He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. John 15:2 NIV
Hi, I’m feeling a bit nostalgic today. My mind is pondering the past 32 years. I can hardly believe it but it was over 32 years ago when God called Joe and I to found Crossroads Ministries, Inc. As I sit here today and look back at what the Lord has done, I stand amazed as I reminisce over those years. Think about it with me for a moment. God sent a young couple from the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland to Worcester, MA to reach out to the homeless and hurting there. We left Cambridge, MD in February 1984, wondering why God would send us to Massachusetts when there were so many in our own community that were hurting and needed to know about his love and grace.
We obeyed God and moved to Massachusetts, knowing no one there except Rev. Samuel R. Perry, who had been a spiritual father to me. Needless to say, when we arrived in Massachusetts, the Lord opened many doors for us. We were adopted by the Stratton family and lived with them as we begin sharing the vision God had placed in our hearts. Through prayer and faith in an all powerful God, we were empowered to open up Crossroads Coffeehouse in November 1984 and eventually even Crossroads Home for men. In the process, God also used us to encourage unity among the churches and Christian community for the purpose of effective evangelism and lead major city-wide outreaches, while ministering to troubled youth through Children’s Church, and the establishment of a mission school. For 18 years we watched God do one miracle after another in reaching the homeless, hurting and even those in the churches with his love and grace. Crossroads proved itself as an effective missionary ministry in Worcester, MA. To God be the glory!
Then in February 2002, we left Worcester, MA to return to the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland, (18 years to the day) as Joe had been in poor health since 1998, and wanted to be closer to home. The Lord has given us John 15:2, so we understood that the move would be a pruning process for us and for the ministry of Crossroads. Our very successful ministry was pruned back substantially. We felt as if there was not much left. Even though we planned to continue ministry through Crossroads while in Maryland, ministry opportunities seemed to be far and few in between. We felt God had forgotten about us and simply placed us on a shelf. That was difficult after having such a dynamic ministry in Massachusetts. While Crossroads continued to function on a minimal level, reaching out to the homeless and needy in tangible ways, there was no comparison with its ministry in Massachusetts.
Then in 2011, while working with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, I became involved with Hope and Life Outreach (HALO) Ministry, a relatively new outreach to the homeless and hurting in Salisbury, MD. Through my relationship with that ministry, God once again provided a solid connection with the homeless community. Now, by His amazing grace, Crossroads is once again able to effectively minister to the unique spiritual needs of hundreds of homeless and hurting men, women and children from all over the Lower Eastern Shore on a regular basis. I stand amazed at the Lord! Through his pruning, we now do so much more with so much less. HALO provides shelter so we no longer need to do that. They feed some 300 a day so we do not need to do that, either. We are free to serve God in the midst of this community focusing all of our energies on sharing God’s love and his Word, bidding all to come to Jesus and teaching them how to walk in a manner worthy of him.
So here we are. Jesus Christ remains alive and well at Crossroads Ministries. He took us from Maryland and returned us here. He taught us much and we have seen him do miraculous things and then he pruned us back to nothing so he could make us even stronger and better able to serve him. What a mighty God we serve! Looking forward to see what he has in store in this next season of our ministry here through Crossroads. Stay tuned and plan to be amazed by God!
Eartha Pinder Harris, Chaplain at HALO Ministry President, Crossroads Ministries, Inc.
Crossroads Ministries Inc. 