We envision our neighborhood being transformed into an oasis of hope by the power of God: one life, one home, one neighborhood, one city, one state, one country at a time, until the whole world blooms.
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Literally, En Gedi is a lush oasis that is teeming with life near the Dead Sea in the barren Judean desert (Ezekiel 47;10), and a Grove is defined as a group of trees with interconnected roots.
Figuratively, we feel that the name “En Gedi Grove” paints a perfect picture of Jesus, the Living Water, and His life-changing love that we believe will continue to transform our community into a mighty oak grove, rooted into the Living Water, and standing for the display of His splendor (Isaiah 61:3).
It has been so exciting over the years to watch the love of Jesus cause our neighborhood to bloom, both spiritually and physically, one life at a time, one building at a time. We believe that any hope for any real transformation is found in the power of the Gospel, and we see brokenness in our community, in all of its ugly forms, as an opportunity to display the Gospel, which produces living billboards that we can point to as we proclaim the Gospel. The truth is, we were all lost until God sent Jesus to lose His life so we could find life in Him. Jesus didn’t come to Earth looking for a project; He came looking for a personal relationship with us. His sacrificial pursuit of a relationship with us is at the heart of our ministry model, and we believe that our community will be transformed as we show and tell about the amazing love of Jesus. For us to pursue relationships with our neighbors generally looks like displaying the Gospel through providing food for the hungry, counseling for the wounded, training for the unskilled and uneducated, friendship for the lonely, transportation for the stranded, coats for the cold, shelter for the wanderer, and anything or anyone else God calls us to. To find out what that vision looks like up close, visit Ministry page. |
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He turned the desert into pools of water
and the parched ground into flowing springs; there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle. They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest; he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish. ~ Psalm 107:35-38 ~ The poor and needy search for water
but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst but I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will make rivers flow on barren heights and springs within the valleys. I will turn deserts into pools of water and parched ground into springs. ~ Isaiah 41:17-18 ~ |