Thankful

Thankful. That is the word that embodies how we feel about the honor and privilege we’ve had the last 25 years to serve our community in wonderful and responsible ways! To be clear, all glory and honor goes to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Colossians 3:17 says that whatever we do, whether in word or deed, we ought to do it in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says to rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus. As we think of the last 25 years of service, we are overwhelmed with thanks for the faithfulness of God for it was God who transformed hearts, empowered our ministry, provided for our needs through people like you, and guided our steps along the way.

With the spirit of thankfulness, I write this Newsletter, not to boast, for Galatians 6:14 states that we ought to never boast EXCEPT in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. However, as ministry partners, I want you to know what God has done through the ministry of Center of Hope. I want you to know that you have and are making a difference.

A Ministry of Presence

Since Center of Hope began, our mission has remained the same. We exist to walk alongside people to promote physical and spiritual health, and ultimately change our community one life at a time. Even though we provide services for thousands of people, our ministry is specific and personalized. Our ministries are not primarily about providing people needed resources to get back on their feet, but rather are about building relationships, empowering individuals to use their God-given gifts to love God and people through work, and pointing them to Jesus as Lord and Savior. We do this through the ministry of presence.

Pastoral Care in Care Center

As guests come in for clothing, bicycles, prison transition aid, and/or other services, our Care Center offers our guests a safe place of healing to meet with our pastoral staff for free pastoral counseling. No appointments are needed. First come, first serve. We recognize that mental illness, addiction, and trauma can be overwhelming. We understand the numbness that is experienced through depression, the fear that is stirred in anxiety, and the hopelessness that is fueled through doubts. We need each other. More importantly, we need Jesus. By uncovering unhealthy strongholds of the heart, the lies that we accept as truth, we are able to replace those lies with biblical truths (Read 2 Corinthians 10:3-5). However, to do this effectively in ministry, we spend much time building the trust needed for those conversations. We are thankful for the 2,225 pastoral interactions we had last year, and the 29% increase in pastoral interactions so far this year. We exist to share the Good News of Jesus and to allow His power to bring healing to the hearts of the hurting.

Outreach - Mobile Ministry

In April 2024, I hired Brian Narcomey to be our Outreach Pastor. As a Native American and as someone who has gone through many of the same things as our guests, he is equipped to speak His truth into people’s lives. Our goal was to increase our presence in our community by doing more street outreach and to start Bible Studies at local homeless shelters and transitional houses. We are thankful that God opened doors! Since he started as our Outreach Pastor, we now have a weekly Bible Study at the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House, an evening Talking Circle at St. Francis House, and are active in a Bible Study within the County jail. In addition to Brian’s outreach efforts, we started a Mobile Ministry! John Blok, our Care Center Pastor, has been heading this new effort on a weekly basis and is doing a fantastic job. Currently, the Mobile Ministry is a mobile Bike Ministry. However, that will change depending on the season we are in. For example, we plan to shift into offering winter gear in the colder months outside local schools and/or churches. We are excited to expand our ministry by being present in different neighborhoods throughout Sioux Falls metro.

Bringing Physical and Spiritual Healing — Free Evening Clinic

We are so thankful for our Free Evening Clinic! A couple of years ago, we expanded our Faith Community Nursing program by merging with Destiny After Hours Clinic. Since then, we have offered free medical care for those in our community without health insurance. No one should fall between the cracks! Since last year, we have seen a SIGNIFICANT increase in patients! There are some nights we have over ten patients! This shows the need for such a program. However, with the rise of patients come new challenges for us to overcome. Pray for our medical staff and volunteers!

Stewardship and Grace — Bike Ministry, Clothing Ministry, Prison Transition Aid, Hygiene Ministry

We are so thankful that God provides for the ministries of Center of Hope through people like you. Each year, thousands of clothing items are needed to sustain our Clothing Ministry and Prison Transition Aid programs, Bibles are needed to hand out to guests, hundreds of bicycles are needed for us to restore for our guests to use as reliable transportation (over 615 so far!), hygiene items are needed for our Hygiene Kit Ministry, and volunteers are needed to be the hands and feet of Jesus in all our programs! We could not do what we do without you. Thank you for entrusting your