Homeless Ministry

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Without our invitation we have experienced several homeless individuals resting in our Narthex and joining us for Breakfast. A few have joined us in the Divine Service. Some of these people have respected us and others have not. We have discussed this ministry and the need for it in our community at both our Council Meetings and our Elders Meetings. Ron and I met this past month to develop Rules that we expect our homeless visitors to abide by. These rules were then presented to the Council and some slight modifications were made. We expect these rules to followed and if they are not then those people will be told to leave. I have already told one person that he is no longer welcomed here.

There are still a few aspects of this that we must figure out and then implement. We wanted the congregation to know that we share the concerns of many people, if not all, and that we are working on making this the safe environment that it should be as we gather together to receive God’s gifts and enjoy breakfast with each other.

These are the rules:

The Homeless Ministry of TLC is first and foremost a Christian Ministry. We exist to first and foremost live and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we also offer to give guidance, and assistance where possible, to the homeless so that they might be able to move out of their extreme poverty.

1. All homeless people who visit our campus on Sunday morning are to attend one of the two Divine Services in the sanctuary. No one is to be in the Narthex or anywhere else on Trinity’s property while the Divine Service is occurring.

2. All homeless, as well any members or other visitors, are to be respectful of TLC’s members and property.

3. No trash is to be left outside of a trash container.

4. All people are to sit upright in the furniture that is in the Narthex.

5. Trinity Lutheran Church is not a shelter; therefore no one is allowed to sleep on our property at any time without prior permission from the Board of Property Management.

6. There is to be no asking for, nor demanding of, money from congregational members at any time

If any of these rules are broken, then the person breaking the rules will be asked to leave the premises and will not be welcome at Trinity Lutheran Church. If that person refuses to leave the property and stay off the property, then the police will be called and will be asked to remove the person from the property.

~ Pastor Webb

ABOUT THE BOARD OF EVANGELISM

We, as Christians, are called by Scriptures and God to pass on the good news of God’s love and Christ’s salvation. The Board of Evangelism has one purpose: “To oversee and give direction to the congregation’s evangelism and outreach activities.” There are two elements to this ministry according to The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod: Witness and Outreach.

Witness is the work we have been given to do as the church scattered. We have opportunities to speak of Jesus with the people in our everyday lives who are our friends, co-workers, neighbors, family members, etc. 

Outreach is the work we do as the church gathered. It is our collective effort through ministries, services, events and other activities as the church through which we invite and include others into Word and Sacrament ministry.

Witness & Outreach are distinct, but they work together so people will know of Jesus and be gathered into His Church through us.

Here at Trinity Lutheran Church our Board of Evangelism provides the following programs to witness and outreach:

Visitors are always welcome at TLC. The Board of Evangelism provides visitors with a small gift and a folder with a welcome letter from Pastor Webb and other pertinent information. Our new welcome table is in the Narthex and a designated area for visitor information.

New member classes and educational classes are another opportunity from the Board of Evangelism. If you are interested in signing up for a new member class please contact the Church Office at (912) 925-4839.

Our “Dinner for Eight” ministry provides a fun way to meet members of the congregation that you may now know very well. One person hosts the dinner and guests are invited to join a small group for dinner. The groups are purposely kept small to provide an opportunity for each guest to get to know their fellow attendees. If you are interested in hosting or attending one of these dinners please contact Chris Garretson.

Our Small Business Directory is available on the table in the Narthex and includes contact information for congregation members who have a small business. If you are interested in being added to the list please fill out the form available and give to Karen Hanovich.

Through the efforts of the Board of Evangelism, TLC is now a member of not only the Kroger Community Rewards Program but the AmazonSmiles program as well. Please consider participating as this is a great way to earn funds to help with our serving the community. The following link should explain any questions you may have about the program: http://www.Kroger.com\communityrewards. Our organization number for Kroger is 18527. If you are unable to sign up for this online, if you call Kroger’s customer service at 800 5764377, they should be able to designate Trinity Lutheran as your community rewards choice. You will need your Kroger rewards card and our organization number above when you call.

Just like Kroger, Amazon has a similar program called Amazon Smile that gives money back to the charitable organization of your choice. The link is https://smile.amazon.com/ch/58-1269942. The AmazonSmile program will donate .5% to Trinity. For more information contact Chris Garretson.

The principal drive behind our Homeless Ministry is Ron Wolfe with lots of help from his wife, Jennifer, and stepson, Ryan Smith. The purpose is simple: to meet the needs of the homeless living in the Southside of Savannah. Under the umbrella of the Evangelism Committee, the focus has been to meet the everyday needs with clothes, blankets, personal care items and even shoes.

The congregation of Trinity has been very generous in their giving to meet the needs established by Ron. Our very first blanket drive was a huge success with people in the community dropping off trunk-loads of blankets. Our sock drive was also very successful and greatly appreciated when delivered to the homeless who gather at Forsyth Park. The socks were placed in plastic bags with snacks and a few personal items.

The Homeless Ministry now has storage space located in the Education Building for your donations. Feel free to donate gently used items such as blankets, coats and jackets, other clothing, shoes, socks and small personal items. Keep in mind that items that are oversize and not easily transported are not needed. Your donated items are then delivered by Ron and Jennifer directly into the hands of the homeless who gather on Sunday’s at Forsyth Park.

Future plans for this growing ministry include teaming up with People Helping People to serve breakfast at the Park. Church and Social groups throughout the city sign up for a breakfast, and handle everything from purchasing the food, cooking, and serving to the homeless. If you would like to be involved in this outreach please contact Ron Wolfe at (912) 677-0676.

Currently the Board of Evangelism members are:
Chris Garretson (President) (912) 977-3443
Shirley Lewis (912) 925-1523
Greg Lucas (912) 659-7150
Ron Wolfe (912) 677-0676