A couple of months back, my husband and I were on a date night and went to a restaurant in Sanford, which is about 40 minutes away. On our way out, by the time we got to the car, we met Steve and Theresa, a homeless couple who were living in the woods at that time. Theresa was in agony and whined while we were talking. She claimed to have recently gotten out of the hospital and was still in pain with whatever she had wrong with her. Steve was not her husband, though, and she had a son but he was not with her.
They wanted money for the bus. My husband offered to take them to the hospital, but they refused. Theresa continually whined as if she were in pain. Somehow, I wasn't convinced though.
My dear husband gave them $20 after talking with them for a while. I have to wonder how the $20 got spent.
A couple of days later, we were thinking that the woman probably was on drugs, possibly heroin, and was having withdrawals.
A couple of days ago, my husband saw a woman that was homeless on the sidewalk by our grocery store. When he came home, he wanted a gift certificate to give her for something to eat. I found one for $5 and gave it to him. So, he goes back to where he saw her on the sidewalk, only this time a guy is with her. My husband is almost positive that it was Steve and Theresa.
You may have met them already. If you have any doubts, if you can look on the back of Theresa's neck, she has a tattoo with her name on it. She has blond hair, and Steve was wearing some type of hat when I saw him.
When dealing with the homeless, we need to be discerning. Not every homeless person is a Steve or Theresa. Some really would like to work, and many have lost their jobs, along with their homes.
The Bible tells us to be as wise as serpents and gentle as doves. We need the compassion of God in our hearts for the lost. Steve and Theresa need to hear the Gospel. Some will reject. Many will try to manipulate. That is all that some know how to do, but we can ask God for wisdom to know who to help and how to help them. This also gives us a good opportunity to present the Gospel to those in need.
Homeless Outreach Downtown Orlando
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Monday, August 26, 2013
What Happens When You 'Burn Out' In Helping The Needy?
Why do people burn out when they minister to others? It could be because the minister has wrong expectations of the person they are ministering to, but I would like to talk about a more likely answer to this question.
A big reason we burn out when ministering to others, is that the other person isn't ready to receive truth into their lives. When we are helping people, we have to remember that those we are ministering to are human beings created by God. Many have been dehumanized and really don't know how to receive help. Others have only learned to work by manipulation, and they don't know any other way to live and operate in society.
People are truly helped when we are successful in getting them back on their feet. The problem with trying to help the homeless is that many don't want to get back on their feet. Not sure why, but there really could be a variety of reasons. One is, that they could be reluctant to work, because they don't feel ready to have a job. But another reason could be because they are lazy. It's hard to say unless we know the person.
But back to the point; we will feel burned out when we minister and give, and continue to give, but the other person doesn't change. We point them to Christ and minister the Gospel with them. But if they cannot receive truth, or are resistant to receiving truth, we will feel burned out. We can't do the work of God in their hearts, neither can we take full responsibility for them and their actions.
An example of this is trying to help a homeless man in a wheelchair. No shelter will take him, yet we can give him phone numbers and people he can contact. If he does nothing with those numbers, we will be spinning our wheels trying to find a place for him that doesn't exist. Then we will feel guilty that he is on the streets in the rain, in a wheelchair.
Another example of this is something that actually happened to us. There was a family in our community group who was having financial difficulties. Someone helped the man of the home with the family budget, and also helped the man do his taxes. Now, if the envelope for the taxes went out the next day, this family would have enough money to help them for a while. But the man took a long time before he sent out the income tax form. If we continue to try to help this man, we will become burned out.
But there is another way we can become burned out. It has to do with walking with a person in a relationship together, while the person in need is going through difficulties. These people are ready to receive help, but, when it comes to receiving the truths of God's word in their lives, they are resistant to that kind of help. The person in need has certain 'boundaries' set up around himself/herself and will not respond to taking in the truth that will cost them something. This is why we have burnout. Don't let it happen to you. In situations like these, the minister of the Gospel takes the lead and calls the shots. Never let the needy person lead you to believe that certain places are off limits (when it comes to speaking the Gospel or Bible truths to them).
