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A few years ago, my friend Sam Gallucci and a small band of believers at The Harbor in Ventura started serving the needs of the homeless in their community. This expanded into Operation Embrace, and eventually birthed The Kingdom Center in Ventura.
Now, the ministry is expanding into Oxnard as Gabriel’s House (The Kingdom Center Oxnard) opens — and it’s not just a single church or ministry that is doing this – it is literally the Church of Jesus Christ in Ventura and Oxnard.
Watch this video…
— If you are near Oxnard or Ventura, consider how you can get involved!
— If you are not near, consider how you can address the needs of the homeless in your community!
“About three years ago, God performed a miracle in the city of Ventura, California, uniting over 22 churches under the cross of Jesus Christ to provide a transitional living center for homeless families on the street in our county.” – Sam Gallucci, The Harbor Church pastor
“To be homeless and to be a woman and be homeless is incredibly difficult because you can put yourself in comprising positions and by doing that you can give away a part of your soul and your spirit.” – Karen Patterson, Kingdom Center Ventura resident
“We have a significant homeless challenge in our county. We started by opening up a daytime walk-in center called Operation Embrace, Over the past 4 1/2 years we’ve had the privilege to care and see over 4,000 homeless walk through our doors.” – Sam Gallucci
“Our heart in the beginning was just to help people, just to “be Jesus” to them. It’s ridiculous to go out and just go, “Hey Jesus loves you man,” and hand a homeless person a Bible track — and then they are still sitting there homeless and hungry, you know, in danger and addicted. So we just started working with them and just wanting to help in any way we can.” – Dave Christensen, Operation Embrace Director
“Once these Kingdom Centers started we realized God’s doing something much bigger than that. God is actually drawing His Body, the body of Christ, back together through this work. It’s really amazing, and it’s bigger than we expected.” – Dave Christensen
“We all believe that we are supposed to care for the poor, the orphans and widows in their distress. Let’s come together and do this. Let’s work on this.” – Dave Christensen
“It’s just what Jesus did. It’s having relationships.” – Dave Christensen
Now God is birthing Gabriel’s House in Oxnard – a place which provides emergency and transitional housing for women and children!
Today’s Missional Challenge
Consider how you can partner with other Christians and churches around you to care for the poor, the orphans, and widows around you.
