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Anyone attempt to start a Bible Study with the people you evangelize who are mostly homeless?

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joymercy

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We have been bringing bibles and handouts with the gospel readings for each upcoming Sunday and having all manner of discussions from those readings alone.

All are invited.

Anyone else try this or want to try it?
 
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Reluctant Theologian

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joymercy said:
We have been bringing bibles and handouts with the gospel readings for each upcoming Sunday and having all manner of discussions from those readings alone.

All are invited.

Anyone else try this or want to try it?
Click to expand...
May you be blessed with this initiative ... it's a challenging demographics !
 
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joymercy

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Mostly, the people that we interact with are coming because we invited them while evangelizing.

So, they are free to come and free to go....

Many are curious and have never read scripture, but some have and then fell away from doing so

This is an opportunity then to plant seeds and provide bibles and pray all together
 
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Reluctant Theologian

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joymercy said:
@Reluctant Theologian in what way have you found evangelizing or Bible study challenging with people who are homeless?
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Homeless people in the countries I know:
  • usually are burdened with more than one type of shortcomings (physical, mental, etc.)
  • for Bible study the required attention span sometimes is difficult
  • discussion/questions can be sensitive and can easily derail
  • because of the common load of mental issues there is very little empathy and patience
  • once some become believers they require a lot attention and care
But yet - God loves them as much as anyone else. In growing churches usually a certain balance is needed between believers with stable lives and the capacity to give/organise, and those that primarily need to receive a lot to heal. Not all churches are internally ready to host/welcome homeless believers in their fellowship (thinking of The Visit (Adrian Plass), 1999). They're usually the opposite of the ones who are welcomed because they can easily grow into leadership and pastoral roles, or contribute financially.

They're the ones young, modern and trendy churches find too difficult - but be blessed in your ministry ! Jesus also visited the outcasts more so than the elite.
 
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Reluctant Theologian said:
Homeless people in the countries I know:
  • usually are burdened with more than one type of shortcomings (physical, mental, etc.)
  • for Bible study the required attention span sometimes is difficult
  • discussion/questions can be sensitive and can easily derail
  • because of the common load of mental issues there is very little empathy and patience
  • once some become believers they require a lot attention and care
But yet - God loves them as much as anyone else. In growing churches usually a certain balance is needed between believers with stable lives and the capacity to give/organise, and those that primarily need to receive a lot to heal. Not all churches are internally ready to host/welcome homeless believers in their fellowship (thinking of The Visit (Adrian Plass), 1999). They're usually the opposite of the ones who are welcomed because they can easily grow into leadership and pastoral roles, or contribute financially.

They're the ones young, modern and trendy churches find too difficult - but be blessed in your ministry ! Jesus also visited the outcasts more so than the elite.
Click to expand...

Homeless people are welcome at my church. I can't imagine why it would be otherwise for a Christian. Jesus didn't say "love your neighbor as yourself, unless it's socially incovenient". As a result, I have left churches before because the people there showed contempt towards homelesss people, and as far as I'm concerned, it's a fellowship and communion breaking issue.
 
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joymercy said:
We have been bringing bibles and handouts with the gospel readings for each upcoming Sunday and having all manner of discussions from those readings alone.

All are invited.

Anyone else try this or want to try it?
Click to expand...

Is this something you are currently doing? If so, how is it going?

Is it strictly Bible Study / discussion or do you do it is as part of another activity (such as feeding)?

Edit - asking as I'm part of a local ministry that works with the homeless at times..
 
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joymercy

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JustaPewFiller said:
Is this something you are currently doing? If so, how is it going?

Is it strictly Bible Study / discussion or do you do it is as part of another activity (such as feeding)?

Edit - asking as I'm part of a local ministry that works with the homeless at times..
Click to expand...
We work with other Christians who are called to feed people who are hungry, and then afterwards, we invite people to come and check out our free bible study.

We get all manner of people who are interested and/or curious about the Bible and about Jesus.

We offer prayers for them too, right there on the spot, aka Intercessory prayer, and try to meet their needs to be heard and not abandoned, showing them that they matter and are loved.

We bring the bibles to them.

We try to keep it light and not rigid, in that we are open to side discussions as questions come up, that gets us off topic, and then try and bring it back to the study
 
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Inhocsigno

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Reluctant Theologian said:
May you be blessed with this initiative ... it's a challenging demographics !
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Very much agreed! Thank you for this initiative joymercy, it is much needed and you can be sure it is appreciated. This kind of ministry is precisely the spirit of evangelism that our Lord and Savior wished to instill in all of us, and is reflected throughout the pages of the New Testament.
 
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joymercy

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People just love to sit down and break bread all together, its just so true.

Fellowship is so important!

We have everyone, from atheist, satanist, Muslim, Christian, seeker, and so on.....

We try to see God's handiwork in each one, to see where is He is working in their lives, to bring them to Him
 
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