Including the Innkeeper: How Residential Programs Should Partner with Churches

Guest Contributor
MARK F. MCKNELLY
Director of Restoration, Chaplain
Victory Mission + Ministry

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In the famous Good Samaritan parable, Jesus includes an interesting character–the innkeeper. Indeed, the Good Samaritan is the focal point in illustrating what it means to love one’s neighbor. However, even the Good Samaritan chose to ask someone else to join him in helping the man left for dead. 

In chapter ten of Change for the Poor, I (Mark) write about the importance of having complimentary partnerships to help impact those in residential programming. In a faith-based program, participants must be directed and assisted in connecting to a local church. 

I spent six years on staff at a church that worked with men and women in residential programs and for the past six years at a non-profit directing a residential program. So, I’ve seen how transformational this partnership can be for the church, program, and participants. 

Every residential program I know of is transitional, not a permanent residential or relational home for their participants. So, building those roots in a local church will mean participants aren’t leaving most, or sadly all, of their healthy, supportive relationships when they graduate from the program.

Here are four things to look for when seeking to partner with a local church:

1.  Commitment

You want to meet in person with the church’s leaders, so you can walk away confident that they will commit to welcoming your participants and to making a place for them in the life of the church. In our program, we require all participants to meet one-on-one with a mentor from their church. A church will have to have mature and available believers for that. That’s just one example. Take the time to think through and be transparent with the church about what your participants will be required to do and possibly restricted from doing.  

2.  Alignment

You may or may not have a denominational affiliation or connection that directs you on theological alignment; that’s okay and understandable. Another area of alignment to give attention to is the philosophy of your ministry. For example, suppose you are very restrictive on what types of assistance your participants receive, but the church will allow them to access their benevolence funds and food pantry. In that case, they’re not cooperating with you. Ensure your participant’s church won’t undermine the True Charity principles you embrace. 

3.  Collaboration

You want to be sure that the churches you partner with share with you when they see or hear concerning things from your participants. The church must understand that participants working through your program are very broken people and, until restored, will be prone to manipulating their situations and relationships. At times, the program-participant-church triangulation we’ve experienced has been so unhealthy and could have been avoided if the program and church collaborated more openly and frequently. 

4.  Proximity

You may love the church across town, but your participants will likely have minimal means of transportation, at least at first. The churches you partner with need to be within a reasonable distance from where your participants reside. We consider city bus routes/schedules and bike-ability or walkability. The church may have a bus ministry. However, that is usually only for Sunday mornings. What about when your participants must be there for a small group, membership class, serving team or mentor meeting, or other commitment?

I have noticed that in most cases, a program graduate’s involvement in a local church determines whether or not they continue moving forward or fall back. Develop partnerships with churches committed to your program, in alignment with your philosophy of ministry, willing to collaborate for the good of the participants, and are in proximity to where you are. As a result, you will see exponentially more long-term fruit in the lives of your participants.

I hope this has been helpful. I’ve learned many lessons regarding the program-church partnership over the past 12 years. Let me leave you with an inspirational story. There is a partner church connected with our program that has been home to more of our graduates than any other. A few years ago, one of our graduates, who was so welcomed and grew in leadership at the church, is now a pastor and leads a recovery ministry there. This ministry has grown exponentially since he left our apprenticeship and transitioned into his new role. 

Your investment makes a difference. 

About the Author:
A devoted child of God, husband, and father of four, Mark has walked a transformative journey from entrepreneur to a life deeply rooted in recovery and faith since 2008. His path has led him to serve as Director of Restoration Chaplain at Victory Mission in Springfield, Missouri. There, he has developed crucial programs for individuals recovering from incarceration and addiction, drawing on over a decade of experience in serving those in extreme poverty.

FROM THE TRUE CHARITY TEAM: We appreciate the perspective of our knowledgeable guest contributors. However, their opinions are their own, and do not necessarily represent positions of True Charity in all respects.