The Lord Lift Up His Countenance …
Sherry Hancock walked into the church with her husband, children, and a heavy heart. The new school year was days away, and her family’s ongoing financial struggles were weighing on her. The realities of raising three young children in a major city added another layer of concern. So, the family accepted an invitation to Lights […]
Teen Carries New Backpack — and Fresh Faith
At just 14, Amber was crushingly aware of how malicious kids could be. For months, she endured demeaning comments about her weight and appearance, and all she wanted to do was flee to the protected space of her home. The problem was that Amber’s home was a shelter, meaning she couldn’t escape the taunts coming […]
Cleaning Out His Backpack
Sandwiched between Independence Day and the first bell of the new school year is an annual event that leaves JRay Stephens giddy as he scans the hundreds of colorful backpacks his church is about to distribute to students in need. Each PowerPack® backpack, donated by the Inner City Ministry of Cru®, is filled with vital […]
A Child Shall Lead Them
D.J. sat alone as dozens of other children gathered together by age at nearby tables. It turned out that 8-year-old D.J. was the only one in his age group, and Miss Ruby couldn’t stand the picture of isolation he represented. “He was waiting a little bit for the other kids to come in,” Miss Ruby […]
Dignity in a Bag
Harvey was overburdened by a bitter cocktail of pain and shame, precipitated by the murder of his brother. Following a pattern modeled in his childhood home, Harvey sought solace in a bottle, leading to an alcohol-driven spiral. Soon, the drinking cost him his own home. Fed up with the havoc his addiction brought into their […]
Satisfying Hunger
Gabriel Perez was greeting guests during a community outreach when a woman approached in her car. Animated, she yells in his direction. “Where’s Nazari?” came the voice from inside her car. “Tell her that my granddaughter is healed.” “Your granddaughter is healed?” Perez responded, unsure of the backstory. Nazari, working nearby, hears the excitement and […]
Rejection Leads to a Red-Letter Day
“Do you know Red?” came the voice from the other end of Pastor Joyce Smith’s cell phone. “He’s had a stroke, and we found your card in his pocket.” Pastor Joyce met Red a few weeks earlier during a homeless ministry event through her Better Days Community Outreach Services. After asking God’s blessing on the […]
Amigos de Jesus Church Expands its Family
Pastor Mario Valle Jr. watched the baptism with a billowing heart. Timed for the congregation’s 13th anniversary, he marveled at how the Lord worked since his parents founded Ministerio Cristiano Amigos de Jesus (Friends of Jesus Christian Ministry) in the Magnolia Park neighborhood, southeast of Houston. In the last year alone, 16 new families joined […]
Julio’s Lasting Legacy
Pastor Ray Romprey and his wife, Mila, stood on the stoop, ready to rap on the door. Julio — someone in their ministry network told them — was desperate for food but, more importantly, God’s healing love. Armed with a Box of Love®, the couple knocked and waited. The Box of Love was one of […]
Beauty Emerges From Plan B
Richard Garcia was in search of a Plan B. The needs of his Bakersfield community were shifting, and the diminishing evangelism opportunities distressed the spiritual leader, who heads the Cru® Inner City team in California’s Central Valley. “A lot of our partner churches are signing up for free food, and it creates this situation where […]