I have to start off by saying "Praise God". Due to the snow storm on Saturday, we were unable to bring the Reach van. We thought "How are we going to do this without the van this week?" We will just have to trust God. Janet and I showed up with what we had...

There were about 20 people visiting this week, even with the snow and wind drifts. Anne Lyndsay dropped off some packs of underwear. Sue showed up with some blankets. Someone else brought coats. Rachael and I handed out some kits from the back of my Explorer. We opened some leftover gift bags to provide some needed gloves. Janet and Sue handed out underwear and some blankets and coats from the side door.

I shared a message from 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:1 on God's rescue mission for all - a plan to have a relationship with all of us. Sin had cut us off from that, but Jesus took our wrongs so we can be made right with God! A new life, a fresh start. He wants to rescue all who call upon Him - now is the time, today the day to be helped - so call on Him and believe.

Amazingly, all the needs were met even though we didn't have the van this week. God definitely showed us how this is His ministry and He is in control. He continues to provide even when we don't know how it is going to happen. We are truly blessed to be a part of God's work.

Video of the dinner shot on an iPhone ....

This morning was a busy time at the Reach van as many took advantage of the limited, yet important assistance we are able to offer. There were success stories from individuals who told of the jobs that they had recently landed. Of course, there are also a lot of friends that continue to struggle to meet every day needs. Some have prospects of a possible apartment to move into. Some are now sharing a home with friends or family. Others are facing another winter with no home to call their own. In all this, Christ is present and continues to hold out the promise of new life to all...

Today I read a short story from Stories For the Heart entitled "Come Home" (written by Max Lucado). It is a tale about a single mother who reaches out in love to a wayward daughter. The theme of the story is summed up in the final 2 sentences: "Whatever you have done, whatever you have become, it doesn't matter. Please come home." This is the message of God to us through his Son. "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:17) "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." (John 14:1-3)

He is not the harsh God that some would make him out to be. He is the God who cares less about our past than he does our future, a future that he desires to share with us in his Kingdom.

-Pastor Thom

There were many new faces at the outreach Saturday. Carol Clifford gave a message on the street this week and received a standing ovation. Here is a summary from her notes:

"I have some "good news" to give you! I know that lately when we turn on the TV, listen to the radio and read the newspapers, all we get is "bad news."  The good news is that GOD LOVES YOU. His love is so big and can not be measured.  I want to give you a picture (from an old hymn The Love of God)...

   'Imagine that the ocean is filled with ink, and the skies were made of parchment, and every stalk on earth was a quill (pen), and every man a scribe (writer) by trade.  To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry, nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.'  
 
The good news is that 'God loved us so much that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life.'  John 3:16.  He 'gave'.  His gift of love is Jesus seen on earth.  The gift of salvation - the gift of love.  Each one of us needs to be loved.  There is a God shaped vacuum in our heart that only Jesus can fill.  We can never earn God's love because it is a gift.  If we do not receive the gift (this was demonstrated with one of the volunteers) it remains with the giver.  I grew up as an abused child, then a abused young woman looking for love in all the wrong places. I had to pay the consequences of my choices.
 
 Without God's gift we live our lives upside-down, with turmoil, strife, no joy, peace or love.  With God's gift we have love, peace and joy.  When I met Jesus, my life then was turned right-side-up.  The Bible says that 'godly sorrow leads to repentance.'  When we come to God sorry for our wrong doing and ask Him to forgive us, He does.  God then changes us. He loves us too much to leave us where we're at. We can not change ourselves, it is God who works in us.  We need to receive God's gift of love - so great a salvation.
 
 We cannot describe God's love, we can only experience it.  'Nothing can separate us from the love of God, neither life, death, powers......in Christ Jesus.'  Romans 8:38-39"
 
This is basically what was shared....
 
Also, the men from her Cell Group (Home church group) worked in the kitchen which was also a huge blessing. They really enjoyed serving.
 

Every Saturday a group of Reach volunteers show up with the van full of supplies. Rain or snow, hot or cold - a team of volunteers arrives, and so do many who are in need. January 5th was a cold day, and many were there looking for things like thermal underwear and toiletries.

We may not have shelter to offer at this time, but our focus is not on what we can’t do, but rather what we can do now with the resources that we do have. Most of us have felt God calling us to help in some way, or at least felt compassion (Which is from God, but we often don’t recognize it). That’s why we are here. We are motivated by our faith in a loving God and we share our faith with those who are interested. Each week we share a scripture that has encouraged and helped us and we join hands in prayer. Although we make it clear that there are no strings attached, almost all who are there choose to join in and pray with us. People are finding hope.