History

In His Arms is devoted to showing the love of Jesus Christ to homeless and at-risk children.

Our goal is to demonstrate and teach a lifestyle consistent with Biblical principles to give the children a future and hope available only through Jesus Christ.

Find out About In His Arms

Our History

Who We Are

What We Do

What We Believe

The Purpose of In His Arms Ministry

For five years Kim Burr Turnbull worked as a family nurse practitioner in a free walk-in clinic for the

homeless in Honolulu, Hawaii. Regularly she encountered children growing up on the streets, living in

shelters, cars or under a bush in the park.

The day she met Davey, a plump 3-year-old full of life, was the day God began to teach her His love for

little children and His desire to use her to show it. She had examined thousands of children, but none of

them had ever punched her in the back or had a mother who ignored it. Kim hoped never to see either

of them again. But that wasn’t God's plan.

While doing outreach nursing in drug-ridden Aala Park, Kim heard someone yelling from within the public

bathroom. Upon entering, she saw Davey cowering under a sink, his blank eyes showed no emotion.

His mom stood over him screaming in rage and swinging her fists. As Davey looked up at Kim the

hopelessness and despair of his life was evident.

Her heart was deeply moved; Kim wanted Davey to know that Jesus loves scared little boys, but she

didn’t know what to do. She decided to greet Davey with joyful smiles and hugs. Before long her attempts

to show him love were making a difference.

Other homeless children began to catch Kim’s attention. She saw them everywhere. A diaper-clad toddler

unable to speak walked up to a group giving away food, got a plate, filled it and began to eat. Two young

girls, 18 months and 3 years, played naked in a park as some men passed a bottle and watched. A

small child slowly walked behind his mother as she pushed a stroller down a street lined with graffiti and

boarded buildings. Because Davey touched her heart, Kim began to see and feel the incredible suffering,

rejection, loneliness and pain, which homeless children endure.

In 1992, with their church’s support and prayers, Kim and her friend Annette Van Veen began going to

Aala Park to teach the preschoolers living there about Jesus. Davey and other children eagerly attended.
Squeals of delight preceded smiling faces and open hearts at Bible Club. Then one day, everyone

including Davey was gone.

Annette and Kim didn’t have to look very hard to find other needy children; homeless children were living

in transitional housing next-door to their church. In a few weeks they were reaching a 100 kids in their
little town of 8,000 people. The weekly Bible Clubs were filled with laughter and fun. Over 100 people

volunteered from their church. Even with little or no parental support and intensely negative surroundings

children were being transformed. Many accepted Jesus as their Savior.

Through this small beginning In His Arms ministry was born. Today In His Arms is impacting the lives of

children in 42 states and 17 countries!

Kim Burr Turnbull, RN, MSN, is a Family Nurse Practitioner and the founding director of In His Arms. Kim received her Master of Nursing Degree from Pace University and her Bachelor of Arts in Bible and Intercultural Studies from Biola University. She has served the homeless since 1989.

Kim is a published author, conference speaker, workshop facilitator, and board member of KidsLinkUSA a national network for children at-risk. The first annual Nicodemus Award, a statewide award for excellence in Christian Education was given to Kim for her work with In His Arms in 1995 by Hawaiian Island Ministries. She has been privileged to work as a missionary in nearly 30 countries. Kim, her husband and their 3-year-old daughter volunteer at the In His Arms Bible Club their church in Jackson, Mississippi conducts at Stewpot Shelter.

Everyone working with In His Arms is a volunteer. The Board of Directors is comprised of eight people, all of whom have been committed to the ministry since it’s inception. They represent a broad range of experience including - pastoral, child and family psychology, business, financial, and nursing. Hundreds of volunteers make In His Arms ministry possible. Volunteers do everything from lead Clubs and provide snacks to editing, artwork and translation.

In His Arms Bible Clubs introduce homeless and at-risk children, families and communities to Jesus Christ. Little children are eager to learn about Jesus at weekly, two hour, Bible Clubs. Older children and parents tend to watch and join in, as they feel comfortable. Clubs are held wherever the children hangout or live. A Club consists of singing, a Bible lesson, memory verses, a related craft, an athletic activity and a healthy snack. The friendships established are a natural bridge to begin mentoring individuals and families. Bible Clubs provide an opportunity to enter a community, build relationships and transform lives.

A complete set of Resource materials, which meet the needs of homeless children, have been developed by In His Arms.

In His Arms partners with Christian churches, missionaries, short-term teams, individuals and organizations who use In His Arms resources in a variety of creative and fruitful ministry programs. Week long evangelistic Bible Clubs located in inner city projects, discipleship groups for children in orphanages and after school programs are among a few of the alternative settings where In His Arms has been effective.

We are seeing the lives of homeless children in the United States along with wounded children overseas in countries such as Mexico, Russia and India being transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ through In His Arms.

w Actively participate in the cross-cultural evangelization of homeless children through Bible Clubs. We seek to be Matthew 19:14 in action: "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

w Be sensitive to additional occasions to demonstrate a Biblical lifestyle to homeless children such as special activities, projects, spontaneous opportunities, Bible study, prayer or friendship.

w Draw older children, teens and adults to Jesus by first reaching the youngest members of the homeless population.

w Draw the attention of Christians to: 1) The over 1.2 million homeless children scattered throughout every state and community in the USA, 2) The roughly 150 million children in the world who live on the streets.

w Inform Christians of how easy it is to get involved in a Bible Club ministry to needy children - especially homeless children.

w Partner with Christian churches, missionaries, short-term teams, individuals and organizations to assist in establishing their own Bible Club ministry by providing educational and resource materials, training and ongoing support.

w Provide a fun and fruitful ministry model which enables senior citizens, men, women and children of all ages to be valuable volunteers.

w Radically impact the lives of lost and hurting children by giving them a future and hope through the love of Jesus Christ.

w Network with other ministries to facilitate reaching every homeless child with the love of Jesus.

What We Believe

w The Godhead exists in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three Persons are one God having precisely the same nature, attributes and perfection.

w The Lord Jesus Christ: A) In His eternal existence as God, B) His incarnation and virgin birth, C) His death on the cross as the substitutionary atonement for sin, D) His literal, bodily resurrection from the dead, E) His present ministry of intercession in heaven, and F) His personal, future return to earth in power and glory.

w The ministry of the Holy Spirit convicts people of sin and the need to repent. It is His task to conform the believer into the image of Jesus Christ. He indwells the believer, leads into all truth, provides daily guidance, gives gifts and promotes growth of fruit - especially love. It is by being filled with the Spirit that the believer receives the power to live a godly life of obedience.

w Man was created innocent and pure but fell through the sin of disobedience. Through Adam all of mankind has inherited a sinful nature and broken fellowship with God.

w Salvation: A) Is by grace, a free gift of God apart from works, B) Requires repentance of sin, a turning from one's own way to God's way, C) Is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, D) All who repent and receive Jesus as savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become children of God, E) True salvation is manifested by fruit in the life of the believer.

w The Holy Spirit unites all who receive Jesus Christ as savior together to form one body, the church.

w The Great Commission, to go and tell all the world, including children, about the saving grace of Jesus Christ is the responsibility of all who believe in Jesus as Savior.

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Let the little children come to Me, do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Matthew 19:14


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