Do you realize that your sins crucified Jesus, and that you deserved to be the one slaughtered on that cross in Jerusalem? Good. You have understood who you are, and what the only living God has done for you.

This should have been me. Now I am saved. Jesus took my place and shed His blood for my sins on the cross.

Natan challenged all of us this week with this question:

«How many of us believers are going out and doing exactly what Jesus did for others?»

Jesus told us in plain words that performing miracles and wonders in His name, will not give anyone the «ticket» to the Kingdom of Heaven. You have to do the will of the Father.

Matthew 7:21-23

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Lets take a look on some examples of what separates a true follower of the risen Messiah Jesus from hypocrites and carnal «Christians»

Forgive:

Matthew 6:15
But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Jesus payed for our sins when we were all sinners. So we are called to forgive those who sin against us, with out setting up conditions. Do not say: «I forgive, and I forget». Thats is not forgiveness. Jesus will never forgive you, and than forget you. True forgiveness gives us a spirit of reconciliation.

Share:

Matthew 25:35

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.

True Christians share what they have, and always desire to bless others. They walk the talk. Do not desire and promote blessings coming your way from others. Do never say that poverty is a curse, and bring a curse on your own head.

Give:

Luke: 6:38:

Give, and it will be given to you.

True Christians give everything they have to Jesus. They renounce this World as evil. and enjoy blessings in the Holy Ghost. To many people only give him a «tenth», or parts of what they have. They keep for them self in abundance, an enjoy their life in the flesh. Storing up riches on Earth.

Tell:

Matthew 28:19-20

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

True followers of Jesus share their faith with others. They always tell the truth about Him, Regardless of the cost of doing so. When you make a mistake, be quick to ask Jesus for mercy. His love is endless for those who fear Him. Do not compromise and corrupt your self, by justifying sin. Do not be ruled by fear of men and society.

Jews:

Genesis 17: 17-19

Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”

Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.

If you ever met a Jew, do not harm him. The Messiah who scattered Israel, has gathered them again. Do not deny the Jewish people their birth right to return to, live and build in the promised land, Eretz Israel.

Go:

Luke 10:3:

Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.

True followers will go to the next village. They will look for a man of peace. We have to follow Him, The Messiah. Do not stay put in your house and watch TV day and night. Do not be of the opinion that simply going to a fellowship or a churches is what the Father requires, and that such attendance will save you.

Everyone wants healing and financial blessings. But were few people want to give up their fleshy desires, make a u-turn and follow Jesus the Messiah.

Since false Messiah`s has been granted the powers to perform miracles and wonders, this kind of manifestation is not always a proof that the Holy Spirit is present. But surely miracles and wonders will follow in your footsteps, when you do the Fathers will.

The only thing that Satan can not copy is true repentance, a fruit that follows those who preach Jesus crucified for our sins, and the only way to Heaven. There is no love outside of the truth. The truth is often painful. Worldly tears are crocodile tears of self pity. The guilt of the sin that crucified Jesus will produce godly tears. This is the only true signal from Heaven, that a person has been born from above.

Thats why John the Baptists said: «You brood of vipers. Show me fruit of repentance». They will follow a person who has been born again.

You can fool most of the people most of the time, some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all the time.. nevertheless a good name is worth more than any silver or gold you acquire, and a bad name is disrespected even after the person’s death. One of the most surprising things to me in real life was to witness, experience. and many times now too, that the real bad, immoral con men, liars, thieves, fakers, imposters, pretenders do often like to be associated with a Christian Church .. and can hold positions as Pastors, elders now too..

One of many real life examples, from my childhood days in my local Church I had now encountered a fellow evangelical church attendee, who next years later was eventually arrested for possession of stolen property and for a time went to prison for it. It now next was of course a shock to hear next that this same person years later when he left prison had became an ordained evangelical Pastor. A shock cause there was no real evidence in fact that he had even changed.. Now decades later the same person now claimed to be a chaplain, visiting sailors on ships, and was supposedly conducting church services. The same person had become the owner of various store buildings and apartments, and he also owned and ran an antique shop as well. I next happened to rent one of the apartments from him as well. Upon which I clearly had discovered, often had witnessed that he still was a fake, for he now also was involved in tax evasions, welfare fraud as well. He used his position as a Church chaplain to buy medals, uniform, war souvenirs from visiting port sailors and next to resell them in his antique store for cash even. He in fact had not changed at all, he was still a crook.. So excuse me when now someone claims to me that such and such a person is now a really good person. In reality I rightfully next tend to first check it out firsthand, for rightfully I no longer believe what most people tell me

