Friends, I was recently asked about how the new executive order Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets is going to affect the Mission. The short answer is it won’t!
At the Mission, our approach to homelessness remains steady in the midst of changing political climates and funding trends. Here’s why:
- We Are Financially Independent We are 100% funded by the generosity of people like you—individuals, churches, and community partners who believe in our Christ-centered mission. Because we don’t take federal, state, or local government funds, we are free to serve in ways that bring honor to God, His Church, and the people we walk alongside—without being forced to compromise our convictions. This means that new government funding directives or program shifts don’t alter our work. We aren’t chasing trends—we’re staying faithful.
- We Have a Distinct Mission and Approach Our mission is simple but profound: to reach the lost and gather the reached. We reach people who are caught in a cycle of poverty and separation from God, and we help gather them into local churches, where they can find true community and lasting transformation.
Our programs aren’t based on quick fixes or surface-level change. Instead, we take a developmental approach rooted in God’s Story (Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Re-creation). We believe the root of poverty is broken relationships— starting with our relationship with God—and healing begins by restoring those relationships. This means we walk with people, not just provide for them. We invite them to be active participants in their own transformation, ready and willing to make changes. We don’t just do things for people—we do life with them.
Why This Matters Now The homeless industrial complex has gotten more complex. Now that the federal and state governments are embracing vastly different approaches to homelessness, they’re poised to work against one another—not together. Both systems draw millions in taxpayer dollars, but instead of cooperating, they’ll clash in methods, priorities, and outcomes. As each pursues its agenda—one focused on enforcement, the other on low-barrier services—they risk duplicating efforts, undermining each other, and ultimately burning through public funds without delivering lasting results. The real cost isn’t just financial—it’s the continued suffering of people caught in the middle. And it’s these people that we aim to reach.
A few weeks ago, shortly after the executive order Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets was announced, I joined a few hundred other faith-based nonprofit leaders from across the country in a Zoom meeting with a HUD official—the topic: to help us understand how federal policy shifts may influence our ministries.
To my surprise, they encouraged us to apply for a new round of federal grants—grants that, they say, will be more faith-friendly and won’t require us to set aside our biblical beliefs the way past programs often have. Truth be told, it was refreshing to be acknowledged for what we do rather than told we’re wrong. But honestly? I don’t trust the government to stay that course for any length of time.
Of course, I want safer streets. I don’t want to see people dying from drug overdoses. I want it to be harder for people to get drugs and easier for them to get treatment. But I also know that we have a housing problem at all levels, and forcing people to change rarely works. And when the government wants to give money to faith-based nonprofits, there are always strings attached.
The truth is, the federal government, state government, and our mission are all operating from very different worldviews. We’re not pulling in the same direction. But the key difference? We believe that genuine, lasting change in people’s lives comes from spiritual and relational transformation, rooted in a biblical worldview and implemented through local community and church partnerships, rather than through government programs, declarations, or taxpayer dollars.
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