Breakfast Together Outreach
Opportunity for ordinary people to make difference by sharing God's love with others. Every weekend volunteers reach out to the transitional homeless living in parks and motels by feeding them breakfast and sharing the hope we have in Christ. This is a connection point where people helping people can find resources for a better life and spiritual health.
Love Sometimes Comes in the Form of a Haircut and Coffee Pot
There is a little church that meets in a motel where people without homes live called the Breakfast Together Outreach. Most of the people there are either the working poor or they are “transitional homeless” – they’re either coming off the streets or heading back down to the streets. Many of them have lost hope and have resigned themselves to the fact that they are helpless to change their life.
Every Sunday, we serve breakfast and have a worship service. Our goal is to give them food for their bodies in the form of breakfast and food for their souls in the form of friendship while we telling them about the hope they can have in Jesus and that God has a plan for their lives. This Sunday was extra special since we were also able to impact their dignity with a free haircut provided by a local salon who setup shop at the motel!
Later that day we decided that since Starbucks was no longer willing to donate coffee that we would have to find another way to have coffee available. We decided to take an offering at the service starting next Sunday so that the people attending could have the privilege of helping to buy a coffee pot. The most we’ve ever got in any offering was $12 - we don’t pass an offering basket, we just have a small bucket near the resource table where people can give if they want to. We thought that an offering was the right way to do it even though it would take several months to raise enough money to buy a big coffeemaker.
The very next day, we had generous donation of a beautiful coffee urn. The gift was a much more beautiful coffeemaker than we would have purchased. We all got goose bumps realizing that God had orchestrated all of this. He decided that the folks in the motel not only didn’t need to buy a coffee pot, but that they deserved a really nice one!
We are so grateful. I can tell you that the people at the little church that meets at this motel in Santa Ana will be so blessed by the generosity and especially to hear the story of how God loves them enough to send them a love note in the form of a coffeemaker.
-Ron W.
Some video testimonies of how a relational-based outreach is changing lives
This week's Link's to OC JOBS
2 things are at-war inside our souls—Compassion & Apathy. Please pray for Ben and Roberta Keenan as they battle cancer.
Ben was one of our original expansion leaders bringing the Breakfast Together Outreach to Costa Mesa over 5 years ago. He quickly used his wisdom and love to grow the small group participation into a self-sustaining outreach ministering to dozens of homeless every week. This was accomplished in half the time it took Me (Max McGhee) to fill the calendar in San Clemente. But the bigger picture was the relationships he established among the those without homes. Ben and his wife Roberta cared deeply for their neighbors with both faith and deed. This inspirational leadership carried over to the small groups and many books could be written about the life-change that has occurred in the lives of Costa Mesa's homeless. Watch this short YouTube clip to get an idea of what it was all about: http://www.youtube.com/breakfastoutreach#p/f/3/mOj2F73yU7w
Now Ben and Roberta are the ones suffering under the weight of difficult circumstances due to a long battle with cancer. Ben's health has dropped significantly and needs all of us to come to his side with prayer. Supporting him and his family while they hold on and celebrate everyday they get to spend with Ben. A caretakers life is not easy and I believe Roberta can truly use all the help we could give her, whether it be financial, prayer, visits, or signing the guestbook with encouraging entries via caring bridge. (here's the link http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/benkeenan )
Please choose compassion and give what you can and be blessed!
"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35 NIV
A Poor-life is defined by a lack of LOVE not MONEY. People need a healthy community more than finances!
We really enjoyed the 40 Days of Love! What a great study by Tom Holladay!! We had great discussions and continue to grow closer as a group as we study together.
We've had a person show up needing help with his alcoholism. Rich was quick to step in and be there for him. He returned the next week, knowing we cared and were praying for him. He's found a place in a halfway home now.
We're helping a disabled person look for Section Eight housing. It's great to give her a hand up and not just a hand out. We're helping her weigh the choices and options but having her be the driving force behind the decision. To see her take steps away from a victims roll to an independent person who is capable of making her own decisions.
One person in the group had a stroke and was hospitalized. She is now in a medical rehab home. As a group we've enjoyed sending her cards and some of us visiting her. We're her local Christian family since her sister is in WA and not in close relationship with her.
We have a new person from outside the Motel. She's from Anaheim Saddleback and was looking for a local small group. She adds a lot to our discussion and we're thrilled to have her join us and be getting to know her.
It's a great group of people to know and study with. We all share our praises and our hurts with each other. We care about each other, encourage each other and pray for each other.
We loved the study and are so thankful for the books that were so kindly given to us. Our small group at the motel has become a very important part of Rich and my life. God is awesome!
Tanya
Easter Celebration at the Breakfast Together Outreach in San Clemente!
We had 27 Easter Baskets donated that were filled to the top with household items, candy, spiritual references and bibles and prayers over each one. It was amazing to watch our new group of volunteers, join with our friends in need, to pray over each basket before they were delivered to the residence at the Algodon Motel. What was even more special was watching those that we serve, join in to help deliver the baskets and pray with the recipients-very powerful!
We served over 25 people on Easter and there were many hugs and joyful hearts surrounding each other this day! Brian delivered a powerful message about forgiveness and bringing it to the cross. We brought a wooden cross and nails for anyone that felt led to bring it to the cross and let God take control and become filled with forgiveness and peace. VERY POWERFUL!!!!
We were able to bring 8 of our friends from the streets and living at the motel to the 1pm service. God surrounded our friends with love and and their hearts were opened wide. Tim Hill spent a lot of time with Keith that day and they had a chance to connect about what is heavy on Tim's heart. During the service, Tim took detailed notes and has asked for heavy prayers over in lack of control with drinking.
It was a joyful day!
Blessings, Amie
Celebration of LIFE for Dan Southwick at our San Clemente Breakfast Together Outreach
Sunday was a day to remember our friend Dan who has gone home to be with the Father. He suffered greatly in his last days here on Earth from physical pain but he did not have a fear of dying because he found a new joy in the love of his friends who would sacrifice to take care of him in his last days. Dan simply just wanted to say goodbye to friends. He was a loving, compassionate man that never wanted to trouble anyone.
Blessings to all of you for that were a part of Dan's life and for creating a peaceful journey to be with his Maker. He died with dignity and the knowledge that his life had a purpose and he was loved. Many homeless people die on the streets and the community misses out on recognizing their value. Thankfully our ministry of coming together over a meal offers everyone a chance set aside our status and just be human beneath the love of our maker.
Life is hard and gets harder when homeless; Did you see this 60 Minutes segment?
Much like what was reported in this CBS 60 Minutes segment (link posted below), Breakfast Together Outreach comes across many families living in cars and motels. It can be very hard to overcome the obstacles that confront you once you get bad credit. Fortunately, there is help! A healthy community is what's needed to get a fresh start in life. When the church opens its arms and acts as Jesus says, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest" found in Matthew 11:28 -- then, miracles are very possible!
By the time a family becomes homeless, chances are that they have exhausted the resources their family and friends might have been able to provide. That's when a church body can come alongside a family and support them spiritually while connecting them to the physical resources they need. Most Southern California resource programs are under-staffed and fail to provide the follow-through to make sure the solution gets implemented as designed. This is where an experienced outreach volunteer can make all the difference. We have seen firsthand that many families find hope that matured into help, that eventually became stability in their lives. Better yet, some of those families return to help others facing the same struggles that they overcame. Thus, love comes full circle!If you missed the 60 minute episode, watch it via this link:http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7358670n&tag=related;photovideo
