Life Station

 

 

 

 

"Overcoming Evil" by

Overcoming Evil by Meeting Actual Needs
As an act of Love, the Life Station will meet actual needs in the area of food, clothing, Bible Training, Financial lay counseling, employment research/training, evangelism, Life Coaching, and Prayer support. The Life Station will assess the needs of persons requesting help from the Life Station and will network partners and volunteers to meet these actual needs. The life Station will seek to overcome evil in the areas of poverty, hunger, ignorance, isolation, and Spiritual Warfare.

Overcoming Evil by Meeting Perceived Needs
We recognize that needs may be presented that are not actual needs and may not be able to be confirmed. It is our intention to meet these “perceived needs” whenever confirmation is not possible and resources persist. In this fashion we hope to gain an audience for the gospel as might be the case with the meeting of actual needs. We know that persons presenting needs that may not be confirmed are doing so because they have actual needs even if these actual needs may not be confirmed and so we will be overcoming evil in meeting their perceived needs even if we are not able in the time we have with them to assess and meet their actual needs.

Overcoming Evil with evangelism:
Spreading the good news of Jesus Christ is the primary way in which God’s people may overcome evil. Ignorance of the truths of the gospel makes it difficult for persons to respond to these truths. How will they believe if they do not hear? The Life Station will make every effort to distribute, preach, teach, and emphasize the word of God especially the unifying theme of salvation through Jesus Christ. In no way will our efforts stand in the way of any person accessing the other resources available through the Life Station. 

Life Station ministry must be thought of as a diverse set of ministries originating in love. These love-based ministries will be the ongoing, everyday efforts of God’s people to overcome Evil in Toledo. They are listed and detailed on the pages that follow. They may change from time to time or the methods used will change from time to time but the focus will remain the same.

Food
The life Station will provide an emergency food supply to those requesting it. We will serve 43609 at a worship service. We will maintain scheduled hours in which referrals may come to receive help. These referral s will be accepted in written form from any government agency or faith-based organization. We will maintain policies to control the flow of resources and to ensure consistent service across demographics.

• Food Service,
• Emergency food bags
• Food Bank Partnership
• Referral letters
• “Empuzzlement” Partnership
• Records
• Transportation of supplies
• Lead Staff memberJozh Mitchell (Rev. 2/2020)
• Donations

Clothing Distribution
Life Station will operate a clothing pantry. The clothing pantry will be available to persons coming by referral and to the neighborhood at a designated time. Policies will be put in place to ensure that persons coming to utilize the clothing pantry are not abusing it and that persons have equal opportunity to receive aid from the pantry across demographics. A devotion or short lesson will be presented at the beginning of open time for the pantry.

• Clothing Donations
• Lead Volunteer: Carolynn Wilburn (Rev. 10/2017)
• Opening Devotions
• Volunteers
• Referrals
• Registration 
• Questionnaire

Toiletries Distribution
Life Station will distribute toiletries when they are available. Persons receiving referrals, persons expressing a need, and persons receiving a food supply will be eligible to receive toiletries. The toiletries will be limited in the case of recurring customers to every other month and will be limited by supplies on hand.

• Toiletries bags
• Records
• Donations
• Toothpaste, Shampoo, Soap, Toilet paper, deodorant, toothbrushes
• Partnerships

Bible Teaching
The Life Station will endeavor to make available, teach the meaning of, and live out the principles of God’s word. Volunteers and staff will demonstrate and when possible instill these principles in others. We will treat the truths of scripture as a reality that is not always accepted or understood but is always real regardless of ignorance or distrust.

• Mail-in Bible Study (ARM)
• Occasional Seminars
• Facilities usage
• Distribution of Bibles
• Baptismal services
• Local preachers for sermons
• Lay Counseling
• Bible memorization (monthly)
• Testimonials
• Tracks
• Printed circulation
• What’s your question?

Worship
The Life Station will host a worship service weekly. When possible, this worship will utilize live vocals and instruments. Volunteers and staff worship leaders will lead those attending the service to worship. Persons will be required to participate in a non-obtrusive way so that others may worship. When possible resources will be devoted to enhance this worship experience.

• Vocalists
• Instruments
• Chairs
• Clean sanctuary
• Sound System
• Bibles
• Overhead/power point/TV
• Schedule of Speakers
• Desk person/sign-in
• Records
• Reading Psalms

Cleaning
Life Station will maintain a clean work environment. The sanctuary will be maintained clean at all times in preparation for class, worship, or any meeting. Cleaning checklists and daily walk-thrus will be conducted by volunteers and staff to ensure that the building remains in a welcoming state.

