Tim was too scared to talk about the gospel until he saw its impact on Sydney’s homeless.
By Jeremy Halcrow

It’s 8.30pm on a Monday night. A dozen homeless men are emerging from the concrete crannies of a Sydney public building for their weekly chat and feed with three young men from Holy Trinity, Mowbray. Usually there is up to 30 street people, but perhaps some are a bit wary of the strange journalist with a camera.

The three young men too are reticent to receive any attention, claiming the glory is God’s. They describe themselves as ‘ordinary blokes’ inspired by former minister, the Rev Garry Lee-Lindsay, to introduce some of our city’s most marginalised people to the transforming power of the gospel.

Jonny, who keeps the barbecue ticking over, is a tradesman. Tim Kabanoff, who is handing out soup, is a lab technician, while John, a builder, hangs back from the lights chatting to the street people. Their mate Darien, instrumental in starting the ministry, couldn’t make it this night.

The idea is simple: they take a portable barbecue, cook up a few sausages and while the homeless are eating, a Bible passage is read followed by a short talk on the passage. The evening often ends in a lively discussion about Christianity.

The outreach started half way through last year. “I was really challenged by being involved in the ministry first-hand. I just kept going each week because it was so important,” said Mr Kabanoff. “It blew away my prejudices about the homeless. I expected them to be smelly and dressed in rags. But they are just ordinary people except for some reason they are unable to rent a house. A lot of them are struggling with addictions to gambling or drugs.”

Mr Lee-Lindsay said the problems for street people go deeper than a lack of food and shelter.

“It is not often that a street person will starve to death or suffer from exposure to the elements,” he said. “Rather, it is the lack of dignity, respect, communication, love and understanding that these people are really affected by. These people are seen by many as a problem within themselves, a threat to personal security, impeding on our own levels of comfort. This message can be communicated in a number of ways. Continual interrogation by the authorities, ‘drive-by’ missiles of rotten fruit by the ignorant and cowardly elite, or the refusal to give any form of acknowledgement, even a smile.

“A common picture of Jesus Christ, both in and outside church circles, is of one who cared for the poor, who commanded us to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. And yet the deeper heart of Jesus is clearly a concern for people’s spiritual needs. Yet it is often forgotten, or even ignored, that street people do have the need to find meaning for their lives, to know what it means to be saved and to be told and shown that God loves them, despite appearance or circumstance.”

Mr Lee-Lindsay’s passion is to create a network of people within Sydney Diocese who are willing to minister to our city’s homeless by going out to meet them on their territory.

“In order to see this vision fulfilled, I am hoping that there would be groups of people from different churches around Sydney who would commit one night a week to meeting the homeless and lonely of our city. It would be great if there were some of God’s representatives out there every night. The group that belong to Holy Trinity, Mowbray, have been commissioned to this special ministry and go out with the church’s blessing. The need is to have interested and concerned people make contact with those who live on the street, showing them respect and giving them the opportunity to meet Christ in the process.”
But it is not only the homeless who gain from the ministry. Mr Lee-Lindsay points out that ‘the volunteers themselves have grown immensely in their Christian walk due to this experience, seeing the power of God at hand and being able to use the gifts and resources God has given them’.

Mr Kabanoff agrees that his faith had grown dramatically and his enthusiasm for evangelism had radically altered through his involvement in the ministry
Mr Kabanoff has being going to church since childhood but ‘never really did anything at church’.

“I’m a pretty shy person and I found speaking up all too scary,” he said.

Mr Kabanoff says he now ‘completely open’ to the idea of evangelism, after having his first taste of teaching from the Bible standing around the BBQ.
“I couldn’t understand how people could walk up to strangers and talk to them about God. But if you pray about it, God will use you in many helpful ways. When you step out in faith God knows it and will give your strength,” he said.

“I’m now much more open about talking about Christianity in other contexts. I now see the importance of making opportunities where sharing the gospel is natural and not just waiting for non-Christians to bring up the subject.

This is so important because it can really change people’s lives,” he said. “I’d encourage everyone to get a little uncomfortable for the gospel and take it out somewhere.”

If you are interested in being involved contact Garry Lee-Lindsay on 9332 1133 or 0425220139.