Grace Model

Factors such as wage levels, unemployment rates, access to healthcare, quality of education, availability of social services and availability of affordable housing play major roles in the level of homelessness and poverty in a community.

However, the personal choices individuals make are equally significant contributors to these issues. People make choices every day that influence their economic and housing status.  Some of theses choices – the choice to use drugs or alcohol, the choice to live in (rather than seek help for) a mental illness, the choice to not take accountability for one’s well-being – are very powerful choices with significant consequences. Very few people can overcome poverty and homelessness without understanding and changing the choices they are making. The Grace Model is specifically designed to help do this.

The Grace Model is based on the recognition that all of us make poor choices each day, and all of us are in need of grace and forgiveness (which we give freely because God freely gives it to us), but also redemption and change.  The redemption and change come through a system of “relationship accountability” in which we (staff and residents) continually evaluate one another’s choices against the standard of Christlikeness. Rules are replaced with grace-based relationships (Hope has reduced its Rules and Policies Manual from 32 pages to 2 pages).  A grace-based relationship is one in which people allow each other to make mistakes without punishing or admonishing one another. When a person (staff or resident) does something that is not Christlike they are encouraged to complete a self-evaluation about their choice. 

The self-evaluation (which includes the question “How does this affect my relationship with Christ?”) encourages an honest examination of behaviors and choices, fosters deeper awareness of thinking and decision-making patterns, and leads to a desire and plan for change.  Furthermore, the self-evaluation is reported to the entire community during daily morning meetings. This allows people to support one another, to challenge one another when needed, and to hold one another accountable in love.

Hope started training for the Grace Model in June 2007, and introduced it to all of residents in April 2008.  The model is fundamentally changing Hope’s organizational culture.  As the implementation continues, it will significantly enhance Hope’s ability to achieve its mission of helping people “examine their current realities, envision their future possibilities, and enable action to achieve their desired futures.”

“I’m just happy to be a part of this Christian institution when otherwise I’m surrounded by many un-Christian things. This grace model really holds everyone accountable. You would think that people would be skeptical but everyone seems to be interested and getting it, even if it still needs work.” – Kent, Hope Ministries resident

“I believe that the Grace Networks model is allowing staff and residents to be more united and open with one another by building stronger relationships within the Hope community. It helps people to have an internal heart-change instead of just being institutionalized by conforming to an environment so that they have a place to stay. It allows positive growth to happen.”

 – Abbey Carr, Case Manager for Hope Ministries

“I appreciate that, despite my past, I am accepted well by staff and residents. These community meetings help us all to relate to one another. Often I’ve listened to people share and I’ve thought to myself, ‘I’ve felt that.’ I’ve now had three years of sobriety, and I think this is a great place to keep me learning more about dealing with crisis before I step out on my own.”

– Thereasa, Hope Ministries resident