(Mat 5:13 KJV) Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

(Luke 6:43 KJV) For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

    We were driving down Old Mt Vernon Road tonight headed to Mercy Hospital then  Home Depot.   As I listened to 101.9 FM KNWS on the radio   my ears perked up when I heard the name   John Piper in the same sentence as  ”his prodigal son” Abraham

     John Piper is a widely respected Christian author and pastor.  He’s a little deep for me but he’s the real deal.  And to think that even he and his wife had dealt with a prodigal son in some strange way gave me hope. 

     At this point in my parenting journey, I  am still carrying the heartache of prodigal children-  Fortunately, we have great lines of communication with each of them,so  I’m not going to post something on the internet to in any way jeopardize that. 

     Here’s a portion of what I heard on the radio tonight:

      When I was 19, I decided I’d be honest and stop saying I was  a Christian.

     At first, I pretended that my reasoning was high-minded and philosophical.  But really I just wanted to drink gallons of cheap sangria and sleep around.  Four years of this and I was strung out, stupefied and generally pretty low.  Especially when I was sober or alone.

      My parents, who are strong believers and who raised their kids as well as any parents I’ve ever seen, were broken-hearted and baffled.  I’m sure they wondered why the child the tried to raise right was such a ridiculous screw-up now.  But God was in control.

     One Tuesday morning before 8 o’clock, I went to the library to check my e-mail.  I had a message from a girl I’d met a few weeks before, and her e-mail mentioned a verse in Romans.  I went down to the Circle K and bought a 40-ounce can of Miller High Life for $1.29.  Then I went back to where I was staying, rolled a few cigarettes, cracked open my drin, and started reading Romans.  I wanted to read the verse from the e-mail, but I couldn’t remember what it was, so I started at the beginning of the book  By the time I got to chapter 10, the beer was gone, the ashtray needed emptying and I was a Christian.

     The best way I know to describe what happened to me that morning is that God made it possible for me to love Jesus.  When He makes this possible and at the same time gives you a glimpse of the true wonder of Jesus, it is impossible to resist His call.

     Looking back on my years of rejecting Christ, I offer these suggestions to help you reach your wayward child so that they too, would wake up to Christ’s amazing power to save even the worst of us.

1.  Point them to Christ

      Your rebellious child’s real problem is not drugs, or sex or cigarettes or porn or laziness or crime or cussing or slovenliness or homosexuality or being in a punk band.  The real problem is that your child doesn’t see Jesus clearly.  The best thing you can do for rebellious children-

4.  Don’t expect them to be Christlike

     If your son is not a Christian, he won’t act like one, and it’s hypocrisy if he does.  If he has forsaken your faith, he has little motivation to live by your standards, and you have little reason to expect him to.

     If he’s struggling to believe in Jesus, there is little significance in his admitting that it’s wrong to get wasted, for instance.  You want to protect him, yes, but his most dangerous problem is unbelief- not partying….

12.  Point them to Christ

    This can’t be stressed enough.  It’s the whole point.  No strategy for reaching your son or daughter will have any lasting effect if the underlying goal isn’t to help them know Jesus.

     The goal is not that they will be good kids again.  It’s not that they’ll get their hair cut and start taking showers….the goal is not for you to stop being embarrassed at your weekly Bible study or even for you to be able to sleep at night, knowing they’re not going to hell…”

_________________________________________________________

If you’d like to read this  whole letter check out this link

Well, we’ve been invited out for dinner so I need to go-  DM

Join FamilyLIFE for a Day of Prayer – Sign-up Today!   Meet at the Family Life Center

Please email Pastor Rob your selected prayer time:  robnigro@sbcglobal.net

More statistical evidence of pastoral burnout from Anne Jackson’s Mad Church Disease.

• 21 percent of pastors pray less than 15 minutes a day.
• Those most satisfied with their prayer life spend almost an hour in prayer per day; those who are least satisfied with their prayer life average 21 minutes per day.

(Jackson includes other stats on the pastor’s satisfaction level with their prayer life in her book).

Buy a copy of Mad Church Disease: Overcoming the Burnout Epidemic on Amazon.com

Billy Joe Daugherty died of cancer at the age of 57. He was a teacher of prosperity, and told millions of people that perfect faith would result in perfect health.

