IN ONE AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOOD

The average life expectancy of an individual in the Upton/Druid Heights Neighborhood of Baltimore, MD is 65 years old; 14 years below the U.S. average and 19 years below the average in the city’s wealthiest neighborhoods. The average income is less than half of the national average, and 50% of children will leave school before graduating high school.

93.5%

Children in Single Parent Homes

85%

Families Considered Low-Income

60%

Adult Unemployment Rate

$15,950

Neighborhood Median Income

This Is Similar To Inner-City Neighborhoods Across The Nation

The greatest poverty we face, however, is not the poverty food or cash, but a poverty of the Word. We believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the one hope that can fully address the problem and change communities. We believe that building healthy, Gospel-centered churches in The nations poorest communities is the best strategy of promoting and creating real change.

ONE HOPE IS ALL ABOUT PLANTING AND REVITALIZING CHURCHES IN POOR URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS

ONE HOPE is a ministry of an inner-city local church called The Garden Church in west Baltimore. The Garden Church not only desires to sustain the work in west Baltimore, but plant more churches through ONE HOPE. Itʼs our goal to plant three inner-city churches in the next five years (in Baltimore), and then continue to plant churches in other cities.

Our Strategy is holistic. First, all ministry is done through the church. Whether itʼs The Garden Church or a future ONE HOPE church plant, ministry is done in the name of, and through the local church. As many in our churches come from severely broken and difficult backgrounds, discipleship in the inner-city is intense. We want to raise disciples who are raising their kids in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, supporting their family through working a job, and living a sober life freed from addiction. For this reason, in addition to the regular pastoral work in the church, our funded ministry strategies involve a few key components: Church Planting, Life Coaching, Youth Work, Internships.

Church Planting

We believe local churches are the primary means through which people change. The church is a collection of Godʼs people, meeting together to represent him to the world. Poor communities need healthy churches.

Training

ONE HOPE seeks to broadly encourage healthy church ministry in low-income communities through conferences, workshops, and a podcast. Additionally, we host a church planter cohort and provide training for Gospel workers.

Residencies

ONE HOPE provides residencies for church planters and Gospel workers. Residencies are generally one year at The Garden Church. During this time, planters begin a mission as groundwork for a new church.

Internships

The Urban Leader Internship is a one-year program offered to new believers from the context, who want to grow. Throughout the year, interns receive training five days a week. For future church planters, we additionally offer second year internships and church planter residencies.

THE ONE HOPE TEAM

**Stephanie Laferriere Greer,** *Director of Life Coaching, Gospel Worker at The Garden Church*

Stephanie lives in Baltimore with her husband Kevin Greer and son Sevi. Stephanie works as a life coach for ONE HOPE. As the life coach, Stephanie builds relationships with people in the community both in formal and informal settings. She oversees the job readiness-training program, mentorships and jobs network. Stephanie is a recent graduate from The Master’s University and Seminary and holds a Masters degree in Biblical Counseling.

Joel Kurz, Director of ONE HOPE, Pastor at The Garden Church

Joel graduated from Spurgeon College in 2003 with a B.A. in Biblical Studies, worked for five years as a youth pastor at a church in Maryland, and has lived in Baltimore City since July of 2008 when he founded The Garden Church. Joel and his wife, Jess, have four children, Jadyn, Eden, Haddon and Chapman. Joel is currently pursuing a Masters of Divinity through The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Follow Joel on Twitter.