Finally, we can read about this happening in the Bible. Although Jesus never burned out from this (He is always one step ahead of people) many of His followers turned their backs on Him. You can read the whole episode in John chapters 6-8. Jesus fed a couple thousand people with just a couple of fish and some loaves of bread. As the event continues, Jesus reveals their hearts. He tells them that they are not looking for Jesus because they want to hear truth, but because they want to have more food! After they were done eating, Jesus begins to speak words of truth to these people. They resisted hearing Him. And finally, many of His disciples left Him. Only the 12 stayed.
Serve the poor, but speak the truth. If they don't receive it, don't try to come up with ways that will be conducive for them to receive it. Don't take responsibility for their irresponsibility! Pray that God will soften their hearts and make them ready to hear truth. Don't burn out!
A big reason we burn out when ministering to others, is that the other person isn't ready to receive truth into their lives. When we are helping people, we have to remember that those we are ministering to are human beings created by God. Many have been dehumanized and really don't know how to receive help. Others have only learned to work by manipulation, and they don't know any other way to live and operate in society.
People are truly helped when we are successful in getting them back on their feet. The problem with trying to help the homeless is that many don't want to get back on their feet. Not sure why, but there really could be a variety of reasons. One is, that they could be reluctant to work, because they don't feel ready to have a job. But another reason could be because they are lazy. It's hard to say unless we know the person.
But back to the point; we will feel burned out when we minister and give, and continue to give, but the other person doesn't change. We point them to Christ and minister the Gospel with them. But if they cannot receive truth, or are resistant to receiving truth, we will feel burned out. We can't do the work of God in their hearts, neither can we take full responsibility for them and their actions.
An example of this is trying to help a homeless man in a wheelchair. No shelter will take him, yet we can give him phone numbers and people he can contact. If he does nothing with those numbers, we will be spinning our wheels trying to find a place for him that doesn't exist. Then we will feel guilty that he is on the streets in the rain, in a wheelchair.
Another example of this is something that actually happened to us. There was a family in our community group who was having financial difficulties. Someone helped the man of the home with the family budget, and also helped the man do his taxes. Now, if the envelope for the taxes went out the next day, this family would have enough money to help them for a while. But the man took a long time before he sent out the income tax form. If we continue to try to help this man, we will become burned out.
But there is another way we can become burned out. It has to do with walking with a person in a relationship together, while the person in need is going through difficulties. These people are ready to receive help, but, when it comes to receiving the truths of God's word in their lives, they are resistant to that kind of help. The person in need has certain 'boundaries' set up around himself/herself and will not respond to taking in the truth that will cost them something. This is why we have burnout. Don't let it happen to you. In situations like these, the minister of the Gospel takes the lead and calls the shots. Never let the needy person lead you to believe that certain places are off limits (when it comes to speaking the Gospel or Bible truths to them).
Finally, we can read about this happening in the Bible. Although Jesus never burned out from this (He is always one step ahead of people) many of His followers turned their backs on Him. You can read the whole episode in John chapters 6-8. Jesus fed a couple thousand people with just a couple of fish and some loaves of bread. As the event continues, Jesus reveals their hearts. He tells them that they are not looking for Jesus because they want to hear truth, but because they want to have more food! After they were done eating, Jesus begins to speak words of truth to these people. They resisted hearing Him. And finally, many of His disciples left Him. Only the 12 stayed.
Serve the poor, but speak the truth. If they don't receive it, don't try to come up with ways that will be conducive for them to receive it. Don't take responsibility for their irresponsibility! Pray that God will soften their hearts and make them ready to hear truth. Don't burn out!
Friday, August 23, 2013
Tips For Dealing With The Homeless
Homeless people, and those who live in poverty, are generally easy to minister the Gospel to. But there are situations we need to understand in order to better serve these people.
