FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nicole Daniels
Office: 719.266.8300 ext.103
Cell: 616.260.6097
Email: ndaniels@agrm.org
Colorado Springs, Colo. (Aug 7, 2013) — According to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, approximately 630,000 people in the United States are homeless on any given night. Many of them are served through one of the 275 Association of Gospel Rescue Mission (AGRM) member missions across the nation.
This year, My Hope America with Billy Graham is partnering with the AGRM to share the hope of Christ with these individuals and families. Along with thousands of homes and churches, participating rescue missions will not only show their guests radical hospitality, but also a new evangelistic video program with an inspirational message from Billy Graham.
“The appealing venues for My Hope America are the dining rooms and living rooms of caring neighbors,” AGRM President John Ashmen points out. “But what about our invisible neighbors—those without homes who rarely experience a sense of community? For them, gospel rescue missions across our country will open wide their doors. They will be invited in. They will be fed. They will be made comfortable. And they, too, will hear Dr. Billy Graham’s heart for our nation. Just like the core of Dr. Graham's message, no one who wants in will be left out.”
“This message of hope found only in a relationship with Jesus Christ is the same for all people,” said Preston Parrish, vice president for My Hope America with Billy Graham. “The greatest gift you can offer anyone is the gift of God's love through a relationship with Jesus Christ.”
“The Association of Gospel Rescue Missions is honored to be partnering with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for the My Hope America initiative,” added Ashmen. “While the demographics of our country may be changing, the need for people to find bedrock spiritual grounding has not changed. Through decades past, Dr. Billy Graham has helped countless thousands find that grounding through an unmodified, unapologetic presentation of the restorative Gospel of Jesus. Dr. Graham’s voice, with that paramount message, most certainly needs to be heard again.”
About My Hope America with Billy Graham
My Hope America with Billy Graham encourages participants to reach out to people they already know and engage in meaningful conversation and connections as a catalyst for sharing the hope and love found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. While one-on-one conversations will be the root of this relationship evangelism outreach, there will be special evangelistic programs available in a wide range of formats including TV, DVD and Internet that people can share to reinforce the message. The programs will feature life-changing testimonies and powerful messages from Billy Graham. A new program, subtitled in 12 languages, is being prepared featuring new footage of Billy Graham and scheduled for release the week of his 95th birthday on Nov. 7.
For more information on My Hope America with Billy Graham, including preparation meeting dates, news articles and evangelism resources, visit www.MyHopewithBillyGraham.org.
About the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world by every effective means available. From its headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., the BGEA directs a wide range of domestic and international ministries, including: large-scale festivals led by evangelists Franklin Graham and Will Graham; The Billy Graham Library; The Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove, located outside of Asheville, N.C.; SearchforJesus.net, an Internet evangelism project reaching thousands of people for Christ online; and many others through print, television, telephone, radio and the Internet. For more information, please visit www.billygraham.org. Get news updates on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/BGEAnews.
About the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions (AGRM)
Celebrating 100 years in 2013, AGRM is North America’s oldest and largest network of independent crisis shelters and rehabilitation centers, offering radical hospitality in the name of Jesus. With approximately 275 member missions, AGRM exists to proclaim the passion of Jesus toward the hungry, homeless, abused, and addicted, and to accelerate quality and effectiveness in member missions. Every year, AGRM members use 300,000 volunteers and 10,000 full-time staff to serve approximately 50 million meals, provide more than 20 million nights of lodging, distribute some 30 million pieces of clothing, graduate upwards of 20,000 people from addiction-recovery programs, and provide many additional valuable services. For more information, visit www.agrm.org or call (800) 4RESCUE.
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