If you have been around Council Road for long, you have surely noticed the great variety and diversity of ministries highlighted on Sunday mornings, as well as the myriad of ways you can get involved. From serving preschool and children to tutoring Whiz Kids, going on mission trips, teaching English, making quilts for the home and hospital-bound, or serving the homeless population - these are just a sampling of ways to work alongside our CRBC family. And these opportunities are not merely “random acts of kindness.”
If you talk with someone passionate about an area where he or she is serving, you will most likely hear a reflection of their personal story and the way God is using them. Allowing our own experiences to intersect with God’s purpose gives us the chance to genuinely be the hands and feet of Christ - pouring out the “grace upon grace” we have received from the Lord (John 1: 16).
This is certainly the case with Lindy Aaron, the woman who leads our Homeless Ministry. I have gotten to know Lindy over the past couple of years and continue to be amazed by how the Lord is using her, in a full-circle way, to bring love and hope to our homeless community. Led by Lindy, volunteers provide help in physical and tangible ways, as well as sharing the gospel and praying for those who live outside. I had a chance to capture just a little bit of Lindy’s story; I hope you will be both encouraged and challenged to pray about how God may want your story to intersect with His purpose.
Heather: Lindy, thank you for allowing us to get to know you a little better. How long have you been at CRBC and what brought you to our church?
Lindy: On Ash Wednesday, it will be 10 years that we have been at CRBC. 10 years ago, I was at the ROC food pantry, when I met a lady who invited me to CRBC. My husband also started a new job that week, and the guy who was training him invited him to Ash Wednesday. We thought it couldn't just be a coincidence that 2 different people invited us to the same place. so we decided to check it out. Looking back, I would have never imagined where God was taking us, or that I'd be working in that church as the receptionist one day!
H: Please tell us a little about yourself and what makes you so passionate about the Homeless Ministry?
Lindy: When we started coming to church, we were living in a really run down motel and addicted to drugs. We were struggling to even pay for a place to live and had slept in our car a couple times. I know what it feels like to not have a stable home and I know what homelessness feels like - it's the worst feeling. Although God has pulled me out of all that, I have a daughter who chooses to live on the streets currently, so I also know how it feels to love someone so much who is now homeless. Because of my past experience and my daughter’s current situation, everyone who lives outside feels like my daughter to me! The passion for the ministry comes from my own experience.
H: How did your involvement with this ministry begin?
Lindy: We had never attended a church before, so it was all new to us. I've experienced a lot of grief from almost all my family passing away, but it's amazing how God has given me a family in our church. The homeless population is obviously on my heart constantly. Our connection class helped us start this ministry from the beginning of our journey, and continue to support it in many ways. They love us and have held us up in some really hard times. The church as a whole has been so good to us! They helped us with many physical needs before we got stable and continue to collect items year-round for the homeless. They have also supported me from the beginning - I'm sure the staff must have prayed for us a thousand times! I love our church and the way we love and support people. It has made me want to help people the way we have been helped!
H: What are specific ways we can partner with you to minister to and support this population?
Lindy: Our church collects clothing items like winter needs (coats, hats, gloves, socks) and blankets, as well as food and hygiene items. Men’s clothing items and good shoes are also a need. We have a group that regularly goes to specific areas and sets up a table with a meal to feed the community. We can always use more hands to help, or people to come and share Jesus. If you cannot physically join us, we depend on donations year-round and of course always need prayer.
H: Do you have a memorable story or one particular moment that stands out to you?
Lindy: I have 5 kids and they have started to help with this ministry. It's my favorite thing to watch them loving on these hurting people. We all miss my daughter who struggles with drugs and lives outside, so we feel so passionate about helping this community. In November we served a Thanksgiving meal, and it was the first time in a while I had all my kids in one spot, as my daughter who is homeless came to get food and clothes. It felt like we were having Thanksgiving dinner together for the first time in years... I'll take it!! That Thanksgiving is definitely my favorite memory. My family knows what it feels like to need help, and I love watching them love on people. God is bringing my family closer to each other through this ministry.
H: How can we pray for you and for this ministry?
Lindy: We could use on-going prayers for this ministry and me personally, as we trust God to lead us to what He would have us do next. I know that He has put me in the exact spot he wants me - working as the receptionist at the church, it's easy to get the word out about the homeless ministry. So many people have helped in so many ways. I'm praying God helps us all to be more bold when we go out to tell people about Him and what he can do. I pray God continues to bring my family closer together, as we wait for my daughter to come home. I know prayer works! All the prayers for my family have brought us to where we are now.
H: If someone wants to get involved with our homeless ministry, what should she do?
Lindy: Anyone can join us when we go out, and we always need help telling people about Jesus. I also need someone to help me keep things organized as the donations come in. We wouldn't be able to do any of this without the help from everyone - whether it's financially giving or the people who donate things. We would love for anyone to join us who has a heart to get involved with this ministry!
H: Anything else you want to tell our women about your story and involvement with the homeless ministry?
Lindy: I never imagined I'd be living the life I am now. We try to go out and minister in the very areas where I was once struggling, and I know God is using my story in a big way! He brought me out of it so that I could go back to tell how big He is. He can save anyone like He did for me.
As you can see, exciting things are happening outside of our walls! The CRBC Women’s ministry will be packaging needed supplies for the Homeless and writing them encouraging notes at our upcoming Sundaes on Monday event on Monday evening, March 10th. Lindy will be joining us there. Go to www.councilroadwomen.org/calendar for information and to sign up now! To get further connected with our Homeless Ministry, you can also email Lindy at aaron@councilroad.org or call the church office at (405) 789-3175 where she will most likely answer the phone. :)
Meet the Author!
Heather McAnear is a wife, mom, author and speaker with a passion for sharing God's truth to help women understand their uniquely beautiful design and how to use it for God's glory! In fact, Heather hosts the Uniquely Beautiful Stories podcast on iTunes in hopes do just that! She loves teaching young married couples with her husband, time with her three teen-aged & young adult children, traveling, enjoying good chocolate and long conversations in coffee shops. CRBC has been her church home for more than two decades and serving on the Women's Ministry team has been one of her greatest joys!