Inspired by Jesus
In the world of non-profit social services, each organization is required by the government to choose a classification: religious or non-religious; faith-based or secular? No matter how you register you get pigeon-holed by the public into certain pre-conceived ideas about how you operate.
Engedi Refuge is registered with the Federal government as a “Faith-based” 501c3 charitable organization; but that isn’t an accurate picture of who we are or how we do things.
Engedi’s founders and directors are life-long Christians, and their vision to help trafficking victims find safety and restoration is intricately connected to their personal faith in Christ and their understanding of his purposes in the world. Engedi was founded on the belief that God created and loves all people, and that he is especially interested in protecting and helping those who are oppressed, depressed, lonely, hurting or hungry.
These purposes are reflected in verses and stories throughout the Bible, but the one most directly related is what Jesus said about His own agenda by quoting Isaiah 61:1 “…the Lord has …sent me to bind up the brokenhearted…to announce liberty to captives…”
Inspired by Jesus, we seek to do the same for trafficked women.
Engedi Refuge provides one of the most comprehensive and holistic residential programs in the country for sex trafficking survivors with, as far as we know, the highest success rate for helping women avoid re-exploitation. Our vision and goal from the very beginning has been to give women everything they need to feel secure, to experience compassion, to learn skills that will boost their confidence and change their lives, and to find hope for their healthiest and happiest future.
Some people think that a “Faith-based” organization provides only Bible studies and prayer meetings. This is not the case at Engedi. We predominately provide practical and therapeutic services along with housing, case management, education, employment training and sobriety management support. The limited spiritual guidance and encouragements we do offer come from a Christian perspective, but the shared faith of our staff is focused on serving each resident well, rather than trying to coerce a religious conversion. In this way we consider ourselves more accurately…”Faith Inspired”.
This is an important thing to understand for anyone who wishes to get involved with Engedi whether as a financial partner, volunteer, or someone seeking our help and services.
Engedi is a safe place on all fronts, safe even from heavy-handed religion. You can find more information on our “Philosophy and Faith” tab under About Engedi.
And while you’re thinking about it… Please pray for us. Thank you.