New Skowhegan shelter open house is Saturday | The Morning Sentinel, Waterville, ME

New Skowhegan shelter open house is Saturday | The Morning Sentinel, Waterville, ME

Taking the Bible's commands literally, Trinity Evangelical Free Church of Skowhegan, Maine has just opened their homeless shelter. Starting with a single homeless man that asked for the church's help, this shelter is now up and running and even serves as the town's food pantry, all without any state or federal funding. They do it all by donations from God's people. Check out the story for more.

Cowperthwaite family: "I hate religion, but love Jesus" video

Cowperthwaite family: "I hate religion, but love Jesus" video: I watched a few more of this man's videos, and feel that the reason we find error in his "religion hating" is that his definition of grace i...

KOTS threatened with closure in Key West

Citizen story on KOTS- this story in today's Key West Citizen newspaper is not available in its entirety without a subscription. Still, the attached comments are very telling. Some want to help homeless folks and feel they are doing the right thing. Others want to close the shelter and rid the city of homeless folks. I would be interested to hear what you all think of this issue and how to deal with it.

Mark Cowperthwaite

Pray for Will

I was out on the street with Caleb Caeton tonight. We met a man named Will. He expressed that he was struggling with alcoholism and needed help. Will would like to find a Christian based rehab facility, his brother is a Presbyterian pastor in Wisconsin. He seemed to have some knowledge of the Bible, but not a saving faith. We talked and invited him to come to our Bible study Friday mornings at the Gospel Chapel in Key West. We also prayed for Will there on the street.

Will seemed sincere, but also seemed to be struggling to keep his mind on the conversation due to the pain in his shoulder. He was wearing a sling and his shoulder was visibly out of place. We prayed and talked and went on our way. Please pray for Will, that he will keep in touch and come to a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ by faith. Knowledge alone of the Bible is not enough, and we pray that he finds himself dead in sin and reach out in faith to God in repentance. This is just  another case of a homeless man that God has put in our paths. Continue to pray!

Mark and Caleb

Key West resources

Online resources and information for homeless folks in Key West. We have these maps printed and available at the chapel. It is important to know what others are doing to help so that we work together in our efforts. If every church in town offers a hot meal on Monday evenings, then 6 days a week people will go without. Can we coordinate with each other to provide housing, showers, meals, blankets, clothes, etc?

KOTS Key West

The article linked HERE tells the story of an average man who has found a tough time finding work in Key West. Noted in the article is the fact that on any given day, 60 percent of the people staying at KOTS (Keys Overnight Temporary Shelter) worked that day. They have a clean place to stay with opportunity for a shower. It is not permanent, and each day you must leave by 730am and cannot return until 600pm. Still, a place to sleep is better than sleeping on the beach or in an abandoned lot(which is illegal and often dangerous) and many of the local church and charity programs work hand in hand with KOTS.

The chapel here in Key West does not have the resources or time to help every person that comes along, but we have used those resources we do have to help as much as we can. We have been blessed to have food to share, and have gotten to know many of the local folks who are between homes. We have found that Christians, Buddhists, atheists, and many more are homeless. Poverty knows no religion, but only Christianity offers more than a hand out, offering eternal life and a relationship with Jesus Christ. We want to help meet physical needs, but also help with spiritual needs, to include counseling and sharing the Gospel.

We have been blessed to meet quite a few Christians that we can get to know and encourage in the Lord. I pray that you will take the steps to help others as you have opportunity and resources. As we work together as the body of Christ to go beyond meeting physical needs, and meet the spiritual needs, we will learn so much about ourselves and the Lord Jesus. His heart for those in need should be reflected in our lives. Are we being the hands and feet of the body of Christ? Or are we closing our eyes and avoiding the very real problems that folks around us have to endure, pacifying ourselves that we "gave at the office"?

May you grow in grace and the knowledge of the Lord as you walk in His steps day by day. Grace and peace to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who also had no place to lay His head.

Mark

More people seeking winter shelter in Maine

Please read the attached site for the article about how to help the homeless in Maine as the temperatures head south of the freezing mark. Read the article here

SKOWHEGAN -- As people put up lights and holiday decorations and make plans with family for good food and presents, there's another group of people quietly looking for a place to sleep: the homeless.