Dear Friends,
When rock star Jon Bon Jovi donated money to and toured a homeless shelter in New Jersey a few years ago, it became a national news story. I remember the staff at the Mission I was serving asking, “What if a huge star toured our Mission and supported us?”
The truth is we have someone more important than Bon Jovi who enters our Mission every night. In Matthew 25, we are told when we welcome in the stranger, when we feed the hungry, when we care for the sick, when we give clothes to those in need, in a mysterious way we are doing this to and for Jesus. According to this, every person who walks through our doors each night is a representation of Jesus.
I suspect that before Bon Jovi arrived, the staff of the shelter spent hours cleaning, fixing broken items, making sure everything shined and smelled wonderful. After all, a rock star was coming through. How much more should we do for the guests who represent Jesus coming in our shelter every night? Should they not get the same, if not better, treatment and facilities than a rock star? I am pretty sure that if we knew that Jesus Himself was literally going to walk into our shelter, we would make sure it was perfect, safe and dignified.
As you will read in this newsletter, Abel speaks of the staff he encountered, of the way they cared for him and treated him. They were a huge part of Abel’s success. I believe this is because our staff are living and working from their faith. They understand that God’s work through them is because of God’s work in them.
Whether it is in how we treat our guests, the kind of facilities we operate or the plans we have for the future, the common thread is this: Every single person we serve is made in the image of God and deserves respect, dignity, safety, and help.
Every single person we serve is made in the image of God and deserves respect, dignity, safety, and help.
As we look forward to the future of our ministry—how we work, what we say yes or no to, what our facilities new and old need to become—the lens we will look through is this: If Jesus were to walk through our door tonight would this be good enough for Him? Matthew 25 says Jesus does walk through our doors each night, so if the answer is no, then we know we need to do better.
Thank you for your partnership. Life change like Abel’s would not be possible without your prayers and financial support.
Grace and peace,
Dennis Van Kampen
President/CEO
This post is part of October’s Changing Lives Newsletter. This month, we’re sharing Abel’s story of choosing a new path after decades of addiction in: Dignity Restored.
