'Friday Night Light:' simply an awesome event

Ken with Russ and Nancy live on the radio during their "Friday Live"
show at the Love In Action Connected Coffee Cafe.

People donated 143 pairs of men's tennis shoes and work
boots to help us minister to the homeless in Dothan, Ala.

What happens when the Body of Christ comes together? People get saved and the "least of these" are helped.

The JoyFM 94.3/96.1 partnered with us this past Friday, May 25, to raise awareness of homelessness in Dothan, Alabama, and to encourage people to donate men's tennis shoes and work boots to help us give the homeless men we serve some much-needed shoes. We receive a large number of women's shoes, but not men's. So, when 143 pairs of men's shoes were donated through this partnership, we celebrated.

When JoyFM General Manager Mark Giles stopped by Love In Action to donate some men's clothes, I gave him a tour of our campus. Mark noticed our men's shoes choices were dismal, only a handful of well used shoes were available. I explained to him our challenge of getting men's shoes.

While we were in the coffee house, I told him about the Worship & Coffee Fellowship events we held last summer. He said why don't we partner on a coffee house event and ask people to donate men's shoes. Then he came up with the name, "Friday Night Light," with Jesus, of course, being the Light.

Excellent idea with amazing results.

The JoyFM did an excellent job promoting the event, and we both saturated social media. Russ and Nancy hosted their JoyFM Friday Live show from 3-7 p.m. at our Connected Coffee Cafe and a steady stream of people stopped by to donate shoes. It was a fun afternoon.

From 7-9 p.m. Dane Skipper led praise and worship. The coffee house was packed. It was great watching the Body of Christ coming together to lift up no other name than Jesus Christ. That's how God intended it to be. I also loved seeing people interact with the homeless who had never done so before. In some cases, they didn't even know they were talking to a homeless person. Not all homeless people are dirty and wear ragged clothing. Most of them do care about how they look and smell. That's one reason why we have a shower for the homeless and do their laundry.

These events do wonders for the homeless. It makes them feel like they are part of something, and they are. Also, how many times are the homeless invited to watch a live remote and register for gifts?

The greatest part about Friday was two people giving their lives to Jesus. Bro. Dan Levy of Love In Action saw them at the picnic table next to the coffee house. He went out and talked with them and led them to Jesus. Then later that evening a man came in looking to be a blessing to someone who is in a similar situation as he was in several years ago. We introduced him to the man who just got saved, and he was offered a job with an excellent starting salary. That couple saw God moving in their lives in amazing ways. They were in church on Sunday, too. 

We look forward to partnering more with The JoyFM. We make a great team.

Thank you to everyone who was part of Friday Night Light to make it such a success. Thank you to everyone who donated men's shoes. Thank you JoyFM, Dakota Coffee, and everyone who made desserts. Oh my! We had a lot of delicious sweets. Thank you to our volunteers for serving, and thank you to everyone who came out.

Our next Friday Night Light will be Friday, June 22. More details will be released soon. Please keep an eye on our Facebook page.

Click here for a photo album from "Friday Night Light."

Dane, Christal and Clay were wonderful leading worship for "Friday Night Light."

Everyone enjoying the fellowship at "Friday Night Light."

Successful Homeless Stand Down

Martha organizing T-shirts at the SEACH Homeless Stand Down.

Saturday is the one day we can sleep in after a long week of work, right? Not for nearly 100 volunteers who served at the Southeast Alabama Coalition for the Homeless outreach this past Saturday, May 19.

SEACH is a group of ministries and agencies who work together to end homelessness in Dothan and the Wiregrass. It's a show of unity that's not usually seen in most areas. We are thankful for that unity and cooperation. When we all work together, not worried about who gets the credit, the more people we can help and work we can accomplish.

The SEACH Homeless Stand Down is held every spring and fall. One of the goals of the event is to provide much-needed, life-necessary items to our homeless friends throughout Dothan. Tents, bug repellent, food, Coleman stoves, propane, hygiene items and sleeping bags are items the homeless need to survive.

We look at this as a hand-up, not a handout. The goal is to help the homeless come off the streets. To get there is a process. It's not as easy as saying, "Get a job and get your own place." I wish it was that simple. It takes time, but it's a process that can be done. I've seen many of the homeless over the years successfully come off the streets.

We are so blessed to live in a community filled with people who help when they know of a need. The community responded once again and provided items to fill 97 bags for the homeless. Ministries and agencies who work with the homeless interviewed and filled out forms on the homeless to determine their needs. We couldn't have met those needs without such a giving community. Thank you to everyone who donated.

The volunteers were amazing. They started showing up between 6-6:30 a.m. Despite the early hour and the heat and humidity, these volunteers went to work and smiled as they organized items and filled bags. By 9 a.m. the 97 bags were loaded up and delivered to the homeless. 

Thank you to everyone who came out. You were all wonderful. Thank you to Wiregrass 2-1-1 Executive Director David Duke and his staff, SEACH President Vickie Alleman, SEACH Vice President and Harbor Church Executive Director Kody Kirchhoff, and David Jamison for all of your hard work organizing the Stand Down. Thank you to everyone who was involved. It was truly a great day. To God be the glory!

Bro. Dan taping a homeless person's information sheet to a bag filled with much-needed items.

Wiregrass 2-1-1 Executive Director David Duke.

Harbor Church Executive Director/SEACH Vice President Kody Kirchhoff addressing
volunteers at Saturday's SEACH Homeless Stand Down.

Volunteers organizing items at the SEACH Homeless Stand Down.

A family prays over a bag of items they filled for a homeless person at the SEACH Homeless Stand Down.
There is power in prayer because of the One we pray to.

Worshiping Jesus in India

We loved worshiping Jesus with our brothers and sisters in India during our mission trip there in April 2018. Though we did not understand the words, we felt the Spirit of God moving as we worshiped. One day, every tribe, people and language will be in Heaven worshiping God together. What an awesome blessing to experience a little of that here on earth. To God be the glory!