I have been reading (although not finished yet) a book called, 'When Helping Hurts' and it teaches some good principles of dealing with those who are disadvantaged. One principle that is basically throughout the book is, their recommendation to help the homeless by not doing for them what they can do for themselves! In other words, whenever there is a responsibility involved, and they are capable of doing their part, they need to be the ones taking action.
The book gave an example of homes that were destroyed in Hurricane Katrina, and how people went over to help. In one situation, a group of guys went over to help rebuild a house. The whole time they were working on the house, several young men (the ones whose houses were destroyed) who would have been able to join in, sat on the side-lines and watched while the guys worked away. Now I am totally for donating help in emergency situations, but this was a situation where those in need could have been part of the resolution.
In dealing with the homeless, there are those who are thankful for our offerings of help. But many are skilled, even while being thankful, to try to take advantage of people. One time, we went downtown and served the homeless people and when the time ended, one young man noticed his wallet gone. Not only that, but his checking account got wiped out.
I am not saying all this to turn us away from helping the helpless. What we need to do is to determine the immediate needs and go with those. The goal is to preach the Gospel to them, provide a meal for them, and help them get back on their feet. Getting them back on their feet could be the hardest part, for they may not even realize that they need to learn to take responsibility for themselves. This is all part of the package though. We work with them, yet we give them things to do, as well as serve them.
I have been reading (although not finished yet) a book called, 'When Helping Hurts' and it teaches some good principles of dealing with those who are disadvantaged. One principle that is basically throughout the book is, their recommendation to help the homeless by not doing for them what they can do for themselves! In other words, whenever there is a responsibility involved, and they are capable of doing their part, they need to be the ones taking action.
The book gave an example of homes that were destroyed in Hurricane Katrina, and how people went over to help. In one situation, a group of guys went over to help rebuild a house. The whole time they were working on the house, several young men (the ones whose houses were destroyed) who would have been able to join in, sat on the side-lines and watched while the guys worked away. Now I am totally for donating help in emergency situations, but this was a situation where those in need could have been part of the resolution.
In dealing with the homeless, there are those who are thankful for our offerings of help. But many are skilled, even while being thankful, to try to take advantage of people. One time, we went downtown and served the homeless people and when the time ended, one young man noticed his wallet gone. Not only that, but his checking account got wiped out.
I am not saying all this to turn us away from helping the helpless. What we need to do is to determine the immediate needs and go with those. The goal is to preach the Gospel to them, provide a meal for them, and help them get back on their feet. Getting them back on their feet could be the hardest part, for they may not even realize that they need to learn to take responsibility for themselves. This is all part of the package though. We work with them, yet we give them things to do, as well as serve them.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Homeless People's Needs
The greatest need for homeless people is the same as for those who live in homes; the Gospel. Homeless people are generally familiar with the Gospel. Many were raised in churches, but many really don't know what the Gospel is about. That is why we share the Gospel with them as we would with anyone else on the streets or in our homes. There are a few bitter homeless people who are angry at God, and then there are those who ramble on and on and make no sense of what they are saying. But many of them will listen and God will use His word to minister to their souls.
The homeless need shelter, obviously, as well as food and clothing. We ran into a challenging situation Saturday as we were ministering downtown.
There was a man in a wheelchair. He was a real friendly guy who was homeless due to going through an expensive divorce and a few other things. Now he finds himself in a wheelchair with a broken back. He is unable to work, for obvious reasons. His back is broken and was detected a day after he was in the hospital, and workers comp is trying to get out of paying for his bill by saying the broken back was discovered after the fact. Not only is this man homeless, but he also cannot stay at homeless shelters because they are not insured and could be sued if something goes wrong while he is staying there. One place would take him in, but he would have to go up stairs. This man says he is not bitter at God, and believes God has a plan for him in all this difficulty. Not only was he homeless, but his nephew also is. His nephew's wife is seven months pregnant and they have no place to stay right now. They also have a five year old son with them. All of them are on the streets tonight, because there is no place for them to be.
