The Message is in the Meal
Three widows. Twenty-one kids. Zero turkeys. Enter Bishop Gershon Suan and his Coat of Many Colors Ministry, a Houston-area church that operates a soup kitchen and other helps-oriented programs. The church is located in the old section of Baytown, which was founded in 1948 on the northern side of Galveston Bay, near the terminus of […]
This Little Light Spreads
Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series on the exponential power of Cru® Inner City’s discipleship training. In the first installment we explored how the training impacted Blanca Nuñez’s spiritual walk. Here, we get a glimpse into how she’s using it to impact her community. Like most Americans, your 2020 calendar resembled no other yearly […]
Powered Up by Love
Giselle loves playing with hair, makeup and clothes, while younger sis, Melissa. is an artist, bent on discovering new ways to hone her craft. In many ways, they are typical teens, but in other ways circumstances have made their lives much harder. The sisters, the youngest of five siblings, grew up in a lower-income community […]
Teen Delivers Immeasurable Gospel Message
LaToria peeked inside the simple white bag. Looking right past the candy and other sweet treats, her tiny hand went straight to the colorful, beaded bracelet. She pulled it out and tied it to her wrist. Each color represented an aspect of the story of Jesus. LaToria, a first-grader, instantly connected with the story, and […]
Honoring the Blues While Chasing Them Away
Every Easter, rain or shine, Blackwell-Israel Samuel A.M.E. Zion Church, an historic building with rutted limestone facade and broad arches, hosted a community egg hunt within its massive walls. A beacon on Chicago’s South Side, the 134-year-old building has hosted worship services and more, as thousands have gathered under its high-sloped roofs to attend club […]
Sowing Hope, Reaping New Life
Rossana Aguilar lives in one of the most productive and lucrative farming communities in America. But this area, once dubbed the world’s breadbasket, is not immune to food insecurity. Rossana can testify to that, having spent much of 2020 stuffing bags with donated food at Centro Cristiano Agape, her small congregation serving southwest Bakersfield, California. […]
Navigating Through a COVID Time Warp
Jayson Choe, a Cru® Inner City staff member in New York City, trekked to the grocery store. It was hot, typical for mid-July. An event poster plastered along the route captured his attention. His eyes locked on the mid-March date. As he scanned surrounding flyers he noticed they all had similar dates. Reality smacked him […]
A Gift of Life
It was a dark, wintry afternoon. Evelyn could think of no better time to offer Homeless Care Kits. She set out from her church with a carload of Kits and a prayer that God would work powerfully through them. Each Homeless Care Kit contains a blanket, a scarf, gloves, a hat, and basic hygiene supplies […]
It Started with a Box
Larry and Wanda, parents of three small children, both had a church background … but their experiences hadn’t been positive. They had learned about Jesus in the past, but they weren’t following him … and they knew it. Members from New Hope Fellowship, a local church, who knew Larry and Wanda’s oldest son through one of […]
Nothing He Can’t Forgive
Dena nervously clutched the metal handle to The Freedom Center’s red door as she opened it and walked inside. The Freedom Center is a resource center connected to Liberty and Truth Ministries, a partner ministry of Cru® in the inner city of Milwaukee. Assisting individuals and families to live in wholeness, they have a clothing […]