Dare to Care to benefit from Israel Houghton concert
Published:Friday | September 6, 2019 | 12:10 AMVanessa James/Gleaner Writer
“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me …”- (Matthew 25:40 KJV)
Looking out for your fellowman is a mandate that can be found in most religions of the world. As such, Transformed Life Church (TLC) is continuing its mission of charity and giving back by donating part proceeds of the 'Elevate Worship Experience' concert to the Dare to Care programme of the Mustard Seed Community.
Cordene Henry, missions ministry leader TLC, said the Hope Road-based church has been providing assistance to Dare to Care for the last seven years.
“TLC has been in operations since January 2012 and since that year, we have adopted Dare to Care as one of our charities,” Henry stated, “the home houses children living with HIV/AIDS from baby stages until in their 20s because sometimes, even though they are over the age for them to be at a children’s home, they have nowhere to go.”
She added: “Over the years, we have always supported them, tried to help them with back to school and different things. There are times when we actually go there and help them with homework; we actually had GSAT classes, just to help them to come up into the school system,” she shared,
“Any need they have, they call and say, for example, ‘Aunty Cordene, the bathroom needs a new toilet’ or whatever, and where we can, we really try to help them.”
One of the founding pastors of the church which worships at Police Officers' Club, Dwight Fletcher, said that by giving back, they are using another way to show love.
EXPRESSION OF FAITH
“Jesus loves us, we love people; so it is an expression of our faith that we would touch people. We touch people who are okay, but we also minister to a lot of people who are in less fortunate circumstances than we are, and we feel that it is a part of loving God. The love of God is the love of people,” Fletcher stated.
He said the church also gives back to other charities, including a home for deportees and Mary’s Child, which caters to abandoned pregnant teens and young mothers and their babies.
“So we minister there (home for deportees), contribute to training for them; sort of rehabilitate them. Some of them have actually gotten saved and are productive members of society,” Fletcher told The Gleaner.
Henry said Dare to Care will not only benefit from the proceeds of the event, but some children from the home will get to enjoy the concert live.
Elevate Worship Experience is headlined by Israel Houghton and New Breed and will be held on Friday, September 20 at the Karl Hendrickson Auditorium, Jamaica College.