“But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” Matthew 23:11-12
We are happy to announce that we are welcoming our second resident into the Siafu Leadership Home in Chester, PA. Stephen Rizzo, a student of The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI) for the past three years, will move into the home this month. Throughout the years, many of us have had the pleasure of witnessing Stephen’s passion for God and ministry. Stephen would often travel over two hours by way of public transportation to attend our TUMI courses. His commitment and passion are an inspiration to both the TUMI teachers and his fellow students.
Stephen is already helping us out with our dinner event ministry. The Great Dinner Party is a floating, fine-dining experience that provides men coming out of prison the opportunity to learn valuable work skills and to participate in a transformative work experience. Although Stephen already has extensive restaurant experience—at one point he even owned and managed his own pizza shop in Key West—when we approached him about helping out with the dinners, he had only one request, “I want to wash the dishes.” So far, Stephen has helped us out with two events, and none of us have ever seen a more passionate dishwasher. Stephen demonstrates the same passion and commitment while washing dishes as he does when studying God’s Word. He truly has a servant’s heart in both word and deed.
While in the Siafu Home, Stephen will participate in a culinary arts program in order to help us grow the dinner ministry. Stephen will also continue his TUMI education as well as take on leadership roles in recovery ministries and receive training in drug and alcohol counseling. Additionally, he will work part-time in order to pay the program fees. Most importantly, Stephen will be a part of our local church body and part of a community of faith that will support him in his time of transition and ministry preparation.
There is still much that needs to be done before Stephen moves in that requires much prayer and support. The home is in need of some repairs to make his room suitable. During the winter and some heavy rains, we discovered several leaks in the roof of the home. We are in the process of getting the roof fixed, and then we will have to fix the water damage inside the house. We pray that these repairs will not delay Stephen’s move-in date. We also rejoice that Stephen has made this significant transition in his life.
Raj Lewis oversees Siafu in Chester, PA.
