We solicit your prayers of thanks and your intercessions for LOTS and our neighbors. We intend to provide you updates here on things for which we ask for prayer.
Update: Week of February 14, 2021
1. We are conducting a search for a new Vicar and Executive Director and solicit your prayers that the Lord will connect us to the person of His choosing to help lead LOTS forward.
2. We could use numerous weekday morning volunteers to join the staff and help with food preparation and delivery, mail services (receiving, sorting, and delivering), answering the phones, and with the sorting and preparing for delivery of the extra items we hand out each day.
3. We are grateful for the churches and groups who bring needed donations, and pray to the Lord for continued and new provisions we still need, and for the donors who will provide them:
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Update: Week of October 5, 2020:
1. We could use numerous weekday morning volunteers to join the staff and help with food preparation and delivery, mail services (receiving, sorting, and delivering), and with the sorting and preparing for delivery of the extra items we hand out each day.
2. As I shared two weeks ago, our Board (called a Bishop's Committee) and staff will be engaged in a Strategic Discernment & Planning process. The facilitator will be The Rev. Canon Joe Chambers, Chief of Staff for Bishop Andy Doyle of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. We have a ½ day working meeting this coming Sat morning, Oct 10, 9am-Noon. Please pray for a productive time and for help in both listening to one another and for the voice of God. And please pray beyond this Sat for the Holy Spirit to empower Canon Chambers and for the Board to discern God's immediate and short-term future path for LOTS.
5. Please continue to ask the Lord for continued and new provisions we still need that were not included in our 2020 Budget, and for the donors who will provide them:
Thank you very, very much for your partnership with us through your faithful prayers!!
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Update: Week of September 20, 2020
1. With Tropical storms headed toward Houston, please pray especially for our homeless and vulnerably housed neighbors, and for government officials. During this COVID season we are not allowed to permit our neighbors to shelter inside our building, and the City of Houston has not yet declared availability of more shelters. That makes our neighbors at even greater risk of danger from the weather.
2. We are in a search of a skilled Social Media contractor to help us keep our website and other communications technologies both updated and accurate as well as informative and inspiring. Please pray for the right person to apply, for the staff to discern which candidate is the right person, and for the finances necessary to contract with them.
3. A few weeks ago we asked you to join us in giving thanks for the permission we received to have 4-6 volunteers per day join the staff to help with food preparation and delivery, mail services (receiving, sorting, and delivering), and with the sorting and preparing for delivery of the extra items we hand out each day. Since then we've had three new volunteers join us: one gives us one 90 minute slot per week, one gives us three 2.5 hour shifts per week, and one gives us 5-7 hours on all 5 weekdays. Please again give thanks with us for these volunteers. Continue also, please, to pray for more volunteers, especially during our morning hours of operation.
4. In early summer a donor gave us money to purchase two large ground fans to help offset the oppressive and dangerous heat for those waiting in our parking lot for services offered by the Harris Health Clinic. Three weeks ago, another donor heard of the need for multiple fans (something we asked you to pray for last month) and funded - with the help of a local contractor - the purchase and installation of three oscillating fans that the contractor mounted on some walls in our parking lot area. While here for that, the contractor also installed new electric outlets so the two ground fans do not require long lengths of meandering (and potentially hazardous) extension cords. Again, please join us in giving thanks for the generous donors and for the additional comfort and safety they provide.
5. Our Board (called a Bishop's Committee) and staff will be engaged in a Strategic Discernment & Planning process, beginning this month. The facilitator will be The Rev. Canon Joe Chambers, Chief of Staff for Bishop Andy Doyle of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. The changes to LOTS brought by the COVID pandemic, and the continued challenge our supporting congregations have had in finding members of their congregations to serve on our Board, are among the realities that have us asking the questions about the best ways for LOTS to fulfill our Mission and Vision. Would you please pray for the Holy Spirit to empower Canon Chambers and the Board to discern God's immediate and short-term future path for LOTS?
6. Please continue to ask the Lord for continued and new provisions we still need that were not included in our 2020 Budget, and for the donors who will provide them:
7. Continue, please, to ask the Lord for protection and strength for our small staff. Weary servants are more susceptible to physical, emotional and spiritual attacks, and our small team has been magnificent in carrying the load, but they are not tireless.
Thank you very, very much for your partnership with us through your faithful prayers!!
Update: Week of February 14, 2021
1. We are conducting a search for a new Vicar and Executive Director and solicit your prayers that the Lord will connect us to the person of His choosing to help lead LOTS forward.
2. We could use numerous weekday morning volunteers to join the staff and help with food preparation and delivery, mail services (receiving, sorting, and delivering), answering the phones, and with the sorting and preparing for delivery of the extra items we hand out each day.
