Emmanuel: God With Us - Serving Philadelphia's Most Vulnerable
““Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.””
— Matthew 1:23
Ministry Update
Standing at the top of my steps, my 2 ½ -year-old daughter kept trying to get my attention over and over again.
“Dada, wish you, wish you, wish you.”
I could not understand what she was trying to say. As her frustration grew so did mine.
“Wish you, wish you.” She had been saying this over and over again for days.
Suddenly, it clicked. “Wish you” was her way of saying “with you!” She wanted to be with me!
This blew my mind. It also touched something deep inside of me. We all have this desire to be “wish you.” We all have this desire to connect. If the Emmanuel homeless ministry I manage has taught me anything, it’s that people want to connect, and God is connecting with us through Jesus. After all, the very meaning of Emmanuel is “God with us.”
Each week, as we serve 125+ homeless and food-insecure people, I see people who have a desire to be “wish you.” That’s what we do at Emmanuel. Yes, we feed them, but we also connect people to God and to one another. And as we connect people at a very simple level – maybe getting them to sign in as a guest – we’ve been able to connect with them later at a much deeper level. That guest at our meal has evolved into a volunteer who sets up tables or puts away chairs. That same person now may even be one of our chefs, using his God-given talents to feed others.
We also connect with partners, some believers and some who are not. These include Epic Church, Freedom Church, City Light Church, Samaritan’s Feet, Penn dental and Temple podiatry. These partners offer our guests flu shots, new sneakers, clothing, dental services, and foot care. But even more important than the services, we have created a community. We are connected and God is with us!
History of Emmanuel Ministries
Emmanuel ministry was started by First Baptist in 2007, designed to create a hospitable space and provide a meal to people in need. When Liberti moved into the First Baptist building, this ministry became a major part of the church.
The ministry has grown from serving 40 to 50 people twice a month in 2012 to serving up to 125 people each week. We used to make do with four to five volunteers. Today, we attract 20 to 25 each Saturday to prepare and serve the meal.
We have also expanded our partnership with Bethesda Project, which sends a social worker to Emmanuel to offer engagement services and place people in different levels of housing. As a result, more than 100 people have been placed in permanent or transitional housing in just two years.
Personal Note
It is beginning to sink in that I am in a new role, and that it is different.
Even though I still will maintain most of the relationships, it will be different. I have started to grieve the past as I hope for the future. I am very excited about my new role, but I also know I must do some personal reflection to maintain personal health. I am a very driven person which is a good quality, but I also must not be driven by false motivation for approval.
As I was reflecting a verse that gave me comfort this week is: Jeremiah 17:7 “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord”. Ultimately it all comes down to this my trust in God.
Prayer Requests
Pray for ongoing monthly support- I'm making great headway towards our financial goals and have been so encouraged. I'm currently aiming to develop sustainable support so I can continue to focus on developing new Mercy and Justice Projects for the Greater Philadelphia Region.
Pray for Easter Outreach and all the connections that are made. We have over 90 partners this year- which is amazing! But it also requires a lot of coordination! Pray that we continue to develop deep connections across denominational lines and build an interdenominational community focused on serving our neighbors in need.
Pray for me to maintain personal health in transition. This transition is creating a lot of uncertainty as well as opportunity. Pray for me to balance my personal life with my work life. Pray that I engage in my work in a way that glorifies God and provide me with His peace.
In Christ,
Vito Baldini
