It's A Dream

About a year or more ago I saw the program on Christian TV about the Dream Center in LA and how they minister to the homeless and distraught of LA.  

It was so inspiring, I heard myself saying, we NEED a Dream Center here in Tampa Bay.  So, you can imagine my surprise and excitement upon hearing that Pastor Bill Craver has started a Dream Center in Tampa at 4th Avenue and 22nd Street in Ybor City.  Its an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dream Center with Matthew Barnett.   

Pastor Bill has pastored in the Tampa area for many years, and is an apostle to the Mayan Indians of the Yucatan in Mexico.  

Ybor City once part of Tampa which was known for it's Cuban culture and cigar factories it is now known as the party capitol of the Bay area.  Small businesses are vanishing and bars and "night-spots" are taking their places.    

Pastor Bill's vision is to reclaim Ybor City for Christ!  How does one do that?  One person, one family, one block at a time.  They bought a former crack house in Ybor city,  and put some paint on it, dedicate it to the Lord and began witnessing to the drug addicts, prostitutes, and the people of Ybor city. 

In September and October the Dream Center had block parties giving away food, clothing and even providing a live band with Christian music.  The sign which read FREE hair cuts brought in people who enjoyed the helping hand.  

One lady after getting her hair cut stopped to chat with Pastor Bill for a few minutes.  She was relating to him how she heard they were there and she knew she had to go there.  She said, this is so much better than going to the bar down the street.  She had a perpetual smile on her face.  She was telling us how nice it was that her hair was cut and she felt so much better.   

This is ministry is impacting Ybor city in the small ways that touch peoples heart and enable them to feel the love of God. 

The residents  know  the people at the Dream Center care! and when they know how much they care then they truly care how much you know. 

The Tampa Bay Dream Center houses youth who have committed to living there for a year.  Usually they take a year off from going on to college after high school and join the dream Center to work with inner city families.  They go about reclaiming the inner city one block at a time.  They pass our Bibles and host prayer walks, feed and cloth the poor. 

The Tampa Bay Dream Center works with  local churches to help accomplish their goals.  

They have a few needs such as: food supplies, clothes, blankets, Bibles, a copy machine, carpeting, volunteers to distribute food, folding chairs, etc.  You can also help by allowing them to clean your business or home. 

Coming up is Thanksgiving outreach on Thanksgiving Day.  They will have Thanksgiving Dinner outreach giving out 300 meals, as well as a toy and food drive for Christmas. 

For this last outreach in October they had approximately 6 churches join them, such as:  Metro Ministries, Bay Shore UMC, Countryside Christian Church, Faith Outreach, Mission For Jesus, Mercy in Action, Living Word Chapel. 

Jerry Brandt founder of Evangelism In Action Ministries, witnessed, prayed and encouraged the local people via loud speaker that could be heard for blocks.  Roberta Lashua, a prayer host for www.liveprayer.com and founder of  www.BelieversBay.com, gave a prayer for the community.  Terry Mack, gave his testimony.  He spoke of his difficulties in school and how he wanted things to be different so he PRAYED, and that very day his life began to change.  He said he felt GOD rest on his brain.  He was never the same again.  He encouraged the people that GOD can do what we can NOT do.  If we keep His word His blessings will OVER TAKE us.  His parting statement to us was:  "I am what I am and I do what I do because God can do what I was not able!"  There is NO failure in GOD!  

It was an awesome day of witnessing and praying for the sick.  As well as meeting many of the people's physical needs.  

The live band that played at this outreach was "Sons uv Thunder ".  They are very talented and versatile in their Christian music.  

One of the local evangelist said to me, near the end of the outreach, "This IS Church!"  He said, where I go on Sunday mornings is just a place I go to, THIS is REALLY Church".   I had to agree.  Praying for people there on the streets and witnessing to them about Jesus is what it's all about.  

Any church, ministry or individual that is interested in helping in any way please contact Bill Craver at: 813-242-6036. or  Tampa Bay Dream Center 813- 292-0847
 dreamcenternet@yahoo.com

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