stories: Living the love of God
This post is part of my “stories” series. In this series, I share stories of how people live their lives in response to the gospel and as a demonstration of God’s love in order to teach us and to provide an example to provoke us to love and good works. (See “stories: A New Series” for more information about this series.)
A friend of mine moved into a new neighborhood almost two years ago. He bought a house that was in need of many repairs, and, in fact, he’s still working on the house now. In less than two years, he has met most of his neighbors, inviting them to dinner at his house. He has started friendships with several neighbors, some of whom are Christians and some of whom are atheists. Although he doesn’t necessarily enjoy fishing, he has been fishing with one neighbor a few times. He has also helped several of his neighbors work on their houses. Spending all of this time with his neighbors has meant that the work on his house has taken alot longer than expected. But, he thinks that spending time with his neighbors is important.
Another friend moved from the United States to another country a few years ago. She spends most of her time with local college students teaching them English. Some students come for one or two lessons, other students come back several times. One or two students have been attending her English classes for over a year. She is building relationships with these students as she is able, even inviting them into her home and spending time in their homes. It is very difficult for her to live in a strange culture, to learn a new language, to break old habits, to leave behind family and friends and comforts and familiar things. But, she thinks that it is important for her to travel around the world and spend time with these college students.
Another friend and his family spend their Saturday mornings at the community center of a local government housing project. For the most part, they spend hours playing with boys and girls. They play on the playground equipment, ride boys and girls on their shoulders, play football with the older children, and even provide lunch. They have spent so much time with the boys and girls that they have gotten to know many of them – and some of the stories will break your heart… stories of broken families, abuse, neglect, missing parents, drugs, alcohol, prostitution. But, they think it is important to insert their lives into the broken lives of these boys and girls.
Another friend spends much of her time helping people with nutritional, health, and lifestyle issues. She spends hours every week talking to people, praying with them, encouraging them, and helping them recognize the importance of living a healthy life. She shows them alternatives to over-medicating and teaches them how to thrive in spite of constant pain. Although it is stressful to deal with hurting people all of the time, and although she doesn’t get paid for these services, she feels that it is important for her help people live physically and spiritually healthy lives.
Another friend and his family have “adopted” a couple of people who are struggling both physically and financially. Several times this family has found money, or furniture, or food that someone needs. They have given people rides to the hospital or the doctor’s office, even if the trip lasts several hours. This family takes care of people together, with the entire family getting involved. Perhaps some would think that this type of service would take too much away from “family time”, but they think that it is important for them to care for those who need help.
There are many other friends that I could mention – brothers and sisters who consider it important to give up something of their own lives in order to serve others – both those who are part of God’s family and those who are not in God’s family. I could mention the brother and sister who moved their family to an urban area to demonstrate God’s love in a desperate situation. I could mention a brother who gives up nights and weekends to work on people’s cars without charge. I could mention many brothers and sisters who cook dinners for those who have been sick or need a break for other reasons.
Which of my friends are living missionally? I think all of them are. They are living the love of God as he has provided opportunity and means and passion. And, they are all inserting their lives into the lives of other people. Their lives have been changed by God through the good news of Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and they desire to demonstrate God’s love and proclaim that same good news to others in tangible ways.
There are dangers in describing the lives of some of my friends in the way that I have above. First, I definitely left out some people and some examples. God has surrounded me with many, many friends who are attempting to live the love of God in their lives. I could not mention all of them. Second, it is possible that someone could read my description of their own life and become proud. Knowing the people that I described above, that will probably not happen. Most will be embarrassed that I mentioned them, saying that they are not doing anything special. Third, there is a danger that someone will read my descriptions above and assume that those are the only ways that God works through his people into the lives of others. I would like to finish this article on this point.
Missional living means living the love of God in a way that impacts other people. As Paul said, we have been reconciled to God, and we are now to serve others with the goal of seeing them reconciled as well. This reconciliation affects all aspects of our lives, beginning with our relationship with God, but also affecting our relationship with other people.
However, the common grace of God and our common reconciliation with God does not mean that we all serve others in the same way. God has gifted us differently. He has given us different talents. We all have different opportunities. God has given us different passions and interests. Thus, we will serve others in different ways. There is a danger, especially among leaders, in thinking that every Christian will serve in the same way that I (or the leader) serves. This is not the way that God works.
