Rather than “serving others in need” we are now more intentional about forming caring relationships with people in a way that is mutually beneficial. JUSTembrace is a living example of this.

This is the church as proscribed in Acts. It isn't easy to handle in the world in which most of us live. It isn't loud guitars, off-the-cuff sermons which make you feel good or awe inspiring multimedia stuff. It isn't a feel good group of chicken soup for the first world soul. It isn't simply doing a short term mission trip or a quarterly turn at the food bank.

"I feel grateful to be in the same neighborhood, and to witness the love and impact on community members who I cross paths with throughout my week."

With all that's going on in the world, I know there's hope because there's communities like this, pressing into the discomfort and finding joy in unlikely places.

This is everything …

“One of the main things we love about JUSTembrace is how they actively demonstrate Christian community in the purest way possible. By lifting up each other and their neighbors, JUSTembrace is a beautiful testament to what the ‘hands and feet of Christ’ can look like in our modern culture.”

This is not a "homeless shelter," nor is it a "soup kitchen." The JUSTembrace house aims to be a community center that can be claimed as "home" for anyone in the neighborhood.

“Every act of compassion must maintain or restore the dignity of the recipient.” You can swap out the word compassion with hospitality and the quote is just as powerful AND IMHO exactly what JUSTembrace does and does well.

"When I have participated in community parties and events, I have been both personally welcomed and given the freedom to develop relationships naturally and casually around a table - playing games or eating meals with people I might not otherwise have had the opportunity to interact with. And I get inspired and reminded that loving people who are different from me doesn’t have to be complicated and is often quite fun."

"Even though we haven't been in the same room together for years, Sher and the JUSTembrace family encourage me all the time. I've learned so much about hospitality, restoration and community by listening to their stories."

"For a community to be whole and healthy, it must be based on people's love and concern for each other."

“When you have everything, don’t build a higher fence, build a bigger table.”