Wes Mantooth

How about some sort of posted bulletin with information on local services, direction, phone numbers and any other advice that might be helpful as well as, hint hint, encourage them to go elsewhere? Perhaps designate an out of the way room where people can sleep and warm up? That might guide them away from the daycare area and keep the traffic manageable.

"Down the stairs and to the left. You'll find a few cots and a little warm food/coffee whatever."

I can understand a church wanting to help the homeless but you can't just have people wandering around the church at all hours and picking any old corner to call home. Lets be real, bad stuff could start going down if it gets out of hand and like you wrote the safety of the children, parishioners and church need to come first. I'd post and make sure they adhere to a strict set of rules about what will and wont be tolerated on church property such as checking in, respecting off limits areas, violence, theft, drug use and everything else that may pop up.

I also like the idea of having some sort of communal church/town van that can transport people around to various services, although that's usually more easily said then done.

Best of luck.

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