While we were out there, it started raining. We packed up and everyone headed to their cars. I couldn't help but wonder where all the homeless people would stay for this evening. They needed to be under some shelter to avoid getting wet. I wonder where the man in the wheelchair ended up last night.
I am grateful to minister to these people. My heart is heavy in knowing that we cannot find a place for people such as this man and his family. We were able to supply them with plenty of food for the evening, some clothes and bedding, as well as toys. This is where we can be praying for God to show Himself mighty. This is where the church can come in to serve.
The family left, having heard the Gospel. I gave the man in the wheelchair a New Testament, as well as some tracts with contact numbers. The nephew wanted a Bible too, so I gave him one. May God take care of this family, and give us creative ways we can help as well!
The homeless need shelter, obviously, as well as food and clothing. We ran into a challenging situation Saturday as we were ministering downtown.
There was a man in a wheelchair. He was a real friendly guy who was homeless due to going through an expensive divorce and a few other things. Now he finds himself in a wheelchair with a broken back. He is unable to work, for obvious reasons. His back is broken and was detected a day after he was in the hospital, and workers comp is trying to get out of paying for his bill by saying the broken back was discovered after the fact. Not only is this man homeless, but he also cannot stay at homeless shelters because they are not insured and could be sued if something goes wrong while he is staying there. One place would take him in, but he would have to go up stairs. This man says he is not bitter at God, and believes God has a plan for him in all this difficulty. Not only was he homeless, but his nephew also is. His nephew's wife is seven months pregnant and they have no place to stay right now. They also have a five year old son with them. All of them are on the streets tonight, because there is no place for them to be.
While we were out there, it started raining. We packed up and everyone headed to their cars. I couldn't help but wonder where all the homeless people would stay for this evening. They needed to be under some shelter to avoid getting wet. I wonder where the man in the wheelchair ended up last night.
I am grateful to minister to these people. My heart is heavy in knowing that we cannot find a place for people such as this man and his family. We were able to supply them with plenty of food for the evening, some clothes and bedding, as well as toys. This is where we can be praying for God to show Himself mighty. This is where the church can come in to serve.
The family left, having heard the Gospel. I gave the man in the wheelchair a New Testament, as well as some tracts with contact numbers. The nephew wanted a Bible too, so I gave him one. May God take care of this family, and give us creative ways we can help as well!
Monday, August 12, 2013
To Eat With, Or, Not To Eat With?
"And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Mark 2:16 ESV
As I have been getting ready to go downtown to minister to the homeless and needy, I was thinking about the fact that we serve them so well with food, once very other month, but we ourselves don't eat the food, mainly because we are busy serving them and we are not sure that there is enough food for us and them. But how does this come off to someone on the streets as we watch them eat while we share the Gospel with them?
I don't really know what it looks like from their perspectives, but could it look like we are in a separate category than they are in?
We have done a program in the church called, 'The Conversation' where we invite people who are interested in finding out about basic Christianity. We start out by eating a meal together and as we are eating and drinking our dinner, we get to talk to the guests and get to know them. There is a unity in our meeting because we are eating with them, not just serving them but actually eating with them. And we find out a lot about the people who attend these classes while we eat with them.
It is something I am pondering right now. It is not very easy to eat while talking to people, but it can be done. What do you think? Should we eat with them, and if so, would that help bring about a knitting together of us with the people, or, is it unnecessary for us to go through the trouble to make enough food for us and them? I would like to hear your thoughts.
As I have been getting ready to go downtown to minister to the homeless and needy, I was thinking about the fact that we serve them so well with food, once very other month, but we ourselves don't eat the food, mainly because we are busy serving them and we are not sure that there is enough food for us and them. But how does this come off to someone on the streets as we watch them eat while we share the Gospel with them?
I don't really know what it looks like from their perspectives, but could it look like we are in a separate category than they are in?
