LIVE THE EXPERIENCE THAT
MOVES YOU TO SERVE

The immersive poverty simulation that inspires change in just one day is coming to Memphis. ⬇

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Dear Memphis,

If you’re tired of getting home from church or sitting in another meeting feeling like you’re going through the motions..

and you’re ready to be the hands and feet of Jesus but you’re waiting for someone to tell you what the next step is…

Then we’re about to change your entire year.

I’m Michael, and I lead a multicultural church in Memphis that’s passionate about seeing practical healing in our city.

Since we were founded in 2014, Engage Church has hosted dozens of community events aiming to combat poverty and hunger in Memphis.

We’ve packed hundreds of thousands of meals for Generosity Feeds, the YMCA, Kids Against Hunger, and more.

But we’ve run into one problem…

and it’s you. (And us.)

🤔🤔🤔

Across society, we’re all struggling with apathy more than we ever have. It’s too easy to see a picture of a sad child, make a quick donation, and keep scrolling (I know I’ve experienced this, and I’m sure you have too.)

But we’re called to be Jesus’ hands and feet, not just His likes and shares.

At Engage, we’d made it a habit to pack meals for ten years, but because we didn’t see where each meal went (and in many cases, never knew what poverty actually feels like) we started hitting a wall with our “why.”

That disconnect was keeping us from helping our community move forward.

We weren’t sure how to best address this until two members of our leadership team told us about an unforgettable experience they’d had.

They had personally interacted with a tool that short-circuits people’s brains to understand the problem of poverty, makes them actually WANT to make an impact and discover how they can help.

In fact, according to a peer-reviewed journal published in 2019, this tool increased participants’ confidence in their ability to fight poverty by almost 10%.

If the data alone isn’t enough to believe me, here’s some more proof!

The best part? The tool was simple and easy for us to share not just with our church, but with our whole community, since it:

  • Could be completed in a single afternoon

  • Cost less than a tank of gas

  • Could be used anywhere (including Memphis)

  • And it was unforgettable enough to make it worth getting out of the house for.

The tool was called COPE, which stands for Cost of Poverty Experience, an advanced roleplaying simulation.

COPE lets you step into the shoes of a family in poverty and get a firsthand look at the everyday tough choices that poverty presents.

We realized if we built a bigger event around COPE, equipping people with tools and connections in the 901 for when it was over…

We could empower Memphis to fight poverty with hope.

🤯🤯🤯 

When we realized this, we got to work.

We listened to our leaders who had gone through COPE.

We started getting official training for our entire team.

Most importantly, we worked hand in hand with community leaders and organizations to solve a key problem with an event like this.

See, if we just let you go through the COPE program in the first half of the day, but didn’t help you channel your feelings about the experience, we’d be wasting your time.

Because COPE is not a magic bullet. It will transform how you see poverty in our city, and it will increase your confidence that you can affect change. But after COPE, the question will be: where do I start?

That’s why our partners like the City of Memphis, Church Developers Network, World Relief, and more are adding immense value to the second half of the day. These incredible organizations are providing panel discussions and debriefs, group-led workshops, and community connection/networking opportunities with local organizations that are currently engaged in the fight against poverty in the 901.

Simply put, we believe that we’ve built a truly valuable event that will transform the way you view poverty and your ability to combat it.

And we’re ready to share it with you now.

🎉🎉🎉

Here’s the catch: spots are limited!

If you sign up for our first annual Common Ground Conference on July 29th, here’s what you’ll get:

  • A 2.5-hour IMMERSIVE SIMULATION EXPERIENCE that will transform your perspective on poverty in Memphis in a way nothing else could. | 9–11:30 AM

  • A Guided Debrief & Action Plan Session aimed to help you understand how to process, translate, and implement the knowledge you’ve gained into real-world impact on your own or by joining with others. | 11:30 AM–1:00 PM

  • Catered lunch (ironic, right? You have no idea how much you’ll appreciate it after the simulation.) | 11:30 AM–1:00 PM

  • A Moderated Panel Discussion featuring community leaders such as Dr. Daniel Henley, Carol Jackson, P.J. Moore, representatives from the city of Memphis and more. | 11:30 AM–1:00 PM

  • A Community Connections & Collaboration Session, where you’ll get to connect with dozens of community leaders and partners in one place to learn about and get involved in the impactful initiatives in our area. | 1:00–3:00 PM

  • A full-length Video Recording of the Guided Debrief Session for convenient reference anytime after the conference.

  • Automatic entries for event giveaway grand prizes.

  • A Verified Certificate of Completion for the COPE program.

The event will be held on July 29th at Sycamore View Church of Christ (1910 Sycamore View Road Memphis, TN) from 9AM to 3PM. Doors will open at 8:30AM.

Can’t wait to see you there on July 29th!

- Michael

This conference is geared toward anyone who wants to see Memphis meaningfully move forward.

It’s the perfect opportunity for your family, your organization’s team, or your church group!

Here's what you get when you join us for the Common Ground Conference:

✔ 2.5-hour immersive simulation experience that will transform your perspective on poverty in Memphis in a way nothing else could

✔ Access to supplementary materials to help you engage with the simulation in a tactile and immersive way

✔ Verified Certificate of Completion for the COPE program

✔ Catered lunch following the simulation

✔ Community Collaboration Sessions following the simulation

✔ 901 Action Plan Bundle with video recordings of panel & debrief sessions and more

Backed by a 30-Day 
Money Back Guarantee

If you join us for the whole conference and don't feel more informed about the realities of poverty and more connected to how you can serve Memphis, email us and we'll send you a full refund, no questions asked.

We believe in the mission of this conference.

As a Memphis-based church, we believe that it’s critical to increase awareness of the needs in our community and confidence to tackle these challenges head-on. We also know how much that mission needs you. A portion of our tithes and offerings this year have gone to offsetting the cost of this conference for each attendee because we firmly believe this event will further the Kingdom. As a church, we’ve been in the business of following Jesus for over a decade. We host regular events centered around ending poverty, so you can be confident that what you learn at the Common Ground Conference isn’t just talk– it’s backed up by people who live it– and it will actually CHANGE YOU. ⬇

Here's what people are saying! ⬇

  • "COPE is so much more impactful than just hearing from speakers. You have to live it, and that sticks."

    Davis Smith, Germantown

  • "Going through a COPE event really opened my eyes in ways I didn't expect."

    Catherine Akridge, Cordova

  • "Everyone in Memphis– and I mean everyone– should experience this."

    Candayce Howard, Memphis