His Story

Pastor Norveen Rias Sr.

• A person just as you see today
• A beggar on the corner addicted to drugs and alcohol
• A person who family was to afraid to acknowledge him because of the addiction and incarceration

Being homeless and sleeping in vans and abandoned houses,other people would seek shelter that I didn't know.  I can remember one instant where the Lord would deal with me in dreams.  I had a dream of my death, years had past and it happened just as my dream showed me I was in the back of a house getting high three men came in with steel pipes and started beating me in my dream.  I got killed and cried in my spirit and ask God to help me.  I told God I didn't want to die like this[a statistic] God told me if you run to the front door you will live.  Then I said listen I didn't know if there was a front door or not I didn't listen because I wasn't sure.  So I continued to fight grabbing hold of one of the pipes one man yelled out,  "He's getting hold of the pipe", so they started beating me on my ankle and knee.  This made me break hold of the steel pipe so I made the choice to run to the front door which was unlocked and open.

Jesus saved me from thirteen years of drugs that day to keep me for a day like this to help others .  Thirteen years of drugs was changed with a voice of love. [EMPATHETIC] Pastor Rias is empathetic with those who desire change, that lack the faith and the resources to initiate change. [Romans7;19] For the good that I would do I do not but the evil which I would not that I do[this is called cant help it] verse 20 now if I do that I would not,It is know more I that do it but the sin that dwell in me.

Being able to see the problem and giving a answer
Everyone that is on drugs have a mind set and know what triggers them the same is with a homeless person or family.  But Christ came that we may have life.  There's no better feeling than someone that use to eat out of garbage cans given opportunity to prove himself by going to the store to buy groceries.  Or a felon to have a job regardless of his record to be a man in his house than to feel lesser than a man in the home.  God gives us this power and we should use it to help others.  Understanding that everyone is not looking for help some are set in their way of life, but there are others who deserve a chance.

Help me to help them
[DILIGENT] In working to establish kingdom connections [Amos3;3] How could two walk together unless they touch and agree.  So far Pastor Rias has had success with partnership with McDonald's to help people find jobs and local business such as Cage Lawn service and Steins restaurant.  Power to the People Community Development coordinates these job opportunities to help people that are looking for change.  Also, Pastor Rias and his family have opened their home, on many occasion, to women dealing with domestic violence women as a chance to get away from unhealthy relationships; bring them safely to their love ones.

"I believe crime will die down through continued partnerships and community efforts through, shelters for homeless families and clothing and feeding those that are homeless."  Power to the people Community Development would like to build a mother and child shelter with kitchen, food pantry for the homeless and a temporary job service to provide jobs and to meet needs of the community.  The harvest is plenty but the labourers are few.

AMEN