November 13, 2009
Alliance churches are breaking the mold of the traditional church plant. Frustration with budget crunches, dwindling congregations, and decreased giving with little left for outreach has caused many Alliance pastors to rethink the way they do church.
“Trying to get people to come to church just doesn’t work like it used to,” said one Alliance pastor recently. “There’s a general consensus, especially among younger people, that churches are filled with hypocrites who demand money and perfection but don’t practice what they preach; the Bible is an ancient document and there is no evidence of God’s power among so-called Christians.”
In order to build bridges of trust that will bear the weight of truth, some Alliance churches are moving beyond the four walls of traditional church buildings into their communities, demonstrating the love of their Servant King through projects that benefit their neighbors. The fact that nothing is asked in return has captured the attention of city officials as well as local media in some cases.
Freely Give
Pastor Rick Gates has led his Crossroads Church congregation in Perry, Iowa, out of the sanctuary to shine the light of Christ during a Week of Service in their community. Church members have completed 40 projects in four years. Local TV news shows have reported the “free help” that Crossroads provided for the community in June.
“Our culture today knows nothing of the church except that it expects people to give money and attend services for no meaningful or relevant purpose,” says Rick. “The church is not connected to their daily lives and does not make sense to them. Jesus talks a lot about being servants . . . as we serve, people slowly begin to see Jesus.”
Benefitting Neighbors
“Most church plants take 30 or more people and move them,” say Pastor Scott Klaudt of Downtown Alliance Church, who established a coffeehouse in downtown Missoula, Montana, in order to meet plenty of people. “We didn’t want to just shift a bunch of Christians around, which may work for some, but it’s not what I wanted to do.”
The coffeehouse venue provides lunches, catering mostly to professionals in search of quality noontime respite, and hosts open-mike night, jazz concerts highlighting local musicians, and benefit fund-raisers for neighbors. “We recently hosted a benefit concert for a youngster who suffers from a seizure disorder,” says Scott.
God’s Property!
In Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Bob and Sue Havenor and a handful of people, none of whom are in professional ministry, have reclaimed for God an area where an Alliance church once stood. They have taken jobs within their community in order to build relationships and prayer walk. Bob is getting to know a lot of men through his work at an auto parts store.
“We didn’t plant an organization where people with needs must go to a church,” says Bob. “We are the Church that has a mandate to go to the people with needs. This is the essence of incarnational ministry; as John 1:14 says in The Message, ‘God became a man and moved into the neighborhood.’”
Bob’s team began systematically prayer walking every street in a 1.5 square-mile target area. “We started at a strategic location that is, first, an easy place to find on a busy central street,” he says. “Second, and far more important, is what this property once was. This was the site of the Fort Wayne Gospel Temple, a leading Alliance church in the middle half of the last century.”
Outside the Box
ServantChurch in Mission, Kansas, is “committed to doing church simply so that we can simply serve,” says Pastor Doug Burford, who grew weary of buildings, bulletins, budgets, and board meetings, as well as struggling to get busy professionals to meet for prayer, Bible study, and service.
Since its inception, ServantChurch has participated in several projects, including the construction of nanny quarters for a family in which the mother has terminal cancer and the installation of windows to winterize the residence of “urban missionaries” in Kansas City. “ServantChurch is intentionally without a building so that its members are free to worship where they serve,” says Doug.
As the history of the Church bears witness, there are times, like the Reformation, when the Church has to “reset” the course after straying off course. “It has been said that Martin Luther reset the theology of the Church,” Doug says. “This ‘new reformation’ is one that [just may] reset the form of the Church.”
What You Can Do
Praise God for His guidance and provision for Alliance workers who are willing to take faith-filled risks to share the gospel.
Pray that God will bless these four churches with a bountiful harvest.
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“We wanted to meet people first,” says Scott Klaudt, who pastors Downtown Alliance Church in Missoula, Montana. Through a coffeehouse/community center near the University of Montana, the state’s largest university, Klaudt and his team are accomplishing just that.
