certified by Operation Transformation. OT has assembled a Certification Team of experts to look over a faith-based non-profit organization’s by-laws, financial and legal procedures to make sure everything is in order. Recommendations are made for improvements and Certification is granted when all is complete.