We trek under bridges, behind liquor stores, abandoned buildings, in tunnels and in remote camps looking for people who don’t have access to resources like food and water. We search for the lost and introduce them to the God who rescues…
We have volunteer opportunities in the day or night, weekday or weekend. The harvest is great, but the workers are few.
My friend in this picture has been homeless for over twenty years. He lived in a small shack in an illegal dumping ground. He didn’t dump the trash, but he did live in it. He tried shelters to no avail.
They have crazy rules that sometimes change daily. They treat you like children telling you when to go to sleep and when to wake up. Shelters herd us like animals which makes us feel less than human…
People are homeless because of deep problems. Some have drug or alcohol problems, but others have social problems or problems that started at childhood. Out here, no one tells you what to do.
His choice to live at a remote camp also comes with challenges. Where do you get food? What about health and safety concerns? There are extreme challenges that accompany the freedom of the streets.
But why would anyone choose to live out there? That’s as difficult as why someone would live in a neighborhood that they can’t afford in order to impress people they don’t like. People live – where they live. Sometimes it’s by choice and sometimes it’s because there are no other options. Where should the thousands of homeless people on the streets go? The shelters are full, many are unemployable and most don’t have the stability to maintain a “free” apartment.
Then we are slapped in the face with a difficult question : What would Jesus do? Or better, what did He do? He went out to the masses and introduced them to the God who rescues. He pointed people to a relationship with God and united people into a community of faith who would come beside and help those in need. He fed the hungry and met tangible needs of the community to whom He ministered. Under His example, the early church served the poor, the widows and orphans. The Apostle Paul raised money for the poor in Jerusalem. And today, men and women unite to be the church to those in need.
My friend in the picture did live in that shack. But recently, utility workers tore his home apart, cleared the brush and disposed of all of the “trash”. He has found a new campsite and we continue to visit him and the dozens of people in the same situation at that location. There are hundreds of similar campsites around Dallas. We can’t meet all of their needs, but with a meal and a warm handshake, we can begin a conversation that will change his eternity. Will you join us?
Search and Rescue:
Wednesdays 8:30am – 5:00pmWhere: Our storage building behind Northwest Bible Church @ 8505 Douglas Ave. Dallas, TX 75225 (map)Description: Join our search teams as we trek to wooded areas, behind liquor stores, in creek beds, behind abandoned buildings, and remote camps to find hard-to-reach homeless individuals. Help us distribute food and resources to these men and women as we introduce them to the God who rescues.
Imagine a parking lot one block behind the Dallas city hall, with a 12 foot screen, a mountain of popcorn, a great sound system and the most amazing movie you have ever seen…
Now imagine you are joined by 180+ friends. What could be better?
We had a great time and we would like to thank two great partners in this effort. The Temple of Prayer Christian Fellowship let us use their great parking lot. It was the perfect location
.
Imagine a parking lot one block behind the Dallas city hall, with a 12 foot screen, a mountain of popcorn, a great sound system and the most amazing movie you have ever seen…
Now imagine you are joined by 180+ friends. What could be better?
We had a great time and we would like to thank two great partners in this effort. The Temple of Prayer Christian Fellowship let us use their great parking lot. It was the perfect location
.
Join us on Friday (April 2) for a special outreach. We will host a movie night and celebrate the death of Jesus by taking communion together with our homeless friends.
The movie we will be showing is the newest version of the Jesus Film (the Magdelena) produced by Campus Crusade for Christ. It tells the story of Jesus through the eyes of Mary Magdalene. She was a woman who was rejected by society because of her sin, but loved and forgiven by Christ.
We have been given permission to use the parking lot at the corner of Corsicana and Cadiz. The Church is directly beside the old resource center. We have many details to arrange and would appreciate your prayer and help. We plan on serving popcorn and drings during the film. Afterwards we will have an invitation for people to publically trust Christ followed by a communion service.
We need approximately 50 volunteers for this event. Our needs include AV, snacks, communion, and volunteers to pray with people. Please ask God how He can use you to help share the love of Christ with people.
What is the connection between blankets, food and the gospel?
Our calling is to glorify God by leading homeless people to Christ and stabilizing broken lives as they begin God-honoring lifestyles. So, why do we take blankets and food under bridges? Sometimes the noise of a growling stomach or teeth chattering with cold make the gospel difficult to hear.
We use blankets and food to help meet physical needs. Those are felt needs, as the pain of hunger robs your attention. In order to get an opportunity to tell someone about God’s love, we must show them what it looks like. Sometimes it’s a warm handshake or a warm blanket. Other days it may include helping someone find a job or providing the basics for a newly acquired apartment.
