SOWING SEEDS
A note from our CEO,
Pastor Jim Chapman
I love the Easter season. The core of it is Jesus’ resurrection, the most important event in human history.
I would have been a good farmer. The whole idea of sowing seed and reaping new growth has always intrigued me. My dad was a great tomato farmer when I was growing up. He was really into it. He carefully numbered all his tomato plants, and I am convinced that he talked to them as he carefully watered and cared for them. A bit of that heritage has rubbed off on me. I love getting down on my knees and burying my hands into the dirt and working some of it up into my nails. Sowing a tiny seed into the rich ground, watering it, and watching it sprout, is nothing short of miraculous.
When Jesus died on a Roman cross and was buried, God was sowing amazing new seed. Jesus’ disciples thought that the game was over. They could not have been more wrong! God had something big in mind. Gone forever were the old ways to God. Through Jesus’ resurrection, new redemptive seed was ushered into the human equation, which would transform generations of new Christ-following believers. Those who would believe in a resurrected Jesus as their savior would be transformed out of their sin and into a new person in Christ. Their sinful ways were gone, and a new spiritual life based upon the sacrificial death and resurrection work of Jesus Christ would sprout. The Apostle Paul writes that “in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:17). Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, a beautiful opportunity exists for those who place their faith in him. This offer from God still exists for us today!
Sowing seeds to salvation is the foundational principle of Christ’s Body’s ministry to the homeless. For years, our ministry has faithfully fed, clothed, healed and shared the Gospel with Denver’s homeless community. Often, I am asked if I know how many lives have been changed. I really have no idea who has believed in this Gospel “seed.” Perhaps that is a good thing. We do this sowing every day regardless of the response, knowing that God is ultimately responsible for the results. We play two games: the “short” game, which is to sow the Gospel despite the circumstances, and the “long” game in that some of those who hear it will believe and be in eternity. This is the ultimate metric of success for Christ’s Body.
There is just something so invigorating about “working this soil.” Most of our homeless friends are badly broken, ignored and alone. Their “soil” is terribly fallow, mired in a hopeless myriad of mental health issues, addictions, and hopelessness. Their hearts ache for hope in something transformational that will rescue them out of their seemingly dire predicament. The ultimate antidote is not a job or housing. It's not their sobriety, sanity or even a new community. I believe that first and foremost it is their spiritual renewal in Jesus Christ through the power of his resurrection.
That is the meaning of Easter!
We are a bunch of seed sowers at Christ’s Body! We value your prayers and support and would love it if you want to volunteer and sow seeds with us too!
Happy Easter.
Pastor Jim
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As we continue to grow, we see more opportunities cropping up to expand our outreaches in the hopes of impacting more people for Christ.
We are seeing an increase in volunteers at our Civic Park Outreaches which has been wonderful! It’s a simple equation really: the more volunteers we have, the more seeds we can sow! Our heart is to share the love of Jesus, the Gospel, the Word, and to come alongside and pray with people while meeting their physical needs of food and clothing. Seeing more opportunities to do so is all the better!
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FOOD AND CLOTHING AT CIVIC PARK (BELOW) |
We’ve added two new outreaches to our weekly schedule – outreaches that will go directly to city encampments after our time spent with friends at Civic Park.
In the past, we’ve been able to sporadically visit these
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encampments, and we are grateful to have two new set times where we can be more consistently available for folks in their camps and bring food, clothing, and the light of Jesus.
We thank God for His hand in His ministry at Christ’s Body and for the wonderful folks that he continues to provide to be the hands and feet of Jesus on the streets. There are always more opportunities to volunteer with us and to grow with us. Check out our website for more information!
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NEW RESIDENT CHARLES IS A JOY! |
We are thrilled to introduce you to our newest Resident to CBM, Charles Lucero. Charles (PICTURED, LEFT) actually came to CBM as a referral to our Respite Care program with an injury to his leg. Though he came into the facility seeking physical healing he would begin experiencing a spiritual restoration, much like the story in Luke 5.
If you were just meeting Charles for the first time, it wouldn’t take you long to see his joyful spirit. His laugh and smile are infectious to be around. You can’t walk by his door without being greeted. Charles fits well with the old saying, ‘never met a stranger.'
Charles lived quite a life before coming to CBM. He was a talented amateur boxer in his youth. And though he never pursued boxing professionally, he has had lengthy careers as an engineering draftsman and truck driver. The truth is, after years of running the streets, Charles realized that he couldn’t keep running. God put a major call on Charles’ life to stop living for the desires of the flesh, and submit his desires and affections to living for God. This is especially evident in Charles’s fervency to learn more about God and study scripture. In the coming months, Charles’s goals include learning more about scripture, becoming computer literate, and developing skills to be a peer support role for those coming out of a similar lifestyle. And we feel that Charles has found a home here at CBM.
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UPDATE ON CARAVAN-OF-CARE |
We are excited to announce our first vehicle purchase of the Caravan-of-Care. We will be expecting our first shower trailer on June 1st! We cannot wait to use it this summer, as last summer we overwhelmingly heard that the biggest need on the street was showers! One wonderful benefit of having a shower trailer is that it allows us to stay out longer with people and have more important conversations and sowing seeds for the Kingdom. This type of care is vital along with the food and clothing that we are already serving; it will give us more opportunity to show the love of Jesus. We are currently looking to buy a truck to pull the shower trailer, and are excited to see what God has for us. Thank you to all that have contributed to our caravan-of-care effort, it’s wonderful to see the body of Christ at work. |
"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God." 1 Peter 1:23 NIV
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