Thus, missional living will look different for different people. However, in all instances, a life that mirrors the mission of God will live the love of God in the lives of others in order to reconcile them to God and to one another.
stories: Loving and Serving Ethiopians
This post is part of my “stories” series. In this series, I share stories of how people live their lives in response to the gospel and as a demonstration of God’s love in order to teach us and to provide an example to provoke us to love and good works. (See “stories: A New Series” for more information about this series.)
When I was applying to PhD programs, someone told me to choose a program based on the professor that I would be working with. Why? Because I would be spending alot of time with that person, and his or her way of life and thinking would surely affect my own.
After considering several different people and program, I realized that I most wanted to study under David Alan Black. One of the reasons that I wanted to work with him is because of his and his wife’s love of the people of Ethiopia.
Becky Lynn Black grew up in Ethiopia as the daughter of missionaries. A few years ago, she took her husband back to that country to show him where she was raised. On that trip, they both fell in love with the people they met. In the years since, they have made several trips back to Ethiopia, always using their own money to pay for their transportation and other needs. When people give them money, they always use that money for Ethiopians, not for themselves, not even for their travel expenses to get to Ethiopia. Furthermore, the Blacks work with the existing churches in Ethiopia; they do not try to start their own work, but work where God is already working. (You can find out more about their trips and how they have invited other believers to join them in Dave Black’s Ethiopia Files.)
I’ll simply tell two stories of many that could be told. On one of their early trips to Ethiopia, the Blacks met a family whose young daughter had been murdered because the family were Christians. The Blacks loved on the family, comforted them, and mourned with them.
As they were driving back from that village, they noticed lights in the distance. They asked about the source of the lights, and they were told that it was a prison – the very prison where the young girl’s murderer was being held. They asked to go to the prison, and through that visit and subsequent visits, they were able to meet and befriend the man who murdered the young Christian girl.
The church in the area began to provide the murderer with blankets and other necessities that the prisons do not provide. They began to show him that they loved him in spite of his sin and his current circumstances. Eventually, the murderer confessed Christ and began following him. His life changed so drastically that the prison decided to release him. Now, the murderer is training to be an evangelist. In Ethiopia, this means he plans to travel away from home, to stay in various places, in order to proclaim the gospel and build up the churches in those areas.
Last year, Mrs. Black travelled to Ethiopia and stayed for several months to help an Ethiopian woman who was pregnant. The woman had lost several babies and was having difficulties with this pregnancy. So, Mrs. Black took care of her until she delivered a healthy baby.
There are many, many more stories like these in the Ethiopia Files and many, many more lives that have been changed by a proclamation of the gospel that includes a demonstration of God’s love through Jesus Christ. Through the Blacks, God has provided Ethiopians with Bibles, blankets, reading glasses, vehicles, a medical clinic, and wells for clean drinking water.
I decided a few years ago that this was the kind of man and family that I wanted to influence myself and my family.
stories: I thought she was rude
This post is part of my “stories” series. In this series, I share stories of how people live their lives in response to the gospel and as a demonstration of God’s love in order to teach us and to provide an example to provoke us to love and good works. (See “stories: A New Series” for more information about this series.)
We met “Sheila” (or rather, one of her children) the first day we met people in the Neighborhood (our name for a local government assisted housing project). I thought she was rude.
After our friend Cathy introduced us to several of her neighbors, she had to return home. We still had one bag of produce left. So, we knock on the next door. A young boy (around 11-12) answered the door. He said his mother was on the phone and couldn’t come to the door. (I thought that was rude.) I gave him the bag of fruits and vegetables and told him we were friends of their neighbor Cathy. He said, “Okay,” then took the produce and closed the door.
The next week, when we returned to the neighborhood, we had a great time visiting the neighbors that we had met the previous week… well, except for Sheila’s family. Once again, when we knocked on her door, one of her children answered – I think it was her 8 year old daughter this time, with the toddler not far behind. Once again, she said her mother was on the phone and couldn’t come to the door. I gave her the bag of produce and left.
On the way home, I talked to Margaret (my wife) about how rude it was for this lady to send her children to the door. I mean, she was only talking on the phone. She could always call back. There was only one word to describe it – RUDE!
This went on for several weeks. I would knock on the door. One of the children would open the door and explain that their mother was on the phone. The child would take the fruits and vegetables, and that would be the end of it. We knew very little about this family except that there were at least three children and the mother was rude.
