Good Samaritan Street Ministry

Our Mission

Bringing people together to demonstrate the grace and love of Christ in the urban core. Changing the culture in communities through service, outreach, teaching and modeling. Revealing the power to live whole again. Specifically, we will feed and clothe the homeless (street people) to demonstrate the love of the Heavenly Father while building trust and relationships that lead to mentoring opportunities. When the opportunity presents itself, we will develop transitional housing, buy a home and train a pastor to live in our target neighborhood, and plant a church in the urban core for street people.

What We Do

We look for homeless camps in underserved areas of the metro Oklahoma City area and simply meet people where they are in everyday life. We serve hot meals in the winter and lighter fare in the summer, collect casual clothing and hand it out along with personal care products.  Real simply, we find real broken people to treat with love and respect and help meet their basic needs, while demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ. We ask to pray with them while encouraging them that there are better alternatives for them than living homeless out on the street. Good Samaritan Street Ministry is not a stop, throw, and go operation to get video for a facebook post.

We share part of our day with the homeless out in the street, while we work to build trust, always on the lookout for those we can get to know better. From this place of budding relationship and trust, our goal is to start some Case Management and work to find solutions to their situation. We try to network them with other groups, ministries, and non-profits to meet their needs that we can’t. And we are always on the lookout for candidates for our Radical Life Transformation Training and Mentoring Program or for candidates to apply to live in one of our Grace Transformation Houses or other sober living or transitional living operations in the metro area.

What About You?

Good Samaritan Street Ministry is not for everyone. It takes people who are with boldness and not fear can walk into a camp and in a spirit of empathy just love, honor, and practice patience with broken people. Is there a risk? Always. Is there a reward? Always. To most of our society, homeless people are invisible and/or despicable. Have some of them caused their own brokenness. Absolutely. Have some of them been victims of a myriad is issues that can attack almost anyone at almost any station of life? Absolutely. Can some of them be saved from their plight and restored? Absolutely. And some on any given day can only be loved and cared out of their need for human decency that all of us carry within us.

Get Involved - Changing a Life!

• To volunteer to go out with Good Samaritan Street Ministry, click here.
• To donate food, clothing or other supplies for us to hand out, click here.
• To support Good Samaritan Street Ministry financially, click here.

Matthew 25:34–40 (ESV)
34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Good Samaritan Street Ministry

Volunteer Guidelines

These Guidelines are meant to make it easy for people to participate in Homeless Ministry and work together with other Ministry groups and individuals. At the same time, it is vital to ensure personal safety and promote a credible representation of Christ and Grace United Urban Ministry (UUM). With this understanding, the following Guidelines are set forth for participation in actual Homeless Ministry. 

1. Grace United Urban Ministry (GUUM) bears no liability for any individual choosing to volunteer and participate in any level of Ministry.
2. Volunteers with GUUM should easily and naturally exhibit the character of Christ to homeless people, other ministry workers, government authorities and any other people the which the ministry causes us to cross paths.
3. Volunteers with GUUM do not have to be Members of Grace Point Church but if functioning under the Ministry Banner of GUUM should be sensitive and responsive to the Ministry Leader(s) responsible for that Ministry time. This provides for safe, effective and efficient Ministry opportunities that allow for the building of healthy relationships as a Team, with other Ministry groups and with the Homeless Population. 
4. All volunteers must be clean, groomed and properly dressed - This means all necessary body parts covered, no see thru or overly tight clothing, no clothing or jewelry items that convey inappropriate messages.
5. While volunteers might personally use tobacco or alcohol, these items may not be used during Ministry with GUUM. This is important to set an example in a homeless culture that is fraught with addiction issues.
6. Ministry times should be fun and enjoyed but the focus should always remain on meeting people, building relationships, being sensitive to Ministry opportunities without being forceful, and the meeting of needs. In other words, have fun by enjoying the people and the work not by being the life of the party.
7. For safety reasons the following apply:
   • No one goes out of sight of the group by themselves. The buddy system is used where any movement away from Ministry vehicles is done at least by twos with the Ministry Leader aware of where the Team is at all times. 
   • No one is to give out their last name or personal contact information without permission. 
   • Once out of a vehicle, only Driver's License ID should be carried on each person. 
   • Cash should not be carried, and no cash should be given out without consulting with and approval of the on-site Ministry Leader. There are instances where financial assistance is warranted/necessary but flashing cash or developing a reputation of giving cash can create a mob scene and angry individuals who come to expect cash and might not get it. 
   • If volunteers smoke, no tobacco products should be carried. Tobacco products are the equivalent of underground currency. 
   • Appropriate language should be used along with being sensitive to tone of voice, facial expressions etc. Avoid demeaning statements or expressions or any laughter at someone's plight. 
   • Conversation should be without judgment, convey acceptance, encourage, instill hope and be in a sincere attitude of love. 
   • Pictures and video can be important tools to inform the public and promotion for obtaining Ministry resources but picture/video taking should be done with permission and announcement of such activity. Many homeless people are embarrassed, paranoid or dealing with legal issues that they do not want nor give permission for the picture to be taken. Many times, they will allow and like to have their picture taken with a volunteer if asked. 
   • Generally, children are discouraged from participating in on-street face to face ministry, the exception being older teens who demonstrate the spiritual and social skills and maturity of an adult. GUUM retains no liability whatsoever for any children participating in ministry and parents bear full responsibility for bringing their children. 
   • Homeless Ministry can be both overwhelmingly rewarding while unpredictable and dangerous. We refuse to operate in a spirit of fear believing that love conquers all while understanding that it is essential to use Godly wisdom in each Ministry time. 
8. Without prying for information and in the course of building relationship, we desire to learn names and circumstances surrounding each homeless situation. Part of the Ministry focus is to direct to and assist with resources to get individuals who so desire to get to shelter and/or housing and off the street.
9. Some individuals do not wish to go to a shelter or to obtain regular housing. In no way should these individuals feels condemned or judged for that outlook and life decision on their part. Each one has their own personal story, their reasons, hurts, labels or issues that brought them to that place. It is not our place to tell them they are wrong or messed up. 
10. In the course of meeting people and developing relationships, we are on the constant lookout for those Divine Appointments to share the love of Christ, to help each individual experience the work of Calvary personally, to pray with individuals over their needs, and to confirm and accept them as part of the family of God 
11. Finally, GUUM is not in competition with any other Church group or Ministry. We function under the attitude that we are all part of the universal church or family of God. If we can find a common bond in the work of Calvary we can work together as spiritual brothers and sisters in the midst of doctrinal differences. If we cannot find that spiritual bond, then we can still honor other ministry groups for their works. 
12. Ministry is nothing more than serving others with the gifts and passions the Father has put in each of us while working together as a team in the same way the body when healthy works together in a way that is instinctive and natural, without dissension, simply in total coordination and support of each fellow member. Face to face contact and ministry is not for everyone and that is ok. It takes an army of volunteers and resources to sustain those that do feel the call and the passion to be out on the street with people. In this Ministry, each one is important and important that each one be in a place that fits them. There is no condemnation in not filling a particular role only rejoicing in each one that finds their role. 

These Guidelines represent some collected wisdom that has been gathered by Pastor Wayne and Donna after years of experience pursuing real ministry to real people outside the walls of the church. Each experience in this Ministry is an opportunity to practice the collected wisdom and see what can be learned and revealed to enhance future experiences. If you have any questions, please ask Pastor Wayne or the Ministry Leader you are working with at the time.