ELLINWOOD — About two years ago, Buzz Birney left his secure job at a major insurance company and took a leap of faith with his wife Clifann to begin a ministry called “Live Like Jesus Today Ministries.”
“It’s a huge change,” said Birney. “It’s a big step of faith. We raise our own monthly support.”
It hasn’t all been easy, and they have had some tough months. Seven months into the ministry, when things were difficult financially, Birney was offered jobs with other insurance companies. He turned them down.
“It’s been a great step,” to go into ministry, he said. “The more you have to rely on God, the more you have to trust him.”
So far, they have taken five teams overseas including Haiti, Mexico and Trinidad, where they are building on to a church building and adding a preschool. Clifann is from Trinidad.
“The church needed a lot more room,” said Birney. The additional room allows for a kitchen and beds for the homeless, and a preschool.
Each month they go to Wichita for the Compassion Ministry for the homeless. They have given the homeless water proof mats that can be rolled up for mobility. They also have given them sacks of toiletry items such as soap.
“The homeless love the them” said Birney. He said that some of the homeless are drug addicted or mentally ill, and some have had bad luck and ended up on the street.
However, the main point of the ministry is to share God’s love.
They conduct international Bible studies with students from overseas out at Barton Community College.
The couple speaks at a lot of churches and Birney encourages people to put their faith to work. “Our churches are spiritually dead and have got to come alive,” he said “Get out of the church.”
    He sees people’s lives change when they do. In Haiti, Birney witnessed to a voodoo priest who turned to God and  married his girlfriend.
Birney shares at the prison weekly and jail plus wherever he can. “I see God do amazing things,” he said.
“We will go anywhere to speak at church as long as they know we’re going to speak about Jesus,” said Birney.
    “We’re not about denominations,” said Birney. “We should all come together.”
Clifann and Buzz lead Bible studies at the Fire Escape in Ellinwood weekly, and they are both taking classes so that they can lead “Life Line Connection” classes for people with addictions and other life controlling issues.
They are combining with Prodigal Ministries to possibly build a well in Kenya and plan to take a team to Mexico and to Trinidad in the near future.
For more information or to help, call 620-397-3325.