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The San Francisco Night Ministry

See the Story of the Ministry (video)

Nightlife: The Story of the San Francisco Night Ministry

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Press

Finding My Religion: Rev. Don Fox walks the streets of San Francisco at night helping those in need (San Francisco Chronicle 2/21/06)

Night Minister of the Streets: His congregation is San Francisco’s homeless and dispossessed (San Francisco Chronicle 9/15/02)

Newsletter

Read the Night Ministry annual newsletter.

· 2007

· 2006

History of the Ministry

In the fall of 1962, two clergy... one Lutheran, one United Presbyterian… observed the city of San Francisco at night. They asked of each other a simple question: "What happens to people in crisis during the hours of the night when all of the churches are closed and the only social services available are police, fire, and ambulance?" In a demonstration project the following year, the question answered itself. "Not much."

Shaped out of human need and impelled by the gospel, the Spirit gave form to the vision and in 1964 the Night Ministry was born. Seven denominations responded and financed the ministry during its crucial early years.

Today, the Night Ministry is incorporated as a non-profit ministry with strong grassroots support from local congregations and individuals throughout the country. In concert they provide more than 75% of the yearly operating budget. With sponsorship by the American Baptist Churches of the West, the Episcopal Deanery of San Francisco, and the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Night Ministry provides a powerful witness to the denominations working together in a common ministry of compassion.

Every night of the year, from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., trained lay volunteers provide counseling and referral services for anyone in crisis. Those volunteers are the first line of communication for all whose emergency needs require immediate attention.

At the same time, an ordained clergy, able to be reached by pager, is on call to the entire city meeting people where they are... in their homes, in the bars, at the bus depots, or phone booths on the street. When not on such a call, the Night Minister nurtures the people of the night accepting their invitation to be part of their lives wherever they may be found. As often as not, the favor is returned.

The Night Ministry is here to lighten the darkness... rekindle the hope. For those in crisis, a call to the Night Ministry will always reach someone who is willing to go with them into their personal suffering or private hell. For those who find it comfortable to listen to others, and share in a ministry of healing, perhaps they will hear the call too. Maybe that someone is you.

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The Scope of the Ministry

God has committed to the San Francisco Night Ministry one of the most needy and poignant congregations in the city. The lonely. The frightened. The confused and discouraged. The defeated. The spiritually lost. And all too often, those whose public suffering is exceeded only by their private hell. In a busy and sophisticated city, it is often difficult to see them. Terminally ignored by the successful workaday world, they often find anonymity, appearing only at night. Before long, they simply seem to fall through the cracks of an otherwise caring society.

For nearly four decades, a group of San Francisco Bay Area congregations, denominational bodies and concerned individuals have attempted to meet the human and spiritual needs of the city through informal, on-street encounters, supplemented by the telephone counseling of trained, committed lay volunteers. Every night of the year, ordained members of the clergy walk the downtown streets from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., bringing a measure of compassion and understanding to this diverse group through counseling and referral. Taking a lead from Jesus Christ, who was often found among the "wrong" kind of people, the Night Minister and Assistant Night Ministers meet people wherever they are: in the bars, hotels, all-night coffee shops, homes, or simply on the street. And since human suffering knows no "office hours," a minister is available wherever there is a need at night when help is hard to find. For San Francisco, this is a ministry as urgently needed as it is challenging.

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The Volunteer Lay Counseling Ministry

The outreach of the San Francisco Night Ministry is not limited to the downtown streets. Its telephone is staffed to receive crisis calls. From 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., trained volunteer lay counselors are standing by to receive calls. When necessary, they are able to page the Night Minister on the street. The Minister is then able to return the call, or go to meet the caller face-to-face.

Telephone counselors are screened and trained thoroughly. They may volunteer for a single night each month, or for several if they so desire. Volunteers receive calls in the Night Ministry office. The Ministry seeks mature, sensitive, nonjudgmental individuals who feel emotionally capable of dealing with the diverse problems they may encounter. Their own ministry is every bit as rewarding as that of the Minister on the street. Please contact us if you are interested in becoming volunteer lay counselor.

Upcoming Crisis Line Counselor Training Dates:

2008

April 4, 11 and 18 (Fridays)

June 10, 17, 24 (Tuesdays)

October 10, 17, and 24 (Fridays)

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Contact Information

• Phone Number: 415-441-0123

• Mail Address: 1031 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA 94109-6801

• Email Address: sfnightministry@aol.com

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