Transformational Ministry on the North Side

A couple of things caught my attention today. (Editor’s note:  this was turned into three things while I was writing this.  See below.)

First was an article in the St. Joseph News-Press, the weekend edition. It reported that the number of homeless in Andrew, Buchanan, and DeKalb counties has decreased over the last year. There are apparently 218 people who are classified as homeless. Of those, 155 are sheltered (they have a place to sleep at night). 

You can access the online article by clicking --> here <--

According to statistics, the local crisis of homelessness appears to be getting better. But if you have spent any amount of time at Sojourn Church, you have seen them wandering St. Jo Ave.  Some of them talk to themselves, some are screaming at an invisible adversary, some are staggering with all their worldly possessions hanging on their arm, some are pulling their hair out, and still others just stare at you. In fact, I have a homeless man, 40-years old who has spent 17 years in prison, just now walk into my office and is currently talking to me as I type this article out! (I kid you not)

Second was a piece in this morning’s Wall Street Journal. It validates what we see here on the North Side of St. Joseph: The need for food from charities, like our food pantry and No Hunger Summer outreach, is increasing. With reduced government money flowing to recipients through food programs, the need for supplemental nutrition has increased. 

You can access this online article by clicking --> here <--

Here is the third, since he walked into my office and wanted to talk. Many of the homeless and food-insecure people we deal with are on federal medical programs and have spent significant time in prison. The gentleman who came into my office knows where he wants to be in three years (a social worker who helps people in his condition), but his planned steps to getting there all involved getting away from this environment for a number of weeks, if not years. His three main enemies, as he listed them, were drugs, “friends,” and loneliness. You can see how they all build on each other. Loneliness draws him to his “friends” who want to do drugs together. 

So, after a long conversation, and with prayer and encouragement, I sent my new friend on his way. I will see him again in 30 minutes to hand him a free sandwich. He knows Jesus from all his time in jail, he just needs the help of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God active in his life, and the community of saints that can support him in his recovery. 

Isn’t that like us all? Please keep this one in your prayers. He has a lot of anger. There was no “VidAngel” filter for his conversation, for sure. He would go from weeping to fury within minutes. He needs God!  This is the second time I have seen him, and I hope he comes back and interrupts my writing again. 

I pray that God transforms the North Side by saving and transforming the lives of those who live here.