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Healing Place Church:  “A Healing Place for a Hurting World”

Last week I had the opportunity to visit Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge, LA. Healing Place is not a place to go it you want to play church. This church is very on-focus with their mission of being a "Healing Place for a Hurting World." It was very nice to spend some time with Pastor Dino Rizzo and the staff at Healing Place. I had the opportunity to attend HPC's first ever "Healing Place Experience". It was a small forum (about 28 people) who are given full access to HPC's leadership, campus, and programming for a couple days. But you'd need more than that amount of time to witness all that's going on here in the Baton Rouge area...

Pastor Dino and his staff are committed to reaching out to hurting and poor people in the area.  For example, our group took a 40 minutes trip over to their Donaldsonville Campus to visit and feed the widows.  I’m quite embarrased to say that this was my first experience actually doing something that God commands us specifically to do (in this area of widows).  Each Thursday, HPC feeds close to 70 widows in this small, very poor community (the average income in this neighborhood is just $8900 per YEAR).  At each house, we went in and prayed with these women, and gave them something to eat.  These are people that the world has forgotten; but HPC is ministering too.  And you should have seen how much these women appreciated the visit.  A lot of ministry took place in that short two hours.  It stretched me, and was a great experience.

This type of ministry goes on each and every day here at Healing Place.  Here’s just some of the ministry that this one church was able to do last year alone:

--Just over $1 million was given to missions and outreach.
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-Over 2 million grains of rice served to the poor by their Cooking For Christ ministry.

--65,000 meals were served by Cooking For Christ.

--Through their Mobile Medical Clinic and their Healing Hands team, they were able to provide 1300 free medical encounters with people.

--Volunteers and staff made over 1200 hospital visits.

--They were blessed to give away 1800 Christmas vouchers ($25 each)

--1600 kids attended VBS at one of their campuses.

--4000 people were reached through their Upward Sports program.

--Two major outreach nights were hosted by LateNite at LSU. (A total of 1300 attended).

--They held 624 weekend services in 2006.

--And the one that matters the most: 1400 recorded salvations!

HPC is planning another HPC Experience this fall.  If you’d like more information on this meeting, just drop me an email at todd.rhoades at leadnet.org.  I’ll be happy to forward the information on to you.

HPC really is doing great work for God by ministering to hurting people. And they have so much that they can teach all of us!

I’ve added a link to Pastor Dino Rizzo’s Blog to the right in ‘my favorites’.  I’ve also added a link to my new friend Dan Ohlerking’s blog (he’s also on staff at Healing Place.  Check them out!  (You can check out some video from last Wednesday’s “One Way” worship service here)

Todd

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This post has been viewed 126 times and was added on March 06, 2007 by Todd Rhoades.
Filed under: Leadership Issues  Leadership Development  
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  There are 5 Comments:
  • Posted by Leonard

    That Rocks!  I love the church, when it it right it is mind boggling.  Go Healing Place and thanks Todd for introducing it to me.

  • Posted by

    No words to describe....

  • Posted by dan ohlerking

    thanks for the links, dude.  it was an honor meeting you - and sharing some cajun food (even if it was rice-free).  grin

  • Posted by carole

    I am so thankful to be a part of HPC.

    My husband and I have been served and we saw Jesus in the hands and feet that served us, we serve to show that same Jesus to others. HPC makes it easy-serving options are enless there.

    I am gonna link this post on my blog if that’s ok?

  • Posted by Todd Rhoades

    Absolutely… link away Carole!

    Todd

  • Page 1 of 1 pages

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