After working
with Faith Church to help plant a church in Spring Hill I spent time trying to
discern God’s will for my future. I enrolled in another class at seminary to
help me visualize and discern where God was leading me in ministry. I read a
book titled Ministries of Mercy: The Call of the Jericho Road by Timothy
J. Keller. This book helped me immensely in discerning my calling to ministry.
After having
spent the summer of 1986 at Waterfront Rescue Mission, Keller’s book helped me
bringing together my love for rescue ministry with my desire to serve God in
Hernando County with a similar mission. If you have not read this book and you
have a heart for helping poor and needy people then this is a must read for
you. The introduction to Keller’s book gives a brief taste of his writing.
“Like the wounded man on the Jericho Road, there are
needy people in our path - the widow next door, the family strapped with
medical bills, the homeless man outside our place of worship. God calls us to
be ministers of mercy to people in need of shelter, assistance, medical care,
or just friendship. Timothy
Keller demonstrates that caring for needy people is the job of every believer -
not just church deacons - as fundamental to Christian living as evangelism,
nurture, and worship. But Keller doesn’t stop there. He shows how we can carry
out this vital ministry as individuals, families, and churches. Along the way,
he deals perceptively with many thorny issues, such as the costs of meeting
needs versus the limits of time and resources, giving material aid versus
teaching responsibility, and meeting needs within the church versus those
outside.”
It
was after reading this book that I chose the name Jericho Road Ministries for
our mission. To me it summarizes our desire to actively assist the least, the
lost and the last among us. Those in need of help are in need of more than the
obvious material needs of food, clothing, a job, medical attention, etc. Their
greater need is a changed spirit that would help them to begin changing
themselves and not merely their environment or circumstances. With a personal
relationship to Jesus Christ, all that the poor and homeless desire can be met
by Him.
The
Parable of the Good Samaritan continues to be the guiding concept for the
various activities here at Jericho Road Ministries. As our Mission Statement
says, we strive “to lovingly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the
economically, emotionally, and spiritually impoverished; by responding to their
basic physical and emotional needs, and by promoting Christian growth as
characterized by a productive and changed life”.
