Monroe Community Church (MCC) moved into a new ministry space in August of 2021. One of the things we noticed very quickly was that a homeless man was spending lots of time on our grounds.
We soon came to find out that this man was living on our property (sleeping on what used to be the old loading dock). We reached out and developed a relationship with Russ. Russ has been on the street for 5 years. His family had a business in the area but after a falling out, he found himself alone and destitute.
Russ is a kindhearted soul. We found it easy to care for Russ. We gave him a tote so he could store his belongings and when the weather began to get a bit cooler, we bought Russ an electric blanket and strung a power cord out of our garage door. Russ frequently warms himself in the building and uses our shower to clean up.
As the winter began to set in, we worried about Russ. We were able to convince Russ to find shelter in Mel Trotter’s overflow facility on Division and Cherry. A couple weeks ago Russ showed up on a Sunday morning and sat in the gallery area of MCC and worshipped with us.
All we are trying to do is live into Matthew 25: 36-36…
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.
Submitted by Jim Boer
New Church Development ministry story
