"Love your neighbor as yourself." It's the second greatest commandment, according to Jesus, but it's easier said than done. Never shying away from the complicated nature of contemporary issues, Ted Rivera identifies thirty-three ways we can engage the world with Christian compassion.

Not Just a Soup Kitchen is the story of how God transformed the life of the author from near-death skull fracture, childhood sexual abuse, and spiritual bankruptcy to becoming the minister of mercy in the heart of Philadelphia. It is also an instructional guide for those serving in diaconal/mercy ministries.

Many people around us have desperate needs, and the Holy Spirit will not let us sit by and do nothing. This booklet encourages believers to act by pursuing a mercy ministry for their church.

Why would someone risk his safety, upend his schedule, deplete his bank balance, and become dirty and bloody to help a person of another race and social class? And why would Jesus tell us, "Go and do likewise"? The Good Samaritan didn't ignore the battered man on the Jericho road. Like him, we're aware of people in need around us-the widow next door, the family strapped with medical bills, the homeless man outside our church. God calls us to help them, whether they need shelter, assistance, medical care, or just friendship. Tim Keller shows that caring for these people is the job of every believer, as fundamental to Christian living as evangelism, discipleship, and worship. But he doesn't stop there. He shows how we can carry out this vital ministry as individuals, families, and churches. Join Keller as he explores the biblical way to participate in compassion ministries. In this retypeset edition, he deals perceptively with thorny issues, such as balancing the cost of meeting needs with the limits of time and resources, giving material aid versus teaching responsibility, meeting needs within the church versus outside the church, and more. Book jacket.

Recounts the author's work with juvenile delinquent girls and investigating abuse cases, sharing the princples that have made Mercy Ministries--her organization that helps women break free from life-controlling issues--successful.