With an entrepreneurial approach to ministry, Scott has sidestepped the traditional Alliance church plant model to reach the Missoula community with this innovative outreach. “We started the business first to gain momentum,” he says. “Once we built relationships, we began host Bible studies instead of having a set program.”
The Alliance establishment provides lunch, catering mostly to professionals in search of quality noontime respite. The venue also hosts open-mike night, a favorite past time among University of Montana students. Also, jazz concerts highlighting local musicians, and benefit fund-raisers for neighbors are popular events at the Alliance outreach. “It makes The Alliance look good because we show them love.”
“Most church plants take about 30 people and move them,” says Scott. “We didn’t want to just shift a bunch of Christians around, which may work for some but it’s not what I wanted to do.” Without a tithe base, God has met the needs of the unorthodox church plant. “Our [Rocky Mountain] District has backed us, too.”
Worship services quickly moved from once-a-month to weekly meetings when an increasing number of people began attending. “Attendance now fluctuates between 50 and 80,” Scott says, “including some of the professionals who visit during the day and university students who pack the house at night.”
When Donnie Spotted Elk entered the center he said, “I hear you guys pray for people here. I need job by Tuesday or I will go back to jail.” Donnie recently had been released from prison, where he placed his trust in Christ. When Scott prayed, the Native American ex-convict obtained employment. Now he hosts a Sunday night Bible study for local Native Americans, many of whom are homeless.
The mission of this Alliance outreach is “not necessarily to ‘do church’ but to help the community,” says Scott. “It’s a full-time business. If the business goes down after we’ve spent $250,000 and only one person came to Christ-it was worth it.”
After eighteen years of traditional Presbyterian ministry, Pastor Doug Burford had had his fill of buildings, bulletins, budgets and board meetings, as well as struggling to get busy professionals to meet for prayer, Bible study, and service. “At the same time,” says Doug, “those who were growing in their faith often said that they grew most through their small group meetings.” That led him to long for a simpler expression of “church”-one where there was nothing to do except to pray, study the Bible, and serve.
ServantChurch in Mission, Kansas, is that church. Daring to venture away from traditional church plant models, Doug and a handful of people launched ServantChurch in April 2008. “We are committed to doing church simply so that we can simply serve,” he says. ServantChurch is intentionally without building so that its members are free to worship where they serve. With Doug’s salary covered by a benefactor, all financial resources are used to serve.
Doug was unaware of the history of A. B. Simpson when he came to The Alliance but feels a kinship with the founder, who also left the Presbyterian Church in search of an unencumbered way to reach the lost and to love and serve as Christ taught.
Since its inception, ServantChurch has participated in several projects, including the construction of nanny quarters for a family in which the mother has terminal cancer and the installation of windows to winterize the residence of urban missionaries in Kansas City. The collection of food for an area food bank and the assembly of health kits for distribution to disaster sites around the globe also have demonstrated the compassionate care of the Savior.
Doug believes that service can be the best form of outreach. “People who had not responded to early invitations to “come to church” have responded enthusiastically to invitations to participate in service projects,” he says. “Combining worship with service is an ideal way to demonstrate what Jesus called us to be and to do, creating a powerful witness.”
Unencumbered by other ecclesiastical duties, the church family also has more freedom to help and serve one another. With Doug’s social work background, he is determined that ServantChurch not become just another social service agency, dispensing material help without spiritual help. There is a determination to serve those with whom church members are in relationship.
Church “services” are either at a member’s home or at a serving site. “Service is combined with worship,” says Doug, “in the belief that doing what Jesus asked us to do is as much worship as is anything that takes place in a dedicated sanctuary.”
Believing the Holy Spirit is behind this call back to simplicity, Doug sees evidence of it in the difficulty of maintaining large staffs and facilities during tough economic times and in the struggle of many pastors as they question the institutionalization of the church and the busyness it has created.
