They have crazy rules that sometimes change daily. They treat you like children telling you when to go to sleep and when to wake up. Shelters herd us like animals which makes us feel less than human…
People are homeless because of deep problems. Some have drug or alcohol problems, but others have social problems or problems that started at childhood. Out here, no one tells you what to do.

His choice to live at a remote camp also comes with challenges. Where do you get food? What about health and safety concerns? There are extreme challenges that accompany the freedom of the streets.

But why would anyone choose to live out there? That’s as difficult as why someone would live in a neighborhood that they can’t afford in order to impress people they don’t like. People live – where they live. Sometimes it’s by choice and sometimes it’s because there are no other options. Where should the thousands of homeless people on the streets go? The shelters are full, many are unemployable and most don’t have the stability to maintain a “free” apartment.

Then we are slapped in the face with a difficult question : What would Jesus do? Or better, what did He do? He went out to the masses and introduced them to the God who rescues. He pointed people to a relationship with God and united people into a community of faith who would come beside and help those in need. He fed the hungry and met tangible needs of the community to whom He ministered. Under His example, the early church served the poor, the widows and orphans. The Apostle Paul raised money for the poor in Jerusalem. And today, men and women unite to be the church to those in need.

My friend in the picture did live in that shack. But recently, utility workers tore his home apart, cleared the brush and disposed of all of the “trash”. He has found a new campsite and we continue to visit him and the dozens of people in the same situation at that location. There are hundreds of similar campsites around Dallas. We can’t meet all of their needs, but with a meal and a warm handshake, we can begin a conversation that will change his eternity. Will you join us?

Search and Rescue:

Now imagine you are joined by 180+ friends. What could be better?

We had a great time and we would like to thank two great partners in this effort:

• The Temple of Prayer Christian Fellowship let us use their great parking lot. It was the perfect location, the chairs were great and Pastor Porter was great to work with.
• We would also like to thank Cinemark Theatres for supplying the fresh popcorn.

We have been given permission to use the parking lot at the corner of Corsicana and Cadiz. The Church is directly beside the old resource center. We have many details to arrange and would appreciate your prayer and help. We plan on serving popcorn and drinks during the film. Afterwards we will have an invitation for people to publicly trust Christ followed by a communion service.

We need approximately 50 volunteers for this event. Our needs include AV, snacks, communion, and volunteers to pray with people. Please ask God how He can use you to help share the love of Christ with people.

Volunteers should arrive at 6:30, the movie will begin at 7:30.

Click here for a Google map.

• Do I need to bring anything? We can always use new tshirts. Bring a package (or more) in your size (or larger).
• What if it rains? If it rains, you might get wet. Dress accordingly.
• Can my friends come? Yes. Invite your friends and your family. We need hands to serve!
• Can my kids come? Yes. You should always keep your kids close in every public setting. Bring your kids, watch your kids and serve with your kids!
• What if I can’t make it? Check our volunteer schedule for the next opportunity to serve.

Over the past year, we have been blessed by the commitment of donors who have partnered with us. This “calling” to serve the homeless has become the calling of many! The men and women whom we serve (over 3,500 last year) deserve this full-time commitment and I am so excited!

This is truly a gift from God and I am reminded of the words of Jesus in John 15, “apart from Me you can do nothing.”
This is truly a blessing from God Himself and we give Him all of the glory.

We are still seeking new partners who will join us in annual commitments to meet our total ministry budget. The classes that we host and the resources that we distribute require the support and dedication of many. Does your church have a missions department that would want to partner with us?

Praise God!We have raised the first phase of our annual commitments and I will begin serving as a full-time missionary on the streets of Dallas within the next few weeks!
Over the past year, we have been blessed by the commitment of donors who have partnered with us. This “calling” to serve the homeless has become the calling of many! The men and women whom we serve (over 3,500 last year) deserve this full-time commitment and I am so excited!This is truly a gift from God and I am reminded of the words of Jesus in John 15, “apart from me you can do nothing.” This is truly a blessing from God Himself and we give Him all of the glory. We are still seeking new partners who will join us in annual commitments to meet our total ministry budget. The classes that we host and the resources that we distribute require the support and dedication of many. Does your church have a missions department that would want to partner with us?

Click the pic to see the detail. Try to count the number of people serving people.

We distributed bags with socks, t-shirts, snacks, combs, vitamins, water bottles, and gospel tracts. We had bins of various clothes that included pants, sweaters, shirts and other items. We also gave out cases of Bibles in both English and Spanish.

