LONGMONT, Colo. — Something significant is taking place at the Longmont Church of Christ.
I didn’t recognize just how massive until I arrived at the church, 40 miles north of Denver, and uncovered a total parking lot … on a Tuesday.
“We have an intriguing neighborhood outreach application,” deacon Lynnwood Cockerham had explained in an e mail. “The clinic gives all kinds of clinical products and services to the underserved people of our neighborhood.”
A cross hangs across from stethoscopes and lanyards at the Hopelight Clinical Clinic.
That did seem fascinating, so I arranged to check out whilst in Colorado on a reporting excursion.
I envisioned to uncover a small business with a medical doctor or nurse and a affected individual or two. As an alternative, I discovered Hopelight Clinical Clinic, a primary care “safety net” clinic with numerous exam rooms and a pharmacy.
I acquired that Hopelight is open five days a week and has a $6 million yearly finances, funded by Medicaid, Medicare and sliding-scale affected individual fees as perfectly as grants and donations.
About 125 healthcare pros — a blend of comprehensive-time staff members and volunteers — provide 11,000 sufferers a year.
Contemplate my head blown.
Minister Edward Bowen serves as the Hopelight Health-related Clinic’s government director.
Edward Bowen, a previous missionary to India, serves as the church’s lead minister and the clinic’s government director. His wife, Shyll, qualified prospects Hopelight’s developing behavioral overall health application, conference the demands of youngsters with autism and other developmental disabilities.
Bowen describes the clinic as an outreach dedicated to sharing Jesus. As he sees it, the church has an obligation to use the methods God presents.
“You have a great deal of churches that finish up not applying their making,” he stated. “Like, how extensive is their setting up sitting vacant each 7 days? Well, if it’s sitting vacant at all immediately after worship, then they are underutilizing their developing.”
In Hopelight’s circumstance, the clinic allows pay out for the church’s ministries. The congregation lately completed a $5.5 million growth that included a new auditorium and an expanded clinic space.
Hopelight commenced immediately after a major flood struck Longmont in September 2013. The church aided with catastrophe relief and finished up with about $40,000 in surplus. The flood wiped out a professional medical facility that served low-revenue citizens, so the church stepped in to enable.
The clinic commenced in 2014 as a one-night time-a-7 days giving.
Dr. Steve Haskew, 79, and Anne, his spouse of 53 years, have been recruited to support. Haskew, the church’s deacon for visitation, serves as the clinic’s healthcare director.
“He phone calls it God’s clinic,” Bowen explained of Haskew, who commonly invites individuals to worship.
Dr. Steve Haskew wears a branded shirt for the Hopelight Health-related Clinic.
For his section, Haskew stressed that though not each individual Christian is a health practitioner, every a person can serve the Lord in a particular way.
“God has supplied each man or woman talents,” he explained. “It could possibly look little to us, but it’s huge to the human being acquiring the present.”
Nurse practitioner Marcia Moore, who is Methodist, will work with Hopelight and the town of Longmont to care for the healthcare demands of homeless men and women.
“I consider this church is doing an awesome occupation making an attempt to aid the group,” Moore explained to me. “That’s 1 of the explanations I appreciate operating here since I assume that is what a church should be undertaking.”
It is not unconventional for Longmont church associates to begin as Hopelight volunteers and afterwards join the whole-time workers.
Alyssa Novak, the clinic’s administrative solutions director, previously labored in secular human sources. A great deal of difficulties in the workforce, she reported, arrived down to, “You need to have Jesus in your lifestyle.” Now she’s in a part exactly where she can say that.
Devon Newburn discusses his function with the Hopelight Healthcare Clinic.
The apostle Paul’s terms in 1 Corinthians 9:23 — “I have come to be all matters to all persons so that by all doable implies I could possibly help save some” — resonate with Devon Newburn.
For Newburn, a pianist who studied new music at Harding University in Searcy, Ark., “all things” implies instructing children how to play a guitar, violin or ukulele by way of the church’s great arts academy.
“All things” indicates sharing caffeine and dialogue with neighbors who acquire care at Hopelight and sip cappuccinos at the church’s Thirsty Souls espresso store.
“All things” suggests preaching in Spanish — the initially language of several of Hopelight’s individuals — at the Hispanic assembly Newburn has served grow at the 350-member church.
“I imagine our in general thrust is really Scriptural. It is not just some idea about mission perform, suitable?” stated the 35-12 months-old father of three, who serves as the church’s outreach minister as well as the clinic’s outreach director.
“I think our total thrust is extremely Scriptural. It is not just some theory about mission operate, suitable?”
Newburn learned to discuss Spanish whilst serving in Mexico with the Adventures in Missions program of Sunset Intercontinental Bible Institute in Lubbock, Texas.
“So I’m a pianist who operates in an a cappella Church of Christ, but I’m also the lead minister of a Spanish congregation,” he stated. “And so how does that even operate? Well, it’s mainly because whatever requires are presented to me, I’m likely to consider to fulfill that require with whatsoever techniques I have.”
Aracelis Acosta immigrated to the United States in 2020.
When Aracelis Acosta immigrated to the United States in 2020, she observed a put to worship, receive medical treatment and examine English.
The Longmont church fulfilled all of those desires for the 46-12 months-previous indigenous Venezuelan.
“For immigrants who have to have so substantially support, they assist us,” said Acosta, who now serves as the church secretary for the Spanish-talking group. “They give us plenty of good points, and they enable us increase.”
Amen.
A thing huge is occurring at the Longmont Church of Christ.
BOBBY ROSS JR. is Editor-in-Main of The Christian Chronicle. Reach him at [email protected].
Hopelight photos
Brandon Bowen, a Hopelight clinic pharmacy technician, talks to a individual.
A receptionist for the Hopelight clinic schedules an appointment around the cellular phone.
James Wilson, pharmacist for the Hopelight cinic, talks to a client on the phone.
Dr. Steve Haskew and his wife, Anne, work at the Hopelight Healthcare Clinic.