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Our Mission
We are gambling on a very long-term redemptive experience for most of Network. The idea is that, somehow, as we become friends with people very different from ourselves, that Jesus will help us all get to know Him better. Network is full of crazy people, and that includes the clients. There are many varieties of “crazy”. Most conditions are a magnification of something very “normal”. It is easier when people both look and feel “crazy”, but many people either look sane and feel crazy, or look crazy and feel sane.
There are many people on prescribed medications. Please, do not discourage this. Many people are self-medicating. We end up discouraging this.
We believe that poverty is largely a product of the way people bond or attach. Economics is a secondary phenomena - poverty isn’t bad, just different. Jesus was poor by any American standards. We are all poor in one way or another - our discomfort with poverty is first a part of ourselves.
ABOUT POVERTY: or, Why Bother with Network! God loves the poor Go love the poor We can’t love the poor if we think we’re better Jesus was poor Jesus knew He was needy; especially at the cross Since Jesus was poor, it’s OK for any other human to be poor Poverty isn’t about money
The poor are often not holy The poor will kill us, gobble us up, hurt us, ignore us, bring us chaos without end I am poor We are poor Little children are poor Jesus loves little children
Our poverty means we connect in our pain and the pain of our desire We celebrate in the joy of connection We’re never more poor than when we’re feeling lonely or out of control
Shame says our poverty is bad and should be ignored or acted out Jesus says our poverty grants us constant invitation to join Him To be near Jesus is to know our poverty
Being poor means we need our boundaries It’s not always wise to share our poverty It’s always wise to share some of our poverty
Sharing our poverty demands trust TRUST IS BUILT UPON MERCY Each of us has experienced mercy in the midst of our poverty Where did it start Someone took a risk To live, we must also risk We will win some and lose some Jesus, the Gambler King, joins us in the risk
The poor hunger after mercy They are inside and outside us To join Jesus and His Father as poor children is to be adopted It’s OK for children to need parents God is a good parent His parenthood fits well with our poverty We are not comfortless orphans We are dearly-beloved children We are strong and courageous because we’re joined in our fear and rage
Our poverty is our need of mercy Jesus is our constant source of mercy Greater poverty is not believing our need of mercy Greater poverty is not believing mercy is available Believing more in loneliness than mercy underlies all sin
Part of being poor is resenting our poverty Since poverty is our lot until heaven, we must be merciful managers
There is a great deal of staff autonomy at Network. Different shifts take on different feels. Be upwardly mobile. Find what fits with you.
Contact: JOHN HICKS @ 303-830-1508 |
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