Dallas pastors fill the stage, stating they are ready to see churches unify and work toward the Justice Revival goals of improving the education system in Dallas and end chronic homelessness in the community through partnerships, discipleship, advocacy and action. (PHOTO/Kaitlin Chapman/Texas Baptist Communications)
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DALLAS (ABP) — In the Dallas area, churches are participating in a new kind of revival — one that takes notice of the 5,800 homeless people and the 89 percent of Dallas high school seniors who are not college- or career-ready when they graduate. And they are setting aside differences to follow God’s command to help the least of these.
The Justice Revival is a faith-based event attempting to unite Christians across denominational lines, mobilizing churches to improve public schools and end chronic homelessness by creating permanent supportive housing.
The three-day conference, held Nov. 10-12, aimed to energize and mobilize churches to make a lasting change in their city.
More than 200 Dallas churches and city leaders agreed to address two needs by urging church partnerships with public schools and by pressing for creation of 700 units of permanent supportive housing for the chronically homeless.
Holy Communion Baptist Church in South Dallas offers an effective model. In the last two and a half years, the church has become heavily involved in offering tutoring for a local elementary school and has opened Diamonds of Dallas, a permanent supportive housing facility to help homeless men in Dallas.
“Permanent living is not that you support them the rest of their life,” Pastor Micah Phillips explained. “It is permanent for a time. These people need permanent support until they can become independent.”
Jaci Valesquez leads worship during the Justice Revival with her husband Nic Gonzalez, who is also a member of the Christian Latin band Salvador.
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Through Diamonds of Dallas, homeless men are offered temporary residence in the church facility and then led through a six-month job-training and life-skills program, preparing them step-by-step to gain vision, dignity and self-sufficiency.
“Through this, I want people to see the love of Christ that creates energy and hope,” Phillips said. “That helps them do better, and they begin to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps and get back on their feet.”
The first step to making a difference in the community and to offering permanent supportive housing is to be in the community, be with the people and learn to love them, he said.
“We need to get congregations to see that it is OK to move outside the walls of the church,” Phillips said. “We need to teach disciples about loving outside the walls of the church, to be receptive to people who don’t smell like them, dress like them, talk like them, act like them. This is what Jesus has called us to do.”
Phillips and his church also have affected their community by taking on education needs in the local schools through tutoring and mentoring programs. The church also hosts an after-school program two days a week where children can come to the church for help with homework in a safe, encouraging environment.
“If pastors will go into the schools, meet the principal, walk the hallways and meet the kids, they will build relationships and open doors,” Phillips said. “Principals can’t request us to come in, but they can’t stop us from coming in. They will appreciate the help we can give.”
Gus Reyes, director of Texas Baptists’ affinity ministries and Hispanic Education Initiative, insisted church partnerships with schools are a must.
“It is plain and simple, especially in the Hispanic environment,” Reyes said. “In many countries, the government isn’t seen as a safe place, and schools are run by the government.
“So, when these families come here from Spanish-speaking countries, they may not trust the schools.
“But when the church connects to the local school, they are opening the door because churches are seen as a safe place. They build a bridge to schools and that builds a bridge to the community.”
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Kaitlin Chapman writes for Texas Baptist Communications.