September 19, 2024
In Syracuse, New York, Pastor Ronnie Wyatt and The Neighborhood Church, a Send Relief affiliate, transform lives through faith and action. For example, the church’s Safe Place outreach offers more than just free coffee, clothes, and food. Along with other outreach initiatives like their Blessing Bags—care packages that contain hygiene products, food items, and the gospel—they provide community, prayer, and support for people struggling with poverty.
Located in the thick of poverty, The Neighborhood Church welcomes everyone, regardless of background or circumstances. Pastor Wyatt and his wife Michele lead by example, serving a large, unhoused ministry and even women working at nearby strip clubs. They have not taken up an offering or organized any fundraisers over the ten years they’ve been open. Yet through God’s grace, the church’s rent is paid every year, and truckloads of food, hundreds of winter coats, cases of bibles, and 90,000 blessing bags have been given to those in need – all while serving dinner every weekend before service.
While serving others, Pastor Wyatt, like many missionaries, experiences moments of both joy and defeat. He longs for those in need to find hope and purpose instantly and has moments of loss, like the recent passing of an unhoused frequent visitor–or friend as they affectionally call guests—of the church. There are also moments of frustration, like when a “friend” stole items from the church after laying a “pretty rough cussing” on them.
“My attitude toward this friend and how he mistreated and abused us while we were trying to bless him almost made me forget that we had just gathered around another friend praying for him,” said Pastor Wyatt.
This friend in need of prayer was Jonathan Regal*. Jonathan had decided that God had forgotten him and was ready to end his life. TNC prayed that God would bring peace and comfort into his heart and reveal to Jonathan that he was not forgotten. Still, Jonathan was “left in tears and despair,” according to Pastor Wyatt. Unknown to Jonathan and TNC, their prayers would be answered, not necessarily when they wanted, but at the perfect time.
After four years of attending TNC, Jonathan burst into the church that week, overflowing with praise that had laid dormant. Now blessed with an apartment, he realized God’s faithfulness and repented for not trusting God as he should have. Jonathan confessed to TNC that he would have taken his life long ago had they not shown him the only hope he had experienced post-prison.
“On one hand, we had one man verbally cursing us and stealing stuff on his way out,” said Pastor Wyatt. “On the other hand, there has been a life changed because we just showed him the love of Jesus. Which should we focus on?”
Ministry work can be challenging. Sometimes, people leave feeling discouraged or even take advantage of the church’s generosity. However, Pastor Wyatt reminds us not to focus on the negative but on the bigger picture—the lives touched by God’s love.
“I got a call recently, and someone asked if I knew a Samantha*,” said Pastor Wyatt. “I said yes, how is she doing? ‘She’s dead,’ the person told me. It was her mother, and she explained how [Samantha] finally got an apartment after many years on the street and that on her table was one of our blessing bags, which included our church information and the gospel.”
“She told me, ‘I don’t know where my daughter is, but I am sure glad that someone was trying to get her to Jesus.”
God’s work can be unexpected. One person battling addiction lashed out after receiving help, while another had a heart of praise after four years of anger towards God. These situations highlight the importance of focusing on what we can control – offering love and support – rather than getting discouraged by limitations.
Thanks to the support of donors, Send Relief can empower churches like The Neighborhood Church to continue offering vital services and share the love of Christ with those in need. There may be challenges in serving others, and it can become overwhelming, but focusing on the big and small victories reminds us of the power of love and the impact we can have on our communities.
“One part, you feel like a failure, but then I remember we are not because we are doing what God has called us to be and do: witness,” said Pastor Wyatt.