This morning a man called me that has been moved out of a shelter and into his own subsidized apartment. It is a blessing to move off of the concrete and into a carpeted space! But how well does this meet his needs? In reality, he moved into the space with his clothes and a single blanket. He has no soap or towels, dishes or cookware nor does he have any furniture or food. He has traded sleeping on the sidewalk to sleeping on carpet. He can control the temperature, but he cannot shower, shave or eat.
One of the privileges we have is to help meet those needs. Often, we connect the dots between those who have and those who need. We may take donated items and redirect them to someone with a need, or maybe we might purchase slightly used items from a thrift store to stock an apartment.
Jesus was not in the food business, yet he was recorded to have fed many. Why? Was it because he wanted to impress people with his his culinary talents? Maybe it was because in the process of leading people to the Father, their physical needs had to be addressed. Maybe he recognized that there is a connection between addressing felt needs, in order to address real needs.
Please pray that God will continue to provide opportunities to meet the needs of the community. If we can spend a couple of hours stocking a man’s apartment – do you really think I’m going to spend the whole time discussing furniture?
Eph6:19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel
What is the connection between blankets, food and the gospel?
Our calling is to glorify God by leading homeless people to Christ and stabilizing broken lives as they begin God-honoring lifestyles. So, why do we take blankets and food under bridges? Sometimes the noise of a growling stomach or teeth chattering with cold make the gospel difficult to hear.
We use blankets and food to help meet physical needs. Those are felt needs, as the pain of hunger robs your attention. In order to get an opportunity to tell someone about God’s love, we must show them what it looks like. Sometimes it’s a warm handshake or a warm blanket. Other days it may include helping someone find a job or providing the basics for a newly acquired apartment.
This morning a man called me that has been moved out of a shelter and into his own subsidized apartment. It is a blessing to move off of the concrete and into a carpeted space! But how well does this meet his needs? In reality, he moved into the space with his clothes and a single blanket. He has no soap or towels, dishes or cookware nor does he have any furniture or food. He has traded sleeping on the sidewalk to sleeping on carpet. He can control the temperature, but he cannot shower, shave or eat.
One of the privileges we have is to help meet those needs. Often, we connect the dots between those who have and those who need. We may take donated items and redirect them to someone with a need, or maybe we might purchase slightly used items from a thrift store to stock an apartment.
Jesus was not in the food business, yet he was recorded to have fed many. Why? Was it because he wanted to impress people with his his culinary talents? Maybe it was because in the process of leading people to the Father, their physical needs had to be addressed. Maybe he recognized that there is a connection between addressing felt needs, in order to address real needs.
Please pray that God will continue to provide opportunities to meet the needs of the community. If we can spend a couple of hours stocking a man’s apartment – do you really think I’m going to spend the whole time discussing furniture?
Eph6:19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel
Join us from 1PM to 4PM on Saturday March 13 as we hit the streets of downtown Dallas with clothes, food, personal care items, and the gospel! We will meet at our storage building behind Northwest Bible Church ( 8505 Douglas Ave. Dallas, TX 75225 ). From there we will gather our distribution supplies and caravan downtown to serve in a few street locations. We will complete the day with a time of extended prayer with the homeless. We will be praying for the city, the homeless, the ministry, and for God to continue to be glorified in everything that we do. We need your arms to serve!
We have raised the first phase of our annual commitments and I will begin serving as a full-time missionary on the streets of Dallas within the next few weeks! We still have needs in our annual budget, but we are excited to launch in faith, trusting God to lead others to join our calling.
Over the past year, we have been blessed by the commitment of donors who have partnered with us. This “calling” to serve the homeless has become the calling of many! The men and women whom we serve (over 3,500 last year) deserve this full-time commitment and I am so excited!
This is truly a gift from God and I am reminded of the words of Jesus in John 15, “apart from Me you can do nothing.”
This is truly a blessing from God Himself and we give Him all of the glory.
We are still seeking new partners who will join us in annual commitments to meet our total ministry budget. The classes that we host and the resources that we distribute require the support and dedication of many. Does your church have a missions department that would want to partner with us?
Praise God!We have raised the first phase of our annual commitments and I will begin serving as a full-time missionary on the streets of Dallas within the next few weeks!
Over the past year, we have been blessed by the commitment of donors who have partnered with us. This “calling” to serve the homeless has become the calling of many! The men and women whom we serve (over 3,500 last year) deserve this full-time commitment and I am so excited!This is truly a gift from God and I am reminded of the words of Jesus in John 15, “apart from me you can do nothing.” This is truly a blessing from God Himself and we give Him all of the glory. We are still seeking new partners who will join us in annual commitments to meet our total ministry budget. The classes that we host and the resources that we distribute require the support and dedication of many. Does your church have a missions department that would want to partner with us?