Will you pray for a stranger?

Every day thousands of homeless men and women walk the streets of Dallas. Often they are ignored or looked down upon. How would you feel if everyone you looked at quickly looked away as if to avoid eye contact?

Our volunteers were challenged to engage people, look into their eyes and shake their hands. They were not afraid to give a hug and spend time asking someone “How can I pray for you?” We bring these items as a ministry to meet physical needs in order to gain an opportunity to engage their emotional and spiritual needs.

It was a beautiful sight. Groups were talking together, laughing together, praying together and crying together. This is what the Body of Christ is supposed to look like every day.

To our volunteers: Thank you so much for your commitment to give your time to serve people in need. You can never underestimate the power of showing the love of Christ.

To our donors: Thank you so much for your commitment to give your resources to serve people in need. Your gifts were used to provide needed physical resources that become a bridge to the gospel.

Volunteers: 100+
Homeless men and women served: 700+
Eternal Perspective:

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ Matthew 25:34-40 NLT

We don’t do this to earn anything from Jesus. We do this because this is what He did.

Special thanks to the students at Dallas Theological Seminary and the Disciple Now group from Hampton Road Baptist Church.

Before I begin, we are surrounded by poor people. People have real needs and many people still eat out of trash cans and out of despair some are left with no choice – but to ask for your help.

When you see someone asking for money, there are usually two needs going on.  The guy asking has a serious need. His sign may say “Homeless vet” or “will work for food” or maybe “beer money”. That guy has a serious need. His need may not be clearly communicated on his cardboard sign, but he does have needs.

You have needs. You were created in the image of God and therefore you have compassion – and want to help. But you also want to know that a gift be used for the intended purpose. Will the money buy food or alcohol, medicine or drugs?

I suggest a different option. In my car I carry non-perishable food. I have packages of cereal bars, cheese crackers, McDonald’s gift certificates and Bibles. I would love the opportunity to sit with someone in need – rather than passing something through my car window. Sometimes I don’t get the option, so I ask for the person’s name and then I tell them that I will be praying for them. “Is there anything in particular that I can pray for you about?” This is a great primer for someone to know that you care. “I don’t have any money that I can give you, but I do have some food – are you hungry?”.

Sometimes I am told by the guy with the sign that reads “Hungry” – “I don’t want food – I need money”. That’s usually a good sign that his needs are deeper than his sign and he is dealing with issues that can’t be resolved by passing something through a window. If I can, I will pull over and try to spend some time with him.

If you are approached by a panhandler, I suggest these alternative options:

• Don’t ignore them. They are people and no one wants to be ignored. Acknowledge that you hear them, engage them, and tell them what you can – and can’t do.
• Don’t lie. If you have money that you don’t want to give someone, then tell them. “I don’t have any money that I can give you”. Don’t lie about the contents of your pocket in order to stop the conversation.
• Try to meet the need. If they are hungry, offer to buy them a meal or give them something that you have with you. You can buy yourself another lunch – give them yours.
• Ask how you can specifically pray for them.  Everyone needs prayer. Be courageous and bold. If they ask you to pray specifically for them – then do it! Don’t be afraid to build a relationship with someone who might look a little different than you.

If you want to give money to help the problem, I suggest you donate to a non profit who exists to meet their needs. They are usually better equipped to meet their real needs and engage them in developing their lives.

Human needs fall into three basic categories. Spiritual, Emotional and Physical. There are many groups who do a great job to meet physical needs. Our goal is to address the unmet needs. We focus on the spiritual and emotional needs of the community. Do we feed people? Yes. Do we clothe people? Yes. Do we give blankets and other physical items to address obvious physical needs? Definitely – Yes. But we do this – in order to meet spiritual and emotional needs. Our calling is to glorify God by leading homeless people to Christ and stabilizing broken lives as they begin God honoring lifestyles. What is your calling?

Update (1/11/10) Last Saturday I was under a bridge distributing resources when I met a woman named Rhonda. She is homeless and has been addicted to Crack for over 20 years. She was very honest. I asked her about panhandling and She told me “Don’t ever give me money. Don’t even give me one dollar. I promise you I will smoke it up. I am not only an addict, I am a dope fiend. I have sold my clothes, my body and told any story for the next rock of Crack. Please don’t give me money.”

