In just a few short years, the Spirit of God has raised up a strong testimony to the power of Christ — right in the heart of America's largest city — New York.
In the Mark Hellinger Theater, one of New York's largest, most beautiful theaters, God has established a church where hundreds of repentant believers from many nationalities are reaching out to the poorest and neediest in this crumbling city.
The press has been surprised by the continual growth and outreaches of Times Square Church. New York City papers ran stories about "Standing Room Only For Jesus On Broadway."
Thank God for the full auditorium, the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the many who are being saved. But we rejoice much in the heart God is giving us for the poor and homeless and those with life-controlling problems.
We hope this pictorial report will bring you up to date concerning our outreaches and ministries — help you pray for us more intelligently and show you what your gifts are enabling us to do in the name of the Lord.
We are not boasting in the flesh — for with all we attempt to do, the need is so great we are constantly being humbled and broken by what we see all around us daily. The problems, the poverty, the wickedness are overwhelming, so what you will see in this report is a testimony: A testimony that Christ cares — and so do His children.
Timothy House
God has indeed wrought a great miracle in providing us with this newly-renovated building to house our men's program.
The goal of Timothy House is to turn former addicts and alcoholics into men of God — with solid Bible training, much prayer and godly counseling.
Timothy House is an answer to diligent prayer. For the past two years especially, we have been crushed by having to turn men back out onto the streets who repented and turned to the Lord at Times Square Church. We had no beds, and all other Christian programs including Teen Challenge were filled and had waiting lists. In some programs there was a three-month waiting period to get anyone in.
Now we have our own place! It is debt free! Through the generosity of those on our mailing list, we were able to purchase this building and turn it into a Christ-centered institution for the salvation of many lost men, young and old.
If you give to this ministry and have wondered where your gifts go — the Timothy House is a good example. For every convert who becomes a pastor, missionary, counselor or who is restored to his family and society — every giver has had a part in saving each life!
Hannah House
What a mighty miracle God has performed for us in providing a brand new apartment house to care for women in need. We are moving the women's ministry into this new building in the next few months, the Lord willing. The owners are hard at work finishing it out to our specifications.
It is completely debt free!
We will provide a safe, spiritual haven for believing widows sixty years of age or older, who would be either homeless or living in squalid conditions.
We will take in unwed mothers, providing a loving Christian atmosphere during pregnancy, and hopefully saving a number of babies from being aborted. We will also provide free pregnancy counseling.
The Lord willing, we will also take into our ministry here women and girls with life-controlling problems. We have many who come to Times Square Church who turn to the Lord — and every Christian facility is filled. We have had no place, until now, to send them. We will focus on Bible training and Christian service.
Hannah House is just one block away from Times Square Church. It is an absolute miracle how God provided this lovely, spacious facility for us. God put it upon the heart of a dear friend of this ministry to buy the house for our use.
All glory be to God!
The Raven Mobile Food Truck
We have outfitted this mobile food unit with a full stainless steel kitchen (required by New York City laws), and our food evangelists go out daily to places where the hungry and the homeless live on the streets — and hundreds are fed. We feed the homeless hot soup, turkey hot dogs and coffee in the winter and turkey hot dogs and nutritious pasta salad in the summer.
At Grand Central Station we have fed more than 150 homeless people at a time. We pull up to parks, bus stations, abandoned buildings — wherever there are hungry, homeless people. The Raven is now known throughout the underground poor, because we do more than feed them. We give them Christ — the true Bread of Life. A number have been saved — now, almost daily, some are receiving Christ. What great changes we see in them as new hope fills their hearts — new desires to clean up, to work and to get on with life.
The Raven truck has a black raven bird painted on the side, in reference to the raven that fed the hungry prophet Elijah by the river Cherith.
Jesus said, "I was hungry, and you fed Me..." (Matthew 25:35). What a joy to see so many willing volunteers going out to feed the hungry, fulfilling Christ's commission.
Upper Room
The Upper Room is located on the second floor of a dilapidated building on the corner of Eighth Avenue and 41st Street in an area called "Crack Alley."
Wednesday through Saturday, hundreds are fed and clothed and are given hope. Our daily meetings are attended by some of the most wasted, broken-down souls in the entire city. Alcoholics, junkies, prostitutes, dying AIDS victims, runaways — all nationalities, all races — gather to be fed and to hear the gospel preached by former addicts and people just like themselves who were saved right off the same streets. They can hardly believe their eyes and ears when they listen to the testimonies of those who once sat where they now sit, once drugged and homeless — but now they are preaching the gospel.
We have provided clothing here for many children of the very poorest. One day I watched as a desperate mother found clothes for three of her children. The relief expressed on her face was worth all our efforts.
Christians are coming from all over America to help us minister in the Upper Room. Out of this humble center God has saved a multitude; and today, some are in Bible schools, colleges, back home, restored, working — all miraculously changed by the power of Jesus Christ.
This is one of the most vital outreaches for Christ in New York City! Your gifts help provide the food we serve and pay a small stipend to our dedicated staff.
The staff of the Upper Room literally risk their lives ministering on crack alley. Last week two street people were murdered in front of our doors. I heard one worker requesting prayer for sleep. He said, "We see so much; we are under such heavy demonic pressure all day long; we see such sadness and hear so much pain— we can't sleep at night."
Please pray for their protection — for rest — for all needs to be supplied.
Prison Ministry
There are more than 35 state and federal jails and prisons in the New York City metropolitan area alone. Some have no "religious" input at all. We now provide weekly church services, Bible studies and evangelistic music concerts in 14 of these facilities.
God has raised up a group of 125 dedicated volunteers, including 15 musicians and singers, in the midst of Times Square Church. We reach out to these often-forgotten men, women and children, whom society considers to be outcasts. We provide discipleship training to new converts, individual visitation and counseling and family ministry.
The entire church is involved annually with the families of prisoners by providing the children with school clothes, food and gifts for special occasions. What a joy when we see the faces of the children light up, as they receive the gifts purchased especially for them, and as they realize that these things are an expression from us as a result of how much Jesus loves them.
We have been asked, "How have you been able to reach so many needy people in such a short time and still be debt free?"
The answer is prayer — much prayer. The pastors are praying men; the church is intensely involved in prayer also. We have heard God's command to show the world that the gospel is "Preaching in action." We want the world to know that true believers in Christ Jesus who care for the poor and needy are simply expressing His love and concern.
We pray in every dollar. This ministry is supported entirely by the voluntary gifts and offerings of friends throughout New York and the U.S.A.
Your gifts are critically needed at this time to help us feed, clothe and support those entrusted to our care.