Life Restored Church is located at 400 Arbor Place, San Antonio, Texas 78207. We believe that ministering to the poor is not supposed to be just an outreach, but the very DNA and culture of the church. We have an equal balance of homeless and families here at Life Restored Church and all of us are on equal platforms. We love each other with the love of Christ.
James 2:1-5 says 1″My brothers and sisters, practice your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ by not favoring one person over another. 2 For example, two men come to your worship service. One man is wearing gold rings and fine clothes; the other man, who is poor, is wearing shabby clothes. 3 Suppose you give special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say to him, “Please have a seat.” But you say to the poor man, “Stand over there,” or “Sit on the floor at my feet.” 4 Aren’t you discriminating against people and using a corrupt standard to make judgments? 5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! Didn’t God choose poor people in the world to become rich in faith and to receive the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?”
Mission
To exemplify Christ by reaching and restoring hope to the most marginalized in our society by building trust, relationships, and being an advocating voice for the voiceless.
Vision
Our vision is to become a 24/7 church that never closes its doors and a lighthouse to our city. We will be a place that meets every need that our society and loved ones have at every hour of the day. We will restore people who are homeless, addicted, and hopeless and place them back into society, transforming them to be who Christ died for them to be.
TREATING HOMELESSNESS
One of the things we hear most often from the homeless in our community is how they feel loved and respected, that they matter, and most importantly, they do not feel ashamed when they come through the doors of our church. This has become a crucial cornerstone in how we develop relationships with those we are trying to reach out. Therefore, our first steps in treating homelessness are to develop relationships by establishing and building trust and for those seeking help, to let them know we love them and have their best interest in mind. We begin our relationship building through our many outreach programs such as weekly pancake breakfasts, scheduled showers, drug/addiction recovery bible studies, converting our church into a shelter during the cold winters, and providing them with essentials such as clothing and hygiene products. Once we have begun the steps to treating homelessness, we progress to transitioning.
TRANSITION HOMELESSNESS
Once we have developed relationships and have established trust, we begin step two for those who express an interest in wanting more than just hand-outs and a desire for a better, productive life. We encourage and most often see their interest and involvement in the church. What a beautiful sight it is to see the homeless serving the church and other homeless people! As we spend time with them, we are able to grow deeper relationships with each individual which allows us to be instrumental in their spiritual growth and to more effectively assess their individual needs. For example, we might start with helping them obtain missing/lost legal documents required to secure a job, assist them with outside programs such as Veteran’s assistance or work with them to find housing that will take them off the streets. During the transition phase, we continue with encouragement and direction while stirring within them the faith and hope that comes from Christ alone, so that they might focus on Him as the light at the end of the tunnel instead of the dark circumstances they have been accustomed to.
END HOMELESSNESS
It is our goal by step three that through the love of Christ and the encouragement and assistance of the church, each individual will be equipped with the tools necessary to lead a productive and fulfilling life.