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It's been said that one needs a fare
of air, water, food and shelter
to stay alive
But in your active faith
you've learned we humans
need something more:
a smile, an ear,
a coming near
with gifts of self
that say "I care";
that calm this frequent fear
of becoming
forever
untouched, unheard
and invisible.
-- David
New Madison Apartments
Spokane WA
MISSION STATEMENT"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. . . I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me." - Matthew 25:35,40 En Christo is a student-founded and student-led Christian ministry created in response to Jesus' call to serve our neighbors. Composed of members of the Whitworth community and local churches, En Christo focuses its ministry on four low-income hotels of downtown Spokane as well as people living on the surrounding streets. The members provide food and friendship for these people, demonstrating the love and grace of Jesus Christ. En Christo operates completely by volunteers from the Whitworth community. These volunteers are responsible for the preparation of 400 lunches every week to be delivered to four specific low-income hotels in downtown Spokane: the New Madison, Otis, Norman, and Jefferson. Each year En Christo delivers over 15,000 lunches, and since its beginning in 1990, over 75,000 lunches and 500 Bibles have been placed in the hands of our friends downtown. En Christo is funded primarily by churches, social service groups and individual sponsors. All donations go toward food and ministry purposes.
The Heart of En ChristoThe name "En Christo" is Greek for "in Christ". Christ is the center of our ministry. Everything we are and everything we do comes out of our love for and obedience to Jesus Christ. Our focus is not feeding the hungry, though we do that. Our focus is not befriending the friendless, though we do that, too. Our focus is Jesus Christ. What does this mean? First, it means that we are people who know and love Christ and are seeking to know Him better. This is what God has created us for. A person asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was, and Jesus replied: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:36-39). Notice that Jesus did not say "love your neighbor" first. Service is not our focus, but it is the fruit, the direct by-product, of our relationship with Christ. It is because of our love for Christ that we are choosing to serve Him through En Christo. We will do this in a variety of tangible ways: giving people food, becoming their friends, and hopefully verbally telling them about God. We do this all out of love, both love for God and love for His creation, the people of downtown. So, in all that we do, we need to be asking ourselves, "Is Christ my focus" and "Am I doing this out of love?"
Description of the Different Ministry Teams:OUTREACH - This is our main evangelical branch. Every Saturday night, twenty to thirty students take lunches to people in each of the four target hotels, as well as to those living on the streets of downtown. Their main goal is to initiate friendships and to look for opportunities to share the Gospel message. Each team within Outreach visits the same people every week to build consistency in relationships. Bibles are provided to those who are interested & requests for specific needs are taken and handed over to the Discipleship team. DISCIPLESHIP - Teams of students in Discipleship go downtown on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays to visit people who have expressed special requests. They look to deepen relationships with those who are open. They are responsible for distributing groceries and clothes, taking people to the hospital, leading bible studies, and fulfilling other specific needs, always seeking to strengthen the friendships that Outreach initiates. LUNCH MAKING - The lunch-making crew of En Christo consists of ten to twenty dedicated students who make the 400 lunches to be distributed by Outreach each Saturday. Every sack lunch is filled with a meat and cheese sandwich, fruit, dessert, and a Bible verse. This group is crucial not only for meeting the physical needs of the people downtown, but also for creating opportunities through the Bible verse to share the Gospel message with people who otherwise might not listen to outreach. PRAYER - Prayer is the foundation of En Christo. Members of this group are committed to lifting to God the praises and concerns of our friends downtown and needs of the En Christo ministry as a whole. They meet every Saturday to pray with the Outreach group and continue to pray and worship while that team is ministering downtown. This aspect is essential and as an entire organization we want to continue to come before God in prayer and keep Him as the center of En Christo, with all glory going to Him. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT - This team's goal is to look at how to best serve the people downtown and show them the love of Christ. Their job is to equip the members of En Christo by giving them the tools they need to minister effectively. Along with helping to develop skills, they search for the specific materials requested like Bibles, blankets, and jackets. Their role as a team is to help the entire ministry of En Christo become more efficient in the way that it serves.
A Related Link to Cup of Cool Water - a ministry to the downtown street kids of Spokane, founded by a past director of En Christo. |
