By Executive Director, Dr. Bruce Metcalf
Part One: God’s Love and Second Chances
At the beginning of a new year, it is not uncommon for people to make resolutions to make changes that will help them live a better life. Some examples of these resolutions might be to exercise more, have a healthier diet, build better relationships, or to spend more time in prayer and reading scripture. Following through with these resolutions takes time, discipline, and motivation. The support and encouragement of friends and family can be very helpful in sustaining that discipline and motivation. When trying to make deep life-changes, having a support system is even more important. At the Rescue Mission, we strive to provide a supportive environment in which people can meet our God of second chances as they find hope and faith, and can choose to create positive changes in their lives.
The approach at the Mission is based on the belief that God is a God of second chances. God sent Jesus into this world so that everyone of us might be rescued and have a new beginning. When we were lost, God made a way to save us all through Jesus. Here at the Rescue Mission, we strive to light a path for the people we serve to discover and live out their second chance.
Our goal is to create a supportive environment where, step by step, people can grow spiritually to develop a personal relationship with Jesus and build positive relationships with others. We try to build up HOPE in the lives of the people we serve by giving them a vision of what their lives could be. We work every day to help people make choices that will help them chart a new course for their lives, one that will put them on a new path. This new path may include finding a job and housing. It may also include reunification with family. The most important part of this new path is the hope that each person will find and develop a strong relationship with Jesus. As you read the testimonies each month of people who have gone through the Mission programs, you can learn how God has worked to help each person find their way on a new path. (See Monica’s story in this issue and other stories at our website: www.mercedcountyrescuemission.org under “Stories”.)
Just like the resolutions so many of us make at the beginning of each new year, time, discipline, and motivation are needed to make permanent life-change. Our hope is that we at the Rescue Mission can support, encourage, and guide the people in our programs to find their own unique path forward to a better life, surrounded by God’s love and the second chances He offers us through Jesus. It is exciting to be a part of what God is doing to change lives! Through your support of the Hope for Men and Hope for Women programs, you are also a part of what God is doing here at the Mission to provide second chances to the people we serve. What a privilege for us all!
Part 2: Second Chances, Pathways to Hope
A second chance is like hitting a reset button. It is a restart that requires hard work as people seek healing, housing, jobs, and, life change that can bring a new purpose to their lives. Many times, people in need do not have the resources or support system to help them through this process, and they can lose hope. This is where the Mission can help by providing an environment of love and safety in which mentoring and guidance can help them experience God’s love, find hope, and give them the strength to move from brokenness to productivity.
Pathways to Hope is a central theme for the Merced Rescue Mission. The Mission recognizes that each person’s path to healing is unique, and, for this reason, the Mission offers multiple entry points for people who have lost hope. We offer many programs that will provide the opportunity for them to find a pathway that best fits their need. The Mission is committed to helping people along every step of the way, whether their path is long or short. I invite you to follow the sample journeys of Tom, Sonya, Chelsea, and Luke in the diagram, here, to help you have a sense of how the pathways from hopelessness to healing, housing, jobs, and life change can be varied and unique to everyone.*. What a privilege it is to be a part of God’s plan to help people and spread the good news about God’s love. Other testimonies, Stories of Hope, can be found here.
Part 3: Coming in May