"Challenged...

               ... for Lives"

 

Eric Howard, Exec.Dir.
Outreach, Inc.
Indianapolis

              

 

When I heard Joe Stowell, President of Moody Bible Institute speak a few months ago in Chicago, I was deeply challenged. He stated that he did not like to ask to for money and that it was not until after a sermon one Sunday and an Elder confronted him about stewardship that he changed his mind.

The Elder challenged him to never be ashamed about asking for money for God's work. Because when you ask you are asking for God's Kingdom and for God's economy.  I became strongly convicted while listening to Joe Stowell. I learned about what it means to invest into God's Economy, God's Kingdom.

We are happy for a 10% return in unsettling economic times. In God's Economy we get an awesome return on our initial investments. Many times a return of 1000% or 10,000%.  When I think about the investment that it takes to impact a life, I cannot hesitate but to ask you to invest into God's Economy. To see the return in the lives of the youth we serve is amazing. I would like to share some of this with you:

Meet J...   Suffering from mental illness, he was hallucinating and hearing voices, voices that were telling him to kill himself.  Outreach staff responded and took him to the crisis unit at Midtown where he was admitted. He is now in transitional care, receiving discipleship from our resource manager, and getting assistance with obtaining his ID. "They helped me because I've had a situation where I was depressed and I tried to kill myself and I called and talked to (Outreach staff members) and they actually took me to Midtown." -J., an Outreach youth

Meet M...   Couch surfing and three months pregnant, M. subsequently married and became a victim of domestic violence. She  separated from her husband, was referred to Goodwill's training program, and is graduating as a certified nursing assistant. She is the mother of a beautiful one-year-old baby girl. Outreach staff has been with her every step of the way."...that's why I appreciate the people here because they have helped me more than I can even count on my fingers and toes." - M.

Meet C...   Released from jail, C. has made a turnaround through the guidance of Outreach staff who helped him get his ID and provided employment assistance. He is now employed and stable and credits God for his incarceration and subsequent life change."I never knew God until I started coming here and now I'm getting to know Him a little bit better.  I started to know who He was and what He's done for us all." -C.

We are sharing these stories because these are the stories of Outreach, Inc. These are the stories of God's Kingdom, the Kingdom in which we are all called to participate.

"Through him, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name."

"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased with sacrifices of that kind."
 Hebrews 13:15-16

As we are well aware the world's economy measures the return differently than God's. Unfortunately, Outreach has been hit hard by the worsening economy. Donations are down and we are operating at a deficit. Reserves are running low and we may be forced to cut back services soon or lay off some of the staff. We are asking you to prayerfully consider a financial gift to Outreach at this time.

Your gift will help us to continue to serve the Lord and the homeless, at-risk, and runaway youth of Indianapolis through addressing their physical, emotional and spiritual needs.

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is...serving, let him serve,...if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously..."   Romans 12: 6-8.

God Bless,
Eric

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Eric Howard, Executive Director
Outreach, Inc.

Phone: 317-251-8424
Hotline: 1-877-686-3818

"Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell."   (C.T. Studd)

Outreach, Inc.
Indianapolis

 
Our Purpose
The purpose of Outreach, Inc. is to serve Jesus Christ by reaching out to street kids with the love of Jesus Christ by meeting them where they are - lost and abandoned, on the streets of Indianapolis, and the surrounding areas - offering whatever help they need on a crisis basis and over time sharing with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so they might discover His truth.  Through that discovery it is hoped that they will choose to begin to grow in that relationship and empowering them to exit the streets. In so doing, choose to begin new lives of hope and faith.

What We Do
Outreach provides free clothing, blankets, food, basic first aid, and referrals to crisis counseling.  Volunteers walk the streets at night throughout the Indianapolis area meeting youth new to the streets and building relationships with  the long term street kids.  After establishing these relationships, volunteers also visit youth who are in jail, prison or detention.  Referrals are made for kids needing housing, employment, education, help getting out of the sex industry, medical assistance, and drug/alcohol rehabilitation.  As a Christian based agency, volunteers share their faith in a low-key but meaningful way, giving kids a chance to make their own decisions about their spiritual beliefs.  One-on-one relationships are established over a period of time, and these relationships earn the volunteer the right to be heard.

Check the Centralized Christian Calendar
for events that Eric is speaking at, including...

June 14-18, 2004 -- Urban Ministries Seminar

featuring Dr. John Perkins,
Founder, CCDA
(Christian Community Development Association)

      

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...supporting the mission of Outreach, Inc.
here in the Greater Indianapolis area.