A situation at church...

[Cara]

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What would you want them to do for you if you were one of the homeless?

 

[cwc362]

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great idea!!

 

[deb1]

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What would you want them to do for you if you were one of the homeless?

That is a good question. I would want someone to help me be able to help myself. Charity is nice but providing someone with the means to support their own selves is the best way to preserve their dignity.

 

[rainplace]

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What would you want them to do for you if you were one of the homeless?

This time a year, I would probably be wanting warmth.

The Lutheran church I use to belong to was a very old church that over time ended up in a very bad part of the downtown area with a dwindling membership. They dealt with something very similar. They decided to open their doors at night and offer shelter, meals, showers, lockers and laundry facilities. Members of the church started bringing in clothes, food, bedding, cots, etc. The members got together and wanted to know what more they could do, so they started opening during the day and offering lunches to the homeless. They were able to find some volunteers a few days a week that come in and set up a desk to offer help navigating through services that the city, state and federal government offer. They set a place aside in the church for AA meetings. Members hire people from the shelter to work for a minimum of $10 an hour. Sundays after service there is a potluck where the members and the homeless people that are served break bread together and mingle and make friendships.

I know that sounds rosey. The reality is that it isn't always easy. Some of these people have severe mental disorders, suffer sickness and battle drug and alcohol addiction. A lot of times morning clean-up is messy, people have wet, defecated or vomited on themselves at night. Some people use the services provided with no intent to help themselves. Some people are unable to help themselves and never will be able to help themselves. The church volunteers sometimes burn out. They had to purchase gates to deny access to certain areas of the church because people would urinate in the pews. The gate purchase divided the church for quite a while.

Their were a lot of internal struggles during all this. We lost members. We also gained members.

But the church grew. What started out as small congregation with an aging membership, is now a thriving church in a bad part of town, filled with families from all over who want to belong to church which does the work of God. The collection box has never been fuller. They were able to build a separate shelter for women and children. There are apartments and services provided to help the women get a foothold.

What this church did was amazing. Not all churches have the sort of facilities to offer all these things.

But it all started with offering food and warmth.

 

[Beekissed]

Yes, I know that as Christians we aren't supposed to fear and are supposed to trust God. But I have known good Christians who were raped and their faith was no less strong then any other Christian's. Very bad things do happen to Christians just like everyone else.

Here's the thing... having faith doesn't mean you have faith nothing will happen to you and then expect it won't. Having faith means you trust God is in control, no matter what happens! If you care to read the Bible, God's people, faithful or no, always had to overcome one tribulation or other. This is how they grew in faith. God wants us to draw closer to Him, depend on Him. When you are a child and you get hurt, you run to your parents for comfort. God is our father and He expects us to turn to Him in times of trouble.

When I am in pain, God is there comforting me and helping me to withstand it. When I am poor, God is there. When I am cold and hungry, God is there. When I am dying God is there. Faith is knowing that God is there and that this life is not the only one we will be living.

Very bad things do and have happened to me. Rape? Yes. Did I survive? Yes. Did it make my faith stronger? Decidedly YES! Did it give me more compassion for other people in trouble? YES. All things work towards the good for those who love the Lord. Sometimes people go through tough times to learn, to grow, to become something that God can more easily use for the good of others.

Like knowing that people can not end your life, if you are God's child. There are other worlds in which to live yet.

Like knowing that compassion is never wrong. Dangerous? Maybe. But never wrong and will never go unrewarded by God.​

 

[redhen]

I've said it before...and i'll say it again.
Our country leaders should be ashamed! We let our war vets and citizens with mental health problems live and freeze and starve on our streets, yet we feed other countries people! I have a BIG problem with that. We need more shelters and money to run them , we need more safe mental health places to home these people! These people need help! NO sane person would choose to freeze and starve...heeello!
As for letting them in my house...no, i'm sorry. Its too much of a safety risk..and i have children in my house... most of these people have mental health problems and are unstable.
They need professional help...but many have no means of getting it...
Some commit crimes,(because they truly know no better..), then they get tossed in with the SANE criminals..and then they OFTEN become victims. Then they are let back out on the streets again.. AND the cycle continues..
It saddens and sickens me that our country dosent care about these people!

also..i just want to say...think about how much money the religious system REALLY has...from the top..the BIG guys.
Why dont they give more to these people?! why? That really bothers me also!

 

[rainplace]

removed my post because it wasn't in the spirit of the OP.

 

[redhen]

I'm judgemental because i KNOW that more can be done for these people by our govt., and yes, even the church system as a whole..
also, I dont mean one little struggling church.(i know they often do all they can do! )...i mean from the top of the church system. (where all the money sits)
And its not being done.

 

[deb1]

Quote:
Here's the thing... having faith doesn't mean you have faith nothing will happen to you and then expect it won't. Having faith means you trust God is in control, no matter what happens! If you care to read the Bible, God's people, faithful or no, always had to overcome one tribulation or other. This is how they grew in faith. God wants us to draw closer to Him, depend on Him. When you are a child and you get hurt, you run to your parents for comfort. God is our father and He expects us to turn to Him in times of trouble.

When I am in pain, God is there comforting me and helping me to withstand it. When I am poor, God is there. When I am cold and hungry, God is there. When I am dying God is there. Faith is knowing that God is there and that this life is not the only one we will be living.

Very bad things do and have happened to me. Rape? Yes. Did I survive? Yes. Did it make my faith stronger? Decidedly YES! Did it give me more compassion for other people in trouble? YES. All things work towards the good for those who love the Lord. Sometimes people go through tough times to learn, to grow, to become something that God can more easily use for the good of others.

Like knowing that people can not end your life, if you are God's child. There are other worlds in which to live yet.

Like knowing that compassion is never wrong. Dangerous? Maybe. But never wrong and will never go unrewarded by God.

I understand perfectly what you are saying. My disagreement with you is only slight, although I supposed in writing it might not sound as slight.

I also think that we should take intelligent precautions when necessary to make us less likely to be a victim of these types of bad occurences. Of course, total safety is never possible. I don't want people to become paranoid. But being a Christian is not an excuse to loose one's common sense.

I knew a woman who bragged that she never locked her doors because she had faith in God. That always seemed like testing God to me.

If a person has children then they have to be very aware of how they help others. Letting a stranger in your house instead of calling the police when they are camped on your door is not a good idea.

I really believe that God gives us instinct and 'feelings' for a reason. If someone freaks you out and you don't understand why, follow your gut and leave the situation. You aren't being without compassion.

By the way, a major influence on Mother Theresa's life was the fact that her mother never turned down the beggars that came to their door.

 

[deb1]

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The goverment tends to mess up everything it puts its hands into. Sorry, that is true. I read somewhere that the poverty rate has remained the same since the sixties. Weren't we fighting a battle with poverty at one point?

The one thing that I could see that the goverment could do was to provide more funding for the mental health profession and those who need medication and treatment.