We have done a program in the church called, 'The Conversation' where we invite people who are interested in finding out about basic Christianity. We start out by eating a meal together and as we are eating and drinking our dinner, we get to talk to the guests and get to know them. There is a unity in our meeting because we are eating with them, not just serving them but actually eating with them. And we find out a lot about the people who attend these classes while we eat with them.
It is something I am pondering right now. It is not very easy to eat while talking to people, but it can be done. What do you think? Should we eat with them, and if so, would that help bring about a knitting together of us with the people, or, is it unnecessary for us to go through the trouble to make enough food for us and them? I would like to hear your thoughts.
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| Serving the Homeless Downtown. Should we eat with them? |
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Some Tips on Ministering to the Homeless Downtown
It takes a little learning curve to work with the homeless on the streets. One thing I learned quickly, years ago, was to not bring any money with me when I went downtown. In fact, last time we were downtown, a young man's wallet was stolen and his bank account was emptied. Don't ever bring money downtown (I have brought change, but keep it in a belt that is attached to me). Also, I never bring a purse either. I take my driver's license and put it somewhere safe. Everything else goes in my pockets or bags (they carry tracts and Bibles).
Dress appropriately. Be sure to talk to the people on the streets. They feel honored when you take time to talk to them.
Don't feel obligated to solve all their problems. If they know you are new, they could try to hit you up for money or things, but over time, they will learn to be your friend if they can become acquainted with you. It is good for you to see them often. This is an open door for ministering to them.
Don't go off with anyone! Be careful of the area you are in and make sure that you stay in a place where there are other people.
The first time I went downtown, was to go to the library while waiting for my daughter who was taking a class. The first time I went, I was hit up for money, and a homeless person asked me for food. That's when I decided I wanted to help out, but didn't really know where to begin. I would fix a plate of food before I left and would leave it on a bench when I got there. Sometimes, I would put Bible verses on the bottom of the plate. But I am very happy to report that there are several ministries now that serve the homeless in the downtown area. This type of ministry is becoming popular now. Check in your area to see if there is a ministry to the homeless. They certainly can use your help.
There is a web page designed by two men who experimented in living with the homeless for several months. They wrote a book and have a web site with information on serving the homeless. The url is www.undertheoverpass.com There also is a forum where you can ask questions and get more information. Amazon.com carries the book by the same name.
Dress appropriately. Be sure to talk to the people on the streets. They feel honored when you take time to talk to them.
Don't feel obligated to solve all their problems. If they know you are new, they could try to hit you up for money or things, but over time, they will learn to be your friend if they can become acquainted with you. It is good for you to see them often. This is an open door for ministering to them.
Don't go off with anyone! Be careful of the area you are in and make sure that you stay in a place where there are other people.
The first time I went downtown, was to go to the library while waiting for my daughter who was taking a class. The first time I went, I was hit up for money, and a homeless person asked me for food. That's when I decided I wanted to help out, but didn't really know where to begin. I would fix a plate of food before I left and would leave it on a bench when I got there. Sometimes, I would put Bible verses on the bottom of the plate. But I am very happy to report that there are several ministries now that serve the homeless in the downtown area. This type of ministry is becoming popular now. Check in your area to see if there is a ministry to the homeless. They certainly can use your help.
There is a web page designed by two men who experimented in living with the homeless for several months. They wrote a book and have a web site with information on serving the homeless. The url is www.undertheoverpass.com There also is a forum where you can ask questions and get more information. Amazon.com carries the book by the same name.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Book Recommendations on Homeless Ministering
I have two books in particular, that I will be using as a framework for ministering to the homeless and suffering. One is 'When Helping Hurts' by Steve Corbett and the other is 'When God Weeps' by Joni Eareckson Tada. I am reading through both of them and they are excellent. Both are based upon Scriptural principles. We have to have a Biblical mindset when ministering to people who are homeless. I have a lot of questions I want to ask, and perhaps they will be answered as I read these books. There is a third book I just received called, 'Not a One Night Stand' which talks about homeless people and how to minister to them. I will give updates as I read it.
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