Love Thy Neighbor
TRANSFORMING A COMMUNITY
through open arms.
In July of 2005 the Centenary's Youth Ministry went on a mission trip to the Tenderloin district of San Francisco, California—one of the poorest and most dangerous areas of the city. From their lodging at a local YMCA, the group walked daily to Glide Memorial Church to help serve meals to the city's homeless and marginally housed.
Along the way they came in contact with many people—diverse in class, race and walks of life. The living images of fellow humanbeings sleeping along the sidewalks made a permanent impression on both staff and youth alike. The gravity of what they were seeing challened them. It not only challenged their thoughts about service, it opened their eyes to a world never before witnessed. It was real.
Although the group had never seen homelessness of this scale in Winston-Salem, collectively they knew it existed at some level. The experience had changed them. It changed how they saw their own world and how they saw themselves in it. At that moment, a decided was made...a conscience decision to make a positive impact on the people of Winston-Salem. It was from this decision, born of compassion and stark awareness, that Love Thy Neighbor was conceived.
Today, Love Thy Neighbor is a thriving Youth-led ministry that provides outreach to the homeless and marginally housed population of downtown Winston-Salem. Once a month, LTN provides a meal, a fun activity and a chance to break down societal barriers to all involved. The ministry is an expression of Christ's unconditional love. Born out of a transformational experience, LTN exisits as a means of transforming our own community by fostering a relationship between the members of Centenary and those who find their homes in city it serves.
