Ernie's
Journey
Ernie was a 57-year-old
homeless man from Kansas living in a shelter in downtown Phoenix, Arizona.
Late in 2005 during a youth-led missions to bring meals to the homeless,
Ernie stepped forward and asked if he could worship with our congregation. We offered to bring
him to our church and we continued to drive him back and forth every
Sunday morning.
As time passed, our hearts drew close to Ernie and his
suffering and we asked ourselves why he couldn't lift himself out of
homelessness. We prayed for his exodus.
We dug in and found that the homeless face a jigsaw puzzle of
programs and opportunities they often cannot piece together. We
learned the journey from homelessness to self-sufficiency can simply be
overwhelming. That is when we knew we could help.
A group called Open Table was formed. Open Table
rejects homelessness as a way of life for any child of God. The group --
called a "table" -- included congregation members with gifts, experiences
and professions related to the challenges Ernie faced. We developed a
"personal wholeness plan" for Ernie that would lift him from homelessness
and build a long-term working relationship based on goals, love and
accountability.
Over
an eight-month period, this table met with Ernie on an ongoing basis and
implemented his plan. Today, Ernie Clark is economically stable and
building a life based on wholeness. He has a
job, owns a mobile home and is a member of a church.
We believe for others, like there was for Ernie, there is a
different journey, one from homelessness to economic stability and
wholeness.
Ernie and we are all members of the Body of Christ. We are
joined to one another.
Since Ernie, we have shared our philosophy, goals, and the
Open Table format with other congregations that have, in turn,
helped other homeless individuals and families on their journeys to
wholeness. We hope to continue to grow and support the formation of other
tables in our mission to lift individuals and families from homelessness
to wholeness, one person at a time.
|