One week, some friends decided to join us. So, we went through the neighborhood in two different groups – one group with me, and one group with Margaret. Our group had a great time talking to the neighbors. We were able to spend more time with each person, and (since our friends bought produce, too) we were also able to meet a few new neighbors.
Being the kind gentleman that I am, I left Margaret with the responsibility of stopping by Sheila’s house. When we met up again, Margaret was excited to tell me what happened. This time, when Margaret knocked on the door, Sheila answered. She talked to Margaret for a long, long time. Apparently, Sheila works on Saturday mornings, and when she was “on the phone”, she was actually working. (wow… imagine that… Not only did I misunderstand her, I was the one being rude by interrupting her work.)
Margaret and Sheila hit it off immediately. She told Margaret that she was divorced, and actually had four children. The daughter that we had not met was away at college. Over the next few weeks, Margaret always went to Sheila’s house, and she always talked to Sheila. If she was working, then she would ask Margaret to come back by. When Margaret came back, Sheila would be on the porch waiting for her. The thing that Margaret noticed first about Sheila was how much she appreciated the produce that we brought, and how much she appreciated that time that Margaret spent with her.
We also found out that besides working to support her family, Sheila also attended community college. She would finish her classes soon, and then would do an internship. She wanted to find a better job in order to support her family better.
Sheila has had a rough life. I’m surprised that she ever started talking to us in the first place. I imagine that it is very difficult for her to trust people, especially men. But, I will have to tell more of Sheila’s story another time.
stories: Preparing and eating meals with the hungry
This post is part of my “stories” series. In this series, I share stories of how people live their lives in response to the gospel and as a demonstration of God’s love in order to teach us and to provide an example to provoke us to love and good works. (See “stories: A New Series” for more information about this series.)
A few weeks ago, my friend Jason shared a story with us – a true story. Jason works evenings as a security guard. On the way to work each evening, he sees a man standing by the highway exit with a sign that says he’s hungry. Jason said that God has been reminding him of that man every time he prepared his meals to take to work with him, and every time he eats his meals at work.
One Sunday, Jason asked the church to pray for him. He had decided to fix extra food and offer it to the man with the sign. On top of that, Jason was not planning to simply give the man food, but he was going to ask the man if he could join him for dinner. We prayed for Jason and the hungry man that day.
The next week, Jason share more of the story. The first day that Jason went to work, he prepared his meal, plus some extra food in another container. When Jason drove by the exit, he was disappointed to see that the man was not there.
The next day, Jason again prepared his own meal and some extra for the hungry man. Once again, the man was not at the exit when Jason drove to work.
On the third day, Jason considered not preparing extra food, but he decided to do so anyway. As he took the highway exit to his workplace, he saw the man standing in his usual place. Jason stopped and approached the man. He explained to the man that he had seen him standing by the road with the sign that said he was hungry. He explained that God had prompted him to prepare extra food for the man, and he offered the man the food.
Next, Jason told the man that he would like to come back next time and eat dinner with him. The man explained to my friend that there were actually three different homeless people who stand by that exit. They had a place under a nearby tree where they eat together whenever someone provides food.
Jason asked if he could provide food and join them. He also explained that there may be times when he didn’t have enough food to share, but he would still like to join them and spend time with them. The hungry man thanked Jason for the food and welcomed him to join them whenever he could.
I don’t know how this story will end. It is still ongoing. However, I can tell that God is moving my friend Jason to care for the least of this world. And, beyond caring, Jason is being moved to act on his love and concern for this people. Jason is not simply sharing food or money, though. Instead, he is planning to share his life with them.
What would happen if all of God’s children followed Jason’s example?
stories: Just a small gift
This post is part of my “stories” series. In this series, I share stories of how people live their lives in response to the gospel and as a demonstration of God’s love in order to teach us and to provide an example to provoke us to love and good works. (See “stories: A New Series” for more information about this series.)
This story was sent to me by a reader named Mark. If you would like for me to publish your story of how you or someone else demonstrated God’s love to others, please email them to me. My email address is in the left sidebar of this blog.
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Every Christmas, I give a small gift to everyone on Christmas Eve and the kids get new pajamas. I hide the presents and after the Christmas Eve service, I give out clues that lead to each present. In the past, I have just gone out and purchased small, random gifts for this. This past year, I decided to change things up a little bit.
