Keith Wasserman and the family that has grown up alongside him believe that good, works. Their organization “Good Works, Inc.” may very well be “the oldest rural homeless shelter in Ohio.” They are differentiated mightily in their posture and goals from other facilities seeking to serve the same people. “The time we spend with a volunteer to help them grow and develop as a disciple is not less important than the time we spend with the homeless man or woman in helping them in their crisis of need,” said Wasserman. “These became equally weighted in what we do at Good Works.”

Also what sets them apart is their radical hospitality opening their doors and hosting people for months at a time. Though they embrace extended guests they work toward and embrace transformation in its quick and incremental forms and celebrate every success.

Terri walked to Athens from Cleveland; that’s a pretty long distance. She was a mess. We then received her into the Timothy House; a home for people without homes, we’re moving away from the language of “homeless shelter” and we began to care for her. We, surrounding someone, nurturing, being patient, discerning… She stayed in Timothy House for about nine months and she went into the long term transitional housing… She then went to college. She then did an internship with us and then we hired her, about 13 years ago.

But, while she was with us she made a connection to a local congregation. She did give her life to Christ and she received their nurture and care. She is still a part of that congregation. She met her husband in that congregation; they now have a child and she’s a beautiful illustration of what God can do when the body of Christ is functioning in ordinary ways. Ultimately I think it is about ordinary people through whom God does, because of our yieldedness, extraordinary things.

– Keith Wasserman

In the Psalms there is this phrase “God sets the lonely in families.” At Good Works they seek to live into Jesus’ definition of family when he answers that his mother and his brothers are those that do the will of God. Wasserman shares that Good Works provides a “Kingdom of God broader sense of family.”

Growth in This Place from Project C on Vimeo.

Every Sunday, Seedbed will feature stories of how God is working through the people that make up the Church. We want to hear how God is working in your church. If you think your church should be featured in Seedbed’s Sunday series then email us at seedbed@asburyseminary.edu.