OVERALL UPDATE:  The pantry has now seen over 300 people receive food once, or multiple times!  This means that over 300 people have heard the gospel!  If we think about their families, Grace Baptist Church has touched over 1,000 people in Middletown over the past 8 months.  GOD IS SO GOOD!

Brian,
The pantry is getting very sparse. If you get slammed like we did Thursday, you may not have sufficient  for Tuesday. We were so busy Thursday I just used the client list with the names. We always try to double check addresses and ask if they are same household. I will look at the other list next week and see if that helps more.

We need to pray for Seldon Tutt Sr., his mother ( also a client) passed away last month from a fall. He was pretty broken up about it when he came in Thursday. Talked to him and told him we would be praying for him. His mom’s file is on top of the file cabinet.Seldon will need to fill out an app. (as he was on his moms) and his ID needs to be redone.

I also forgot to put  the stickers for salvation on the 4 that accepted Christ. You can leave their files for me to do next week, if you don’t get a chance. sorry

Val

This past Tuesday, 15 individuals came through the Enabled ministry.  One trusted the Lord as Savior.  In addition, two more trusted Christ as Savior on Thursday.  Praise the Lord!

We need some workers.  Please see Brian Messer this Sunday to volunteer or see Bro. Mike Williams or Jim Battig to volunteer for the Addictions ministry.

Dear Church Family,

We need your help.  This coming week (August 1st), the Enabled Food Pantry is opening back up.  This means that more people will be coming through the food pantry and more souls will be saved.

In preparation, I would like to ask you to make a personal commitment to bring a minimum of 2 non-perishable items with you either Wednesday or Sunday and $1.00 per individual.  The funds will go to help further stock the pantry.  If each person that comes this Sunday would bring 2 non-perishable items then this will go a very long way in sustaining the stock.  Items such as the following are acceptable (there are many more to choose from):

• Canned Veggies
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Spaghetti
• Peanut Butter…etc (see more online at http://enabled.gbcblogs.com/?p=335)
  

Consider searching in your own pantry at home.  Search for that can of food that you will probably never use.  We can probably use that.  If you have children, send them to church with some to give as well.

God has honored your faithfulness in the past, and He will continue to do so.  There are several who have joined the H.O.P.E. International Addictions program as a result of receiving food through the pantry.  Please do whatever it takes to keep yourself reminded of this need.  Possibly, print off an email or a picture from the blog.  Tie a string on your finger…etc  If you have any questions, please email Brian Messer at Bmesser86@gmail.com.  May God bless you.

In Christ,
Bro. Fernandez

Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!  Many of you have donated funds for the Enabled ministries.  This past week we were able to purchase $1157.51 worth of products for $147.16.  That is a 87% savings. Praise the Lord for His goodness.  Keep praying and keep donating.  Thank you to all the ladies who have led in this effort as well!

There were three more saved this past week at Enabled.  One young man who is 20 years old came in with his sister on Tuesday.  Bro. Coffman was able to lead him to the Lord.

Thursday there were two more who trusted Christ.  These two have said they would be at GBC Sunday to come down the aisle.  Please PRAY that they come and continue to grow in the Lord.

On most every Saturday shift, Felix Turner is the only male at the ministry center.  We need need more men for two reasons. 

If you can help, please contact Ariel Turner - the Saturday Pantry Manager.  Thank you!

Below are some items that you could purchase for the food pantry this week (5-16):

Thank you so much for all your help!  We could not operate without your generous giving!

Today, shortly after the doors opened, a young lady looked in.  “May we help you?”  “Well, I saw HOPE addicitons on the sign. What is that?” she asked. I proceeded to explain to her what HOPE was and also told her about the other ministries that were offered through Enabled.  She said, “Well, do you think you could help me?”  Oh wow!! What a question! Praise the Lord…that is the reason we have the Enabled Ministry!  While the other helpers were getting her food, I was able to share the love of Christ with this precious young lady.  She said she wanted to be clean so bad!  She had tried and tried, but the pusher just kept coming back to her and saying, “You need this!” She said men where always wanted her to “hook up.”  She sighed, “I am so tired of this life. I want to be clean!”  I told her we ALL are sinners in need of a Savior and that it was no accident that she came to Enabled today. She joyfully accepted Christ as her Savior and said she would definitely be at the HOPE ministry on Friday night. I gave her a copy of  John and Romans and told her to start reading and learning about her Savior who had just given her eternal life.  She also said she had been looking for a church.  She said, “I have been to many churches.  I want to come to YOUR church!”  Praise the Lord!  She said she would be there Sunday.  May we all welcome these people who have been touched by the love of Jesus.  I told her that now she was a child of God and she was part of HIS family. Look for a young lady,  Ashley, blond hair, around 20ish,  on Sunday morning and reach out to her…..show her a GRACE BAPTIST WELCOME into her new family…the family of GOD!!  I sure am enjoying getting all kinds of new brothers and sisters. 

James is 19 years old.  He lives with his father a few miles from Enabled.  On a cold, Saturday afternoon in February, we saw him on the street and invited him get some food and hot coffee.  He agreed, but with slight hesitation.  I don’t remember if he got any coffee, but I do remember our conversation.  He said he had been saved years earlier, and was attending a local addictions program through another church.  I was happy for him, and also convinced that he truly believed in Christ, for when I asked him if he knew Jesus as is Savior and friend, he said, “Oh, yes!  I’m saved by the grace of God!”   His genuine tone portended that he was telling the truth.

Only two weeks ago, James came back to Enabled very burdened.  The first thing he said was, “I need to join the addictions program!  I’m addicted to all kinds of stuff.”  “Well, they have that program on Friday nights”, I said.  I felt bad that we couldn’t free him from his troubles right that moment.  He didn’t want any food, so I asked him if there was anything else we could do for him.  He said, “No.”  Before we let him go, Ed Clifford and I prayed for him.  That prayer opened a door. The next thing we knew, he was pouring his heart out to us.  I asked him if he knew, without doubt, that he was going to heaven.  He explained that he had been playing the church game, and acting like he knew the Lord.  But, in reality, his life gave no evidence to that fact.  After agreeing to get the matter settled, he asked God to save him.

Believe it or not, James left Enabled Singing!  Praise God!  James has now been attending HOPE Addictions for 2 weeks.