NEW LIFE HOMELESS MINISTRY - MARCH 2010

This was not just another Monday night in March for the young men’s bible study group from New Life Church in Watkinsville, Ga. On this night, several young men got together with a common goal in mind, fulfill the mission of Jesus Christ by reaching out to the lonely desperate souls of Athens, Georgia’s homeless population. This growing problem in America is moving across social and racial boundaries. With the recent downturn in our economy, job loss, foreclosure, and financial collapse has reached the very heart of the United States. Needless to say, even in a small college town such as Athens, there is an alarming growth of homeless citizens. There are those whose lives have been wrecked by alcohol, drugs, and sexual promiscuity, as well as average, normal citizens whose lives are wrecked by unemployment and job loss. The church members of New Life Church do care and do have a burden for people’s lives who are affected by these horrid conditions. As the body of Christ, we do know that God does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, gender, or religious preference. God sees all peoples on the earth and according to scripture “he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” as written in John 3:16. These photos are from the Athens Banner Herald showing many of the homeless people of the area.

With this in mind, Chris Greenwood, Blake Miller, and Zach Hammond set the stage for an historical occasion by New Life Church, a night of giving and searching for the hurting and lonely souls of Clarke County. With these awesome young leaders of young men, the van left New Life Church on the night of March 22nd armed with survival packets containing clothing such as coats, shoes, and shirts, bottled waters, first aid kits, and other non-perishable food items, along with a host of young men from New Life’s youth department. From 7:30pm until 9:45pm, a search began in downtown Athens starting on Clayton Street, Baxter Street, and Hawthorne Ave. until the homeless began to appear throughout the downtown area. The young men began to minister to these souls with physical help and through words of encouragement of love and compassion! Out of some twenty prepared packets, some eleven or so were actually given out. Christ was truly alive in the lives of these youthful Christians as they ventured into an area where they had never been. Each one felt truly rewarded by seeing the smiles on the faces of these eleven recipients of God’s grace. The return trip to the church that night was one of rejoicing and excitement as each one spoke of the lessons learned throughout the evening! The scripture in Matthew 25 shown below was evident in the night’s activities:

Matthew 25:31-46 (King James Version)
31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Thanks to the great support of the saints of New Life, Pastor Tim Hammond, and the outreach department for such a great night of fulfillment and reward! God Bless! Scott Strawn

(Pictured below from left to right are: Chris Greenwood, Blake Miller, and Zach Hammond.)