More Than Carpentry

More Than Carpentry is our most significant ministry of outreach to the urban poor. Born out of the church, More Than Carpentry provides Christian discipleship and job training to adults from troubled backgrounds. Master Cabinetmaker Jim McGarry, with his wife Tammy and their children, leads MTC out of its renovated industrial building in Wellston, less than two miles north of the church.

Within our culture, those on the right sometimes despise the poor, while those on the left sometimes despise the God of the poor. Jesus, by contrast, identifies with the poor and calls us to think of ourselves as numbered among the poor. It is not the middle class in spirit who are blessed, but the poor—those who know they’re in trouble and know they need a Savior. Jesus challenges his followers to care for the poor, the widow, the orphan, the alien among us.

More Than Carpentry is an opportunity to identify with the poor, giving—not with giving that merely enables, but with giving that actually empowers. While the discipleship involved in the training brings spiritual renewal, it is here that we see steps that renew the city socially and culturally as well as physically.

More Than Carpentry is always in need of volunteers of various kinds. Any of the church staff or officers would love to give you a tour of the facility and introduce you to Jim or Tammy. More Than Carpentry is supported by the generous financial contributions of Christians and churches in and around St. Louis.

For more information please visit More Than Carpentry's Web-site.