I just can’t say enough about the gratitude I have for our church family. Am I bragging? Maybe a little but they deserve it. They are eager to serve the Lord, whenever. Our Christmas Eve service was our largest offering to date and we dedicated all of it to the needs of the homeless and that is just what we did. God has blessed us in abundance. The only monthly expenses we have currently are the phone, minimal office supplies and web site hosting. The majority of our offerings go back into the community.

I have been asked several times about how a church plant with no outside support could be so successful? To be honest we do, our sponsor is Jesus Christ and He has provided literally everything that we have needed to date. Fact! Come and see how we, as I put it a bunch of misfits devote our lives to Christ. We are like the toys in the classic Christmas Holiday cartoon some years ago, where all the misfit and broken toys were sent to an island (isolated) where they were never played with by children. So now you know where all us broken misfit people have gone to in Phoenix Arizona, Vertical Response Ministry. Thank you Jesus for the opportunity to mind broken hearts and reconnect people with you.

Back to the story, with the money from that service we bought numerous items and created provisional packages for the homeless. Each package included at a minimum: (1) new blanket, (2) cans of Vienna sauce, (2) packages of peanut butter crackers, (2) granola bars, pop tarts, and cheese nips, (2) bottles of water, bar of soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, razor and some socks. We then went out into the downtown Phoenix area and distributed them to the homeless.

Let me share with all of you brother David’s response to serving the homeless. I quote “What a selfish act this is, I’ve never felt so alive. These people really appreciate us taking time out for them. It feels so selfish of me to do this because of the wonderful feeling that comes from helping them. Is this wrong?” I looked at David and said, had you come out for yourself (selfish reasons), you would have never experienced that feeling. God does bless those that choose to serve without the foolish desire of greed or personal gain.

We are a young fellowship and were only able to create 30 packages, but non-the less 30 more than there were. We’ve set a goal of 50 for next year. I am so excited to see God work in the lives of our people. In some cases, giving life where there was once hopelessness, anger and sadness.

Our challenge for you, get involved in your community. Take on a project to help someone that cannot return payment or favor. Be very careful though, it is very addicting and just might take you down a path of authentic Christian living.

This is what it is to be a Christ-follower. No lip service, just conscious decisions to serve others. As Mark recorded it so well in 10:44, whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave to everyone else. In other words, reducing ourselves to servants, which makes us, more Christ-like.

God Bless