Keys to Success

Over the years, the two-bedroom, one-bath house on the campus of Emmaus Free Lutheran, Bloomington, Minn., has served in various capacities. In the summer of 2018, however, the house received a new purpose and mission: to become the House of Hope. Emmaus would partner with two local organizations—Together for Good, which creates pathways for the church to come alongside vulnerable families in Christ-centered ministry, and the Metro Hope Healing House, whose mission is to restore families and support mothers with children by ending addiction.

The House of Hope has become a home to mothers with very little to their name as they work to get established in a new job, find new housing, and develop a support structure that will set them up for success during this time of transition. The House of Hope ministry offers many ways for our church to come alongside these mothers by providing for their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs and giving them a community.

Before a new mother and child move in, the house is fully furnished and stocked, ready for them to move in. A lot of work is needed to make this happen, and many people generously donate their time and resources. There is a list of repair and maintenance jobs that need to get done, and volunteers show up and are willing to help with whatever is needed: cleaning out the gardens around the house, patching and painting walls, washing windows, sewing curtains, and rekeying the house. Items are donated that the mother can take with her as she sets up her next home, kitchen equipment is provided by the women’s ministry team, quilts are given by the church quilters, and local businesses supply nursery items, a pantry, and bathroom and laundry supplies.

Throughout the mother’s 12–18 month stay at the House of Hope, there is a team of women that comes alongside her and meets weekly or biweekly to help support her spiritual, financial, and physical goals by offering encouragement, prayer, and mentorship along the way.

The church community has also supported the mothers in various ways throughout their time in the House of Hope. The church provides meals, youth provide childcare, and we receive constant donations of age-appropriate toys, diapers, and clothing (as the children may go through many sizes during their stay with us).

Each mother and child who comes to the House of Hope brings new opportunities for church members to get involved with this life-changing ministry. It has been a blessing to see how God’s plan works out perfectly by using people with just the right skills for each task needed to accomplish his work in the lives of these families.

—Karla Rachac, Emmaus Lutheran, Bloomington, Minn.