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Home › Life › Spirituality

Church, outreach ministry hand out food and other aid (VIDEO)

By Rebel Taylor
Special to the Reporter-News
Wednesday, April 23, 2008

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Photo by Ronald Erdrich

Dale Forrest, of Phoenix, carries boxes of instant potatoes into Baker Heights Church of Christ on Wednesday. The food will be distributed as part of the We Care Ministries outreach program, which continues through Sunday.

Photo by Ronald Erdrich

Freddie Smith is baptized by Wayne Newman Wednesday, April 23, 2008, at Baker Heights Church of Christ. We Care Ministries is working with Baker Heights on an outreach mission in Abilene using over 80 volunteers from 19 states for spreading material and spiritual comfort to those in need in the community.

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We Care Ministries and Baker Heights Church of Christ put their Christian message of love into action this week when they took to the Abilene streets to help people in need.

Team members encountered one woman who was down to her last spoonful of peanut butter and a little bread when they knocked on her door with a box of food.

The West Monroe, La.-based We Care Ministries is made up of volunteers from 19 states who travel to churches across America to help church members reach out to those in need in their community.

Betty White, a member of Baker Heights for 40 years, said this was a first for her.

"I've traveled to different locations doing missionary work, but I've never gone door to door in my own town," she said.

White said that although this was the first time, it won't be the last.

The ministry team of 85 volunteers, along with Baker Heights church members, broke into teams of three and took to the streets. Team members said they go door to door with the mission of getting their Christianity out of the building and onto the streets.

"We knock on doors and tell them we are here not only concerned about their physical needs, but also their spiritual needs," White said. She said they have offered clothing, diapers, food and even helped with utility bills for a few people.

In addition to walking the streets during the day, they offer nightly services at 7 p.m. at Baker Heights Church of Christ, 5382 Texas Ave.

We Care Ministries' founder Larry West leads both the outreach and the evening services. West founded the ministry in 1975, when he wanted to reach out to neighbors who had fallen on hard times. The ministry continued to grow.

Today, West said the group has more than 900 volunteers, who travel with the ministry as their schedules allow and do so at own their own expense. Their mission is to train churches to put evangelism into action by reaching out to their community.

"This is our 219th outreach campaign, and our mission is simple: to reach out to lonely, hurting people who have fallen on hard times and need to be loved," he said. "We combine their felt needs with their spiritual needs and try to meet both."

After four days of ministry, teams have given out more than 130 boxes of food. The effort will continue through Sunday.

Members said they have had 23 people so far who have chosen to become Christians because of their efforts.

"One of the people we served showed up at the church the next morning, joined the team and is walking the streets with us," West said. "That person's life has been forever changed by the love of Christ."

The We Care ministry does not end when the 40 RVs pull out of town. The team trained church members for "AfterCare," which is designed to minister to newly converted Christians and to continue outreach efforts.

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