Doug is quick to point out that ServantChurch doesn’t have all the answers for how to do church simply. “The presence of children at a worship site without a nursery is just one challenge that creates comical chaos on some Sundays,” he says. “But, I see the church “pressing the reset button.”
As the history of the Church bears witness, there are times, like the Reformation, when the Church has to be “reset” back on course after straying off course. “It has been said that Martin Luther reset the theology of the Church,” Doug says. “This “new reformation” is one that will reset the form of the Church.”
October 22, 2009
In our GoChurch series, Alliance Pastor Bob Havenor describes the mission that he and his wife, Sue, and six other people, have begun in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Although Alliance roots go way back in Ft. Wayne, a move to the suburbs left an evangelical void in the urban neighborhoods, where the Havenors have only just begun.
Our team is very organic. Sue and I are modeling a lifestyle where we live among and work with the people we expect God to reach. Nobody’s in professional ministry here. I work in a local auto parts store. We didn’t plant an organization where people with needs must go to a church. We are the Church that has a mandate to go to the people with needs. This is the essence of incarnational ministry; as John 1:14 says in The Message, “God became a man and moved into the neighborhood.” Our first priority is building intentional relationships in every sphere of our lives. It is through a relationally-based lifestyle and theology that we operate. And although we don’t have a church building, we are here because of one that once was in our target zone.
This summer we began systematically prayerwalking every street in our 1.5-mile-square target area. We started at a strategic location that is, first, an easy place to find on a busy central street. Second, and far more important, is what this property once was. This half-block was the site of the Fort Wayne Gospel Temple, a leading church in the middle half of the last century.
In the 1970s, the congregation merged with another local church, sold the property, and moved to the suburbs to begin life anew as Westview Alliance Church, the local body with whom we have a deep relationship. Commercial and local government interests bought up the large piece of property, and today it’s the site of a former Hollywood Video store that is now an empty building and a massive parking lot for the local Family Social Services.
Going Back to Go Forward
We begin prayerwalking at the Hollywood Video store because it is the geographical heart and spiritual epicenter of our target area. The leaders of Westview Alliance Church received prophetic direction from God several years before we showed up that He wanted to “re-dig the wells” in the old part of the city. We also meet there because we are convinced that God is keeping that former video store empty because He isn’t done with that property. We have claimed it as a prime location for an early childhood education center.
If you are doing something for the Kingdom, convinced that God is leading you, then what you are doing is not that new or novel. God, in our case, paved the way with generations of church members who cared deeply for that sector of the city. This is encouraging-we are all vital colors in the grand tapestry God is weaving in this community. He planned on us being here and desires our success more than we do. So we can love others with reckless abandon and live with no regrets.
A Present Need
More than 19,000 people, including many immigrants, inhabit the neighborhood that we want to reach, 48 percent of whom are in single parent households. There is a 27 percent high school drop out rate. Our demographic-driven vision includes developing what we call community bridges in two key areas: early childhood education and literacy. Three of our team members are currently teaching ESL, mostly to recent immigrants. We want to develop literacy centers that can help immigrants learn English, but also help native English speakers learn to read, use computers, and attain a GED.
Just because a church organization moved off of the property and a government agency moved in does not change the lasting imprint of those who walked that ground before we were born, calling on the God of heaven to do something to change the destiny of people in this city. The Social Services building is a memorial to our God who hears and answers our prayers: it’s where the neediest people in the community find help and relief.
The ground is still holy. There is an anointing of redemptive power that has yet to run its course. We expect to see the prayers of God’s saints come full circle and God’s plans manifested in our day. We have no plans to rebuild a church building; our plan is to move in God’s anointing as He rebuilds His living Church in the heart of our city.
Learn More
Read alife to learn more about the Havenors.
Read about other U.S. Alliance churches that are impacting their communities
What You Can Do
Pray for God’s guidance and protection for the Havenors and their team as they reach a city for Christ. Pray that God will prepare hearts to receive His Truth.
