A NEW CHAPTER
OUR REVISED VISION, MISSION AND VALUES
LOVE SHINES
YOU ARE INVITED!
A NEW CHAPTER
This month we are filled with gratitude as we complete the move into our new home. We cannot stress enough how much we much felt God’s steadfast care during this move.
A foundation purchased the home for our use, supporters provided funds for minor renovations and moving costs, trades people have gone above and beyond and volunteers helped with cleaning and moving.
The new Home is breath-taking. It was as though God went ahead of us to create a place to meet our needs for the coming years. There is so much light – a true gift for those struggling with mental health!
For the first time, we have a small yard for the community to enjoy. As well, there are several spaces for community gathering, a division between common rooms and bedrooms, a room for our respite worker, and full bathrooms on every floor.
When you walk into The Home the first sense you get is peace. The beauty overtakes you. This is a grand thing for community. Oftentimes, our youth are coming from backgrounds of trauma and feel as though they don’t deserve nice things. This Home turns that lie on its head. This is a place where youth can feel valued and loved.
We welcome this move, and look forward to seeing where this new chapter takes us. We are excited for the growth and community that will be fostered in this new space
We thank you for journeying with us in this.
A foundation purchased the home for our use, supporters provided funds for minor renovations and moving costs, trades people have gone above and beyond and volunteers helped with cleaning and moving.
The new Home is breath-taking. It was as though God went ahead of us to create a place to meet our needs for the coming years. There is so much light – a true gift for those struggling with mental health!
For the first time, we have a small yard for the community to enjoy. As well, there are several spaces for community gathering, a division between common rooms and bedrooms, a room for our respite worker, and full bathrooms on every floor.
When you walk into The Home the first sense you get is peace. The beauty overtakes you. This is a grand thing for community. Oftentimes, our youth are coming from backgrounds of trauma and feel as though they don’t deserve nice things. This Home turns that lie on its head. This is a place where youth can feel valued and loved.
We welcome this move, and look forward to seeing where this new chapter takes us. We are excited for the growth and community that will be fostered in this new space
We thank you for journeying with us in this.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
~ James 1:17
~ James 1:17
HONOURING OUR COMMUNITY
THROUGH OUR VISION, MISSION AND VALUES
Last summer and fall we began to develop our next 3–5-year strategic plan. Part of that process was to review Inner Hope Youth Ministries’ vision, mission and values. Through community advisement, prayer, discernment, and reflection we’ve come up with the following changes.
Vision
Youth and families living healthy lives and the next generation empowered in a good way.
Inner Hope’s vision statement remains largely the same. As before, “living healthy lives” refers to emotional, spiritual, mental and physical health. God created all aspects of our being and when one area suffers, it impacts the other aspects of our life and our ability to function well. We have also incorporated a common phrase in the Indigenous community at the end – “in a good way” (often this phrase includes “with a good heart and a good mind”). As many past initiatives imposed on Indigenous people, like residential school and the 60’s scoop, have come from flawed motivation and destructive practices, we desire that this generation is empowered “in a good way.” A Bible verse that captures the same principle is, “He has shown you, oh mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Mission
The new mission statement has a few changes. Walking alongside is now “journeying alongside” as the word journey is more common within our community and implies a longer time of connection. Youth and families is now “youth and their families”. As a small non-profit that was created to support youth, we don’t have the capacity to serve all families interested in support. Our main focus on families is to have an intergenerational approach by serving the families of the youth in our core programs and those who are “alumni” – long term families who once lived in the home or were a key part of our core programs in the past. Finally, the word "transformation" has been changed to "growth." In the past, institutional churches and government have attempted to transform (assimilate) Indigenous people to fit their ideas of an ideal person and become integrated into mainstream society. Our desire is that each young person grow in their God given identity, talents and uniqueness.
Values
The values of faith, committed relationships and integrity remain the same. In the revision process we have modified one value and added one new one. The last two times that we sought community input regarding Inner Hope’s values, the youth and parents most recommended adding love or loving as a value. It is really heartwarming to hear that LOVE/LOVING best describes Inner Hope as this is what God calls us to be! With the goal to not increase beyond 5 values, we added the word loving to community. Like “Committed Relationships”, “Loving Community” provides a stronger description of the kind of community people experience. The value we added is “Reconciliation”. Donors, staff and community members all recognize that Inner Hope aims to nurture healing between the Indigenous and Christian communities. We recognize that in using the term “reconciliation” we are not going back to previously good relationships, but are working to change the future. 2 Corinthians 5:18 says, “All this is from God who reconciled himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
LOVE SHINES
February was Friendship Month - and we definitely felt the love! We were blown away by the generosity of our supporters who more than doubled our fundraising goal.
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Thank you for being a part of this amazing act of love!
You are invited to our first in-person community meeting in three years!
Date: Wednesday, April 20 2022
Time: 7-9pm (doors open at 6:30pm)
Location: New Beginnings Church (1587 Francis Street, Vancouver).
Hear stories of impact from our community. Let’s celebrate God’s faithfulness through these last years!
PLEASE RSVP HERE. Hope to see you there!
Date: Wednesday, April 20 2022
Time: 7-9pm (doors open at 6:30pm)
Location: New Beginnings Church (1587 Francis Street, Vancouver).
Hear stories of impact from our community. Let’s celebrate God’s faithfulness through these last years!
PLEASE RSVP HERE. Hope to see you there!