Please think about Rhonda the next time someone tells you a great story of why they need money. Consider buying them food, filling their car with gas, or working with an organization that can meet their needs. We aren’t trying to deny anyone who needs help. We are trying to stop the cycle of enablement, one dollar at a time. Our mission is to lead them to Christ and to stabilize their lives. If it takes food, assistance with filling a prescription or a bus ticket to bring stability – then by all means lets meet those needs together.

Life Skills class at the Bridge: For the whole year, we have had over 1,000 men and women attend a class.  We have covered Anger Management, Christmas, Commitments, Community, Decision Making, Disappointment, Ethics, Family, Fear, Forgiveness, Health, Identity, Independence, Influence, Getting a Job, Keeping a Job, Leadership, Life Management, The Rules of Life, Life Change, Marriage, Money Management, Overcoming Difficulties, Personal Dignity, Relationships, Stress, Success, Thanksgiving and more!

Bible Study: This year I met with a group of men at a coffee shop in Deep Ellum on Sunday nights. We studied Exploring the Basics of Biblical Christianity by Neil Curran and then we started a chapter by chapter study through the Gospel of John. Meeting at a coffee shop is a challenge. Each week I have to pick up the men, which means we are limited by the number of seat belts in my car. But the staff at Cafe Brazil has been very welcoming.  The coffee is great and growing together through God’s Word is even better.

12 Step: An amazing victory we get to celebrate with friends is each new day of sobriety. I am always amazed to hear those amazing words “one more day” or “one more week” or “one more month” or even “one more year”. Each small victory adds to the next to create a duration of recovery. This year we have heard hundreds of stories and seen amazing recovery success though the power of God, prayer and community support.

Mentoring: Iron doesn’t sharpen Iron unless it touches it. In order to facilitate personal development, one person must challenge another and hold him (or her)  accountable for the results. This year we have mentored and discipled men and women and seen God work through the lives of many. Some have come to faith, others have grown in their faith, gained sobriety, been married, found employment, entered housing and others have even been reunited with their families.

Resourcing: How do you place a value on a blanket? What if you were living under a bridge in a cardboard home? What about food, or clothes? This year the Lord has blessed us and enabled us to distribute items to thousands of needy people throughout Dallas. We have given blankets, food, clothes, water bottles, personal care items, Bibles, books, shoes, socks, t-shirts, and even toys to children.

This year we have had hundreds of volunteers and we appreciate you. You have made this happen. Without your hands to serve, your prays to God and you financial support, we would not have been able to serve.  Thank you! You may not get to see everyone we serve and hear their gratitude. But if I can pass along their thanks, please know that you are appreciated.

May God bless you this Christmas season and Happy New Year.

Wayne Walker
Missionary to the Homeless and Executive Director OurCalling, Inc.

Why? Because they have the latest REI camping gear and seek to battle the elements? No.
Today thousands in Dallas will camp outside in clothes they have scavenged, cardboard they have stacked, and eat someone else’s leftovers. The reality of homelessness bites when the temperature drops like this. Some will face the cold as they have for years, for many this is a new reality that comes with the economy.

Today I took a group of students from Dallas Theological Seminary on a field trip. We went to a particular  location and found about thirty individuals. They were eager to see us and warmly greeted us with cold hands.

We had blankets, socks, gloves and bottles of water. It wasn’t much, but it was greatly received. One man told us “You brought us exactly what we needed”.  More than just meeting physical needs we also took time to pray with them. We invited them to our next outreach which will include many more resources and much more time for fellowship and interaction.

As we left there I reminded those students “This is why you came to seminary. This is why God placed you here on this rock. This is why you have been given the gift of faith. Use it wisely.”

Jesus repeated the phrase “love one another” many times. That isn’t a suggestion, nor is he telling us to do the impossible. It begins with the simple step of just showing up.

After the movie we heard the testimony of Phill, who was once homeless himself. He was addicted to Crack, and has come to live a new life in Christ. After Phill spoke, I shared the gospel of Christ and then prayed for our time and closed the evening by leading the room of homeless men and women in the song Amazing Grace. It was a beautiful sound. I wish you could have heard them.

Afterward we passed out gift bags to almost 275 people, and left about 75 for the staff to give to anyone who came in late.
Please pray for the homeless. For many, the holidays are a reminder of families that they have lost and emotional pain that won’t stop hurting.

Volunteers loading the bags

Volunteers packing the gift bags

Watching the movie at the shelter