For each adult, I purchased a $5 McDonald’s gift card. Once everyone got their card, I explained that the gift card was given with special rules. I told them that the gift card was not for them. It was for someone who they found to be in need. I encouraged them to carry the card with them and that they would know when they crossed paths with the person who needed it. Once they give the card away, they can call me and I’ll give them another one, or they can buy another one themselves.
One of my Christmas presents for my wife was to a theater show in downtown Jacksonville. When we parked in the garage downtown, a pleasant gentlemen approached us as we were leaving and mentioned the cold weather. We made a little bit of small talk as we walked, and he started to tell us that many people don’t like to give him cash, but some people are willing to buy some food for him and asked if we could help. As was my new custom, I had the McDonald’s card in my pocket. I gave him the card and told him I was happy to help.
He said, “That’s the love of Christ!” and walked away.
I can only hope that this is as contagious to the rest of my family as it was for me!
stories: The Neighborhood
This post is part of my “stories” series. In this series, I share stories of how people live their lives in response to the gospel and as a demonstration of God’s love in order to teach us and to provide an example to provoke us to love and good works. (See “stories: A New Series” for more information about this series.)
Not too long ago, we met a lady named Cathy. Cathy began meeting with the church on Sundays, and we were able to get to know her a little more. There are many stories that I could tell about Cathy, but this story is about her neighborhood.
Cathy lives in a government assisted housing development – a project. Every Sunday, she would ask for prayer or for help for her neighbors. We would pray for them and help them as we could. We furnished her next door neighbor’s apartment when he moved.
As Cathy continued to talk about her neighbors, I realized that God was giving me an opportunity to get to know some people who were very different from me in many ways. I talked with Cathy and told her that I would like to meet her neighbors. She was excited about it and said that she would introduce me.
I was glad that Cathy was going to introduce me, because I wouldn’t be going in as a stranger. But, I also wanted some other way to demonstrate Christ’s love to the people in the neighborhood. After talking with a few people, I decided to take small bags of fresh produce with me to give to Cathy’s neighbors. I knew that some charities took food to this neighborhood, but they usually took old cakes and cookies or old food that the grocery stores couldn’t sell. Since our family had recently started eating healthier, I decided to bring fresh produce to encourage healthy eating habits.
The next Saturday morning, I stopped by the roadside produce stand and bought some vegetables and fruit for five small grocery bags – potatoes, beans, squash, apples, oranges, onions, tomatoes… probably only about $5 worth in each bag. Then, I drove to Cathy’s apartment. I gave Cathy the first bag of produce and talked with her for a few minutes. Then, she introduced me to two of her neighbors and told me about a few other neighbors.
As she introduced me to her neighbors, she simply said, “This is my friend, Alan. He wanted to meet you.”
I would then explain that I had some fresh vegetables and fruit for them, then start talking with them. It was easy to get to know them with Cathy there, because they trusted her. Eventually, they would start to trust me as well. But, at this point, I just wanted to get to know them… to listen to their stories… to learn from them.
Eventually, Cathy had to return to her apartment. I still had one bag of produce left, because some of the people she wanted to introduce me to were not at home. So, I knocked on someone’s door – someone that Cathy had not introduced me to. A child opened the door, and I told him that I was a friend of their neighbor’s (Cathy), and I wanted to give them some fresh produce. (This neighborhood is used to getting handouts, so this would not be surprising to him.) I asked if his mother or father was at home, and he told me his mother was on the phone. Each week that I came back to that house, the mother was on the phone. The children would thank me for the vegetables and fruit, then shut the door. I thought it was rude… but eventually we became very close to this family… but that’s another story.
The next Saturday, my family joined me. We knocked on the doors of the people that I had met the previous week. Most of them remembered me, and were happy to meet my family. Again, when we had talked to everyone we knew who was at home, there was an extra bag, so we knocked on another door, and met someone new.
We’ve been visiting the people in Cathy’s neighborhood for almost a year now. Over the months, another family and a few other friends started going with us. We were able to spend more time talking with the neighbors and buy more produce than when I started. But, we always made sure that people remained the most important. If someone was outside their apartment, we would stop and talk to them, even if we did not have produce. If the people wanted to talk, we would talk. If they did not want to talk, we wouldn’t talk. But, we made ourselves available.
