Pictured: Dorian (bottom right) with NLP participants in his Bible study
Dorian Christian
Dorian is the pastor at Cornerstone Chapel and has volunteered as a weekly Bible study leader for the New Life Program (NLP) since 2018.
What is one of your favorite parts about connecting with the men in the New Life Program?
A couple of guys came to church for a barbeque, and they kind of paused and looked at each other and said, “It’s been a while since I felt like I was a normal guy.” There’s something about homelessness and addiction that isolates these guys so terribly.
It can go both ways—the addiction can isolate you, and people tend to overlook you. So for me, that’s been a rewarding thing to hear—the “Wow, you care about me. You know my name.”
How have you seen Charles specifically grow during his time in the program?
Charles is beyond just wanting to do the minimum to get through. He sees a bigger vision. He wants to be useful in the Kingdom. It’s a unique thing when the Lord calls somebody to something like that. He’s insightful and he has really good questions. He seems to just glean from anybody he can have the opportunity to glean from. I can’t take any credit for that, but I get the joy of being along for the ride.
How would you encourage someone else to get involved with the Mission?
It has definitely grown my faith, no matter how many times I watch the Lord transform somebody’s heart and mind. The Mission is a good place for all of us to love people we otherwise wouldn’t be involved with. It’s one of the reasons I’ve tried to incorporate it into the life of our church. There are still guys from five to eight years ago who people in our church still remember and pray for by name. I can only give attribution to the Lord for that kind of impact.
This post is part of September’s Changing Lives Newsletter. This month, we’re sharing a father and son’s journey towards recovery in: Dad’s Last Wish.
