Blessed to Give - Street Church Ministries Update

What comes to the forefront of your mind during the holidays? What drifts through your memory banks? For me, it's the blue BMX bike next to the Christmas tree when I was eight years old. Then a year later, my older cousin letting me know that my folks were doubling as Mr. and Mrs. Clause. These are my best and worst memories of Christmas. For my family growing up, Christmas was the best. A time filled with decorations, singing, visiting a bunch of people, tons of Christmas cookies and celebrating the birth of Jesus (not necessarily in that order).

For some, this time of year is as tough as leathery skin. It is a season they wish would go as quickly as it came. Knowing this to be the case, our ministry is committed to, “Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.” Romans 12:15.

I want to wish the supporters and friends of Street Church Ministries God’s Best during this season, where we fix our eyes on the “Babe in the Barn” who would alter the course of human history.

We are so grateful for your partnership. One of our favorite quotes comes from an ancient African proverb, “Go alone and go fast, go together and go far.” We realize more than ever, that if a person is to enhance their lives and accomplish anything substantial, it takes a pack, a group of people committed to the success of another. This mentality is a pillar in how we function when serving others in our community. It is easy to get caught up in ourselves during this time and forget that for many people this is one of the most difficult times of the year. During this time, our goal is to concentrate our efforts, attention and affections on those who have a hard time putting a smile on their face.

One of the apartment buildings on our block in Trenton houses many poor, low income, struggling families. There are many single mothers in that area that need a reminder that God cares deeply for them and they are not alone. Princeton Community Church, a church partner of ours, provided gift cards, clothing and toys for to Church on the Block so we could bless the families within this building. In addition, there are other single parent families that we plan to provide food and financial assistance during this time.

One family that we plan on helping this Christmas has two older autistic children and a single mother with mental illness. To say they struggle would be an understatement. With your help and support we are able to come into their lives at this time and alleviate a bit of their struggle and show them that God is alive and well.

This is the same thing we were able to do during our November Block Outreach. We had the privilege of providing more than 40 Thanksgiving bags of food and more than 70 coats and sweatshirts to many people and families on our block.

Church on the Block desires to be a consistent example of the love of God to people who are living in crisis. We do this by holding monthly Block Outreaches and weekly Discipleship Meetings in an effort to bring real change and transformation to their lives. We continue to hold monthly Chapel Services for the men at Teen Challenge NJ, supporting them in their recovery. Also, we are moving forward with our plans to secure a larger space next year that will be utilized as a Community Outreach Day Center for people living in crisis on the streets.

For many of us, the past year has been our most challenging to date. It has reminded us of what is most important in life, people and the relationships we have with them! What else matters more than loving others! We hope that in this busy season, you receive that love and give it away, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus when He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35

A Message from Pastor Tony