Mercy Ministries News is Relocating!

Getting the latest Mercy Ministries news and updates is now easier than ever.  You can stay current on what's happening at Mercy right on our newly designed website!  You will still be able to access past news stories here at www.mercyministriesnews.com, but moving forward, we will be posting the most current news and updates at www.mercyministries.com/news. 

Thanks for your support!

American Idol Finalist Melinda Doolittle Shares a Message of Hope

Singer/songwriter, Melinda Doolittle

Dream big. Pray hard. Always be prepared. That was the advice given to our Nashville residents last week by singer/songwriter and American Idol finalist, Melinda Doolittle. Melinda provided the entertainment for our Nashville Merry Mercy event back in December, and we were so excited to have her visit our Nashville home and share her personal story of God’s life-transforming power.

Melinda shared that although she has always loved music, she was tone deaf as a child. She participated in choir at church and school but was asked to “just smile and mouth the words.” Melinda prayed that God would allow her to be able to sing, and in a 7th grade talent show, God answered her prayers and made her a hit! “Without God, I’m tone deaf. I take God on that stage with me every time, because I can’t do it myself,” she said.

Melinda reminded the girls that whatever they are going through, God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” (Eph. 3:20). She encouraged everyone to dream “God-sized” dreams, go to Him in prayer, and then be prepared to walk through the door of opportunity when God opens it.

Melinda shares her inspiring story

Here’s what some of our residents had to say about Melinda’s inspiring message:

I really like how she said that no matter what I am facing, God still knows what He is doing and NOTHING is impossible with God. - Megan

Wow, the honesty and transparency of Melinda was amazing. Her encouragement to really pursue God-sized dreams spoke so much to me. Her humility and sincerity was incredible! - Ellie

This was so special to me. Melinda was so encouraging and such an example of God's provision for our lives. When we keep our eyes on God, He will exalt us. It blows my mind how humble and sincere she is! The fact that her voice is solely a gift from God is miraculous to me. - Jessica

I was so blessed that Melinda came and shared her story and her amazing gift of music and singing with us. It’s so cool to hear how God has done such amazing things in her life. She was such an inspiration to me and encouraged me to believe that nothing is impossible with God and that He does and will do great stuff in and through me! - Janae

Our special thanks to Melinda for taking the time to come out and share her story and her music with our residents. You are such an inspiration! For more information about Melinda Doolittle, go to http://melindadoolittle.com.

Mercy Ministries Celebrates 29th Anniversary With Exciting New Website!!!

Mercy turns 29 years old this week! As part of our 29th anniversary celebration, Mercy Ministries is proud to announce the launch of our newly designed website! We've cleaned up the layout, simplified the navigation, and most importantly, made it easier for hurting young women to get the help they so desperately need.

With the new features we've introduced on the site, you will be able to find important information about our program and application process, read amazing success stories of young women who’ve had their lives transformed, link to important current topics and events and read our news stories about what’s happening at Mercy Ministries.

Check out our new website and sign up for email updates, and we will send you a free sample of either Starved – Mercy for Eating Disorders or Cut – Mercy for Self-Harm by Nancy Alcorn. Help us share the mission and vision of Mercy by adding us to your favorite social media networks, and check out our “Take Action” section to learn all the ways you can help more young women experience God’s unconditional love, forgiveness and life-transforming power.

Some of the other features on our new site include:

A user-friendly calendar with all our upcoming events
A detailed FAQ section
A list of signs and symptoms for those seeking information on the issues Mercy addresses
And much more…

We would love to hear your feedback, so send your thoughts, comments and questions to vtaylor@mercyministries.com.

As an added bonus, check out our 29th anniversary video message from Nancy and some of our graduates and residents from all over the country. You can see it by clicking here.

Mercy Ministries Remembers Civil Rights Hero, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In recognition of this historic day, when we celebrate and honor civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we want to proclaim the value he held in highest regard – FREEDOM! Read this powerful excerpt on freedom from Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech:

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.”

“This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.”

“This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, ‘My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring’…And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, ‘Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!’”

Here at Mercy, we believe freedom IS possible! We encourage you to take some time, if you haven’t already, to thank God for all the brave men and women like Dr. King who have stepped out with a dream in their hearts and had a life-changing, positive impact on our society today.

In 1986, this day was set aside as a federal holiday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In 1994, it was also designated as a national day of service. To find a service project in your community, go to www.mlkday.gov.