Philosophy

Those who serve at St. Francis Center respond to people in a respectful and loving manner. Our approach to those whom we serve and those with whom we serve is after the example of Jesus and St. Francis of Assisi. We feel that we are, above all things that we do, a presence to those we serve and that they are a presence to us. We refer to those we serve as guests because we feel that what we offer to people first and foremost is hospitality, a safe, secure, accepting place and environment, and we do so respectfully.

In our service with people who are homeless, no attempts are made to convert or evangelize them. We believe that goodness and Godliness dwell in each of us and therefore the individual, as he or she is, deserves respect and his/her dignity as a person should always be honored. Appearances, economic status, education, ethnicity, or religious beliefs do not define a person, but rather describe him or her.

People who are homeless are often seen as problems in our society. We often categorize people as alcoholics, bums, transients, drug addicts, or homeless. Each person is a human being. We are all different people and yet we are first and foremost people. People who are homeless are people and homelessness only describes a part of who they are.

What we believe is at the core of who we are at St. Francis Center. Although the Episcopal Church of Colorado founded us, we welcome people of all religious beliefs. We spend time each day as a staff and with any interested volunteers reflecting on who we are, our ministry, and what we believe. Every Sunday there is a worship service that is open to everyone. We believe that in order to serve well, we must also prepare ourselves well to be good and caring servants.

Return to About SFC