"Church officials say they wanted a sermon and carols before dinner was fed. But shelter director Robin Reilly started serving food first, saying some patrons hadn't eaten for 24 hours."

For all the good that they do, one of the most frequent complaints I hear about the local Nashville Rescue Mission is the fact that "they make you pray" while you're there.  For many, this isn't a problem and instead a real blessing, but there are also quite a few who simply aren't into the "God-thing" and find it offensive that they are forced to participate in what they consider a phony or otherwise unnecessary activity simply to get something to eat or find a place to lay their head for the night.

 For those folks, I like to tell them that it helps to understand the Mission's "mission"  when thinking about whether this is an acceptable practice or not:

(Mission statement) "Following God's command to love our neighbor as ourselves, the Nashville Rescue Mission seeks to help the hurting of Middle Tennessee by offering food, clothing and shelter to the homeless and recovery programs to those enslaved in life degrading problems. Our goal is to help people know the saving grace of Jesus, and through Him, gain wisdom for living, find fulfillment in life and become a positive part of their community."

Pay attention to the last sentence, folks, because that is where the Mission's real mission lies.  For many at the facility, what happens on this earth is secondary to the importance of getting into God's kingdom. Saving souls is the real mission here, and for the folks at the Mission, it is the most important service they believe they can offer, as it would be for any religious organization. 

Knowing this going in had made the demands of the organization a little easier to tolerate for some.  I've also had discussions with several who've argued that spending a few minutes listening to someone speak about God is a small price to pay for a meal and a bed for the night.   

Still, there are some who simply will not go to the Mission because of this.  That's too bad too, because there's no other game in town that comes close to housing as many people each night, year round, and there are a number of services available at or through the Mission that can assist one in breaking the chains of poverty and homelessness.  

There may be some shady characters hanging around, snoring can be outrageously loud, prayer is required and the feeding and shower structure is set up institution-style, but for many it is the nearest thing to home they've had in years and without the Mission, the downtown area would be absolutely shocked to see just how many people experiencing homelessness live in their midst......


Homeless Shelter Evicted After Prayer Debate
HACKENSACK, N.J. -- A Bergen County homeless shelter is homeless itself -- again.

The First Reformed Church of Hackensack dismissed the FAITH Foundation in a dispute over rules at its Christmas dinner for about 100 homeless people last week.

Church officials say they wanted a sermon and carols before dinner was fed. But shelter director Robin Reilly started serving food first, saying some patrons hadn't eaten for 24 hours.

Ms. Reilly says she'll try to find a new place to help the homeless. She's storing the group's supplies at another church for now.

It's not the first time the foundation has lost its home. Hackensack officials closed its previous building because it lacked permission to serve food there.