The HOMELESS - REPLIES (-INSPIRING!!)
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
help us with our Homeless outreach. But you need to be prepared
to pitch in and help as well! Please reply to this email if you want
my phone number to talk about it. (-Andrew). Below are several
truly inspiring replies from others who have also been drawn
towards Homeless ministry:
"CHURCH with the HOMELESS" - REPLIES
(1) Randy Benham writes:
In reply to your article, What a confirmation to my heart. The Lord
has been speaking to me about the homeless (again) for the past
few months. 2 years ago I helped a friend with feeding the homeless
at the park once a week for a period of about 1 year. At first I was
a little skeptical about doing it but stuck with it. And I have to say
that it turned into one of the most fruitful times of ministry that I
have ever been involved with. I started to see these people were
rejected by society only because most of them ran into some
hard times, so now they are outcasts, not because they are lazy
(which most people assume).
When we started showing them respect, love and compassion in
turn we gained their respect and that is when they started opening
up to us and allowing us to minister to them. Anyway, the park
feed dissolved and I haven't been involved with the homeless since,
until last week. Our street ministry team ended up in the park and
there was a large gathering of homeless so we went into the midst
of them and started sharing with them. We prayed for healing,
deliverance and shared a short sin, repentance and judgment
message with them. The awesome thing about it was they were
so grateful that we took the time to hang out with them, pray with
them and listen to them. Granted, as you know they still need a
lot more work, but that will come in time.
A few days later I was talking with God about what direction He
wants me going, and He showed me that the homeless is your
congregation, they are the ones that need to hear the word, need
healing, need love and there are plenty of homeless, destitute
and lonely people around the world, you don't need a building,
you go to them, and then He showed me if you go to them I will
be there with you in power and you will see signs and wonders
following. It has been on our heart to purchase an old lunch truck
and outfit it with everything needed to cook and feed the homeless
with and travel to various places around Oregon and beyond!
[ANDREW: I know Randy personally. -A great brother. If you are
in the Oregon area and want to be involved with homeless ministry,
you might like to email Randy at- ]
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(2) Steve Ignowski writes:
I'm involved with a ministry up here in the midwest (RAVEN
MIDWEST OUTREACH MINISTRIES) and we've been feeding
homeless in the inner-cities (Chicago, Detriot) for the last 10
months or so and its been awesome! So I was very encouraged
with the article.
We are also planning on having church right on the streets... with
praise/worship and preaching. So please pray for us. God has
been so faithful... we recently got a 15 passager van and a 6x12
cargo trailer to bring church right to the inner city.
[ANDREW: I also know Steve and can recommend him. If you live
in that area, here is his email- ]
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(3) Ed Slusser writes:
There is no ministry without taking the Word to the people. I have
been feeding the poor now for over 8 years, in the inter-city of
Akron, Ohio. We give them the Word, a message, and some
praise and worship along with a very nice hot meal. I have witnessed
miracles performed among the people. We now have some coming,
that are bringing their bibles with them. Some are beginning to ask
questions of what they have been reading in their bible.
Others offer services to volunteer in our kitchen, or to be a server.
And during the entire 8 years, God has always provided in abundance.
We have no left overs, as we give out all the food that was prepared
in take out boxes at the end of the day and let the people take
whatever was left over home. This also offered us the ability as to
not have to store food and worry about spoilage and waste.
Last year, we embarked on an extension of our "Kings Kitchen".
We started another ministry that helps the poor in another vital
way. We have a free furniture bank. This is a pilot program that
we started out of my garage and has grown to three warehouses
full of furniture. It is simple - anyone in need merely calls our
hot-line, makes an appointment for our home visit that we require
to ensure that the family is truly in need of the articles of furniture
that they are requesting and not going to sell it in a garage sale
the following week. After the home visit they are allowed to visit
our warehouses the following Saturday from 9am to 11am, select
and take home their selections. They are responsible for getting
the items home from our warehouses. Each family is prayed for by
the home visitor, again prayers are done prior to leaving our
warehouse. God put his hand on this ministry also, by expanding
our warehouse space from my garage, to three warehouses, and
we are looking for still more warehouse space.
We also have volunteers asking to help out as the word of our work
gets out. We have even been approached to by local and city
government asking us if we might mentor our program in other
communities throughout the entire State of Ohio.
We have done all of this without a single penny of funds. Without
having any bake sales, or any sales what so ever. God has provided
everything. I tell you all of this not to pat myself on the back so to
speak, but to let you know that your ministry is headed in the right
direction. God commands us to do whatever we can for those
unfortunate people of the world. I hesitate to use the word poor.
Because what some have lack of, they make up in with being very
strong Christians. I have witnessed many miracles come forth
through our outreaches. I have seen people healed immediately
while praying for them. I have also witnessed them receiving and
then giving back of their time and labors to our outreaches. It never
ends, and I thank God for calling me to go out from the comfort of
my church and do this outreach ministry. It has strengthened my
walk, as I am constantly challenged by this ministry. I have been
asked by others, why do I want to lower myself, and be in the
inner-city around drug addicts, drunks, and the poor. I just tell
them because that is where Jesus was, and I want to be just like
Him.
So, continue on! Press strongly in this ministry. Salvation for
someone is just one Word away. Do not let up one bit. I know you
would not want someone to miss heaven, because the person had
missed the Word. Preach your messages with conviction and truth.
Let the people hear the Word of God. Turn the entire ministry into
His hands. You too, will witness more miracles then any Pastor in
any church.
[-To contact Ed Slusser, please look up "Prayer Call Outreach
Ministries" in Akron, Ohio].
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