My Mission

     My methods have been called 'unorthodox', 'nonsensical', 'perplexing', and quite a few other words. All I know is that it has been said, 'how do you get where you get and do what you do?'. First and foremost, it isn't me, it's God, like I have said time and time again, if left to my own accord I WOULD GO NOWHERE. Now down to the bones of it. How I do what I do.
     Let's make no qualms about it, I do label SOHO as an 'outreach' and not a 'ministry', in that, it is a ministry, and as long as I am in it, I will make sure that it is centered under the banner of God and Jesus Christ. God is the one who wakes me in the morning, and the blood of Jesus is what washes away my every sin and makes me worthy of salvation.
     Why would I label it as one and not the other? Let's face it, the possibility that I am going to run into a person who has not heard at least the name of Jesus Christ, is a very scant possibility. On the other hand, running into people who have been hurt by someone who comes in His name, but does not reflect His love, well, sadly, that has happend thousands of times. Before I say anything further, let me make this evidently clear, I believe that the biggest part of ministry is not the words you say, God will provide you with those words when they are necessary. It is the LOVE YOU SHOW. Going forth with a searvants heart, and remembering that the son of God was homeless, the men the angels chose to announce His birth to were shepherds (regarded as dirty, unkempt, lowly, and so on and so forth), His cousin and the man who was chosen to be His herald had wild unkempt hair, wore a vest made of camel hair and ate locusts and honey. When we walk among all of society unflinching and loving, we are reflecting the love that I believe was meant to be spread world wide. The first thing that we must do is smash the preconceptions that our brothers and sisters have come to believe.
     'Love one another as I have loved you', 'Judge not, lest ye be judged', time and time again it has been suggested how we should try and live our lives and yet we continually ignore it. We look past it, just like every single one of us has ignored a person in need at one time or another. The only way to change a heart of stone is to love unconditionally, it's not easy, but in surrender it is possible. If I had not seen it on someone elses face reflected towards me on a wednesday night years ago, I would not be the man I am today. I want those who we serve to want it, not be forced or innundated by it. They are surrounded by churches, ministries, so on and so forth, by far and large what they need is a friend, a brother or sister that they can depend on. Someone who can talk them down from the ledge, be a shoulder to cry on, someone to hug or high five, and when those areas are met, someone to pray for them, with them, and gently lead them to the path that they so choose.
     Many will say, 'wait, the path they choose?', yes the path they choose. Why? In my field, they are mostly adults, they are going to make their own decisions and move in the ways that they will move. All we can do is love them, and from my personal experience, that love, when in surrender, not only can change their decisions, but 'make them want what you got'.
     That's how I do it, I have never invited one person to my church in the field, and yet, we always have a good crowd on the bus, yes, we are able to load folks on a bus.(a blessing flowed out by both Kevin Graves of Encore Limousines and Crossroads Church Burnsville). Only through God's love, Christ's love, is it possible. In that all we can do is surrender to it, let Him flow through you, guide you, direct you, and shine through you. Once you do that, the possibilities are endless. Each and every one of you can do what I do. Why? Because IT'S NOT ME, IT'S GOD. I don't do anything, I just get up in the morning, and even in that, He is the one who allows me to be blessed by one more day on this earth. I hope this all makes sense in one way or another, I just felt like I had 'some splainin' to do'. I'm gonna get to my day, and in that, I'm gonna leave you with 3 things.
1. Even if you do not believe in God, He believes in you.
2.I love each and every one of you and God does too.
and of course...
3. Live, Laugh, Love, And Keep Your Faith On The Power Above. (LLLAKYFOTPA XD)

Step Onto The Streets

     Ok. First and foremost, yes, I have started my own outreach. It hasn't been easy, sometimes when ways are made you must be pushed from the nest that you have become comfortable in. I have never been good with change, and in that, this has been one of the hardest things in life. I have come to realize that God can lead you in one direction  so you can learn necessary things, make the necessary connections, and 'learn the ropes' so to speak. In this outreach my purpose is to do exactly what I was doing before, but with no boundaries or set parameters, pretty much to do what I feel I should do, when I should do it. It has been extremely frightening, and yet, amazingly freeing. I can't explain what it feel like, all I can say is that if you find a point in the day where you feel the inherent need to move in one way or the other, MOVE. Do not become stagnant, morose, stale, or anything else of the sorts. I know it is hard, and I have had my bouts with various 'issues', fears, anxieties, or whatever else you want to call them. All I can say, once you jump, as long as you keep your focus in the right place, you will quickly find that you can fly. In that, never forget that your power of flight is not yours. It is God's power, and you must never forget that.
     In moving in what I feel is God's way I have realized one thing. It's all His. He has surrounded me with wonderful people who have just 'showed up'. I needed a hierarchy, I know one thing, at this time I am not cut out for any type of 'office' position. I am need to do some of those things, but most of it, let's face it, I have no business being in it. In that, God has brought me people to fill those positions, a Executive Director, (who is so overqualified only God could have brought him to me), a CFO (once again, who is so overqualified, only God could have brought him to me), quite possibly a Vice President (once again same as above), a Volunteer Director of Marketing (see previous statement that looks like this), the list goes on and on with God pouring out more people than I know what to do with. Good thing He has a plan, because it is already moving in ways that I never anticipated.
     I have been befriended by wonderful people in my field, most nationally recognized for what they do, and my head just spins in awe of the things that are happening. We have been placing a new family, a couple with a baby who is less than a month old. Our 'Partners In Hope' have just poured out blessing after blessing to make sure that this little family has the tools that they need to stay off the street and live a life that they need for their child. I am proud to say that they want to be baptized as a family very soon. I have also been asked by a person who teaches at a nationally recognized college to speak on street outreach, which just has my head spinning. The fact that a nationally recognized author and speaker who I deeply respect is the one who suggested me for this role, just makes me feel so grateful that I have been chosen to possibly fulfil such a task.
     In that, I can't take any credit for it, I must make it as clear as possible. I have done nothing. The only thing I have done. I woken up every day, and I can't even take credit for that, since it is God who choses to let me rise every day. Not Me. If left to my own accord, I WOULD BE NOWHERE. All of this is through the power of God. ALL HIS, NONE MINE. Just want to make that clear. Either or, this is the new blog, hope you dig it. I want to thank all of you who have become 'Partners in Hope' in any way. Your prayers and faithfulness make all of this possible. I love each and every one of you and God does too!!! LLLAKYFOTPA XD -Todd 'Preacher' Finney