We’ve had opportunities to drive some of the neighbors to doctor’s appointments, or pick them up when they were released from the hospital. We’ve had opportunities to tutor some of the neighbors and provide toys at Christmas. We invited friends to help us rake leaves last fall and sing Christmas carols in December. We’ve laughed and cried and listened and talked and prayed and encouraged and admonished and lived with these wonderful people for almost a year.
Through this time, we’ve seen God change some of the neighbors, and we’ve seen God change us. I have many, many more stories to tell from the time that we spend in the neighborhood. But, I will have to tell those stories another day.
stories: A counter top helps people see Christ
This post is part of my “stories” series. In this series, I share stories of how people live their lives in response to the gospel and as a demonstration of God’s love in order to teach us and to provide an example to provoke us to love and good works. (See “stories: A New Series” for more information about this series.)
A reader named Jim (“Journaling for Growth“) sent me this story:
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My wife, Vicki sold an annuity product to a minister and his wife. They are ministers to the Mattaponi American Indian Reservation here in Central Virginia. Vicki stated how nice it would be to have a purpose to visit the Mattaponi.
The minister said there was a woman who needs a lot of help. She is the daughter of May who was (she has since past) unable to get out of bed. May’s daughter never left the trailer they live in on the reservation while May was ill.
The daughter of May ( I am unable to recall her name) had a full time job that did not earn an income. The trailer they live in had no skirting around it to keep the pipes from freezing and the heat from escaping through the floor. The kitchen sink was being held up by cinder block because of water damage to the counter top around the opening for the sink. There was a need to repair the handicap ramp, the water heater was falling through the floor because it had been leaking at the joints and the window mounted air conditioner had stopped working.
My wife, Vicki and I went to the reservation to see what needed repaired and how we would make the repairs. We took measurements for a new counter top. We measured for skirting to put around the trailer. And I inspected to discover what I needed to do to repair the floor under the water heater and fix the leak on the water heater. I observed the hot water line to the kitchen sink had been completely disconnected because it had frozen and the brother of this woman did not know how to fix it. A poor excuse for disconnecting the water line but that is what he had done.
I attended our weekly small group meeting and took the opportunity to ask if I could get their help in making these repairs. Vicki and I paid for the material and the group was willing to meet us and help throughout the day. The ladies from the group volunteered to clean the small Baptist church building that was on the reservation while we men worked on the repairs. Behind my back, a few of the ladies organized a food drive to give food to this family. It was amazing! We accomplished all that needed to be done. And even further, we paid for a booth at our churches annual craft show on behalf of the Mattaponi Reservation so that the people of the reservation could sell their crafts there.
There was a problem in knowing how we would be able to afford a new counter top for this trailer. Vicki and I had already spent quite a bit and just could not do any more. We did not feel right in asking the people of our small group to contribute any money since we were already benefiting from their willingness to help with the work and their creative thinking in how they themselves could do more for the reservation than we had planned. So, we committed it to prayer.
In church, the Sunday prior to going to the reservation, my wife and I were talking to Ray and Thelma. We were discussing their recent move into a home they had purchased. Ray began discussing the remodeling of the house. He was complaining that he has been repeatedly put off by the cabinet maker and finally, that week, Ray and Thelma would be getting their new counter top and sink!
I said, “Ray. You are part of God’s plan to help these people see Christ. Can I have your old sink and counter top?â€
Ray could not believe that he was complaining when he realized what I needed his old counter top and sink for. He even gave us the faucet with the sink. The counter top was too long. But, that was better than being too short. We cut it to cover the cabinets and tied the new plumbing in.
At the end of our day of work, Don Stewart, the minister to the Mattaponi read from his Bible to May and her daughter. We’re not certain May ever understood. We hope that her daughter did and that she would have spoken to May, giving her an opportunity to accept the Lord. After May had passed, Don Stewart said the daughter had attended a church service at the Baptist church on the reservation. Don retired this past year as a minister as he has a neurological illness. We don’t know if May or her daughter accepted the Lord. But, I know the Lord is proud of the work we did that day. I had been back a few times to tie some loose ends on the projects we did.
stories: Mrs. Jennie
This post is part of my “stories” series. In this series, I share stories of how people live their lives in response to the gospel and as a demonstration of God’s love in order to teach us and to provide an example to provoke us to love and good works. (See “stories: A New Series” for more information about this series.)
