Paula White Ministries Helps Support The Outreach Center (TOC) in Morganton, North CarolinaTuesday, September 16, 2008 Paula White Ministries helps support The Outreach Center (TOC) in Morganton, North Carolina as it reaches out to children and families in the impoverished Appalachian Region.
Pastor Paula interviewed The Outreach Center’s Director, Pastor Holly Johnson, at PWM’s 2008 Back to School Bash at TOC in August: PP: I do believe that messengers for the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bible says, are His angels…and, to so many people, you have been that light of God, as you have stood in a community, of perhaps, economic darkness, family darkness. There’s extreme poverty in this area – and you have decided not to just visit…but you have given your life and sacrificed, to make a difference. Not only great is your reward…but you are the everyday hero that God raises up out of darkness – that army of destiny. You’re the world-changer and the history maker that brings the glory of God, in a very tangible way, to our cities, our communities. Tell me about Morganton, about The Outreach Center, about what’s happening in the people, what’s happening in the community…the challenges you face and the answer God is bringing. PH: You know there’s just so many hurting people, and so many people who need Jesus…and when you give them hope, and you show them that somebody loves them, it opens their heart to receive Christ. I had two people last night that came to get food, and they found out we were doing backpacks for their children, and their response was, “We’ve never been to church…”—these were people in their 40s – “we’ve never been to church all of our life. We’ve never seen anybody love us—who just loved us…just because. They didn’t want anything, they didn’t need anything, and they’re giving to us.” And that mother and father received Christ last night. They had three little kids…and that’s what it’s all about. How could I not minister to these people? They’re precious. PP: Right. Now, Holly, at The Outreach Center – tell me first the challenges in Morganton. What’s the makeup…and what are some of the things you see on a daily basis?
PH: Well, the furniture industries began to close in our city, and the textile industries, and so we find this population of people that have been in furniture all their lives – they quit school, because that’s the way their families always did, so they have no education – here they find themselves, for the first time in their life, in need. They have no jobs, they have no education. The economic times are hard, unemployment’s high – so we find people that have never had to ask for any help that are here, saying, “We need help…we don’t like to do this, it’s breaking our hearts…we’ve always been self-sufficient…but we find ourselves in a place, we can’t take care of ourselves, and we don’t know where to turn.” PP: And Holly, that’s the heartbeat of what I feel this is. I come from a small town in Mississippi – good people, love God, love family, good people…but, you know, when times change, factories shut down, and it impacts communities, economically, it impacts families. We see the rates of alcoholism go up, tragedy within families, because of the circumstance and situation. And that is what…that is the Gospel. That you come in here, not just to feed and clothe, which you do…to meet practical needs in a tangible way – but to give the greatest gift of all…and that is Jesus Christ. And the life of abundance and hope –- to say, I’m not just going to feed your belly, but I’m going to give you spiritual life. And Holly, you can just see it! I mean right now, we have how many people in line tonight? PH: There’s probably six hundred people already in line…maybe even more… PP: And they’ll stand here sometimes for hours… PH: Every week. PP: It’s amazing. And what are you seeing God do, and some of the changes that are happening, as a result of the Gospel? PH: We had a mom…she’s a single mom, with a little girl…she’s a crack addict. And she came to get some food for her child…actually it’s been about 3 months ago…she came back to start volunteering…and God transformed her life. He set her free – she’s free from drugs for the first time that she says she can ever remember being free. This little girl has got her mommy back. And the little girl just hugged me the other day, and said, “Thank you for praying for my mommy…” she said, “She’s home with me at night now.” So…God’s doing great and mighty things: we’re seeing drug addicts set free, we’re seeing people who’ve been broken and abused come and find healing in their lives, and God’s just doing amazing things. It is incredible. PP: Holly, I can’t thank you enough for the privilege to partner. We’ve co-labored together for the cause of Christ! Ministry to me is such a wonderful privilege. It never gets old to me to see the love of God…the change, the transformation in a person’s life. And a tear will drop down someone’s eye and they’ll say, “Pastor Paula, thank you so much, I turned on the TV, and there you were and you spoke a word and it saved my life.” I know it’s the Lord Jesus Christ. Or, “I got delivered.” Or, “I got set free from this.” Often people are saying, “Well, what about me, what about my needs, what about my family?” Here’s the basic principle: When I was hurting the most, having come through sexual abuse, daddy committing suicide, 18 years old, and I go down and start feeding the homeless… I then go into the inner city and start finding broken boys and girls and just loving on them. And the more I poured love into them, the more God poured love into me. And sometimes we say, well, I’m going to wait until everything’s good with me, to help others. But really, it’s the exact opposite. It’s when, maybe not everything’s good – perhaps you’re even in a financial squeeze yourself…in emotional bankruptcy…or, have a spiritual need. What you make happen for others, God makes happen for you. Matthew 25 says what you’ve done for the least of these, you’ve done unto me. And so every time you touch someone…you’re touching the heart of God. And I can’t emphasize it enough. When I felt like crawling in a cave—and not the good cave, where you spend your time with God, but the bad cave, where you just want to just get away and isolate – when I’d get out and help others, it would help and heal me. So to those out there, I just tell you, continue to make a difference. When you send in that ten dollars, that hundred dollars, that thousand dollars, every single day it heals hearts, transforms lives…and saves souls. Holly, keep it up girl, you’re amazing! For more information, go to www.theoutreachcenter.org. |
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