The neighborhood where Pastor Lorenzo and his wife Helen live and minister might not seem like the ideal place to pastor a church.
From the steps of the church building, you can hear police sirens, see crime scene tape, and feel the gunshots vibrate the sidewalk. However, this is exactly why the Elizondo’s feel called to serve the community and work with World Impact.
LifePoint’s Mission Field
LifePoint Church sits in the heart of Oak Cliff , an under-resourced and crime-ridden community in south Dallas, Texas. Crime, drugs, and broken homes have left this neighborhood searching for answers.
“The majority of our members have experienced tremendous brokenness, pain, and trauma in their life,” Pastor Lorenzo said. “They’re justified in Christ, but they don’t know what to do with the burdens and the wounds they carry.”
To minister to the congregation’s needs, Pastor Lorenzo and Helen organized a World Impact Trauma Healing group, and around 10 people attended.
The Healing Process
Freddy and Tammy Gonzalez have been part of LifePoint since 2015 and both grew up in broken homes. Together, they have fought Freddy’s PTSD and Tammy’s pain from losing numerous loved ones.
JP and Stephanie Castillo, members since 2012, also experienced dysfunctional home situations and are building their family on the solid foundation of Christ.
Member and volunteer Darlene Mendez lost her mother to leukemia and her husband to divorce in the span of two years.
LifePoint Members Now Equipped
Each of these individuals praised the Trauma Healing program for its effectiveness in providing them with new beginnings in their healing journey.
They are now equipped to both heal from their own trauma and walk toward healing with those in their community.
“There’s going to be a lady out there that’s going to feel like I did…I know I can help people that way,” Darlene said.
“This (trauma healing group) was a life-changing experience,” JP added. “It completely caught me off guard how powerful it was and how practical each of the steps were.”
In a place like Oak Cliff, only Christ can transform the brokenness and tragedy into wholeness and prosperity. Because of faithful servants like the Elizondo’s and LifePoint members, Oak Cliff can hear the Gospel preached and see hope restored to their community.
We invite you to learn how to provide Trauma Healing training for your church or organization or to consider supporting World Impact as we look to train and equip Urban Ministry workers.