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 643. Looking Beyond Behavior or Appearance “The only way to get men to Christ is by love, and you have to love them into the Kingdom of God. A rescue mission without love wouldn’t amount to anything. We get the people that no one else loves.” Mel Trotter, These Forty Years O ne hallmark of rescue missions is welcoming all people no matter their appearance or behavior, and reaching each and every person on a very human, personal level. Dennis Van Kampen, executive director of Mel Trotter Ministries in Grand Rapids, Michigan, explains: “Radical hospitality at the mission means that we see the other person as someone created in the image of God, whom God loves, died for, and has plans for. It requires we see beyond the behavior and appearance before us, and we look far deeper.” In Matthew 11 we are told that when we welcome someone, we are welcoming Jesus. So radical hospitality means treating every single person the way you would treat Jesus. A cup of cold water, bandages for wounds, rescue from the streets, love. At City Gospel Mission in Cincinnati, radical hospitality goes well beyond the initial greeting. The mission challenges its volunteers to share a meal with guests, to be friendly, and to spend qual- ity time with them and walk through the guests’ needs. “The dignity and respect they feel at each 10 WWW.AGRM.ORG MARCH/APRIL 2017