Donate to Alliance Great Commission Ministries.
October 6, 2009
In our GoChurch series, Jim Blake, director for Alliance Redwoods Camp and Conference Grounds (ARCCG), describes the mission of his “congregation” within the camp community. ARCCG hosts churches and groups from all over California and beyond, providing God’s majestic redwood trees as the background for ministry.
Thousands of children and young adults experience authentic community each year at Alliance Redwoods Camp and Conference Grounds (ARCCG), where a Christian camping adventures have changed lives for more than 60 years.
At ARCG, nearly 1,000 young people make decisions for Christ annually as they receive ministry to the whole person and build relationships with God and with caring mentors. The camp environment breaks down social, economic, and cultural barriers that the traditional church setting struggles to overcome and provides a safe environment that is conducive to positive interactivity.
Catch Them While They Are Young
More than 85 percent of those who come to Christ do so before they reach the age of 18. Ten-year-old camper Josh,* whose biker father did not attend church, connected with Greg, one of the head cooks. Greg, sporting his biker regalia and is a chaplain for the Christian Motorcycle Association, spent the week building a relationship with Josh. As Josh left camp, Greg gave him his card for Josh’s dad.
Filled with excitement about his week at camp, Josh gave Greg’s card to his dad, who was moved by his son’s experience and attended a local Alliance club meeting. Soon Josh’s entire family received Christ and all now are active church members who are growing in their newfound faith in Jesus.
Sarah was cutting herself. But the self-inflicted torment could not ease the pain in her heart. Camp counselor Natalie Romalia was asked to help. “When I approached Sarah, she told me that she was having a hard time because her mother had died,” said Romalia. “I brought up losing my brother to suicide, and Sarah said, ‘My mom committed suicide too.’”
That seemed to break the ice between a hurting teenage girl and a high school camp counselor. Natalie’s willingness to share her pain with Sarah immediately built a bridge of hope between the two women.
“We talked longer, and I prayed with her that afternoon,” said Natalie. ”That night when other teens were sharing their testimonies, Sarah asked, ‘Would it be okay if I shared?’ I said sure! She stood up and shared a little bit of her story with everyone.”
Sarah’s youth pastor believes this is the beginning of a big breakthrough in her life. At this particular high school camp, too many students to count came to the front during ministry time, weeping with sorrow for their sins and praising God for His unconditional love.
No Boundaries
The impact of ARCCG does not begin and end in California. Part of our vision is to become an international training and sending center for The Alliance, taking Alliance camping worldwide. Every winter since 2002, ARCCG has hosted a month-long camp in South Africa that has ministered to more than 6,000 impoverished children. More than 50 percent of them have indicated a desire to have a personal relationship with Christ. Many of these children have AIDS and will never see adulthood. Each one reached represents a life turned from despair to hope in Jesus Christ.
Germaine was a 12-year-old street kid, sniffing glue, selling drugs, and stealing to survive when he came to our first Camp South Africa (CSA) outreach in 2002. Germaine came to Christ during that camp and the following year, he testified that he was drug free, back in school, reading his Bible, and attending a local church-all with no parental care or supervision. It is amazing to observe what the transforming power of God can accomplish in the worst of human circumstances! Germaine now is a spiritually mature 17-year-old and worked as a camp counselor for CSA 2008 last December. He has a passion to reach others for Christ.
International camp workers receive training at ARCCG and go to mission fields like Russia, Romania, Paraguay, and Hawaii. They have a sense of urgency to fulfill the Great Commission and bring back the King. Requests for training abound from all over the globe, and expansion of this vision is limited only by our current financial resources, making your partnership a vital link to building the bridge to future generations.
Stories like Josh, Sarah, and Germaine’s abound at ARCCG, where we are living out The Alliance’s first core value: Lost people matter to God. He wants them found. Life circumstances may differ, but many lives are touched by God during camp!
