SHEPHERD'S GATE HEALTH
Shepherd's Gate Health is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to coordinate the efforts of community stakeholders, namely, local churches, to combat the Social Determinants of Health and provide preventative healthcare solutions with the underserved of their communities.
MISSION STATEMENT
Shepherd's Gate Health provides accessible, collaborative, and committed preventive care at no cost to those in need.
OUR VALUES
Compassion to all
Humility in ourselves
The privilege of Service
OUR VISION
An active life-giving network of clinics, churches, and communities who meet people where they are, to care for and meet the holistic needs of an individual's physical, emotional, and spiritual health through preventative care.
WHY
Who is my neighbor?
Luke 10:29-37
We challenge the notion that an organization, body, or persons from “out of town” or “the other side of town” is not from here or not neighbors. In Luke 10, Jesus is asked by an expert of the law and culture, “And who is my neighbor?” He went on to describe the relationship of a neighbor through the parable of the Good Samaritan. In this story, a passerby, a traveler, one who did not have “roots” in the community, served the beaten man who had been attacked, humiliated and left for dead. So many of our communities have been attacked, stripped, humiliated, and left for dead. And yet sometimes God uses a passer-by to be a neighbor. But the story doesn’t end there. The passer-by, the Samaritan, committed to the man and to the community, he supported local business and made a pledge and stood by it (v34-35). Jesus asked who was more of a neighbor and then said, “Go and do likewise”.
Though we often criticize the priest and the Levite for not helping the man, it is important to remember that these men are people. The best of people can be under-resourced and will “pass by”, they may be stressed with their own lives and “pass by”. They may think the circumstances are unsafe and “pass by”. They may just not care or want to be bothered and “pass by”. We can’t tell their motivation, but to the person in the ditch all of those reasons, each one valid, results in someone just “passing by”. To the one in need, the action is the same and the reason isn’t comforting.
Now enter the Samaritan, in order to help the man he needed two things: resources and partnership. He believed he and the former and could find the latter. In finding partnership, he partnered with someone who was willing, he didn’t partner with the priest and he didn’t partner with the Levite. It’s likely, that due to his character if he didn’t have the resources he would have cared for the man until a qualified and willing partner arose on the scene.
Shepherd’s Gate Health has been called into that space. We and our partners are neighbors in the community, not “passers-by”. In many cases, we have resources and are seeking partners, in others, we have partners and are seeking resources. If you are willing, we’d like to “go and do likewise” with you.
