Reaching Out

Our church did an out reach and lunch for a neighborhood in Phoenix today. It was a new location for us, not the park where we usually get a large number of homeless, but this was a neighborhood. We normally go to a park in central Phoenix, but recently the Park Rangers and the Phoenix police decided that they no longer wanted us to feed people on city property, because we did not have food handling permits. It is kind of a bummer knowing that on a regular basis most of these folks get food from who knows where and we are willing to feed them a home cooked meal, but the city of Phoenix is concerned about a permit.

Our new location is a vacant lot in a lower income neighborhood where we have permission from the lots owner to be there. So on private property, we can throw a party and invite the neighborhood. It was great, we had good turnout and had plenty of food for everyone. We even made a contact in the neighborhood who told us that they would love for us to come and minister their as there is no other ministry going on in the area. We were even told that someone owned a home there that has been set aside for ministry purposes. I will be praying to see what the Lord might want us to do with this opportunity if anything. I love the idea about going into a neighborhood where we have an opportunity to meet the folks that live their and they can get to know us as well.

I am tempted to call out those who were there by name, but I will not spoil the rewards that they are laying up for themselves in heaven. I know in my heart that the Lord was well pleased, the people were well fed and the Spirit accomplished His work.

There were a bunch of young people with us as well, high school, junior high and even younger. I love to see them serving in this capacity, learning to make it a regular part of the ministry of Jesus and not something that they just read about. I am very proud of each them and I know that they glorified our Lord today.

I need to give a shout out to the ladies who made this happen today... H.L. and A.C. You guys are awesome and you inspire me beyond the words I have to express it.