My friends go to the nursing home almost every week to read the Bible and sing songs. Before they begin to read and after they sing, my friends (along with their four boys) make their way from resident to resident and pass out hugs and listen to their stories. Since I was not teaching last summer, I went with them a few times. On my first visit, I met Mrs. Jennie.
Mrs. Jennie is in her mid-eighties and rides around in a motorized wheelchair because her legs are very weak. I sat beside her the day that I met her, and I held the song book open for her when we sang. She later told me that she couldn’t see the words, but she appreciated me holding the book for her.
After my friend read from Matthew’s gospel about “the least of these”, Mrs. Jennie leaned over to me. In her New York City accent she said, “I’m not an atheist, but all this religion stuff is new to me. I only come to Story Time because of him”. She pointed at the three year old son who was passing out song books to the residents with a big smile on his face. When he got to us, he handed me a song book and grinned at Mrs. Jennie. She touch his hair and beamed back at him.
We made a connection that day, and my family has fallen in love with Mrs. Jennie. We visit her in the nursing home every week. As we got to know her, she started telling us more about herself and her family. We found out that she has a daughter that she doesn’t talk to, and that there was even a restraining order once. She told us that she had two sons (“Both of them were good boys”), and they both died in traffic accidents when they were 21. Each one left a wife and child behind – and a mother who wondered why they were taken from her.
Mrs. Jennie talks about how she’s different now than she once was. She talks about how she was once mean and angry and sad, but now she feels “blessed”. One day, when we were visiting with us, she pulled out an evangelistic tract that a well-meaning person had given her. She said, “He wanted to push me to make a decision. I told him that I couldn’t pray something that I didn’t mean in my heart. Plus, I told him that if I needed to talk to someone, I have you and your family.”
In December and January, we were out of town for several weeks, both because we were travelling for Christmas and New Years, and because my wife’s father had open heart surgery. We sent word to Mrs. Jennie through our friends, so that she would know what was going on and why we were not visiting her.
Later, the kids and I came back home and left Margaret in Alabama for a few more weeks to take care of her father. We went to see Mrs. Jennie not long after we got back home. The first thing she did as ask about Margaret’s father. Then she said, “Tell Margaret that I’m praying for him. I don’t know how to pray, so I look out my window and talk to God like he’s here with me. I think he hears me.”
Last week, for Valentine’s Day, we gave Mrs. Jennie a bouquet of roses. She barely talked for our whole visit. Finally she said, “I don’t know what to say. No one has ever given me flowers before. Not even my husband.” She half-smiled and half-cried for the remainder of our visit.
On one visit, Mrs. Jennie surprised us with a gift. She had painted a picture of a cross and had it framed for us. When she gave it to me, she pointed to the cross and said, “I’m very close”. Mrs. Jennie still struggles with the death of her sons. She still wonders why God would take them away from her. But, God is changing her. I’m glad that God has allowed our family to be part of her life and part of the process that he’s using to draw her to himself.
stories: Serving the homeless in Phoenix despite struggles
This post is part of my “stories” series. In this series, I share stories of how people live their lives in response to the gospel and as a demonstration of God’s love in order to teach us and to provide an example to provoke us to love and good works. (See “stories: A New Series” for more information about this series.)
This story was sent to me by a reader named George. What happens when a group of people begin serving the homeless in their city? Ups and downs, organization and disorganization, politics and struggles… and those who care about the homeless continue to serve them through all the mess.
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Many years ago a man attending a well to do suburban bible church decided he needed to help the homeless. He cooked lunch for them once a month and served it to them, using volunteers from the church, in a municipal garage in downtown Phoenix. After a while the man passed the baton to others, and the ministry continued, moving from the garage – which was scheduled for demolition – to an overpass in an industrial area on the outskirts of downtown. (Note that no one now connected with the ministry recalls the man’s name, but we are confident that the One Who matters has it written down.)
Originally the man collected donations on the church patio in a coffee can. The church preferred that donations flow thru it, tho off-budget. People could write checks made to the church and indicated for the homeless ministry, and the church would disburse them at a rate of X dollars per month. In practice, the church made up shortfalls and accumulated overages, but the ministry was not a part of the official budget.
After one leadership change in the ministry, some people decided that the group deserved to be an official ministry of the church. About the same time, the new associate pastor responsible for the church’s outreach decided that the reason homelessness existed was because of rich suburbanites’ sucking the money out of the inner city, and efforts by them to alleviate homelessness was just self-indulgence. And the city decided that public, on-street feeding of the homeless simply attracted more homeless into the downtown area, which scared away shoppers and tourists. So the city passed an ordinance strictly limiting public serving.