Billy Joe Daugherty with his wife Sharon. He died of cancer.

Billy Joe Daugherty was the founder of Victory Christian School, International Victory Bible Institute with 911 campuses in 93 countries. He also ministered from Oral Roberts University in Tusla, US.

Victory World Missions Training Center has sent hundreds of missionaries around the world, and the Tulsa Dream Center, providing food, clothing and medical, educational and recreational services.

Daugherty died of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at 4:40 a.m. Sunday in Houston. Daugherty was hospitalized last month with a viral infection in his throat when tests discovered the cancer.

Source: The Norwegian Christian Daily, DagenMagazinet.

My comment:

I regret that Billy Joe Daugherty has died of cancer. I hope and pray that Jesus will have mercy on me, and that you will find both Daugherty and me in the Kingdom Heaven.

It has to be said that the name-it-and-claim-it mantra presented as the gospel of Jesus from Nazareth did not work for Billy Joe Daugherty either.

We live in a falen and poluted World, and anyone of us might be called home to the Lord in young age. Just like Stephen, John the baptist and all the Apostles. All of us face the same sick World. Young or old. We will most likely depart to the Kingdom of Heaven by some kind of sickness.

Paul explains that if he could chose, He would depart today to be with our Master Jesus. In stead of stying put in the flesh, preaching a gospel who promote fleshy desires.

I hope and pray that preaches like Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn have learned something from the early departure of our brother Billy Joe Daugherty. And that they will change their ways, and stop preaching the false prosperity gospel of health and wealth.

Terminally ill priest Luigi Squarcia came to Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday and offered his «sufferings for the good of the Church»

The pope presents sickness as something divine and good, an offer for the Church. The Pope and his priests are blinded by Lucifer, the dead Messiah on the cross.

Father Luigi Squarcia, a pastor in the Italian town of Acquapendente who has suffered from Lou Gehrig’s disease for the last four years, met with Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday and offered his «sufferings for the good of the Church».

After the meeting with the Holy Father in Paul VI Hall, Father Squarcia said:

«I came to offer the Pope my sufferings for the good of the Church. I am here, for the first time, after years of working with the parishioners and the children at our school».

Now, he told L’Osservatore Romano,

«I can no longer move my arms or legs and I know I will lose my speech and later maybe the ability to breathe». He noted that more people than ever are coming to him for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Lou Gehrig’s disease is a serious neuromuscular disorder that causes muscle weakness, disability and eventually death.

Source: Catholic News agency (CNA)

My comment:

This Catholic priest has replaced Jesus. Just change this line, and you will see this

The priest said:

«I came to offer the Pope my sufferings for the good of the Church»

With this kind of attitude, praying for healing will become the absolute non-sense. Why pray for healing, when physical terminal sickness is presented as something divine and good?

The truth is:

«Jesus came to offer the Pope His sufferings for the good of the Church».

Isaiah: 53:4
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

When we suffer and are persecuted, it will be a divine fruit of telling people the truth about sins like idol worship, sins like doctrine of Papal infallibility, sins like adoration, veneration and worship of saints and madonnas. Banned by the 2nd commandment it self.

2 Timothy 1:8
So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.

It will forever be strange to me, that the prince of this World has blinded the Catholics, so they can not see, will always hear, but never being able to understand.

Why is there terminal physical sufferings in this World?

When we suffer sickness and pain, we do not suffer for the Church. Most of human sufferings is a result of the work of Satan. He has made men pollute God`s`perfect creation beyond repair.

The rest of the human sufferings is a result of our own free will. We suffer as a products of our own foolishness

When Jesus the Messiah walked on Earth, He healed everyone who came to Him in Faith. Only when Jesus returns, He will restore everything.

1 Corinthians 1:18
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Matthew 6:24

No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Many people are fisher of money. They live for money, and they store up money. But the Messiah Jesus did not allow his students to have any other Master`s than Him. He did not call his students among the present day Investment Bankers, or among the religious or political leaders. His first students were Jewish fishermen. From that day onwards, they fished for men like you and me.

 How does Recreation Ministry actually work? Let me share a true story as I’m still in awe, full of thanksgiving, and praise for the power, grace, and love of Jesus Christ. 

