A Wednesday Evening Ministry of Hope
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Part 1: A Small Start With Big Hope
When volunteers Jackson Conrad and Val Adams took over the Wednesday evening Bible study after the previous leaders moved on, they didn’t have any particular expectations except to keep it going and let the Holy Spirit do his work.
Three years later, the meeting has become a time where relationships grow and deepen, where guests find their voice and explore their faith and where barriers that had kept them stuck in old habits and failure come crumbling down.
“Val and I felt called to keep it alive because it was so impactful to me when I was at the Mission and so impactful for her as a volunteer,” Jackson recalled. “Since then, we have seen many, many wonderful things and success stories come out of that study.”
On a recent Wednesday night, around 30 guests gathered in the Eugene Mission’s chapel for the study. Jackson and Val designed a simple format in which everyone introduces themselves, share what they’re grateful for and then read together a chapter of the Bible and discuss it.
When they finished reading 2 Corinthians 7, the guests came alive with questions, stories and insights. They shared testimonies of victories in their lives accomplished through the work of the Spirit and they talked about overcoming addictions, old lifestyles of crime and more — something they said they never could have done on their own.
The crowd included current guests, and graduates of the R3 Program as well as another volunteer, Anne Galick. R3 Program guests Matty and Paulette say they hated each other at first, but as the weeks passed, the hate turned to respect and affection. Now, they’re good friends.
When Mother’s and Children’s Center guest Amaya and her baby Joy come, they are showered with affection from the whole room. R3 Program grad Jonathan comes to maintain the close bond he developed with the Mission. Guest Mike shared a simple prayer for those who are hurting and hungry and his own gratitude for the life he now lives.
The list goes on. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing a few of the stories that are coming out of this beautiful gathering and the gratitude it has sparked in all our hearts. Stay tuned!