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

Several of our friends have told us that they want to pray for us, but they are unsure of just what to pray for.

We are very much in need of your prayers. The work we do often takes us to very dark places and in dark circumstances. In a very real sense, we are battling principalities and powers, not flesh and blood…

We need your prayers. I (Hugh) need your prayers. As an old friend was known to say, we could use the prayer and you could use the practice. If you go here, you can 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.

Thanks for your love and support.

My friends at Raleigh Mennonite Church asked me if I would say a prayer today during their “lighting of the Peace Lamp”.  Basically, the idea is (or so it seems – this is solely my interpretation) is that each week they pray for a people group that needs justice and light a lamp (that would be the aforementioned Peace Lamp) as a way of remembering them. This week, the people group were the poor and homeless, so I got the call.

I love the Mennonites. I just do. If for no other reason than they do stuff like this, remembering those people the rest of the church wishes would go away.  Also because they not only let me pray a prayer like this one, but actually want me to do so.

* * * * *

Our Father,

We pray today for those who are homeless and hungry in our city.

We know that all blessings come from you
and we, Father, are truly blessed.

For while we are well fed,
others go to bed hungry.

While we have nice, well decorated houses,
others will sleep tonight under bridges.

These things are not happening in a third world country,
or something we have seen on TV,
but right here, in Raleigh.

If anyone is,
these people are our neighbor.

Help us to remember what your son said-
That when we feed the hungry
or shelter the homeless…

We are doing it to him.

Remind us, O God, of your son’s prayer-

That it may be on earth,
as it is in heaven.

For one thing we know for sure
is that no one goes hungry
or sleeps under bridges
in Heaven.

Father,
thank you for giving us resources to share
with those who are hurting.

Today, we pray for the strength
to help bear their burdens.

And most importantly-
the will to do so.

We ask this in the name of your son who,
through his death
overcame evil, forever.

Amen.