Has God asked you to wait? In a world of one-click shopping and on-demand streaming, many times we expect immediate results. We do not like waiting. In fact, most people hate waiting. We want what we want when we want it!

However, God often asks us to wait. A garden is a great place to learn about waiting. Everyone will agree that waiting for plants to grow requires patience. We often refer to The 180 Center as God’s garden, and we can see a parallel between plant growth and the growth of a disciple. Our greatest priority at The 180 Center is to do the work Christ has called us to do…go and make disciples! We offer a Biblical Discipleship Training Program for men who are desperate for change. It’s a residential program and a challenging eighteen month commitment. It takes TIME and PATIENCE. Discipleship requires patiently waiting for God to do a hidden inner work of transformation in each man that enters the program. We celebrate the growth we’ve seen in every disciple that completes the program, but we also know it’s only the beginning of what our Master Gardener will do.

What a blessing it is to see the beauty of a fruitful garden! That’s why we rejoiced at the beginning of March as we celebrated the graduation of Jay O’Brien from The 180 Discipleship Training Program. Jay is from Long Island, and shared his testimony with a crowd of family and friends who supported him faithfully throughout the program. Jay expressed his gratitude for his family who visited him and prayed for him during the eighteen months. He shared the joy he found in transformation.“When I finally agreed with God and let go, that’s when the change really happened,” Jay shared, “I remember hearing a message one day that said if I agreed with God, He would do the work. So I just agreed with God, and now He’s doing the work!” Jay now has full-time employment and even teaches a class at The 180 Center.

He’s looking forward to someday returning to Long Island to work and build family relationships. It’s a new season for Jay and we ask you to continue to pray for him as he continues to grow in Christ and produces fruit that will remain.

What a joy to be able to share the harvest of our garden with others! The 180 Warming Center has been open every day this year for those experiencing homelessness. We are so grateful to God for the teams and individuals coming to share the Gospel, serve food, and pray for the homeless. Both school and church groups visited these last few months; these teams were a great witness of Christ’s love. They also serve as encouragement to us because they remind us of the joy in working together to gather the harvest.

Now that spring is here, many people will begin to plan their gardens. We all know gardening costs our time and money. After all the work is done, there’s still a need to wait because growth takes time. We have been waiting almost two years now to finish the work necessary on our building. Because of YOUR generous giving, The 180 Center took a HUGE step forward and began the installation of HVAC systems and the fire sprinkler system in the rear part of our building! We are so excited to see the work being started! Phase 2 is quite costly, but once completed, The 180 Center will have a 16 bed men’s shelter with a bathroom, showers, kitchen, and laundry facilities. This provides the ground needed to bring in a larger harvest. We praise God for your generosity and we continue to wait on Him to supply every need at The 180 Center.

Does God have you in His waiting room? We all know it requires patience, but roll our eyes when people remind us. Maybe it’s because we forget that waiting on God means relinquishing control and trusting Him fully. Surrendering to God is a beautiful thing! When we surrender to Him, we grow in dependence on Him and trust His faithfulness. We actually agree with His Word that we are the branch and He is the vine; we can do nothing apart from Him. God is glorified as this beautiful fruit of dependency is produced in our life. If you are in God’s waiting room, we pray you will be encouraged to know that this is an opportunity for Christ to be glorified in you!

Needs For Phase 2:

• Rear HVAC systems (IN PROGRESS!)
• Installation of two commercial steel exit doors
• Indoor Fire sprinkler system (IN PROGRESS!)
• Outdoor connection of fire sprinkler to hydrant
• Electrical and plumbing (fixtures only)
• Installation of drainage box in parking lot

Four Ways You Help The 180 Center:

SHARE about The 180 Center on social media! We are on Facebook and Twitter. Share our ❤ for those in need! Share about our 18 month program for men!

PRAY that God provides the labor and finances to complete the new building in His timing. Your prayers are powerful!

SERVE as a skilled laborer with the renovations. Contact us through email.

GIVE A donation towards our new building. Give online or by mail. Online giving is through this website (click ‘donate’ in the upper right hand corner).