WASHINGTON — Many walk the streets of Washington, D.C., with no place to call home. And, for most, it’s something they never planned or a place they’d never thought they’d be. But life threw difficulties their way — a few bad breaks, too many medical bills, the rising cost of living, losing a job or maybe a few poor financial choices.
Eric Bebber, one of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s field personnel, believes they all have one thing in common.
Eric Bebber (center) serves in Washington, D.C., connecting churches with struggling people in the nation's capital.
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“They are in need of someone to recognize that they have dignity, worth and positive contributions to offer the world,” he said. “Much of my work involves bringing the homeless and church missions groups together and creating opportunities for them to build bridges, find commonality and help each other live out the kingdom of God.”
Since 2006, Bebber has coordinated service opportunities for churches that bring groups to the nation’s capital for a week of missions involvement. Working with local non-profits and service agencies, Bebber plans experiences that engage the average church member with struggling inner-city residents.
“I believe in the power of being the hands and feet of Christ,” said Bebber. “When we step outside of what we are used to, when we meet people who have different backgrounds and stories than us, then God shows us that poverty no longer is an issue — instead, it has a face and a name, and it is a beloved child of God.”
And that personal encounter changes lives. One college-bound student committed to being involved in missions projects for the rest of his life, seeing the importance and difference it makes. That’s the type of response Bebber hopes for — one that motivates church members to return home and help struggling people in their own community.
Whether it’s a group of high school students or senior adults, each engages in doing mercy — meeting immediate needs such as preparing food, cleaning a homeless shelter or handing out bottled water on a hot day, getting to the root of societal problems, understanding why they exist and how they can be prevented.
Bebber sees the ultimate goal of this ministry as inviting individuals and church to be “the presence of Christ in their own communities. That is where the gospel comes alive,” he said.
Last July, Murfreesboro Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, N.C., traveled to serve alongside Bebber for a week. After a meaningful service experience, they returned home and started a ministry in their own community called Loaves and Fishes, which once a month prepares and delivers hot, homemade soup to homebound and community members with disabilities.
“Eric challenged us to not to let our mission experience end when we left D.C.,” said Lee Canipe, the church’s pastor.