“For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.” Matthew 25:35,36 NASB
For lack of a better phrase, the Church on the Street (CotS) Discipleship Program is a Christian boot-camp. Men and women from all different walks of life have completed this program. Mostly, however, applicants come from two primary pools, the homeless and recently released prisoners. The program is for the man who has realized his life needs an overhaul and is willing to put himself under strict authority to do it.
JAIL AND PRISON SERVICES
Every week, CotS staff and volunteers organize and perform more than forty worship services inside the jails and prisons of Arizona. At these events, prisoners hear the Gospel of Christ, and often hear it from those who have been through prison themselves. These services give hope in a place where, usually, hope is lost. Many receive God’s free gift here, an eternity assured from within the darkest of earthly places. (I have had the privilege of speaking at one of these services.)
NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES
More than thirty-five CotS neighborhood outreaches occur each week. Here staff, volunteers and program disciples participate in feeding, clothing and witnessing to those who attend. At each event, the speaker will invite the attendees to invite Jesus into their lives. Those who express an interest are told about the Discipleship Program. The journey often begins with a two week stay at the CotS Homeless Shelter. The application and interview processes then occur. This also gives the applicant a chance to get drugs and alcohol out of his system.
HOMELESS SHELTER
Here the Gospel is liberally shared, and information on the Discipleship Program is readily available.
Then, the accepted applicant enters the Discipleship Program. Room and board are provided for the duration of the Program. Here, the disciples attend daily classes and several worship services each week. Each individual also participates in the care and upkeep of the Phoenix Dream Center, which generously shares its facility with CotS.
The final element of the Program: each disciple is given the opportunity to participate in the same outreaches that brought many of them to CotS in the first place, as well as outreaches at area nursing homes, and at programs organized by one of our major partners, the Phoenix First Assembly church.
I can’t necessarily say that there is a high completion rate. We do not track the numbers. And if God’s hand isn’t on a man, he simply won’t finish the program. But, if God’s hand is there, a transformation occurs; men often complete the program bearing little resemblance to the men they once were.
Another amazing thing? The staff members of Church on the Street know it’s where God wants them to be. For nothing more than room, board and a one-hundred dollar monthly “gratuity” for incidentals, most of the staff puts in well over forty hours a week each in their duties at CotS.
It is my great privilege to volunteer at Church on the Street. Each tale is a unique story of God’s love and Jesus’ sacrifice for a fallen people.
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