Jim Blake has served as executive director of Alliance Redwoods Camp and Conference Grounds since 1998. His wife, Christine, is a physical therapist and member of the Camp South Africa 2007 team. College-age daughters Kate and Emily have been campers and summer staffers at Alliance Redwoods since moving to California.
Learn More
Read about Alliance camping ministries in the March issue of alife
Visit Alliance Redwood’s Web site.
What You Can Do
Pray for Jim Blake and his team as they work through daily details and plan for future ministry. Also, pray for the lives of those impacted for Jesus through ARCCG.
Donate to Alliance Great Commission Ministries
October 1, 2009
Alliance congregations across the United States are taking new approaches to ministry, moving beyond just talking about Christ’s love to actually showing it. Pastor Rick Gates has led his Crossroads Church congregation in Perry, Iowa, out of the sanctuary to shine the light of Christ during a Week of Service in their community. Church members have completed 40 projects in four years. Local TV news shows have reported the “free help” that Crossroads provided for the community in June.
The Week of Service initiative began in 2005, when Gates offered to shampoo carpets at a local school. Other church members cleaned windshields at a grocery store and distributed complimentary water bottles at community functions.
“Our culture today knows nothing of the church except that it expects people to give money and attend services for no meaningful or relevant purpose,” says Gates. “The church is not connected to their daily lives and does not make sense to them. Jesus talks a lot about being servants . . . as we serve, people slowly begin to see Jesus.”
Open Doors
Since these outreaches began, many civic groups and individuals have solicited the church’s help. As the requests come into the church for projects in the community, church members go out and serve-free of charge. They have painted 10 classrooms and shampooed carpets in a local school, saving the school district hundreds of dollars. A deck has been built, ground tilled, and grass planted
“A widow was grateful when some of our people helped her burn a huge pile of brush behind her home,” Gates says. She was amazed to receive all of the help without being charged. Other people in the community, who are not members of Crossroads Church, have joined to help out with projects just to be part of the excitement.”
Heather, a single mother, started attending Crossroads recently. “I can relate to a church that reaches out to others instead of just taking care of its own needs,” she says. “That’s why I’m here with my daughter, and that’s what I want to be a part of.” Heather now wants to do something to help someone else soon!
The doors are open for cross-cultural outreach as well. During the weekend of September 12-13, 2009, Crossroads Church hosted “Booth of Hope” at a Latino festival in town, giving away bottles of water and New Testament Bibles.
“We want to be involved in cross-cultural events in order to engage their culture,” Gates says. “We want to share God’s love in tangible ways and be ‘Jesus with skin on’ in our community.”
Learn More
Read how other U.S. Alliance churches are impacting their communities
What You Can Do
Pray for open hearts as the Crossroads family interacts with their friends and neighbors.
Donate to Alliance Great Commission Ministries.
September 22, 2009
West Africa’s rainy season has caused extensive flooding throughout the region this year, reported Stan and Jaynee Walker, who serve with The Alliance in Senegal.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced, many have contracted waterborne diseases, and more than 160 have died.
Tens of Thousands of Senegalese Affected
According to the United Nations, the Walkers said, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal, and Sierra Leone are among the worst hit countries. “Here in Senegal, more than 260,000 people have been affected by this rainy season’s flooding.” Each rain reportedly brings more flooding.
Even in normal conditions, access to water and proper sanitation is limited in many parts of Africa, the couple added. Although malaria outbreaks are always a risk during the rainy season, the flooding is expected to cause even greater risk of disease outbreaks.
Churches Respond to Needs
In Dakar, Senegal’s capital city, churches have responded, opening their doors to offer shelter to those in their neighborhoods forced out of flooded homes.
“Pray that this testimony would be a light to many who do not know Him, yet seek this shelter,” the Walkers concluded. “What a wonderful opportunity to extend God’s grace.”
Pray for . . .
