Menu

Events

Body of Christ

, , , , 0

One of my favorite imageries of how all of us believers can work together to share the message of God’s redemption and for God’s glory is the illustration of all of us being part of one body (the body of Christ).

First Corinthians 12 says, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work (verses 4-6).”  Paul goes on to say in verse 27, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

One of the true blessings coming back at us as we work at Urban Bible Outreach is that we get to meet some amazing people with a heart for the Lord and for the widows, orphans, lost, hurting and down-and-outers.  It reinforces our mission when the Lord shows us His heart for our community we serve and stirs up our enthusiasm for the Great Commission when we talk to other like-minded warriors for God.  One of those such warriors is Susie Jennings, from Operation Care International, whom I spoke with for the first time just recently.

For 10 years now, Operation Care has been utilizing the Dallas Convention Center during one day in December to invite homeless (and very poor, but working) individuals in to what has been called the “nation’s largest Christmas party.” Doors open early and then these folks are given an assortment of necessities and luxuries (although for many of us, those “luxuries” are every day occurrences):

  • breakfast
  • prayer and evangelism one on one
  • shoes, socks, foot washing
  • coats
  • sleeping bags
  • makeovers by Mary Kay and Paul Mitchell salon
  • warm meals
  • flu shots
  • dental services
  • eyeglasses
  • free phone call (to hopefully reunite them with family)
  • psychologists for counsel
  • bus fare to return home
  • job resources
  • referrals to churches

Last year at this one event, Operation Care helped over 8,000 people and this year, Urban Bible Outreach has been asked to help them with 1,000 large print and compact Bibles.  We can attend this event as a partner organization and watch as lives are transformed right before our eyes.  I’m so excited that I cannot wait to start collecting Bibles and praying for the lives that will most certainly be touched.

Will you join us in this effort?

Check out Operation Care as well as Susie’s amazing testimony as to how this nonprofit started: http://opcareint.org/susies-story

Halloween Outreach

, , , , 0

My heart rate was elevated and my stomach was in knots. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew that we were heading into hostile territory. As we approached our destination, my resolve to serve the Lord and love the kids and families we were serving was strong, and my confidence was returning in full force.

One of our visions at Urban Bible Outreach is to serve alongside other like-minded ministries towards a common goal–to reach the world with God’s love and give them the most life-changing book ever written, the Bible. When we met Craig Bess with CrossTrainers Ministry, we immediately knew that he was on fire for the Lord, called in the second half of his life to full-time missions, even in his own neighborhood! He began to tell us of a Halloween outreach he started several years ago in which he shares the gospel of Jesus with nearly 1500 kids every October 31st! Almost instantly, we asked to be a part of it.

That is, until the neighbors across the street came to Craig one day and professed their hatred of him and their hatred of his Christian displays in his front yard–namely a 6 foot spotlighted cross and a movie screen showing a cartoon presentation of the gospel.  This really shook Craig up and he asked for prayer from his prayer team.

After days of praying about the decision we should make, Mike and I decided that our family would in fact serve with CrossTrainers ministry on Halloween despite the potential for danger; that we would trust the Lord and not cower in fear.  The Enemy keeps too many in bondage to fear as it is!

Almost immediately upon arriving, the Lord confirmed that we had made the right decision. In my nearly 40 years, I have never seen such a populated area for Halloween! It took seeing it to believe it!  What an amazing opportunity to share God’s love with the children (and adults) that He so desperately wants to come to Him (Matthew 19:14).  And the neighbors that we had worried about retaliating against us as Christians–they had rented a U-Haul truck and parked it on the street in front of Craig’s displays so they would not have to look at us. . .or the cross!

Mike, Joshua (I mean, Indiana Jones) and I spent the evening bagging nearly 600 bags of popcorn for the children watching the 5-minute cartoon gospel presentation (replayed for 4 hours) while 1300 DVDs on the life of Jesus were handed out as well as gospel tracts, candy, and carnival game prizes.

We bathed the evening in a lot of prayer as a group, and I know for myself, I prayed continuously for the neighbors across the street to be so overwhelmed by God’s love for them in the middle of their hate.  It’s easy to be disheartened or hurt by insults and rejection thrown your way, but when we remember that Jesus was hated first (John 15:18-20), it is easier to enter the spiritual darkness with the light of Christ.

Matthew 5:16  “In the same way, let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

John 8:12 “Again Jesus spoke to them saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’.”

To join our volunteer team, serve with us in this event next year or other Urban Bible Outreach events, or to learn more about CrossTrainers Ministry, please contact me at kathryn@urbanbibleoutreach.org.

 

Praise God for a Partnership!

, , 0

When we began brainstorming Urban Bible Outreach, we planned and organized and dreamed, but it is always something completely different when the Lord takes the wheel and you end up being passengers along for the ride.  He has shown us quite an adventure these first 2 months of official operation, and I want to share just a bit about His great provision.

After a handful of committed supporters began networking on behalf of Urban Bible Outreach, one connection led to another and I found myself talking to a team at Lifeway Christian Store here in Plano.  Lifeway has been one of my go-to stores for Bibles in the last year.  They have incredible deals on several of the Bibles we buy in bulk.  I shared with them my passion for getting the life-changing, hope-giving Word of God into the hands of hurting people in our communities and they immediately wanted to help!

Beginning January 1st, customers can go to Lifeway (Plano) and purchase a reduced priced compact Bible to have donated to Urban Bible Outreach.  This partnership has the potential to provide us with hundreds of Bibles and, thereby, reaching many of the 25+ organizations that have asked us to help supply them with Bibles!  Join us, Prayer Team, in praising God for His wonderful provision!

Although this is an amazing partnership, there will still be plenty of unmet need, and plenty of types of Bibles that will not be offered through this Lifeway Bible drive (although nearly all of our Bible needs can be purchased at Lifeway).  Thank you to those that support us financially and prayerfully, and thank you for considering with whom you might reach out to and share our mission.  It only takes one connection to ignite the flame of a God-given partnership, and that means lost ones reached for Christ and their soul-hunger satisfied!

“For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things” (Psalm 107:9).