What's coming up next at the Good Samaritan Mission? I am glad you asked.
Just click on the Exciting Events tab above for your answer!
Hello! We are glad that you dropped by the Good Samaritan Mission's website. Feel free to look around. We have a lot of information about the exciting things that God is doing in our ministry, as well as in our lives and in the lives of hundreds of individuals and families. The latest edition of the 2011 Fields of Harvest is also available to view and download. You may find it on the Main Menu on the upper left under Newsletters and Documents.
Thank you for partnering with us as we make an impact in our community.
Purpose. Community. Gratitude.
This is what the Good Samaritan Mission is involved in. But, what exactly does that mean? Allow me to explain.
Purpose: We believe that we have been created by our Creator for a purpose. We believe that we were created to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever, as the first question of the Shorter Catechism states. We help individuals find this purpose in their lives. If you think about it, once you get this straight then, whatever you do, whether in word or deed, you would do it to the glory of God. This means, everything! So, our main goal is to evangelize those that God puts within our reach. In addition, we also help individuals aim to reach their fullest potential of who God has called them to be.
Community: We have noticed that many of the people we serve are detached from our community and society. They see themselves as strangers in this land and, as such, come to the states to work, send their money "back home" and not play a part in society. We teach them a sense of community, not only as members of the Body of Christ, but as members of this American community. They too can contribute. They too can make a difference. We all need to support each other, for we all belong to the Family of Man.
Gratitude: Once they find their purpose, and find their place in the community, we believe that the result will be living a life of gratitude. As believers, living out our salvation, as a member of the Body of Believers, will result in a thankful life, living our lives in gratitude for the free gift of salvation through the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We teach these individuals to give back to the community, to contribute to the welfare of their fellow man.
So far, we have been successful. I was telling someone just recently that if we were to close our doors for financial reasons, I would not be emotionally destroyed or discouraged. Why? Because we have witnessed a number of individuals who have found their purpose, are functioning as members of the community, and have both verbalized and demonstrated gratitude for what the Mission has done for them. In other words, we have seen lives transformed!
But, we are still here. We are still aiming toward seeing God transform lives. So far, we have been faithful with the challenge that God has giving us.
To His glory and Honor!
The Bottom Line
Some time ago a friend of the Mission dropped by, prodded by God to talk to me. He told of a book by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, called "When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself." I told him I had heard of the book but had not read it. Soon thereafter he dropped off the book for me to read. Frankly, it was a life-changing experience. Even though we have been doing what the authors recommended (I don't think it was instinct, but inspiration), they put labels on what we were doing, making our work even more meaningful and easier to describe.
According to the writers, when sin entered this world through Adam and Eve, they--as well as we--were stricken with four kinds of poverty. They described them as follows (with symptoms of each):
Poverty of Spiritual Intimacy
denying God’s existence and authority
materialism
worshipping false gods and spirits
Poverty of Being
god-complexes vs. low self-esteem
Poverty of Community
self-centeredness
exploitation and abuse of others
Poverty of Stewardship
loss of sense of purpose
laziness/workaholics
materialism
ground is cursed
They suggested that the Western thought of trying to stamp out poverty through material means has proven to be an exercise in futility. What works? Addressing these four conditions with Jesus, the One who was sent to reconcile all things to Himself (Colossians 1:17-20). It is then, and only then, that we will have a profound effect on the Economical, Social, and Spiritual conditions of our current world.
Here at the Good Samaritan Mission we address all four of these conditions. For example:
A. Poverty of Spiritual Intimacy: we live, model, and teach about Jesus, and his redemptive work on the cross.
B. Poverty of Being: We teach that we have all been created in His image and that we are responsible to God to live to our highest potential, which is our Purpose. We base our identity on our relationship with Christ.
C. Poverty of Community: We teach that we all belong together and we are to nurture and protect each other. We belong to the Body of Christ and are responsible for each other.
D. Poverty of Stewardship: We teach that we are to be good stewards of what God has given us and that we should live lives of Gratitude.
Did you catch that? This is why we are so adamant about talking about Jesus, and teaching the core values of Purpose, Community, and Gratitude.
So, we are convinced that we are on the right track. We are truly committed to fight poverty in Southeast Hillsborough County.
To God be the Glory!
The Good Samaritan Mission, Inc. is a charitable, not for profit, 501 (c) (3) Christian ministry. The Mission is dedicated to a holistic approach to enhancing the spiritual, emotional/psychological and physical quality of life of farm workers and others living in poverty.
We do not receive any funding from the government, except for the VPK educational program and School Readiness. Everything that we do is inspired by our love for Jesus, and is financed by private donations from friends like you. If you wish to make a donation, we encourage you to use the PayPal button to the upper left or by mail.
Your prayers, financial support and donations help to make a difference in the lives of needy families.
