I’ve been studying what the Bible has to say about caring for the poor, the hungry, the homeless, and the hurting. I came across a really thought-provoking article on the internet: …Sometimes Christians, in their eagerness to be compassionate and Christ-like, fail to recognize that God put limitations on this … > read more
Blankets, clothing and other items left out in the open by homeless people who sleep outside at Grace Community Church are stacked beside the dumpster a few days before it’s scheduled to be emptied, giving them a chance to retrieve their things. My church, Grace Community on West Lee Street, … > read more
I’m trying to better understand addiction and how to be a friend to my friends in recovery — how to help without hurting or enabling. This morning before church, I had breakfast with a friend who’s battling addiction, primarily to crack cocaine. I asked questions and wrote notes while we … > read more
My friend Liz lives in a collective house, which I find quite intriguing. I’m also drawn to the idea of Catholic Worker Hospitality Houses for the homeless. I’ve thought a lot about how to integrate serving the poor and homeless with collective living, intentional community and communal farming — from … > read more
Image source: Boston Globe » View photo gallery From The Boston Globe There have been rat droppings on the old, musty carpet and frequent mouse sightings near holes in the pocked, plaster walls. For months, exterminators have fought an infestation of bedbugs, which left at least one client with bite … > read more
Last night, Guilford County Commissioner Paul Gibson brought a group of County service providers to meet with about 100 homeless Greensboro residents at Grace Community Church. This was a follow-up to a meeting Gibson arranged last week between County staff and a smaller group of homeless folks as part of … > read more
From Zack Exley at “Revolution in Jesusland,” re: “progressive evangelicals” v. “liberal Christians:” “As I thought about it, I realized that every sermon I’ve ever heard at one of these Bible-based churches were about a sacrifice that you have to make for God. They’re about sacrificing for your kids, your … > read more
From Today at the Mission: …I’m looking for something else in a church. I’m looking for a place where a community of believers can grapple with scripture, can wrestle with what it means to be a Christ-follower in this sin-wracked, broken world of ours. I’m looking for a place where … > read more
“We Christians must pray for our nation and its people. Our love for our Saviour and our neighbour demands nothing less than fervent, united prayer. Such prayer needs focus. We need to see things not as the world sees them, but as God sees them. We have to filter our … > read more
“Abandon all hope.†It was painted across the doorway leading to a dirty and disheveled cellar where some of my homeless friends slept, in a house on Cedar Street. As I stood staring up at those words, my face must have registered the sadness I felt, because one of the … > read more