Ministries to Homeless People

MATTHEW 25:34-40 Ministries operates a wide range of ministries addressing homelessness.

A. The most important is our Church-On-The-Streets (COTS) (See Missions). COTS brings Church to homeless camps, bringing the Good News of Christ, worship, food, and Christian fellowship.

B. Mentor programs: We provide mentors for people on the streets to help them make the decisions to change their lives. This may involve cleaning up addiction issues, dealing with past relationships which were abusive or exploitative, overcoming fears, etc. If the person being mentored moves into a shelter or new home, the mentor process may help them get situated into the neighborhood and finding healthy church congregations that will be helpful for them. If they don't have a job, mentors will help the person find one that suits their talents and passions, find qualification training, get needed certifications, uniforms, doing a job application, etc. If the person needs to move into a shelter, we have mentors that will walk with them through the process and help ensure that they graduate "with honors". If they have health issues, a mentor (or two) will help make sure they get to the right doctor appointments at the right facilities and with the right health coverage they need, make sure they ae stable and OK if they need to take some medications (at least for a while). If they have a disability, we have mentors to connect them to they help they need and make progress toward a productive life. In other words, we have a combination of mentor programs that can address whatever the people need.

C. Bible studies and discipleship programs: In whatever situation homeless people are living, we have Bible studies to help them keep their eyes on Christ and live in a Christ-like manner. We have discipleship programs to help people grow in their life in Christ, teaching them to live solidly depending on Christ. Pastors of congregations tell us some of the homeless people we refer to them are more mature than people who have been active in the church for decades. If there are specific issues a group of people want to address, we have a Bible study or discipleship lesson to help - either from our resource library or from one of our Ministry partners. Our resources re tailored to any age combination we encounter.

D. Community Code of Ethics helps homeless groups form stronger relationships within their camp or circle of friends, good relationships with community residents and businesses, and with authorities (police, county health workers, etc.). It also helps them to grow spiritually.

E. Programs to overcome Spiritual Trauma.

F. Programs to repair relationships with families and friends.

Through all these different programs, we can testify that the homeless population mirrors the general population of the broader community, city, or region...at least initially. Chronic homelessness does introduce spiritual trauma issues and amplify any past issues. Active spiritual intervention is almost always required for people to live a 'normal' life-but better than normal is preferred through a strong relationship with Jesus Christ.

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