Colorado Springs church celebrates two years of being ‘the little church that could’

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In 2022, Gateway Presbyterian Church in Colorado Spring, Colorado, began offering its manse for use by refugees coming from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Named “The House Next Door,” the ministry started after Ruling Elder Paula Warrell was moved by news reports of Afghan refugees being resettled in Colorado. She proposed utilizing the church’s unused manse to accommodate the transitional housing needs of new arrivals to the United States. 

Constructed before the church building, the manse’s basement was the first worship space along with housing the pastor’s family. In the early 2000s, the church’s pastor purchased a home in the community and the church began renting the manse. After a period of discernment, the church decided to change direction with the manse’s use. 

“I asked [the session], ‘Do you feel called to be landlords?’” said the Rev. Dr. Victoria Isaacs, the church’s pastor since 2019. The response from church leadership was they wanted to use the manse for other ministries. A $30,000 remodeling effort and 1,500 volunteer hours transformed and updated the manse following the end of the rental agreement and the space was ready to receive refugees by 2022. Watch a video on that process here. 

The church partnered with the Lutheran Family Services refugee and asylee program to offer a comprehensive welcome to families relocating the U.S. Lutheran Family Services provides legal services, educational and job assistance, financial guidance and support, translators and social services to the families. As per the guidelines of Lutheran Family Services, Gateway Presbyterian provides six months of transitional housing, an initial furniture and home goods setup, mentoring, day-to-day assistance and companionship. 

Church member Scott Lyon leads the refugee mentorship program, saying, “We mentors certainly get as much out of the experience as the refugees.” 

Now serving its fourth family, The House Next Door has helped two families from Afghanistan and a Syrian family, and recently received an Iraqi family. With anywhere from five to seven active mentors at any time, Lyon said there is great enthusiasm at the church for participating in the ministry. 

“I make periodic announcements during church services, and I’m sometimes surprised by the number of people that come up to me,” he said. “People are looking for ways to help. I mean, that’s why you join churches — to be a part of something good and meaningful.” 

Lyon said mentors commit to an hour or two a week, helping with daily logistics, shopping and navigating a new cultural context. Refugee children are enrolled in local schools and working-age adults, depending on their language skills, find work in the community. 

While communication is often a challenge, Lyon said he’s learned the pleasantries of Arabic and Dari, but adds, “a smile helps you communicate mostly what you need to know” in many situations. The father of one family and Lyon were able to communicate using basic Spanish — both calling on decades-old language acquisition to piece together simple conversations. 

Isaacs recognizes how much members of the congregation have given to the mission of The House Next Door. From donations of food and furniture, to crossing cultural and religious boundaries, and learning the basics of food stamps and the immigration process, it has been a growing and learning experience. 

“It’s like the old model of mission where you go to help somebody and instead you grow so much,” she said. “[The mentors] have poured themselves into these families. They learn so much about another faith and another culture, but they also learn that humanity is humanity — we’re all human and have a lot of similarities.” 

Another positive byproduct of the ministry is how it has activated members of the church to see mission all around them and lets newcomers see the church is putting its faith into action. 

“Many of the people who are involved are newer members,” she said. “This has been something that has been interesting, intriguing, and attractive to our newer members — like we're actually doing something, getting our hands dirty.” 

For his part, Lyon had only been a member of the church for one year before The House Next Door began. As a recently retired transplant to Colorado Springs, he eagerly jumped into the church and was excited to be part of the ministry to refugee families. 

“A tenet of the New Testament is to help the stranger in your midst,” he reflected of his journey as a mentor. “From a purely metaphorical position that’s pretty easy to do. But when it gets down to the nitty gritty it presents some challenges.” 

Despite these challenges, both Lyon and Isaacs recognize the growing sense of community and family the ministry provides for all involved. In addition to the church providing for the refugee families, Lyon noted how refugee families participate in church clean-up days and one father saying, “What can I do for you? I speak four languages, and I can help you with whatever you need.” 

Isaacs, who has accepted a call to serve with her husband as co-pastors of Peace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Key West, Florida, praised the ministry for fostering faith and service in the congregation. 

“We do it because Jesus said, love your neighbors as yourself,” she said. “Jesus didn't say love your neighbor so they become a Christ follower. He just said love your neighbor as yourself, right? So that's what our people are learning that we just love our neighbor. Period.” 

Lyon said the church is sorry to see Isaacs go, knowing she has put her heart into the launch and support of The House Next Door. But he believes the ministry will continue because of the dedication of the church and its mentors. 

“We’re sorry to see her go,” he said. “But we feel a commitment to keep the project moving along that she was just so committed to.”