New Foundation Program
New Foundation Program
Our New Foundation Program provides the education and spiritual training individuals need to overcome the challenges and addictions that hold them in bondage. Participants build a lasting relationship with Jesus Christ and eventually return to their homes, families and communities. Over a years time, men and women receive the kind of specialized attention and training that is needed to get back on their feet.
Through this program, men and women are:
- Reconciled to God- developing a relationship with the One who made and loves them
- Reconciled to Themselves- overcoming issues in their own lives.
- Reconciled to Society – becoming fully-functioning members of society who have a chance to prosper.
The New Foundation Program is the focal point of our ministry at Union Gospel Mission of Grays Harbor.
What is the New Foundation Program?
When I became the Director of the Mission, I knew I was called to help people overcome their life problems, I just didn’t know exactly how to do it. We saw many accept Christ into their lives but then they began to go backward. God began to show me that all we were doing was dealing with symptoms, not the problem. We were just doing behavioral management. God began to show me we needed to deal with the issues that caused the problem. These were issues that caused emotional pain, guilt or shame. As we began to find what caused these issues we found that God healed their heart and the symptoms, drugs, alcohol, anger or whatever just went away and there was life transformation.
I am always extremely proud of the men and women that graduate from the New Foundation Program. When a man or woman decides to join the program, they are making a minimum of a one year commitment to be in our facilities, not to work outside, and to focus hard on their lives. We usually start with a class of about eight to ten and about four or five will finish.
Below are a couple of our graduates. Both were here because they were determined to learn how to be a Christian, conquer old habits and have their lives changed. Something unusual happened, each one felt that they were called to work here at the Mission, and we are blessed to have them.
Ellis worked in different areas as his program job, and is now employed with us as our warehouse manager. Luke took over as our Receptionist as his program job and has been hired for that position since he finished the program. Both have also become involved in local churches.
I asked them what the program had done for them and here are their replies:
What is one of the things you like best about working here, Ellis?
“Being able to help the people, it’s like giving back. It used to be all about me, but all that has changed.” In November, Ellis Rodin will have been working full-time at the Union Gospel Mission for one year. Prior to that, Ellis was a guest and then a member and graduate of the New Foundation Program. He is now our Warehouse Manager and does a very good job at it. He really likes working with the people, and being able to help them with items they may need, or just to be able to talk to those who need a friend.”
Hi, my name is Luke Tackett. I’m a graduate of the New Foundations Program here at the Union Gospel Mission. I came here after being released from jail with nowhere to go. I was just looking for a roof over my head because I didn’t want to be sleeping under a bridge. I was born here in Aberdeen and lived here all my life. I am the third of six kids. My mom and dad divorced when I was five, my dad remarried, and my stepmom raised me like I was her own child. My relationship with my real mom has been strained, but we are working on restoring our relationship. As a child, I felt second best in my family, like I was never heard or like no one paid attention to me. I did well in academics and finished seventh in State in the Knowledge Bowl, but I didn’t get acknowledged at home because it wasn’t a sport.
After I finished school, I went from job to job looking for something to satisfy me. I had started drinking at sixteen, trying to calm the feelings that were going on inside, but nothing helped.
Here at the Mission I began to hear how God loved me and had a plan for my life. It seemed too good to be true, that God, the creator of the universe, could even know who I was. After all, I only came here to find a roof over my head, but I decided to give Him a try. Now I have found that He was what I was looking for all the time. After being discipled in the Program, I learned what plan God had for me. I feel loved and now people hear me and care when I have something to say. I now feel I have a direction in my life and can’t wait to get there.
– Gary Rowell
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