It’s taken a little time to gain back the momentum we lost during the pandemic. In the world of churches and other ministry organizations, it’s not been as simple as flipping a switch back to “forward.”
But as 2023 has moved along here at the Mission, that lost momentum has started to reappear. Despite a continued staff shortage, we’ve launched two initiatives to bring our ministry into better alignment with people’s needs. One is our Outreach program, which you read about in the summer Rescuer newsletter—proactively going to people who are hurting, offering help in Jesus’ name and inviting them to the Mission.
The second new initiative, and our cover story for the fall issue, is Aftercare. We give our Life Recovery residents every tool we can imagine to rebuild their lives during their 9- to 12-month program. Sometimes, though, when they leave the protective walls of the Mission, they find themselves overwhelmed and they relapse into self-destructive behavior.
This happens in all recovery programs, Christian or not. It doesn’t mean we have to accept it. The Aftercare program allows our Life Recovery graduates to live in the Mission’s transitional housing for up to a year as they re-enter life outside. And whether they still live at the Mission or not, they find caring support from our staff and from each other as they confront life’s ups and downs with jobs, family and friends.
This type of help has been part of the Mission’s DNA from the very beginning. But now, thanks to faithful giving by individuals, churches, organizations and businesses, you make it possible to dedicate staff and resources specifically for Aftercare. It’s a way of acknowledging that everyone—whether in a recovery program or not— is a work in progress. We need each other.
Partners in hope,
