Awakened by the Spirit
On this day of Pentecost, I invite you to remember the moment the church was born—when the Holy Spirit descended and awakened sleepy hearts to new life. Just as the early believers saw tongues of fire and heard the rush of a mighty wind, we too are called to live in that same Spirit. Our God, who spoke through Moses, Mary, and David, continues to move among us, healing, providing, and empowering us today.
Our Roots: Over a Century of Compassion
I’m honored to share the story of Residing Hope—formerly the Florida Methodist Children’s Home—tracing back to 1906, when the Florida Annual Conference first launched the fifth-Sunday offering to support orphans. Two years later, in 1908, we opened our doors, offering refuge and care. Through every generation, local churches across Florida have been the backbone of this ministry, demonstrating Christ’s love to abandoned, abused, and neglected children.
Nurturing Safe Homes and Healing Hearts
Today, we serve through two residential group homes: our original Enterprise campus and the Madison Youth Ranch. There, children ages 10 to 17 find stability in cottages designed for therapeutic care. In our most intensive setting, an entire staff focuses on one child, walking with them through deep healing. I marvel at how the Master turns wandering footsteps into a firm foundation.
Equipping for Independence
Transitioning from a group home can feel like stepping off a cliff—statistics tell us nearly half of youth aging out of care become homeless. That’s why our Independent Living program walks alongside young adults, teaching budgeting, job readiness, and life skills. They learn to apply for ten jobs a day, prepare résumés, and practice interviews. One young man, Sam, saved diligently and left our care with $16,000 in the bank and the freedom to chart his own course.
Extending Care: Counseling, Education, and Foster Support
Beyond residential care, we offer outpatient counseling in ten (soon to be twelve) locations across Florida, serving foster families, adoptive parents, and grandparents raising grandchildren. Our on-campus Montessori school educates 200 students from birth through eighth grade, and our foster care teams work in four counties, welcoming over a hundred children last year alone. Each life we touch reflects God’s ongoing redemptive work.
Partnership in Transformation
Perhaps the most joyous proof of new life is the children who step forward for baptism or confirmation—three in February, two at Easter, and three more this spring in Madison. Transformation here isn’t linear; it’s two steps forward and sometimes five steps back. Yet, each day, we see healing hearts and new identities emerge as Christ lives in them.
Thank you for partnering with us—your prayers, your fifth-Sunday offerings, and your compassion. Together, we set feet on solid ground, nurturing hope that lasts through generations.
How might God be inviting you to join in this work of love and transformation?