3. We are grateful for the churches and groups who bring needed donations, and pray to the Lord for continued and new provisions we still need, and for the donors who will provide them:
- for healthy snacks for snack packs (more protein and more health bars and more fruit, and fewer chips)
- for bottled water which we regularly distribute to hundreds of people.
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Update: Week of October 5, 2020:
1. We could use numerous weekday morning volunteers to join the staff and help with food preparation and delivery, mail services (receiving, sorting, and delivering), and with the sorting and preparing for delivery of the extra items we hand out each day.
2. As I shared two weeks ago, our Board (called a Bishop's Committee) and staff will be engaged in a Strategic Discernment & Planning process. The facilitator will be The Rev. Canon Joe Chambers, Chief of Staff for Bishop Andy Doyle of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. We have a ½ day working meeting this coming Sat morning, Oct 10, 9am-Noon. Please pray for a productive time and for help in both listening to one another and for the voice of God. And please pray beyond this Sat for the Holy Spirit to empower Canon Chambers and for the Board to discern God's immediate and short-term future path for LOTS.
5. Please continue to ask the Lord for continued and new provisions we still need that were not included in our 2020 Budget, and for the donors who will provide them:
- for healthy snacks for snack packs (more protein and more health bars and more fruit, and fewer chips)
- at least one portable toilet and at least one hand-washing station with two faucets to rent, and for the funds to have the toilets emptied and cleaned 2-3 times per week
Thank you very, very much for your partnership with us through your faithful prayers!!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Update: Week of September 20, 2020
1. With Tropical storms headed toward Houston, please pray especially for our homeless and vulnerably housed neighbors, and for government officials. During this COVID season we are not allowed to permit our neighbors to shelter inside our building, and the City of Houston has not yet declared availability of more shelters. That makes our neighbors at even greater risk of danger from the weather.
2. We are in a search of a skilled Social Media contractor to help us keep our website and other communications technologies both updated and accurate as well as informative and inspiring. Please pray for the right person to apply, for the staff to discern which candidate is the right person, and for the finances necessary to contract with them.
3. A few weeks ago we asked you to join us in giving thanks for the permission we received to have 4-6 volunteers per day join the staff to help with food preparation and delivery, mail services (receiving, sorting, and delivering), and with the sorting and preparing for delivery of the extra items we hand out each day. Since then we've had three new volunteers join us: one gives us one 90 minute slot per week, one gives us three 2.5 hour shifts per week, and one gives us 5-7 hours on all 5 weekdays. Please again give thanks with us for these volunteers. Continue also, please, to pray for more volunteers, especially during our morning hours of operation.
4. In early summer a donor gave us money to purchase two large ground fans to help offset the oppressive and dangerous heat for those waiting in our parking lot for services offered by the Harris Health Clinic. Three weeks ago, another donor heard of the need for multiple fans (something we asked you to pray for last month) and funded - with the help of a local contractor - the purchase and installation of three oscillating fans that the contractor mounted on some walls in our parking lot area. While here for that, the contractor also installed new electric outlets so the two ground fans do not require long lengths of meandering (and potentially hazardous) extension cords. Again, please join us in giving thanks for the generous donors and for the additional comfort and safety they provide.
5. Our Board (called a Bishop's Committee) and staff will be engaged in a Strategic Discernment & Planning process, beginning this month. The facilitator will be The Rev. Canon Joe Chambers, Chief of Staff for Bishop Andy Doyle of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. The changes to LOTS brought by the COVID pandemic, and the continued challenge our supporting congregations have had in finding members of their congregations to serve on our Board, are among the realities that have us asking the questions about the best ways for LOTS to fulfill our Mission and Vision. Would you please pray for the Holy Spirit to empower Canon Chambers and the Board to discern God's immediate and short-term future path for LOTS?
6. Please continue to ask the Lord for continued and new provisions we still need that were not included in our 2020 Budget, and for the donors who will provide them:
- for healthy snacks for snack packs (more protein and more health bars, and fewer chips)
- for hand sanitizer (we currently need 2-2.5 gallons per week!)
- for masks (we currently need 100-125 minimum per week)
- at least one portable toilet and at least one hand-washing station with two faucets to rent, and for the funds to have the toilets emptied and cleaned 2-3 times per week
7. Continue, please, to ask the Lord for protection and strength for our small staff. Weary servants are more susceptible to physical, emotional and spiritual attacks, and our small team has been magnificent in carrying the load, but they are not tireless.
Thank you very, very much for your partnership with us through your faithful prayers!!