Our hope would be that you could smell the good news of Jesus on us whether we open our mouths or not. The first Christ followers were marked by how they tangibly cared for people. It didn’t seem to matter whether they played on the same team or not.
Read this quote by Roman Emperor Julian,
“Atheism (Christianity) has been specially advanced through the loving service rendered to strangers, and through their care for the burial of the dead. It is a scandal that there is not one single Jew who is a beggar, and that the godless Galileans care not only for their own poor but for ours as well; while those who belong to us look in vain for the help that we should render them.”
This is the reputation we desire to return to.
Local efforts around the city continue as our people seek to integrate God’s healing into the broken parts of our city. Locally we have been focusing on the under-resourced Milwood neighborhood. We’ve been able to establish new relationships with some amazing people through these involvements:
- Mentoring Greenwood Elementary kids through our partnership with Kids Hope USA.
- Regular neighborhood block parties.
- Skateboard club at Milwood Magnet School.
- Art & Games on the Green – Summer ’09 and ’11
Beyond local efforts we have sent teams to bless the slums of Tijuana, rebuild from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, and help with a Kids Club (200+ kids) and building projects in Consuelo, Dominican Republic. These are just a few initiatives directed by some Threads folks who seek to release God’s redemptive light into the brokenness of our world.
We’ve also partnered with, ActiveWater, to fight AIDS and bring clean drinking water to Ndola, Zambia. Check out the video below to learn more.