STUCK IN THE MESSY

As we see more and more unhoused residents in our community, many of us are wondering, how can we help? Aren't there plenty of jobs available for the homeless? Why do some people receive assistance but still end up back on the streets? If you’ve ever had similar questions, please join Micah, Christa, and executive producer Colin McFarland as we tackle some of these topics. ========================...

The word “trauma” is thrown around frequently these days. But what is trauma, exactly? How can we interact well with those who have experienced it? Join Micah, Christa, and our special guest Lillian Dehn as we discuss how to how to better love those who are hurting and how to defuse sticky situations. ============================= De-Escalation Techniques ============================= ⬇️ Speak slo...

It can be tempting to focus on what we think needs fixing in our homeless friends’ lives. But our friends are part of a culture that has much to teach us! Join Micah, Christa, and our special guest Joel Kostelyk as we dive into the cultural differences we’ve observed between economic groups and the beautiful aspects of homeless culture. ============================= Stuck In The Messy: Channel Cre...

Sometimes, we humans allow our differences to divide us. We want to fight against this tendency at the Life Center, recognizing that building relationships with those different from ourselves is beautiful! Join Micah, Christa, and our special guests J.D. and Briana McCrumb as we discuss how this has played out in our own lives at the Mission Hills North Littleton Campus. ==========================...

What is service? Is it an activity we squeeze into our busy schedules? Is it simply being nice? In this episode, Micah, Christa, and our special guest Jackie Shinabery dive deeper into this topic. Join us as we discuss how our definitions of service have changed, how we prepare our hearts for serving others, and what God has taught us through our flops and successes. =============================...

Though Thanksgiving is behind us, we’ve got more blessings to chew on…metaphorically, of course. Join Micah, Christa, Alex, and our special guest JoAnn Hunt as we discuss the food bank, a crucial Life Center program! We hope you’ll enjoy the stories of God’s goodness throughout the food bank’s 33-year history and dream with us as we consider the future. ============================= Stuck In The M...

Finding conferences about our line of work is difficult, so in August, the Life Center staff took things into our own hands. We jumped on a flight to Seattle, a city known for its unconventional approach to homelessness, to see what we could learn. Join Micah, Christa, Jose, and Alex as we discuss our experiences and how they inform our work at the Life Center. ============================= Resour...

Sometimes we feel unequipped to care for others, especially if they see or experience reality differently than we do! So, how can we lovingly support others despite our differences? Join Micah, Christa, and our special guest Mark Koeppen as we discuss how to love someone who requires extra care. ============================= Resources: ============================= MISHAPS acronym for resource nav...

If you like personality tests, you’ll enjoy this episode! Join Micah, Christa, and our special guest Kristy Allen as we discuss the personality types we commonly see among our Life Center clients and what each type brings to the world. ============================= Stuck In The Messy: Channel Credits ============================= 🎙️ HOST:: Micah Harrison, Christa Schaller 🎉 SPECIAL GUEST:: Kristy...

Not knowing what to say, fear of saying the wrong thing, or even our own assumptions can keep us from connecting with those different from us. Join Micah, Christa, and our special guest Adele Nielsen as we discuss our experiences interacting with Life Center friends and what we’ve learned in the process! We also invite you to tune in to our friend Nate’s story at the end of the episode. You may no...

Have you ever felt unsure how to help someone in need? Or perhaps you’ve helped someone, only to be frustrated by the results. Join Micah, Christa, and former Life Center Director Cara Runyan as we discuss poverty alleviation, our own brokenness, and how we can help those in need—without harming them or ourselves. ============================= Stuck In The Messy: Channel Credits ==================...

Many of us shy away from talking to our kids about homelessness, not knowing how to tackle this difficult topic. Join Micah and Christa as we have an honest, unscripted conversation with Everlyn (6), Ellie (7), and Addie (10) about how to interact with people holding cardboard signs and how God has made everyone—including our homeless friends—in His image. We hope this episode will encourage you a...

Though we expect to encounter cultural differences when traveling to other countries, we sometimes fail to recognize the microcultures that exist in our own backyards! Join Micah, Christa, and our special guest Howard Stevenson as we discuss our cross-cultural experiences, the hidden rules of social classes, and how we can better serve those of different cultures—including our homeless friends. ==...

Imagine you pull up to an intersection and see a person holding a cardboard sign. Your mind races: Should I give them a few bucks? Smile? Pretend to look at my phone? Look straight ahead? Situations like this can be difficult to navigate and frankly…super awkward. In this episode, we dive into the messy with a few Mission Hills staff members and discuss how these interactions have played out in ou...

Join the Life Center Staff as we look to examine the art of service. As believers, we have been called to serve each other and the world. While it seems like it should be an easy concept, for anyone who has jumped into the messy world of service, we realize that serving people in real life is much harder than we thought it would be. Listen in as we talk through the difficulties of loving the world...