Welcome
Thank you for taking the time to visit our new website for the Ministry Village At Olive, Inc. While we don't fully understand all that God has before us, we wish to share the vision for the Ministry Village and how you can join us in bringing help and hope to our neighbors in need.
Several years ago, I had the privilege of serving on the 20/20 Vision Team at Olive Baptist Church. This group was charged with the task of discerning God's direction for our ministry and formulating a long-range plan. Through the experiences of Hurricanes Ivan, Dennis and Katrina we gained a greater awareness of the call to social evangelism. Our church was already involved in many social ministries, but there was much more that needed to be done. It is not a choice but a mandate to help "the least of these" with physical, financial and spiritual support.
As we finalized our plans, Olive Baptist members approved the formation of The Ministry Village at Olive, Inc. (a 501(C)3 organization) and allocated approximately 15 acres of their campus for the village. In 2008, Olive Baptist Church embarked on a successful capital campaign among its members to provide the infrastructure (parking, roads, utilities, engineering and site work) to build the ministry village. This work is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2009. We believe it demonstrates our commitment to the Ministry Village vision as we reach beyond our campus to the greater community to bring this effort into fruition.
One of the programs in the Ministry Village is Charis House, a home-like residential drug and alcohol recovery program. Today, 12 women have graduated from the program that launched on April 7, 2007. Seeing their lives changed and relationships restored inspires us to press on in our mission to help others. While we knew the need existed, we were unprepared for the more than 200 names that were placed on a waiting list to participate. Today we have two houses that can accommodate 14 ladies. The Ministry Village vision includes plans to expand the number of women we can serve. The need is great.
In January 2009, Bethany Christian Services will be moving into the Ministry Village. Currently, we are drafting site plans for a building to house Health and Hope Clinic. Future plans also include a counseling center, food pantry, clothing store, and meeting facility for Most Excellent Way, Divorce Recovery and other support groups.
I hope you'll join me in becoming a Ministry Village person. It will take a village of people like you and I to meet the needs of a community in which 16% of the population live in poverty and more than 66,000 adults are without medical insurance. I appreciate your consideration of joining our effort.
These plans are beyond our own resources, but not God's!
Steve Harrod
Chairman, Board of Directors
Ministry Village At Olive, Inc.
Serving the Pensacola Area
The Ministry Village At Olive, Inc is a Florida not-for-profit corporation dedicated to serving the Pensacola area community. The Ministry Village vision is to establish a collection of community outreach ministries and programs in a village-type setting on a portion of the Olive Baptist Church campus that is dedicated to this purpose.
These ministry programs will be housed in existing buildings as well as planned facilities to be constructed. The programs and services provide for practical ministry to the poor, hurting and forgotten among us. The scope of the Ministry Village vision includes construction of a building to house the existing Health and Hope Clinic, a medical clinic providing free primary care, expansion of the Charis House, a drug and alcohol recovery for women; establishing a similar and separate recovery program for men; a counseling center; a community meeting center and recreational facilities for community use.
There are existing local ministry programs that either need to expand their current facilities or need a facility to reside. Some of these ministry programs that will reside in the Ministry Village are independent, non-profit organizations such as the Health and Hope Clinic and Bethany Christian Services. They are ministries that fulfill the vision of the Ministry Village and meet a community need. It is not the intent of the Ministry Village to duplicate an existing ministry service. However, the Ministry Village organizers do desire to increase access to people with un- or underserved community needs as expressed in the Mission Statement.
The village will be built upon the concept that each one of us has a calling to serve others. While we each should strive to practice humility and kindness toward others in our everyday lives, the Ministry Village takes the concept a step further by establishing facilities specifically intended for service to the community. The Ministry Village programs are faith-based.
We hope you can capture the vision by exploring our plans laid out on this site and reading the news article on the Ministry Village story. You can become an active participant in making it happen through financial giving and prayer. Don't miss out on a great opportunity to be a partner in a God-size vision. Become a Ministry Village person today!
How to Help
GIVING
The Ministry Village vision can only become a reality through the gifts of generous people like you. Contribute to a specific ministry or make a standard contribution to the village as a whole. Give online
VOLUNTEERING
The Ministry Village relies on people donating their time as well as their money. There are plenty of opportunities for you to help our community. Learn more
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The Ministry Village at Olive, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All donations are tax-deductible. |