- the many who are displaced by West Africa’s floods
- local churches as they work to show God’s love to those who are suffering
What You Can Do
Because Alliance workers are in place around the world, God’s people are available to assist in times of crisis, like the current flooding across large portions of West Africa. Giving to Alliance Great Commission Ministries ensures that our dedicated workers can continue to faithfully share Christ’s hope and compassion with those who are suffering.
August 26, 2009
In 2005, the initial response to Hurricane Katrina was swift and generous. Americans, shocked by the storm’s destructive power on the Gulf Coast, came to the aid of their fellow countrymen with compassionate abundance. But time passes, and people forget. While agencies and individuals have moved on to other noble causes, the Gulf Coast residents cannot forget Hurricane Katrina. Many continue to live in barely habitable homes and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reports that 3,000 families still live in its issued mobile homes.
There is one agency, however, that has not moved on. One organization has maintained a constant vigil for four years, meeting physical and spiritual needs of the people in New Orleans, Louisiana, as well as in Gulfport and Waveland, Mississippi-The Alliance.
The Alliance continues its commitment to help rebuild homes and lives in the hurricane-stricken areas. Read more about these God-sized outreaches and how you can help.
New Hope in New Orleans
From the day that Hurricane Katrina breeched the levees of New Orleans, Louisiana, leaving most of the city under water, Willie Neudahl, associate pastor of New Hope Church in Gretna, has worked selflessly to serve the urban neighborhoods of The Big Easy. The multiethnic communities have benefitted from Neudahl’s efforts to rebuild homes but still are in desperate need of spiritual renewal.
Understanding that he needed assistance in reaching the large, ethnically diverse population of displaced residents, Neudahl sought help from his district leaders, who invited Rev. Donald Smith from Pennsylvania to join Neudahl in the daunting task of rebuilding homes and lives in the Gretna area. Smith joined Neudahl in 2007, and together, the two are impacting a community for Christ.
With the majority of relief work taking place in the Gentilly area, New Hope is in various phases of reconstruction. “While the need is far greater,” says Smith, “our ability to assist is proportionate to the number of missions teams that partner with us.” The need is expected to continue for at least a few more years.
The Vision
Because of the ethnic diversity of New Hope, which includes, Indian, Vietnamese, Guatemalan, African American, Caucasian and more, it is necessary to understand the various cultural backgrounds in order to meet the people at their level of need. “This requires careful consideration of everything from music to the propagation of the gospel to social interaction,” Smith says. “But the leadership of New Hope-an African American pastor and a Caucasian associate pastor-demonstrates to those on the outside that Christ loves people from all walks of life.”
New Hope facilitates five weekly home Bible studies as well as a mid-week study at the church. “Home studies allow people to get to know us while learning about Christ in an informal setting,” says Smith.
Outreaches such as Vacation Bible School and cookouts pave the way to community involvement. “Most of the people who attend New Hope are involved in some way to help the pastors in proclaiming the good news,” says Neudahl. “Many have accepted the Lord, and many others have recommitted their lives to Him.”
As Smith and Neudahl plant and water the seed of the gospel, “The Lord opens doors of opportunity,” says Smith. “As we disciple the souls that the Lord entrusts to our care, we believe that a mighty harvest for the Lord will arise.”
Help is still needed to continue this critical New Orleans ministry. If you would like to partner with New Hope, contact Pastor Smith at djjd49s@cox.net or visit the New Hope Web site.
Incredible Journey in Gulfport
When Darren Sanford moved his family of nine to Gulfport, Mississippi, he found the ministry of Journey4Life to be not quite what he expected. Journey4Life began as a relief outreach to Gulfport residents and businesses that were left helpless after Hurricane Katrina decimated the small Gulf Coast community located between Waveland and New Orleans.
Not much has changed since Sanford reported last year. Four years after the killer storm, FEMA trailers still dot the landscape; illegal drug use is rampant, and divorce and suicide also are on the rise. “Insurance companies’ refusals to cover the losses, lack of employment, and a virtual standstill in the rebuilding effort have led to a deterioration of morale,” Sanford says. “Criminal activity is on the rise as desperate people battle hopelessness.”
