There are an estimated 15,000 homeless individuals and families trying to survive on the streets in South Florida. We pass them daily on our way to the mall, Starbucks, and dinner with our friends. As a community, Epic Church wants to challenge the way we look at the homeless around us and change ONE LIFE at a time.

LoveBags, a grass roots ministry, believes that changing homelessness begins with relationships. It's not just about feeding the homeless, but becoming part of the lives of Broward County's homeless. Bringing bags filled with food, clothes, hygiene items, etc., you'll get to know their names, their stories, and develop friendships with those who live on the streets in our own communities. Join a team any Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. 

LoveBags Families is a special partnership with The Shepherd's Way in Fort Lauderdale caring for homeless families residing in transitional housing. You can be part of a group that visits these families twice a month bringing dinner, talking, developing relationships, and loving them. Email Jan Lyon at  Janmlyon@comcast.net to be involved in this amazing opportunity.

The crisis in Africa has already left nearly 14 million orphans in its wake. Within the next five years, another 10 million children will be orphaned, many of them in critical need of basic care. The results of extreme poverty and disease in Africa are staggering: one child dies needlessly every three seconds. Yes, one dies every three seconds! As followers of Jesus, we will not turn a blind eye to this kind of suffering. We can be part of the solution, changing ONE VILLAGE at a time.

Working with the Agathos Foundation, we are taking steps to adopt the ABC School near the city of Ndola in Zambia, Africa. As part of their Pilgrim campaign, we are responding to the massive orphan crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa by coming alongside an existing church in Zambia to rescue a community of orphans. The intent of of the Pilgrim campaign is to develop an on-going relationship of care, connecting the Epic Church community with the local Zambian church and the more than 200 orphaned children attending the ABC School.

Agathos believes in self-sustenance, requiring that each partner village become self-sustaining through the development of a farm or local business. Once capital funds have been raised for the school and supporting village, our role will be to maintain a relationship to mentor and love the orphans.

To this end, short-term visiting teams play a key role in the relationship between the Epic Church community and the orphaned children at the ABC School. These trips will be planned around the needs of the village including basic activities like well drilling, construction, and educational partnerships as well as intensive training and mentoring of the pastors and members of the local church. Our first trip was in September of 2009.  Future projects include well drilling, educational resources, community gardens, construction, scholarship programs for graduating students, and mentor programs.

We are currently raising funds to drill a much needed well that will provide clean water to the students at the ABC school.  The current well at the school is not deep enough to reach the fresh water sources, so the water is contaminated. Please contact Karen@epic-remix.org for details on how you can make a donation towards the drilling project.  

AIDS, war, poverty, famine, and economic crisis have created a worldwide tragedy. Today there are an estimated 108 million children who have lost a mother or a father due to dire circumstances. Millions of children are suffering daily around the world. By supporting Invisible Children and Pathway to Joy Ministries, we are responding to the cries of these children, ONE CHILD at a time.

Invisible Children is a non-profit organization of storytellers, visionaries, humanitarians, artists, and entrepreneurs committed to end the longest running war in Africa and change the future for thousands of child soldiers abducted into the war in Northern Uganda. This grassroots movement of students and young adults is transforming apathy into activism to address injustice in Uganda. Epic has hosted movie premieres, participated in the Books for Books drive, supported the Schools for Schools campaign, and recently was involved in The Rescue held in Miami.

In the city of Oradea, Romania Pathway to Joy is caring for abandoned and orphaned children living in institutions and orphanages through services to children and families in crisis.  They provide food, clothing, shelter, medical care and other critically needed assistance. Their vision is to empower the Romanian church and community to care for the most vulnerable children through the power of God's love and compassion.

The book of Genesis tells us that "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." All that is around us - the oceans, mountains, rivers, trees, sky - was created by God and "it was good."  The community of Epic Church believes that we are to be stewards of God's creation around us. 

Through special events like Epic Earthcare, working together to make earthpots to grow flowers and vegetables, encouraging fair trade purchasing, or the simple choice to use glass mugs instead of papercups for coffee at our Sunday Gathering, we hope to reflect a sincere value for all that God has created.

Epic Church was inspired by Dr. Matthew Sleeth, a guest speaker at our Epic Earthcare event. Hundreds from the community came to find out how squalid shantytowns and pervasive environmental toxins directly impact Christians and their faith. We were challenged to examine what the Bible says about caring for the earth and to take real steps towards changing our lifestyles. For more information about Dr. Matthew Sleeth, MD, please visit his website at www.blessedearth.org.