First there was a confrontation with police. Now, the confrontation was made by a couple of women not from the church but who were regular participants. But it did make the newspaper, which the church’s senior pastor read. Then the ministry’s leaders – some of them, anyway, confronted the church about being on-budget. It wasn’t long before the church leadership decided the ministry should be dis-associated from the church, although it would be allowed to continue to solicit volunteers and in-kind donations on Sundays. But no more pulpit announcements, and no more storage space, and no more financial assistance. Any donations made thru the church would be kept by the church. The associate pastor suggested that, in keeping with the church’s motto of “come, grow, and go,†it was time for the ministry to go. Away.
All of this sounds very political. And it is. But this is not the real story.
There were among the ministry people who wanted to live out, at least some of the time, Jesus’ teaching to love one another and to support those who cannot repay. Those people looked for ways to improve the monthly meals – chicken BBQs, stroganoff, Mexican – and to ensure with music, bibles, and prayer that the guests knew Jesus was the motivation of the ministry. Politics and recognition, in themselves, were unimportant. What mattered was maintaining a connection to volunteers.
The ministry was only partly one of serving the homeless. Another part of the ministry was connecting suburbanite Christians with opportunities to follow Christ outside of their normal environments. So, while the ministry has never “ended homelessness,†it has succeeded in facilitating Christians in serving in ways they would not have done without the infrastructure provided by the ministry.
One “poster child†for the ministry was a former church secretary. While she’d administered church outreach programs, she’d never participated. Then one Saturday she decided to attend and at least watch what the group did. She quickly saw that she could fit in, that she could reach out to non-suburbanites, that she could share Christ’s love with them in tangible ways. She today attributes this experience to her move to a mission field in Alaska.
When the ministry was booted from its home church, the advice given was to disband and join an established ministry. After some attempts, the group was unable to find a group that shared its enthusiasm for making meals special. So the group formed its own non-profit corporation and volunteered its monthly meal service to existing homeless shelters that relied on donations. That was in 2000.
Today, the ministry has grown and stabilized at a monthly outreach to 570 homeless people in five overnight and transitional shelters. Including core volunteers, each month about 50 Christians serve as Christ has called them. In addition to building a solid relationship with another suburban church, fellowship with the original church has been restored. The disruptive people from all sides have moved on. While politics is ever-present, the Spirit typically wins the day.
Just as the ministry cannot claim to have overcome poverty, neither can its members claim to be like Mother Teresa, either. It is, after all, a once a month ministry. Even so, it is a very special mechanism for moving and connecting Christians in a special way for the service of our Lord.
stories: Bill was hungry
This post is part of my “stories” series. In this series, I share stories of how people live their lives in response to the gospel and as a demonstration of God’s love in order to teach us and to provide an example to provoke us to love and good works. (See “stories: A New Series” for more information about this series.)
Last month, on a Sunday, as we were getting ready to eat lunch together, one of our brothers walked in with a young man named Bill. Bill was riding his bicycle in the sleet, looking for food for himself and his sister. Bill told me that he was sixteen – I’m not sure how old his sister is. He told me that his mother was a drug addict and had left the house looking for drugs. Bill didn’t have any food for himself or his sister.
I talked to Bill for few minutes, then I fixed him some lunch – a meatball hoagie and some chips. It wasn’t much, but he was very appreciative. We asked if we could give him anything else, and he said, “No.” We asked him if we could give him a ride somewhere, and he said, “No.” We invited him to come have lunch with us anytime he wants to.
Since we’ve been meeting together as the church in the downtown area, I’ve been surprised at how many people we have run across who said they were hungry. We have always had enough food to share with them. Sometimes, the people will eat with us, and we are able to talk with them more – get to know them – find out about them and their situation – learn how we can serve them better. Sometimes, the people take the food we offer them and leave. For the most part, the people have always been appreciative.
I don’t know if Bill really needed food. I don’t know if his sister was really at home asleep. I don’t know if his mother was really a drug addict who had left her children alone in order to find drugs.
What do I know? I know that Bill (and others) told us that they were hungry. I know that we had food available. I know that we met their needs as we were able. I know that we offered to help them more.
Can we solve the world’s hunger problem? No. Can we help people who are hungry? Yes.