It has been, and still is, a wonderful journey for the last twenty-eight years of life and ministry.  Actually, our lives and ministry can't really be separated due to the fact that my wife, Pashion, and I live on the adjacent block to the church. However, it is a blessing because it's far enough that we're not looking at the front door (as we did for nearly twelve years in the parsonage), yet it's close enough for immediate accessibility.  We feel that living in the community in which we serve is very important for the building of trust within the community.  

     When the ministry started, our community was ranked number one in the city's crime statistics and now, violent crime activity (in areas surrounding the church) is a rare thing. I'm not saying that it's because of us personally, but rather, it's because of the church's shining light that intentionally reaches out to the community in various ways.  

     In the first year of our existence, we secured a grant through the United Methodist Church to build an outdoor basketball court- which was key to our building trust and relationships with the youth in the community. The court was, and still is, known for its establishment and enforcement of rules and regulations that demand respect, and has a "no tolerance" policy for arguments and fighting.  Drug activity has legal implications, and pants must be "at the waistline" at all times.

     Also, there is the historical children and youth ministry which is now Dream Garden, Inc.; the Bread of Life Food Ministry; The Imani New Life Recovery Program, Inc.; and The House of Restoration Church family's embrace of all the ministries and all the people we serve.

     Restoration Mission is a dream come true for us, in the sense that we believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is and should be relevant to the people and the situations they face.  In other words, the church should not only be the mouth proclaiming the Good News, but should also be the heartbeat- propelling the arms and feet to step out, and reach out, to those in need.  For this were are grateful to God, the Bishop, and the District Superintendent for appointing us and equipping us to serve for the past twenty-eight years, and we are looking forward to the future.

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Loving you always, 

Pastor Al and Sister Pashion Lewis