Do you see what Jesus sees in people or do you only see the negative? Do you offer people grace or do you judge them for their past mistakes? Are you authentic and real about who you are or do you put on a mask and pretend your something you're not?
For most of my life I always did the latter of these. Then my life became so messy I didn't want to pretend anymore. What I wanted was to connect with other messy people so I could walk through the mess with someone that had been there. Thanks to God I had 3 people pour into me. Tim H., Mark C. and Mark P. (I withheld their last names to protect their identities as they may not claim me today, lol) Tim H and Mark P would tell me the tough stuff. The stuff I didn't want to hear but the stuff I needed to hear. I can tell you I didn't like it at the time but looking back, it was some of the best stuff I could hear because it was God's TRUTH with love. To balance them out Mark C would give me GRACE, HOPE and COMPASSION.
They took their time to invest in me and built a relationship around trust where I could share my struggles, my passions, and my heart. That's what we hope Jesus Was Homeless will offer to you as well. It's about CONNECTING PEOPLE. It's about building relationships. Not just with the ones we serve but also with the ones that are serving with us. It's about the opportunity to pay it forward and invest in others.
Our volunteers have logged over 6000 hours of community volunteer time so far this year but it would just be hours served if they weren't building relationships with one another. One of the things that I love most about what we do is seeing the diversity of the volunteers that come and serve. We have different religious denominations, economic and social classes, nationalities, homeless and those with addictions that come each week and become the church. Side by side they serve others with no agenda other than to show people that they care. It's the most awesome thing and I get to see it each and every week.
We have to connect as individuals and as a community if we are going to see life change. Are you connecting or are you just letting people (opportunities) pass you by? Come volunteer with us and connect by making meals, serving meals, fixing bikes, visiting a Gateway Gathering, BBQ or other event.
Email us at [email protected]