The Christmas season is a time to remember Christ Jesus, the King. We must remember that all that is good comes from one source, Jesus. To Jesus, we are to give glory and honor and praise. He is our source for resources, supplies, people, strength, work and direction for this ministry.
For 10 years, CSM has lived out our mission statement, “Connecting Resources With Needs.” The truth is there is only one source for all the resources and that is the Lord. God is our source for everything we are and everything we need.
God is our source for resources! Volunteers, groups and visitors to CSM often ask where all of the goods we distribute come from and I say, “We pray.” The moment I was asked to lead this ministry all I knew to do was pray. The Lord and his word have directed this ministry for 50 years. I have led for the last 10 years and turned it back into God’s hands of mercy for the church and the people in need. Our prayers have been to our source in times of need. God has filled this warehouse and grounds with so many tools for the use of the gospel and the meeting of needs. CSM has given away over 20 million dollars worth of resources in 10 years.
God is our source for supplies. The Bible says He will supply all of our needs according to His riches and we believe what His word says. We have large facilities and many moving parts and God is holding it together. He has brought to us companies and people who have been a resource of skills to aid this operation. The freezers have run for 30+ years and to my knowledge have been maintained for all these years. God brought companies that have supplied these needs. The food resources have come from all kinds of places to aid events and projects all over this city and disasters all over the country. CSM, in facilities and properties, is worth $5 million dollars.
God is our source for people. He has supplied all the right people at the right time to do the right things. It was 10 years ago that we began preparing for a disaster that came in 2011. The right people came to help in 2011 during the tornados of Alabama, where 62 tornados touched down and we had around 132,000 volunteers come to help from all over the world. It was a busy time and I remember one friend walking in my office one day and saying, “Go home. I have this for the next few days.”
The right staff has come at the right time to take this organization to the next level. The right board has helped maintain integrity and honorable management of resources. The right volunteers have walked through these doors at the right time through so many different avenues. CSM has recorded over 200,000 volunteers in 10 years.
God is our source for strength. He uses His children to encourage us and strengthen us. We treasure the encouraging messages, emails and letters that have come at the right time to give us that strength in our time of need. Everyone here has had messages of encouragement along the way as we give to those in need. CSM has seen thousands come to Christ as a result of our partnerships in the gospel with organizations and churches.
God is our source for work. We work at jobs to make money to provide. We work for the Lord to give Him glory and for the rewards we will receive when we get to glory. Good works are needed to expose people to the Lord. Good works are needed for people to recognize God at work. Good works are commanded to do for our neighbors. Good are ordained by God to deliver his people. Good works are used to see God answer prayers for others. CSM has mobilized hundreds and thousands to do good works of ministry in this city and many other cities within disasters.
God is our source for direction. I have spent 10 years walking this journey at CSM with a vision of working for the Lord. The vision has matured over the years now to seeing the church as the primary means of serving people and the working through the church to strive for oneness in our city. Oneness in our city comes when all of our time, talents and treasures are working toward unity of the body of Christ. This looks like working with pastors to see the value of their churches and working with churches to lay down their differences in pursuance of one path to God is our one and only source for everything at all times, in every way and in any day.
