Category Archives: Discipleship
Project L.I.F.E. Update
Monica, Doug, and Gary are entering their third month of Project L.I.F.E. and have much to be thankful for. Read more to see our latest newsletter with reflections from Monica about her road through Project L.I.F.E.
Project L.I.F.E. Starts Up Again
At L.I.V.I.N.G. Ministry, we firmly believe that building a firm foundation is essential to the future success of the homeless. It for this very reason that we developed Project L.I.F.E., our intensive discipleship program for homeless men and women. Last month, another class officially got underway with Doug and Gary beginning their 6 month journey with us. Both of these men are very excited about this opportunity and are eager for what God will do in and through them.
Trusting God in a Land of Dry Bones
Project L.I.F.E. has been rolling along now for 4 months, and both Rob and Eric have shown tremendous transformation in their lives. One Tuesday night, Rob led Bible Study at Pleasant Valley Shelter, and shared his testimony as it related to the Dry Bones story in Ezekiel 37. Here is both what Rob and Eric had to say about that passage and its significance in their lives.
The past year was very hard for me. I was a Christian and I was doing very well, but then I wandered off. My bones got drier and drier and drier. In the story in Ezekiel 37, God asked if the bones will live again, which reminds me that only God has the power to put a life back together. Then the bones get all assembled but they still say that get cut off. In my life, even though I was able to get clean, go to church and bible study, I was still dry. What I didn’t have was the spirit of God living through me. God says that he will put His spirit in you and you will have hope. So I started being receptive to the spirit of God instead of just trying to do the wise and smart thing. I had to open up my heart to the spirit of God so I would have hope. Many times I have seen dryness in others, especially when they say “if I could just get a job then everything would be alright.” Or “if I would just find the right women, I would be happy.” Many also say, “if I just had the right place to stay, I would be alright.” These things sound like they would make your life together, but truly it is the spirit of God that they are lacking. Eventually, they will lose all those things, like I did, and will find themselves still dry. From this story, I have found that it is important for us to renew God’s Spirit daily so we don’t become dry.
For me I can relate to the passage spiritually. At times in my life I would get worn out, tried, and weary like I was in a graveyard. I wasn’t praying, reading God’s word, or repenting of my sins. Now I’m changed and I have accepted God into my heart. I use God’s word to follow His steps. It is his kingdom that I want to glorify. No longer are my bones weary. He has given me a living water that has quenched my thirsty bones. I have seen people who think that going to church once a week is being alive. But that’s not enough. You need to read the Bible and do what God says. You need to also apply it to your life. Accept His living water and you will no longer thirst or have dry bones. Instead of dry bones, you will be walking in the light and your spirit will be alive!
Project L.I.F.E. Starts Back Up
Over the past 9 weeks we have restarted our discipleship program, Project L.I.F.E! Project L.I.F.E. is our 9-month residential discipleship program for homeless men. Over the last 10 months, we have been praying and seeking how we might improve this program. The previous run was great, but focused too much on physical needs, and didn’t train the men effectively in ways that produced measurable spiritual growth. This time, we have shortened the length of the program to 4 months of intense meeting, and no longer provide housing (we help them find adequate housing before they enter the program).Every day we meet, have a Bible Study that directly deals with a targeted area of growth, we then have some sort of ministry training activity and then finally outreach, where we go directly to the shelters and minister to the men and women still stuck in the cycle of homelessness. In just 2 months, it has been amazing to see all the work that the Lord has done. The guys in the shelters flock to both Rob and Eric. We have so many guys coming to Bible Study that we don’t have enough chairs! It is also great seeing how the guys are learning to lead Bible Studies, pray for people, speak with compassion, and think of others ahead of themselves. By removing the housing component to this program, we have also enabled us to start discipling women as well. Jen and Jenna have been meeting with a few women, and hope to start the discipleship program for women soon.
Update on Project L.I.F.E.
It’s been nearly 8 months since Project L.I.F.E. was last open, and in that time God has been showing ways in which we can improve the program. But before we finalize the next program, we want to hear from you! Believing that two minds are better than one, we want to hear your input on ways in which you think the ministry can best run Project L.I.F.E. and utilize both houses. If you have comments, please email them to us at contact@livingministry.org. Here are some details that will help guide your thoughts:
2536 Maple Avenue is a completely renovated house that has our offices on the 3rd floor and a kitchen, living room, dining room, 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms on the 1st and 2nd floors.
The house is zoned residential and can accommodate up to 5 individuals living there. These men will not be referrals from other people or organizations, but will be men that we already minister to in the shelters that we attend on a weekly basis.
Our chief desire in ministry is to disciple the homeless. We do not want to stray away from that. We also understand that it is very hard to disciple someone with prevailing physical needs. Many times those needs get in the way of discipleship. People will always say they want to be discipled so they can have their physical needs met. We also know that discipleship works well centered around a task (some sort of work/job). Simply teaching/training is not sufficient.
“Success” to us looks like a person that is committed to following Jesus, and whose entire life (spiritually, physically, socially, emotionally, etc.) has been transformed by that relationship with Christ. This person knows, understands, and follows God’s will for their lives, and is actively engaged in discipling other homeless persons.
Operating the house costs money, and we would like to explore creative ways to engage the community, our supporters, and the program participants in meeting that need
We have a second house in the adjacent lot that is still under construction. We want this house to compliment the first house in some way. It is approximately the same size as the first house.
Project L.I.F.E. Graduation
On Wednesday, July 7th, we celebrated the first ever graduation of Project L.I.F.E. That night was a great success as 15 people came out and supported Kenneth Hairston’s completion of the program. Although Kenneth was the only to graduate from the program, he certainly was not the only to benefit from it. All 4 of the men’s lives were changed through their close-knit fellowship, accountability, and discipleship. They all received the tools they needed to succeed in life, and each one bettered his relationship with his family
