On a monthly basis, Take the City gathers with local churches to train, equip, and activate people to share the love of God with their local community. Averaging 75 to 100 people per event, these gatherings consist of people from all across Columbus and Phenix City area. Sometimes 20 to 25 different churches from the area gather together in unity to support this mission.
After a time of teaching and training, the people are sent out in groups to various locations. Each group is sent out to flood neighborhoods, trailer parks, strip malls, housing authorities, and high risk areas to share the love of God.
This past Take the City, my outreach team had a grill out in the historic district. Most of our team went out into the neighborhood to invite people to get a free hot dog, while Quadasi and I stayed back to prep the food. Soon enough a young homeless man came walking up. He had such a big smile on his face. I greeted him with a smile and told him “man, Jesus loves you so much!” He seemed shocked at first, yet he looked back at me with that big smile, as if what I said had truly touched his heart. I asked him for his name, and he said, “My name is Demetrius.” After praying for him, Quadasi and I fed him. Demetrius hung out with us for the rest of our time on outreach.
At the end of the outreach, Demetrius asked me if he could come to church with me. We exchanged numbers, and I told him I would pick him up tomorrow night for church. Surprisingly, he called me the next day early in the morning wondering when I would pick him up. He couldn’t wait for me to come get him, so we could go to church!
Later that night, I picked him up for our Sunday night encounter service at theDoor. When he got in the car, he seemed sad, so I asked him “how are you doing?” With a frown, he said “I’m not doing good…” I jumped to a solution and said “well I know it’s hard being homeless… but if you want I can help you get into a recovery program?” As Demetrius looked at me, that big smile came back again, he sheepishly said “yes, I’d like to do that.”
Later that night, I was able to admit Demetrius into the Dream Life Christian Recovery Program in Junction City, GA. At the program, the director Paul Meacham, works to bring recovery and restoration into the lives of homeless and drug addicted men. Paul uses Christian discipleship and ministerial training to help these men become free from addiction, restored to a normal work life, and live a healthy Christian life. Please pray for Demetrius as he continues to walk forward in his pursuit towards God and complete restoration in his life and his family.
Isn’t it amazing how God can use his people to bring restoration into the lives of the hopeless and broken hearted? Truly, God has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
“…God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their sins against them, and has entrusted to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19).
We believe that it is not only our calling and mandate, but it is our responsibility to carry this ministry of reconciliation – to not count peoples’ sins against them, but to call forth peoples’ destinies as sons and daughters in the glorious kingdom of heaven. We hope that you can join us at our next Take the City event this October 21st and 22nd – Click here for more info
