2022 reflection
As we enter 2023, it is important that we look back on 2022 and reflect on all that has happened. Reflection reminds us that our work is not finished. There are still hungry families, gun violence, kids entering the foster care system and people in need of hope. Integral in ensuring we provide hope is the church and its people. It is up to us to be the change in the world. There is so much darkness in it- both spiritual and physical darkness. We can be the light as we care for and love our neighbors. It is only in the name of Jesus that we are going to see lives restored and heal.
Psalm 32 verse eight says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”
The Lord is always with us. He is going before us. In every moment, season, mountain top or valley, the Lord is with us. He knows our every need and is sovereign over everything. This includes our government and world events. He is in control of our future. When it seems like the Lord is distant and not near, we can take heart and believe that He is always moving- even when we don’t see it.
Reflections
One of the highlights from this year was the work of the local church. This year, the local church stepped up and led outreach throughout the state of Arkansas. Our local churches did so much to meet the needs of those in neighborhoods and communities. It is their work that is making the biggest impact in sharing the love of Christ. We heard many powerful and impactful stories from CityServe church partners reaching the homeless, single moms, grandparents, college students, new moms and everyone in between. They saw needs and met them. They provided furniture, diapers, bicycles, heaters, blankets, appliances, prayer, truth and much more.
In 2022, CityServe had church partners in 45 of the 75 counties impacting 69,000 people in Arkansas. This number represents 69,000 people experiencing the love of Christ from the local church.
A story of this outreach comes from Way of Salvation Outreach Ministries in Jacksonville, Arkansas. They saw that a single mom of special needs children was in need. One of her boys had a difficult time sleeping at night. Way of Salvation was able to provide a new mattress, pillows, a blanket and cleaning supplies ordered from CityServe.
The church liaison said, “We were able to provide all of those very things because of our obedience to God by joining the CityServe community! The young boy we blessed attended the school I work at. He is now a sixth grader on his way to the seventh grade whom I haven't seen since May of last year. Their eyes began to light up when they realized who I was, which made it even more special to me than it already was. He gave me a big high five after we unloaded everything and thanked us with a big smile on his face.”
Another highlight from this year was the number of meals Every Arkansan distributed to neighborhoods, families and kids experiencing food insecurity. With 162,000 kids and 444,130 adults hungry in our state, there is a huge hunger crisis. This year Every Arkansan provided 60,075 meals to families and kids. This number represents meals served at the Dream Center, snack bags distributed out on our mobile truck routes and holiday food boxes given to families.
For single mothers, working to make ends meet comes with challenges. When one mom was in a vulnerable season, the Arkansas Dream Center was there to support and give her a hand up. The rising cost of inflation has put limitations on what families can purchase, even with help from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This was the situation for a hurting mother.
Balancing two jobs, one during the day and one at night, the mom was doing everything she could to provide for her family. When she ran out of SNAP benefits, she was in crisis mode. Working hard to pay bills, put food on the table and provide other essential needs, the mom had to decide what was most important for her family. To lift the burden and stress of providing food, the Dream Center mobile team gave her family enough food bags to last them for several days until her SNAP benefits re-started. Without free meals, her family would have gone hungry. Struggling to pull resources together, the mom needed a hand of hope.
These are the stories that encourage us to do more. These stories remind us there is work to be done for the Kingdom and glory of God. Let’s look to God in 2023. Let’s keep our eyes fixed on Him and let him guide us into this year. He is our hope.
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.”
Isaiah 43:18-19