Join First United Methodist Church of Coral Gables, Florida as it hosts an exciting guest, Mike Slaughter and Discovery Fair event on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. Guest speaker, Mike Slaughter, will be speaking about ways to recapture Jesus’ mission to reach out to the world around us in God’s love.  Attendees will be encouraged to seek volunteerism opportunities from over 18 social service organizations represented, one being Riverside House!  For more information regarding the event’s details, please click here.

Mike Slaughter

Mike Slaughter, lead pastor at Ginghamsburg Church, is the three-decade dreamer of Ginghamsburg and the spiritual entrepreneur of ministry marketplace innovations. His life-long passion to reach the lost and set the oppressed free has now made him a tireless and leading advocate for the children, women and men of Darfur, Sudan, named by the U.N. as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today. Mike’s call to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted will challenge attendees to wrestle with God and their God-destinies.

When Mike arrived at Ginghamsburg Church in 1979, worship attendance hovered at 90 with 118 members and an annual budget of $27,000. Now, 4000 attendees on average worship weekly at Ginghamsburg and the multi-million dollar budget helps resource a faith community committed to serving the poor, lost and disenfranchised.

“Rehabilitation with Dignity” was a dream of Roberto Perez, a lay preacher; Reverend O. Dean Martin, Pastor of the Riverside United Methodist Church; and Jack Sandstrom, Director of the Dade Community Correction and Rehabilitation Department. Together, they envisioned a halfway house that offered the means for those with a first-time offense the opportunity to rebuild their lives.

Cleveland Bell III

Cleveland Bell III became Executive Director of Riverside House in July of 1977. As a former ex-offender, Mr. Bell was no stranger to the feelings of frustration, anger, and rebellion often felt by those with similar backgrounds. Through the continuous outpouring of Mr. Bell’s personal life experiences with fellow men and women, and, the dedicated, hard work of staff and Board members, the ministry of Riverside House has reached thousands of ex-offenders through jail groups, out-client participation, prison outreach, and inner-city activities.

Today, Riverside House is a private, non-profit organization that has been successfully operating as a coed community residential reentry facility for over 35 years.

Tags: Cleveland Bell III, ex-offenders, First United Methodist Church of Coral Gables, Ginghamsburg Church, halfway house, Mike Slaughter, Riverside House, Volunteerism

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