The Catholic activist Dorothy Day said once that her biggest battle was with Pride. I understand that. I have a lot of people telling me what an awesome thing I am doing in my work of building relationships with very broken people and teaching others how to do the same. I have spoken at universities and churches and I get calls everyday, wanting my opinion or advice on how to do ministry to the poor. It can be very ego-boosting.

After someone has just spent 15 minutes boosting your ego, it is a very difficult thing to tell them that you are uncertain, or you are not sure, or that you are scared. After a while, it becomes hard to ask for help. As if asking for help diminishes the value of what it is I am out here doing. As if I were not just a broken guy, very much in need of grace.

So, here is the deal. I am officially asking for your help. Not just help for my “flock”, but help for me as well. Here are four things you can do today.

Pray for me & for Love Wins Ministries.

I really mean this. The world I work in is very dark. I can only survive in this environment if I have your prayers behind me.

What is going on out here is nothing less than spiritual warfare. We are doing battle with the systems and powers that would oppress and damage those God loves. And those powers and systems will not go gently.

Go here to sign up for a twice a month email prayer letter that will tell you how best to pray for both me personally as well as for Love Wins Ministries.

Give to us

I have no idea what you think our finances look like, but this thing is held together by hope and prayer. We are $700 a month away from being able to pay me the same salary a full-time employee at McDonald’s makes, minus the health insurance and snazzy uniforms. We need office space, storage space and business cards. We recently had to tell people we can’t buy them any more boots until August because our primary donor had unexpected expenses. We need your financial help. Go here to learn how to be part of our support team.

Talk about us.

A basic belief of our ministry is that following Jesus calls us to have authentic relationships. This is why we won’t cold call churches or send unrequested info packets – it just is not relational. What we need is for you to do is:

Talk about Love Wins Ministries with your friends.

Tell your pastor about what we are doing out here.

Take me (Hugh) to church with you and introduce me to your pastor and friends.

Get your small group or congregation to invite me to speak.

Put a link to our website on your blog.

Follow us on Twitter.

Join our cause on Facebook and invite your friends.

Forward our newsletter to your friends.

Love.

Loving someone who has less stuff than you do can change your life – and theirs. Last week I sat with a small group and talked about ways they could reach out to their community and build real relationships, using their unique gifts. I would love to have a similar conversation with you or with your small group or congregation.

Pray. Give. Talk. Love – Always, Love.

‘Cause Love Wins.

Hugh Hollowell

Dear Friends,

As much as I like writing these emails, they necessarily have to take a back seat to the actual work of ministry itself. I almost did not get this one out to you-not because of a lack of material or information, but because of the time demands created by being in this sort of intensive ministry.

Pardon the format, but If I did not write it this way, then this month it would not get written.

Updates:

Many of you have asked about James and Ruby. They are much better off than they were. James has almost fully recovered and is back to doing odd jobs, which takes a great deal of economic stress off of them (and us). While they are struggling less than they did, life for them is only returning to the normal level of chaos and confusion that is living one week away from being on the street. James is looking for a more permanent job, so if you know of someone who needs a handyman/mechanic type, let me know.

The Gathering (another thing many of you have asked about) is still going, and going great. We are still meeting, still trying to love each other and still working out what following Jesus in our world looks like. Hopefully after the first of the year we will make it more public, but right now we are still trying to own it before we can share it. Continue to pray for us and if you want to send a small check to help us pay rent on the meeting room, that is always appreciated.

I went to Cincinnati a few weeks ago to hang out with Bart Campolo and see how their ministry works up there. Bart and his family were very gracious and helpful and because of some of our discussions, it will eventually lead to improvements in the way we minister to our poor and homeless friends. I am, however, still having nightmares about the 22 hour bus ride.

Last Tuesday I spoke at Peace College during their chapel service for Hunger and Homelessness week. In addition, I am teaching at Raleigh Mennonite Church this weekend and on Monday of next week, I am giving the message in the chapel service at Campbell University. In short, I am speaking a lot, which is, as Martha Stewart used to say, a good thing. If you have a small group, Church, Sunday School class or anything else you need a speaker for, hit me up. I use complete sentences and everything.

Over the last month, I partnered with Connections Church in Cary to collect warm clothing for my friends who are feeling the recent cold front that has hit Raleigh. Last weekend about six of us passed out hoodies and socks to some very cold people.

Thanks Connections people!

In short, I am still here, still building relationships and helping some very broken people learn how to love in the way of Jesus. Doing ministry among and with people who seldom change is at times, discouraging. There are times I wish I could brag more about life changing encounters or financial turn-abouts. And while those things do happen, what is much more common is folks who were hurting yesterday still hurting today. The difference is that now they no longer have to hurt alone. That, I think, is no small thing.

Love wins. Always.

Hugh Hollowell

Dear Friends,

It was the middle of the night when my phone rang. I answer it, a bit afraid, for no good news comes in the middle of the night.