• Volunteers
• Checklists
• Walk-thrus
• Organization
• Labeling
• Clear floors
• Wet Floor signs

Curb Appeal
Life Station will maintain an attractive, outside the building presence in the community. The color scheme, signage, weeds, sidewalks, lawn, and overall condition of the building will be included in this initiative.

• Maintenance checklist
• Yard work Check list
• Lawn Care equipment
• Shed Maintained
• Arrange for Lawn mowing Services
• Professional Looking Signage
• Regular walk around

Building Maintenance
Life Station will maintain and improve the facility located at 402 South as well as the houses owned by Life Station. Maintaining the Building will be seen as necessary to the ongoing function and the continuing existence of the Life Station. Maintaining improving the building will also serve to make persons using the Life Station have a successful experience, removing barriers to their willingness and ability to listen.

• Maintenance Check list
• Lead Staff Member
• Walk-Thrus Scheduled
• Repairs needed list
• Improvements possible checklist
• Tools
• Supplies
• Workbench
• Volunteer profile

Network Volunteers
Life Station will research, enlist, and organize volunteers from all walks of life. Life station will maintain an active volunteer list which will include those who have offered to volunteer, who have volunteered successfully in the last sixty days, and inactive volunteers being those who volunteered previously and have not recently. The list will contain enough information about the volunteer to further their ability to volunteer and the staff’s ability to relate to them while doing so.

• Recent Volunteer list
• Master Volunteer list
• Activities available list
• Records
• Lead Staff member
• Possible sources of Volunteers list
• Volunteer information packet
• Volunteer sign-in sheet
• Volunteer Registration packet
• Volunteer Profile maintained
• Volunteer appreciation plan/log

Network Financial Partners
Life Station will draw together and make best use of Financial partners. Life station will handle banking practices with integrity and honesty. Life Station will inform partners (see communication,) will continually solicit new partnerships (see research,) will flow finances to the ministry as efficiently as possible (see budgeting.)

• Partnership Packet
• Association reporting
• Newsletter article
• Secretary
• Budget
• Email Blasts
• Mailings
• On-line research
• Telephone scripts
• Monthly/Quarterly/Yearly Financial Review
• Donations

Budgeting
Life Station will engage in Strategic planning of Finances. The budget will attempt to plan for Finances donated, take into account community needs, and redistribute resources as necessary to avoid any financial hurdles.

• Budget
• Monthly Statement
• Food Funds account assessment
• Secretary
• Director

Communications
Life Station will accurately communicate details of the ministry. The communications will be scheduled, formatted, and maintained in order to inform partners, potential partners, clients, community members, staff, and volunteers of needs, current affairs, opportunities for involvement, and shifts in available resources, training opportunities, and more.

• Monthly reports to SCBO/NAMB
• Monthly reports to director
• Monthly reports to Leadership Council
• Monthly newsletter internal
• Quarterly newsletter external
• Quarterly newsletter association
• Partnership packet-possible new
• Partnership Packet-ongoing
• Needs list-ongoing
• Research-Who has interest
• Recorded testimonies
• Written testimonies
• Updates to agencies
• Appreciation efforts
• Master partner list
• Business Cards
• Flyers-partnership
• Appeal letter
• Website

Research community resources
Life Station will maintain a database of available community resources. These will include resources that clients may have need of and resources that Life Station may have need of. This master list of resources will be updated frequently and made available to clients who have needs. The portion of the list addressing needs that may be used by Life Station will be accessed to gather resources to further this strategy.

• Community Resource List- Separated by criteria of use
• Research
• Phone Calls
• Contacts
• Follow-up
• Check back on every list on the resource bi-annually

Research possible partnerships
Life Station will be continually researching additional partnerships. Partners may include anyone who wishes to add resources to support the strategy. The Life Station will not forego any portion of this strategy (especially not preaching/teaching the gospel) in order to enlist a partner. The Life Station will promote its tax exempt status as a benefit to those considering donating. Life Station will break partner research down into several subcategories: Past Financial partner, Current Financial partner, Potential financial partner, Past Resource partner, Current resource partner, Potential Resource partner, Past Manpower partner, Current manpower partner, Potential manpower partner, Past Prayer partner, Current prayer partner, Potential prayer partner. A profile will be maintained on every partner to aid staff in relating to the partner and promoting life station to the partner.

• Partnership agreement
• Phone calls
• Email blast
• Website
• Internet Research
• Personal visits
• Ask: Who do you know who?
• Communications (as above)
• Partnership Profile
• Records
• Master partnership list
• Segmented Partnership list

Future Direction and Possibilities
We would like to network those who have been helped to turn into a force for good in the community.  We would like to start a second food service. We would like to hire more staff, equip more volunteers, and we would like to expand our regular teaching opportunities to include more times, material, and people. We would like to start a comprehensive nutrition training program that helps people set up and run a healthy kitchen in their own home.