Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64work and other legal matters to tend to, but our main focus is to let them know they are safe,” says Ed Grisamore of Rescue Mission of Middle Georgia. “One thing we’ve started doing recently is giving new residents a Welcome Kit. It’s a plastic basket or bin stuffed with items to take their minds off of the dangerous or oppres- sive situation they escaped from,” Ed continues. “Coloring books, crayons, journals, puzzles, stress balls, chew- ing gum, and play dough are all items that can provide stress relief from the strenuous process moving someplace new. They’ve been through enough already.” Mark Criss, executive director of City Rescue Mission of Lansing, says their goals for a first impression is that the mission is a safe and clean place for guests. The mission aims to “exceed their expectations in order that God will be glorified and we’ll have the opportunity to share the truth of the gospel with all those who find shelter under our roof. The high quality of our service and interaction with our guests is as important as the proclamation of the gospel,” Mark says. “If we did a poor job of provid- ing service and care to our guests, they would have very little interest in knowing the God which we serve and have our being.” Women coming to Scarlet Hope in Louisville, Kentucky, walk into a wel- coming and comforting environment. “We want it to feel like they’re coming into our home. We want it to feel warm and inviting,” says Executive Director Rachelle Starr. “Our guests sit on plush couches and are immediately offered a cup of coffee and whatever snack we have available that day. During our intake interview, we sit beside them on the couch and do our best to make it feel more like a conversation rather than some sort of process. We are all about relationships and showing our guests that we love them because He first loved us, so anything we can do to make them feel comfortable, loved, and at peace, we do.” The Lighthouse of Faith City Mission always greets their guests with respect by acknowledging them when they walk into the building and refer- ring to the person as Sir or Ma’am— whether they are a donor, volunteer, community service worker, or home- less guest. The same kind of welcome Ī WWW.AGRM.ORG JULY/AUGUST 2016 45 Watch Your Language Your words can go a long way to make your guests feel welcome As the director of the warehouse/food pantry distribution cen- ter at The Bay Area Rescue Mission, I’m very intentional about the language I use in describing the operations of the ware- house/distribution center. Instead of describing the ware- house as a place where food and stuff comes in and gets sorted, I will typically tell a new programmer or guest who is taking a tour that, “This is a place where abundance and generosity meet the felt needs of resurrection. It is through our work as good stewards of what God is providing us that we get help people in our programs and those from the local community to journey from near death to new life in Christ.” I feel like this language helps support and frame the idea that our whole program is about helping people become someone new in Christ and that it will be a lifelong journey. In other words, we’re not just asking people to return to who they were when they were sober; we’re asking people to become someone they’ve never been before through Christ. I will then end the conversation by encouraging the person to “Never forget the spiritual perspective of what is happening in this place, because this is where heaven and earth collide and God’s mission of resurrection takes place, and it is a beautiful event to watch.” —Darrell Olson, director of warehouse operations Bay Area Rescue Mission