It was T–, and she was crying. “B– is gone, and I don’t know where he is.” In between the sobs and the occasional wail, it comes out that he had left for work that morning at 8am and now, near midnight, she had not heard from him. He had never shown up for work.

This would be scary to anyone, but B– has a history of heroin and crack use and yesterday was payday. In addition, B– had left the Cripps a while back when he decided to try to turn his life around, and death threats had been issued. Before she had called me, T– had already called the hospitals and the jail. No one had seen or heard anything from him. B- was missing.

“I am scared to be out here alone. B– protects me. Who is going to protect me now?”

Together we decide that the safest place for her tonight is at the bus station, where the homeless have allies who watch out for them and she can sleep unmolested.  She begs me to stay on the phone with her, and we talk for over two hours as she walks to the bus station. The conversation wanders from her childhood, to Raleigh, to her kids with three different men, to B— and his addiction problems to how disappointed she is with how life has turned out.

Finally, after 2am, she tells me that she is safe at the bus station and is going to try to get some sleep. I tell her to call me when she knows anything. “Thanks for everything”, she says. “I had no one to call and tell about B–. I just wanted someone to know.”

Just so you know, B– showed up the next day. It seems there was a misunderstanding; something about cousins, and Durham, and a lost cell phone. That was his story anyway, and no matter how feeble it sounded to me, T– was happy to see him, and that night, they were back in the park, together.

When you boil it all down, this is what I do: I give people someone to call. Someone who cares, someone who will sit on the phone for two hours in the middle of the night and listen so a burned out homeless woman will feel safe. I have a shoulder they can lean on, an ear to listen to their stories, hands they can hold when prayers seem unanswered. It is nothing special; like most things all it takes is the will to do it.

Some updates:

• Because of some of our ministry allies, you can now deduct gifts to our ministry. Please make checks out to LOVE WINS and send them to Love Wins, PO BOX 25135, Raleigh, NC, 27611 You will get a thank you note from me and a receipt for your taxes at the end of the year from our awesome accountant.

• This weekend we begin our weekly Bible Study/Discipleship gatherings. I am very excited about the gatherings and the potential they have to move our ministry forward. They cost us $280 a month to rent space to do them, and the plan is to do a communal meal once a month, which will add to the cost. In short, we are about $325 a month short of where we need to be in order to fund this exciting new ministry opportunity. Any help you can give us, on a recurring basis or as a lump sum, would be greatly appreciated.

• Many of you have asked about James and Ruby (read their story here) and I am happy to report that things are good. James is recuperating, the rent is current and there is food in the cupboard. We are still short a few things: For a current list of needs for James and Ruby, check out this list here.

Again, it is only because of you and your support that I am able to be out here, answering the phone at midnight when things go wrong, getting sick people groceries and sharing the love of God in the way of Jesus with some pretty awesome people. Thank you for letting me be here in the broken places.

Love wins. Always.

Hugh Hollowell

http://lovewinsalways.org

If you subscribe to our monthly newsletter, go check your email, because it should be sitting in your inbox, waiting to be read.

If you thought you were a subscriber and did not get one, please email me and we will get it worked out.

If, however, you never have subscribed, perhaps now would be a good time! (Go here and sign up now)

(NB: We always post our email newsletter on the website about a week after we send it to our subscribers. The newsletter was delayed last month, which is why the August newsletter is posted here in September…)

Dear Friends,

The astute among you will note that the August newsletter almost ended up being the September newsletter. The letter this month has been hard to write, not because I don’t have things to tell you but because I have so much to tell you and I try to keep these letters to a reasonable length. Finally I was forced to give up any literary aspirations and just dump it all before you. In no particular order, here are a few things that are going on:

• Last month I told you that we were looking for a place to hold regular meetings, and we found a place that is practically tailor-made to what we are trying to do. Starting sometime in September we will be meeting weekly at the Tarboro Road Community Center, located at Tarboro Rd and New Bern Avenue. It is a perfect location for us, with room for growth, kitchen facilities and in a neighborhood that we would love to minister to and have the opportunity to serve. Watch the blog for more information as to time and dates.

• With that in mind, we are working on ways to impact the poor and homeless in that neighborhood, as well as maintaining our efforts around Moore Square. Over the next few weeks we will be rolling out opportunities for you to help us actively love our new neighbors.

• Recently I have been speaking in churches, spreading the word about what we are doing and trying to raise awareness and support. Last Sunday I spoke at Visio Dei and HomeStar Fellowship, both located near Downtown Raleigh and in both places had people decide to join our efforts. If your church or small group needs a speaker, I would be delighted to come speak at your event. Shoot me an email (or respond to this one) and we will work out the details.

