40 WWW.AGRM.ORG JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 We’ve had minimal board and staff turnover through the years, and many program clients are eager to one day work at HUM—and it’s certainly not about the money! It’s about the satis- faction that comes from being part of an organization that strives every day to help people change their lives. I believe we all, even if subconsciously, desire to see dramatic change and growth in others and, most of all, in ourselves. It’s what makes our Christian faith so meaningful. Jesus is all about doing miracu- lous work in the lives of human beings. People were amazed at how He spoke with such authority. Along with the message were the miracles He performed in people’s lives. Crowds followed Him everywhere because of the astounding, miracu- lous things He would do. When people came to Jesus requesting help, they were specific and passionate about the miraculous help they needed. We should be too. So what is the specific overarching major need of our mission? What is the miracle we are passionately seeking? What should we be asking for? It’s not hard for our priorities to get skewed. I’ve been asked by mission stake- holders, “What is the greatest challenge you are facing at HUM?” I believe the greatest challenge and the most valuable thing we can seek for every person we connect with is that they would experience the miracles of biblical transformation. There can be no higher goal: If God is transforming the lives of those within the sphere of our influence, then all other challenges can be solved. A team effort M uch of what we do at Helping Up Mission is similar to other human service organizations: providing critical services like food, clothing, housing, medical care, substance abuse counseling, mental health services, education, and employ- ment. Doing so meets needs and alle- viates suffering—something people of faith are called to do. And to effec- tively do as much as possible, we’ve also joined hands with others doing likewise in our community—because on our own we cannot meet the demand for the wide variety of needed services. HUM has a number of strong community partners who help us deliver our services to the 500 men in our programs. Johns Hopkins Hospital provides substance abuse counseling; Health Alliance Associ- ates provides medical and mental health services; University of Mary- land Dental School addresses mouth care; Anne Arundel County Schools provides tutoring for high school diplomas; Maryland Educational Opportunity Center helps with col- lege applications, loans, and grants; the Maryland Food Bank provides food; and a host of others also offer their expertise to make a difference in the lives of our clients. HUM coordinates 8,000 client appointments a month to deliver all these necessary human services to help the 500 men struggling with homelessness and addiction—350 in our structured long-term residential Spiritual Recovery Program (SRP). We focus on making appointments happen because if they do, services are delivered and people’s lives are changed. But even in the midst of this great mix of strategic community partnerships, an even greater work is going on here at HUM. Addressing all these other issues helps our clients to be able to focus on their greatest need—their spiritual needs, which leads to biblical transformation. When people came to Jesus requesting help, they were specific and passionate about the miraculous help they needed. We should be too.