Who are we?
We are Terry and Linda Smith and House of Hope (NJ) is our home and our ministry. We were married in 1984 and spent over 30 years working side by side, as McDonald’s Owner/Operators. In 2017, we decided to sell our business and focus on doing full-time lay (volunteer) ministry. In 2018, we purchased a large foreclosed home in Springfield Township, just 4 miles from our home church (Columbus Baptist Church, Columbus, NJ) and decided to call the house: House of Hope. We have attended Columbus Baptist Church since 1985 and have been actively involved ever since. We have four adult children (Daniel - 32, Alison - 30, Emily - 25, and Andrew -24). Our older son Dan is currently living on site and helping us with the ministry needs.
What are we?
That’s a great question! What exactly do we do in ministry here at House of Hope? Our current mission statement is “House of Hope: A place to find hope”. Some days, hope is found in a Bible Study. Some days, hope is found in fellowship around the pool or a potluck meal. Other days, hope is found during an one on one conversation or guided counseling session. Some times, hope is found with couples counseling when relationships are broken and it helps to have an outsider listen and help process things.
Why are we?
In a nutshell, we are followers of Jesus who have a made a choice to “finish strong” and live out our days with intention and purpose. We have decided to use our time, energies, and resources to help others in a world that has a lot of pain, hurt, and heartache. We believe that the teachings in the Bible lead to understanding one’s true purpose, and ultimately finding hope in and through all situations. We want House of Hope to be a physical place that a person can come to find that hope!