There is no time limit on when and how a person will come into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This story starts 17 years ago. I was relatively new to my ministry position and didn’t have a clue of where to begin except to start with what the Lord had given me passion for. My passion was to reach out to young-stay-home-moms with babies.  So an aerobic ministry was formed.  A young mother of 2 boys that had just moved to Tennessee from Japan walked through the doors. Her English was very poor and she and her family were very Budhist but the immediate fellowship and friendship developed with the other moms and their children transcended any language barriers.  As time marched on the Youth Minister’s wife, Dena Lee became one of her good friends and soon began a family friendship. Mike Lee, the Youth Minister left the church I was at as his calling went from youth ministry to being a pastor.  He ended up going to Texas and eventually was called to a church in Murfreesboro, TN, Third Baptist Church. In the mean time our Japanese family ends up moving to Murfreesbor, TN as well and the familes reunite and the friendship continues. The Japanese family attends church with Mike and his family and the exciting news came yesterday from Mike that he had baptized the entire Ogawa family into the family of Jesus Christ. As I reflect back on those early days of ministry and not having a clue about how mighty a God I serve was. I sit today with the knowledge of how much He loves us, never gives up on us, and desires a relationship with us….that all may be saved and non may perish. It’s not about just one person leading another to the Lord…sometimes it takes an entire family who loves Him and wants to share that love. You never know what your loving touch of Jesus Christ may lead to.

This past weekend, we were blessed to participate in a seminar hosted by a local Southern Baptist Association. We worked through our past; the significant events, the hurts, the pain, the lessons learned, and what the future may look like because of our past. It was a very good exercise. As you can see from the photo, it was a very colorful exercise as well.

We started out listing chronologically on post it notes all the significant events in our lives. We posted these notes to a piece of poster board. Some of these were positive events, some were negative. The significant events are the yellow post its. There were a lot of significant events in my life, both positive and negative. The pastors at my table shared our significant events in our lives with each other. Next, we took pink post it notes and wrote painful experiences on them, and placed them on the poster board. I did this chronologically again, so the pinks on my board cover some of the yellow significant events. These events were also shared. We could hear the sniffles of the ladies in the room. We manly men did not cry, though. Our homework that night, was to discuss the board with our spouses. We had a list of categories, and we were to categorize the events in our lives. Some examples are: Divine contact- was God putting this person in my life for known/unknown reasons? Negative preparation-was God allowing me to go through this painful time to prepare me for some future event, either painful or positive. These categories are the little dots on the post it notes. It helps us to see that God is in control. We say this all the time, but this helped us to visualize this theological truth.

Saturday morning, we took the blue post it notes and labeled the lessons we had learned from the painful and significant events in our lives. This helped us to see if we are truly seeing that God is in control, teaching us, and shaping us into the image of Christ through the events in our lives. This step was discussed among the tables as well. Our last session of the seminar had us dividing our events into chapters. These are the green post it notes. My chapter headings were: Experiencing but not learning; learning from experience, but not applying the knowledge to life’s situations; applying the knowledge gained from my experiences; and passing on the knowledge gained from past and future experiences.  We ended the seminar by challenging and commissioning one another to make the next chapter of our life/ministry one that is learned from and passed on. It was a good exercise and I hope to continue to catalog , learn from, apply, and pass on my knowledge from my experiences. How about you?

Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

Series: Christianity, Not the Way God Intended!

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:14-21

In this section of Scripture Paul painfully reveals his head of a father for the Corinthians. He had labored hard to birth the church in Corinth. He had given them an excellent model to follow. And now they are returning the favor with an arrogant attitude that is refusing to listen to their father. And so like a good father, Paul sternly instructs the church, calling them to repentance or face discipline. Paul makes a series of analogies between parenting and pastoring. Basically he says that being a good pastor or a good leader is very much like being a good father.

1. Like good fathers, pastors love the people.

1 Corinthians 4:14 I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

Fathers love by caring
Fathers love by understanding
Fathers love by bearing the burden
Fathers love by disciplining when necessary

2. Like a good father, pastors provide an exemplary lifestyle.

1 Corinthians 4:15 for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore I urge you, imitate me.

Example is the most powerful rhetoric. (Thomas Brooks)

3. Like a good father pastors are not just all talk.

1 Corinthians 4:18 Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.

4. Like a good father, pastors must be willing to confront sin.

1 Corinthians 4:21 What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?

Faith’s Victory

1 John 5:1-5

I.  BORN AGAIN – BELIEVING JESUS IS THE CHRIST (v. 1; Hebrews 11:1-3; John 3:3).

II.  BORN AGAIN – LOVING CHRIST AND LOVING OTHERS (v. 1).

III.  BORN AGAIN – LOVING GOD KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS (vv. 2-3).

IV.  BORN AGAIN – OVERCOMES THE FLESH AND EVIL (v. 4; Romans 7:14-25; Philippians 4:13).

V.  BORN AGAIN – FAITH’S VICTORY THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS THE SON OF GOD (v. 5).

This is the greatest reason for Thanksgiving.

