As we step into 2026, we can hardly believe we are celebrating ten years of showing up and loving people on East Colfax. A decade of presence. A decade of stories. A decade of God’s faithfulness.

But January, Human Trafficking Awareness Month, tested those words in ways we couldn’t have imagined.

For the past several months, we’ve been partnering with Safe Places for Women in late night outreach praying with women working the streets, some on their own, many controlled by a pimp. Praying for one to choose to leave the life.

Each graduate represents a full circle story. Every single person in RISE was first met on street outreach, welcomed into the Family Room, and then invited into deeper support. What began as showing up and loving someone in crisis grew into housing, job training, spiritual formation, and a renewed sense of hope.

This year, something incredible began.

At Jesus on Colfax, we launched the RISE Program, a residential job-skills and discipleship program helping people move from crisis to stability and into thriving, sustainable lives.

Right now, Jesus on Colfax is serving close to 1,000 hot meals every week, and many of our friends use their Family Room points to buy food to take with them. With the expected loss of SNAP (food stamps) in November due to the government shutdown, the need on the street is already growing.

I overheard the phrase before I heard it directly.

Sunday morning before church, Diane on the phone, checking in with a friend. On speaker, I hear her say a couple of times, “I don’t do that anymore.” Then, Diane encouraging her, “The angels in heaven rejoice over you.”

There’s A Person In There

Given the chaos of the previous five minutes and that which followed, this moment was oddly still, calm and peaceful. A quiet spot amidst a raging storm. 

His name was Michael. I remember because he had an Afro, big, black, encircling his head. It made me think of Michael the archangel and the many artistic depictions of angels and saints, usually with a holy glow around their head.