A guest post by Ken

Tonight Jeremy Michael lead worship at the Rescue Mission and I was able to bring the Word.

I love anytime Jeremy leads in worship, but tonight was extra special as it was with 100 guys very near to my heart. I believe in what God is doing at the Rescue Mission.

The Rescue Mission was started in 1954 and today it continues to serve hundreds of meals three times a day; 365 days a year. And they do all of it with no government assistance. All of their funding is donation based. That’s a lot of guys and a lot of faith.

While I support the over all goal of the Rescue Mission, my heart really belongs to these guys in the program. “The program” is a six month residential treatment for guys who want a Christ-centered approach to facing their life issues and chemical addictions. I love these guys and have tremendous respect for their courage to face their demons.

Over the years I have been able to volunteer in the kitchen and dinning room with a number of my friends from both the college and middle school ministry. And from time to time were even able to come and lead the evening chapel service for the guys in “the program”. Tonight was one of those special nights: a good friend led us in worship, I was able to preach to a group of fellas who were hungry for the Word, the guys even laughed at all my jokes, and I was treated to a choir who didn’t care how they sounded. What they lacked in musical ability, they more than made up for in gusto.

The guys in the program are the backbone of what goes on at the Mission. They are the ones cooking the meals, serving the food, providing security and custodial services for their hundreds of “guests” each night. Perhaps what amazes me most about these guys is their transparency and vulnerability. Most of the guys are open about how they ended up at the Mission and what struggles they still battle on a daily basis. It’s refreshing to talk with guys who have no pretense or refuse to hide behind excuses. The program is a deeply spiritual experience. The guys are encouraged to share their stories, immerse themselves in the Word and find reward in serving the needy.

The Rescue Mission may not be perfect, but it does a lot of good – day after day – and lives are being changed one at a time. I feel blessed just to be able to be with the guys and to be touched by them.