On Tuesday morning I did two things I usually don’t do. I got up at 5:30am and ate breakfast with some OKC homeless at City Church. At the invitation of Larry Bross with CityCare, several members of our FC Staff met there for breakfast at 6:30 to see exactly how this 17 year-old ministry works. We were blessed to see the operation and meet several of the key leaders and participants. We ate a hearty breakfast of eggs, biscuits and gravy. I had the opportunity to lead the group in prayer and welcome them to our church beginning next week.
As I mentioned in worship two weeks ago, our Administrative Council and Trustees have offered our church as the new site for the OKC Homeless Breakfast. City Church’s building is up for sale and can no longer host this life sustaining ministry. They have a well run organization with many faithful volunteers and receive financial support from a private non-profit organization called CityCare. They utilize donated food from area restaurants, grocery stores and the Regional Food Bank. The first volunteer comes in at 4:30am and they are cleaned up and done by 8:30am. On Fridays, they also provide food baskets for low income families. Somewhere between 100-200 people eat breakfast Monday through Friday and about 75 families receive food baskets. They pray before every breakfast and Larry Bross provides a devotional on Fridays before the food basket distribution. It is an amazing and simple ministry.
I’m so glad our leaders took this bold step to engage in ministry to some of the OKC homeless – our neighbors. Jesus told us to “love our neighbors as we love ourselves” and to care for the least, the lost and the last. He said in Matthew 25:40, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
As we discovered last year while studying Experiencing God, God is always at work around us and He invites us to join Him in what He is doing. We don’t have to create ministry, we just have to join Him in what He is doing. What will be the result of this ministry for First Church? God only knows, but we can be sure He will be honored and in turn we will be blessed. Henry Blackaby writes this:
“As a church do not look for ways God is going to bless you. Look for ways God is going to reveal Himself by working through you and beyond you to accomplish His purposes. God’s work in you will bring a blessing to you and others, but the blessing is a byproduct of your obedience and experience of God at work in your midst.”
If you would like to help with this breakfast; just come down between 5:30 and 6:00am and two new friends, Johnny and Lonnie, will put you to work! God bless! I’m so very proud of the First Church Family! See you Sunday!
Yours in Christ,
Mark
P.S. Isaiah 58:10 has the following promise: “…if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your light will become like the noonday.” May it be, Lord Jesus!
Posted on
Thursday, August 13, 2009
by Mark McAdow