The weekend started with temperatures reaching a mild 102 degrees – and that was only Friday. But by Sunday evening, $17,000 had been raised on the street corners in nickels and dimes for a homeless ministry that feeds thousands every year.
Now those big numbers might lead one to think a big church must be involved. However, that’s not the case. Christian Heritage Church doesn’t operate with big membership numbers but rather with a big heart.
This past weekend, the city of Amarillo responded to that big heart. “The people just seemed to be generous this year,” says Craig Lawlis, associate pastor of CHC. During the weekend, he struck up a conversation with one of the many contributors to his bucket. That man held out a couple of one’s, and since the light wasn’t turning green any time soon, he began to ask some questions. When the man heard that not only does this church run the homeless ministry but also does Free Camp (a free summer camp for kids 8-12), he started to pull out some twenties for the bucket as well.
It’s all the nickels, dimes, and encounters like Craig’s that make possible doing the works to which Christ has called CHC. Even small and mid-size churches can accomplish big destinies – if the heart is big enough. After the street fundraiser for 2011, it looks like it will be possible for CHC to continue reaching the homeless yet another year!
If you missed us on the street or are reading this from out of town – you can still “throw some change in our bucket” at http://www.jesusmyrefuge.org!