• For a while now, we have been wrestling with the next step as far as our organizational structure. It is expensive (at least relative to our budget) to set up a whole non-profit entity from scratch. We are investigating that, as well as considering partnering with an existing ministry or church, at least organizationally, to make all that easier and, frankly, cheaper. All of this means that I have been in meetings, phone calls, researching online and at the library and generally getting headaches from all this reading because I often forget my glasses.

• We are partnering with other ministries that have similar goals so we can act as a resource for each other. One ministry I am particularly proud to be part of is Jubilee, a faith based organization that works to bring awareness to the problem of human trafficking. In September I will be speaking for them on the subject of building relationships and ‘missionality’. Please watch the blog for announcements as to time and location.

Looking over that, it looks like a full plate, and it is. But add to that the day-to-day work of standing in line, taking people to the grocery store, negotiating with landlords, helping people move, praying with people who have no hope, standing in the rain in the soup kitchen line, visiting those in jail, throwing parties for those who got out of jail and what you end up with is one very tired, very drained, but very happy, Hugh.

I am so happy to be out here, working for His glory, to His purpose. That you allow me to be out here, supporting me and our work with your financial gifts and your prayers means so very much. That there is so much to do only serves to emphasize the necessity of what we are doing and the need for your help to accomplish it.

Together, we get to be hope to those who have no hope, to speak for those who have no voice and to love those who thought the world had given up on them. Being out here is never easy, but there is good in this world, and it is worth fighting for. Thanks for helping me fight.

Love Wins. Always.

Hugh Hollowell

I bet you thought I had forgotten, hadn’t you?

Well, no such luck. I have been busier than a long tailed cat in a room full o’ rocking chairs, but I managed to sneak in under the wire and get the newsletter out to your inbox.

In any event, if you did not receive the email, it means you are probably not subscribed… but you can go here and fix that.

As always, feel free to forward it to anyone you think may be interested.

Dear Friends;

One recurring problem we have in our mission to work with and minister to the poor and homeless population of Raleigh is that of how to disciple those who have decided to follow Jesus. I know many of you represent various churches that would be more than happy to have these people attend your Sunday worship services and, in some cases, that has happened. However, we have to face the fact that many of them have had bad experiences with the church in the past, many are not comfortable surrounded by people who are obviously from a different class than they are and some are “pre-christian” – you cannot take it for granted that they have heard of the Sermon on the Mount or The Parable of the Good Samaritan.

Because of this, we have decided to put together a weekly gathering of sorts, where we can build some structure, begin to build relationships across class boundaries and build some accountability with each other as followers of Jesus. We envision a time of bible study and discussion, followed by community time where we discuss our prayer requests, our struggles and triumphs. Monthly we plan to eat together, each bringing items as we are able. While many of those who gather with us will be homeless or poor, we envision the participants being from a variety of class backgrounds and ethnicities. In fact, we are committed to it, celebrating the diversity found in the Kingdom of God. You may be homeless, an accountant, a pastor or a banker, but we are all equal in the Kingdom of God.

If you look at the description I wrote above, you will see it does not look like “church” and that is on purpose: we are not starting a church. The people I serve do not need (nor will they participate in) a lecture. They need discipleship, accountability, relationships, models, inspiration, to be loved and someone to love. In fact, we all do.

Right now, several of us are working s an Ad-Hoc planning committee, working on putting this together and discussing the finer points. Everything is on the table as we discuss times, frequency, venues, styles, order, and so on. As you can imagine, we need your help in the following areas:

Prayer

A lot of prayer has already went into this, but we need much more. We need prayer that we will be guided to make wise decisions, that resources are provided and that, above all, we glorify Him as we embark on this additional phase of our ministry here. If you would commit to pray for us, we would be very grateful.

A Venue

We are looking for a place within walking distance of Moore Square in downtown Raleigh. We envision starting with 10-15 people, so we do not need a huge space initially. For several reasons, we do not want to do it outside nor in a private home. Oh, and we have very little budget (practically none), so very inexpensive or free would be good. We are very partial to doing it on Saturday afternoon late, but ultimately, I suppose venue will determine time. If you know of such a venue, please reply to this email email me and let me know.

Financial help

The way we are envisioning it, the only real expense will be whatever we need to spend on a venue. We already own Bibles, prayer is free and monthly meals are potluck. However, we may need help to pay the rent if we have to. Any donations you wanted to send specifically for this (info on how to do that is here) would be very appreciated. If you would like to be kept up to date on this aspect of the planning, please reply to this email email me and let me know.

As we add additional ways we minister to the poor and homeless of Raleigh, it brings new challenges, new relationships and new chances for growth. As always, I thank you for supporting me, for praying for me and for allowing me into your lives, wallets and email inboxes. Together, we can work to demonstrate to the world what love in the Way of Jesus looks like.

Love wins. Always.

Hugh Hollowell

Yes, it is true. The February edition of my humble newsletter has been sent to the subscribers.

If you are interested in what we are doing here, if you want to help support what we do or if you just want to know more about us and our crazy dream of loving homeless people, I hope you will sign up.

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