Back in the early 1990’s Matthew Barnett thought he was headed to Los Angeles for a short-term mission trip at a small church. Thirty years later, he’s still there, but the operation is much larger. The Los Angeles Dream Center is the result. A massive operation that includes a 400,000 square foot facility and a church, which serves the homeless, getting the drug addicted unaddicted and seeing in all people the image of God. But the sad news is, despite the center’s successes, the city of Los Angeles and the state government hierarchy refuses to partner with them because they are faith-based. While the city of Los Angeles announced they would spend $1 billion on the problem of homelessness, the equivalent of an estimated $50,000 for each homeless person, Barnett says it costs the center $7,500 to rehabilitate someone out of drug addiction. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith, Barnett talks about the triumph of transforming lives when God is at the center of the process. He says they’re not just ministering to people’s needs; they’re ministering to people’s potential. God-given dreams give people hope that there’s something greater to live for.
