A Mission Worth Supporting: Hope is Alive

A Mission Worth Supporting: Hope is Alive

You don’t have to be a big church to make a big impact. Family Church in Wichita, Kansas, is living proof of that truth.

Their partnership with Hope is Alive began not with a program or a plan, but with a simple visit.  When Pastors Boone and Debbie Baker first visited an HIA home, they had no idea how profoundly the ministry would shape their lives. After joining a men’s group one Sunday evening and witnessing the honesty, hope, and Christ-centered support within the home, they quickly realized this was far more than another organization to donate to. It was a mission worth giving their hearts and time to.

“We fell in love with what HIA was doing, and how they were doing it,” Boone shared. “We wanted to partner with something that sees success, follows scripture, and truly points people to Christ.”

With HIA, that’s exactly what they found.

It didn’t take long for Debbie to find a personal rhythm in serving. She began visiting the women’s home regularly, always with her now-famous crockpot roast, potatoes, and carrots. But it’s not the meal that matters most to her; it’s the relationships. Debbie stays to talk, listen, laugh, pray, and participate in sister shoutouts, which have become one of her favorite parts of the night.

“I just love those girls,” she said. “I’m proud of them for what they’re accomplishing.”

And she doesn’t keep the experience to herself. Debbie brings a friend along every single time she visits a home — someone who hasn’t been there before — because she wants others to feel what she feels when she walks through those doors. Without exception, each person leaves deeply moved by what they experience inside the HIA homes.

As Boone and Debbie shared their own involvement with HIA, the rest of Family Church began to catch the vision. People started volunteering, serving meals, and building relationships with residents. One elder spoke at a men’s home and returned so encouraged that it sparked even more interest and engagement throughout the church. From there, it has continued to build.

After seeing how powerful shoutouts were in the HIA homes, Debbie wondered whether the same kind of encouragement could bless their own church. So Family Church gave it a try — and the response was overwhelming.

“It was just precious what the people stood up and said about one another,” Debbie shared. “It was a good thing.”

What started as a single visit has now become a thriving partnership — one that is shaping hearts, strengthening community, and opening eyes to both the realities of addiction and the hope found in Christ-centered recovery.