Freedom and Liberty
Progress is slow at Freedom Hall community center, but Sanford’s vision is the same. “The building is a perfect illustration of both us and the community,” he says. “It’s a real fixer-upper, a project that many would simply evaluate as not being worth the time. But God uses things like a neglected building and delights in using people of no reputation to mainfest His glory.”
Youth outreach will include sporting events as well as training for young men in skills such as carpentry, electronics, and mechanics. Other life-skills training classes will be made available for women. Freedom Hall will be open to families for events, banquets, meetings, and other social gatherings and also will be home to the Journey4Life church plant.
Liberty Café will be a place where the love of God is shared with people in a welcoming environment; a portion of the profits will go to an organization that helps girls get off of the streets, builds orphanages, provides blankets for those who have insufficient shelter, and supplies formula for babies in famine-stricken areas.
Regrouping
“In regards to Journey4Life, we are restarting the ministry,” says Sanford. “Presently, I am trying to discern the mind of Christ in how this is done. I need to understand the heart of God in this matter.”
Journey4Life has great needs-for workers and for supplies. Electrical supplies, heating/air conditioning resources, and volunteers are needed to help in completing the building transformation.
Sanford requests prayer for God’s wisdom and guidance as well as for the physical needs of the church. If the Lord is leading you to contribute to this vital ministry, contact Sanford journey4life@bellsouth.net or visit Freedom Hall.
Waveland’s Camp Katrina
From the moment The Alliance stepped foot in Waveland, there has been a continuous flow of workers who have helped in demolition, rebuilding, supplying, and meeting the physical needs of the city’s residents, most of whom live in spiritual darkness.
“RP* represents the need for each of us to never give up on the people God puts in our life,” says Tom Barbour, who pastors the Christian Life Center (CLC), “no matter how futile our efforts may seem.” A meth addict, RP received help from the original staging area of “Camp Katrina,” which is now CLC. She indicated early on that she wanted a life change and was ready to follow God on His narrow road. After four years of off-again, on-again attendance at CLC, the once-emaciated woman praises God for delivering her from drugs and tells others of their need for the Savior.
I Work for Jesus
While in search of wood for the smoker grill that is used to cook meat for volunteers, Barbour asked the Spirit to lead him. He turned onto a dead-end street in an old and obviously poor neighborhood he had never seen. “At the end of the street was a pile of oak logs,” says Barbour, who was joined by an older African American man, Theo,* from a FEMA trailer in the neighboring yard. As the man assisted Barbour in loading the wood, Barbour offered the services of a volunteer rebuilding team. Theo thanked Barbour, who gave his standard reply, “Don’t thank me. You know who I work for, don’t you?” Cautiously, Theo answered, “No.”
“I work for Jesus,” Barbour told Theo, whose face brightened immediately. “You know Jesus?” he asked. Barbour and Theo spent the next hour talking about Jesus.
Greg, a recent college graduate, had the next 45 years of his life neatly planned-until he visited Waveland with a short-term missions team. “Trying to fit my recently grace-filled spirit into the constraining box of American routine proved painful,” he says. “Here [in Waveland] was life abundant, and I found myself in a position where I was unable to exist without it.” Greg joined the CLC staff to minister to Waveland residents as well as CLC volunteers, finding his contentment “in Christ alone,” he said.
A Promise Kept
Many lives have been impacted by the CLC ministry, whether they are recipients of CLC’s help, like RP and Theo, or on the giving end, like Greg. Circumstances vary, but the results are the same-God moves in the hearts of all who come in contact with CLC. Through ongoing rebuilding efforts, a thrift store, Bible studies, and church services, CLC has remained faithful to its promise four years ago: “We’re in it for the long haul.”
If you would like to partner with Christian Life Center, contact Tom Barbour at jtbarbour@comcast.net
View Gulf Coast Devastation and Alliance relief efforts on Alliance Video Magazine
*names changed
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