Monday, September 13, 2010
The Justice Project has moved to a new site!! www.justiceprojectboulder.org
TJP has moved it's site... Please go to www.justiceprojectboulder.org to keep up with the latest happenings of this ministry.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Street Team Diary
Blog from the hillsong street team
It's so nice to know that we have brothers and sisters around the world joining us each Saturday that we go out doing the same thing! Confirms that God's speaking and we're listening...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STREET TEAM DIARY
10 Sep 2010
Saturday 8:45 a.m. I slowly drag myself up the stairs to the small meeting room on the second floor of Hillsong Church - the city campus. It has only been hours before that I was vacuuming those same floors after the youth wandered out of their weekly service. Yet this morning, as every Saturday morning, I am met with smiling faces as I enter the room. I greet a few friends as I stumble over to get some coffee and an orange slice and find a seat for the mini talk before we head out for the week.
When I first started helping, a year ago, I wasn’t so thrilled about giving up my Saturday morning, but here I am a year later, and I love going out and seeing my friends in the community. I look around at the other faces in the room. I see a group of students, and other volunteers. Amidst the group are the really committed volunteers, like Catherine, who leads a team and who has come every fortnight for the past six years. She is one of the real heroes. Every Saturday, teams go out into the community showing Jesus’ love through simply meeting the local needs of citizens.
I recently sat down with Gary Farrelly, the leader of Street Teams at Hillsong Church, to ask him a little bit more about how his church is helping more people help more people. Here is what he had to say about street teams and his involvement.
So when did you first get interested in community outreach?
When I was 16, I visited my sister at the L.A. dream center where she was volunteering. I did a few outreached but the homeless outreach is the outreach that really struck me. .. There was such a huge need. I was shocked to see the conditions how people lived in skid row. ...It planted a seed inside of me that I needed to value these kind of people... and [what struck me was] the fact that everyone has a story to tell.
One [of the homeless men] was a famous artist’s son. [I was shocked at] how he got caught up in drugs living in the lime light of his mother. I think he recently passed away, but seeing people like that and seeing that you can’t help them right then and there is frustrating. [His story] urges me to do something for them. To befriend them and to hear their story. To be a listening ear.
How did you get involved with Hillsong Street Teams?
Through my experiences with ministry overseas, this equipped me with the knowledge to do this kind of work. I befriended the guy who ran [Street Teams] at the time and the job opening came up and I jumped on board. It was right up my alley.
What is the main function of street teams/ what do you do during the week?
Street teams as a whole is about meeting needs in communities through outreaches to low socio-economic areas, nursing homes, [and areas with great numbers of] homeless and [therefore] tangibly being a representative of the church and Jesus.
We gather volunteers together on a weekly basis, primarily on Saturdays but also on several other days throughout the week primarily to bring help to people in need whether mobility impaired, isolated, or in need of a friendly chat.
We truly believe that people don’t care about who you are or your experience until they know that you really care.
So we send the bulk of our volunteers out on a Saturday to thirteen different suburbs surrounding our four church campuses. We do random acts of kindness throughout these areas meeting the needs of the local community. Our goal is not to dis-empower the community, but to help work with them to get this area of their life stable. ...We also hold barbeques and other events to bring people together. We also have teams throughout the week who respond to crisis needs throughout our suburbs.
How could someone else start this in their local community?
It is as simple as meeting with the local agencies and stake holders in communities and finding the need. So many people just go ahead and do stuff without first seeking out what is actually needed. We have found it beneficial to have people and organizations behind what we do... Also, find out what is already being done in the community.
When I first started helping, a year ago, I wasn’t so thrilled about giving up my Saturday morning, but here I am a year later, and I love going out and seeing my friends in the community. I look around at the other faces in the room. I see a group of students, and other volunteers. Amidst the group are the really committed volunteers, like Catherine, who leads a team and who has come every fortnight for the past six years. She is one of the real heroes. Every Saturday, teams go out into the community showing Jesus’ love through simply meeting the local needs of citizens.
I recently sat down with Gary Farrelly, the leader of Street Teams at Hillsong Church, to ask him a little bit more about how his church is helping more people help more people. Here is what he had to say about street teams and his involvement.
So when did you first get interested in community outreach?
When I was 16, I visited my sister at the L.A. dream center where she was volunteering. I did a few outreached but the homeless outreach is the outreach that really struck me. .. There was such a huge need. I was shocked to see the conditions how people lived in skid row. ...It planted a seed inside of me that I needed to value these kind of people... and [what struck me was] the fact that everyone has a story to tell.
One [of the homeless men] was a famous artist’s son. [I was shocked at] how he got caught up in drugs living in the lime light of his mother. I think he recently passed away, but seeing people like that and seeing that you can’t help them right then and there is frustrating. [His story] urges me to do something for them. To befriend them and to hear their story. To be a listening ear.
How did you get involved with Hillsong Street Teams?
Through my experiences with ministry overseas, this equipped me with the knowledge to do this kind of work. I befriended the guy who ran [Street Teams] at the time and the job opening came up and I jumped on board. It was right up my alley.
What is the main function of street teams/ what do you do during the week?
Street teams as a whole is about meeting needs in communities through outreaches to low socio-economic areas, nursing homes, [and areas with great numbers of] homeless and [therefore] tangibly being a representative of the church and Jesus.
We gather volunteers together on a weekly basis, primarily on Saturdays but also on several other days throughout the week primarily to bring help to people in need whether mobility impaired, isolated, or in need of a friendly chat.
We truly believe that people don’t care about who you are or your experience until they know that you really care.
So we send the bulk of our volunteers out on a Saturday to thirteen different suburbs surrounding our four church campuses. We do random acts of kindness throughout these areas meeting the needs of the local community. Our goal is not to dis-empower the community, but to help work with them to get this area of their life stable. ...We also hold barbeques and other events to bring people together. We also have teams throughout the week who respond to crisis needs throughout our suburbs.
How could someone else start this in their local community?
It is as simple as meeting with the local agencies and stake holders in communities and finding the need. So many people just go ahead and do stuff without first seeking out what is actually needed. We have found it beneficial to have people and organizations behind what we do... Also, find out what is already being done in the community.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
A21 Campaign - working to abolish injustice in the 21st century
My good friend, Marissa, is heading to Greece in November to make a difference in the lives of women trapped in sex slavery. Check out her website at "I walk for freedom" to read more about sex trafficking and what the A21 Campaign she is working with is doing to rescue girls and, if you're so inclined, please help support Marissa's trip!
And to TJP girls ... maybe we can consider joining alongside the A21 Campaign and supporting them through 1 or more of the 21 ways to help.
Ready to carry His glory into the darkness??
"The Lord of the harvest could bring the harvest in alone by His own might, but He chooses to share His divine nature and glory with us. Enter with us into a world of love, rest and companionship even while buffeted fiercely on all sides by evil storms. In Him we are more than conquerors, shielded through faith by God's power until Jesus is fully revealed. We are ready to carry His glory into the darkness wherever the love of God is wanted!" - Rolland Baker
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)