-Tim A. Blankenship

(Luke 14:25 KJV)  And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,

(Luke 14:26 KJV)  If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

(Luke 14:27 KJV)  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

(Luke 14:28 KJV)  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

(Luke 14:29 KJV)  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

(Luke 14:30 KJV)  Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

(Luke 14:31 KJV)  Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

(Luke 14:32 KJV)  Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

(Luke 14:33 KJV)  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

(Luke 14:34 KJV)  Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

(Luke 14:35 KJV)  It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

(Mat 10:32 KJV)  Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36  And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
40  He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
41  He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
42  And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

MANY CHRISTIANS YET  they have firstly not died to self.. but rather soulishly, fleshly live for self as the Bible clearly says.

Story last updated at 10:56 AM on Thursday, October 13, 2005

‘Church for unchurched’ back on Pioneer

BY MICHAEL ARMSTRONG
STAFF WRITER

Darren Williams, pastor of Refuge Chapel, stands by the window of his office.

One of Homer’s newest churches has returned back to where it started. Refuge Chapel, which started out as Calvary Chapel in the historic Kranich House — now Amped Café — near Main Street and Pioneer Avenue, has returned to Pioneer Avenue.

Refuge Chapel recently purchased a retail building at 397 East Pioneer Avenue near the Poopdeck Trail. It had been in a rental space on the Homer Spit Road near FAA Drive since 2002.

“We’re excited about being in the downtown,” said Darren Williams, head pastor. “The location is good for people to walk in off the street.”

The new chapel building is a 5,000-square foot three-unit retail shop that includes the GCI office and Big Dipper, a spa supply store. Refuge Chapel is in the middle unit, with street-level access. Its meeting hall is downstairs and also accessible at the south entrance off Klondike Avenue.

Williams was raised in Homer and graduated from Homer High School in 1983. He attended Alaska Bible Institute and served for 10 years at Calvary Chapel in Thousand Oaks, Calif., where he was ordained as a pastor. He started Refuge Chapel as Calvary Chapel in 1999.

It changed its name to Refuge Chapel in 2002 and is now a nondenominational Christian church.

Refuge Chapel’s doctrine is the Apostles’s Creed, the early Christian statement of faith in the Holy Trinity and God as creator. Williams said Refuge Chapel is an outreach based church.

“The original reason we came here is to bridge the gap between the churched and the unchurched,” he said. “We’re trying to create a place where a certain segment of the population would feel comfortable.”

With about 200 members, Refuge Chapel holds services at 11 a.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday. It includes the Northwind Native Fellowship, led by Pastor Dave Gilbert. It meets 6 to 9 p.m. the first and third Fridays of each month.

An outreach program to the Native community, Northwind holds drumming circles and always includes potlatches in its services.

A messianic group, Joel’s Army will start meeting again once the chapel gets settled into its new home.

Refuge Chapel also has a 12-bed bunkhouse for men. Williams called the drug- and alcohol-free bunkhouse a hostel, not a homeless shelter, although it does provide emergency housing. Residents pay $10 a night, although no one is turned away if they can’t pay. Social service agencies can provide vouchers, or residents can work off their rent. The hostel is open 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily.

“We’re providing a service that we think is not being provided,” Williams said.

Men in need at the bunkhouse receive referrals to other social services, such as Share the Spirit, the Homer Food Pantry and the Salvation Army. Unlike some rescue missions, attendance at church services isn’t required, though encouraged.

Refuge Chapel has three other pastors, Bryan Lowe, Eric Sloth and Dave Gilbert. Refuge Chapel merged with Kachemak Bay Christian Center, which used to meet at its church on East End Road before it sold that building.

Some sheetrock, painting and trim work remains to be done at its new location. Williams said as the church settles in, more programs and events will be added, such as its Restoring the Arts event.

“Our goal is to be a positive thing for the community on Pioneer Avenue,” Williams said. “I think the community will say we’re going to make a positive impact on the community, and not just spiritually.”

For more information, contact Refuge Chapel at 235-4744.

The Homer News is online at http://homernews.com