Mission. Vision. Values.
We seek God’s peace for our city through the creative, compassionate, and prayerful development of people and communities.
Since 1988, we have cultivated communities of hope and healing in the heart of our beloved city, Denver. We put our mission into action through supportive housing, leadership development, and initiatives that strengthen our neighbors’ capacity to thrive.
Our vision is for Denver to be a city where those who were once poor enjoy the fruit of their labor; where children of the city are no longer doomed to misfortune, but play safely in the streets under the watchful eye of healthy old men and women; where former rivals and natural enemies live and work together in peace; and where all people enjoy the experience of communion with God.
This vision draws its inspiration from the breathtaking image of a city of joy found in the scriptures of our faith (for instance Isaiah 65:17-25 and Zechariah 8:4-5). The vision is inclusive of all; Mile High Ministries does not require or proselytize for, religious affiliations on the part of program participants.
Presence. We are followers of Jesus from different streams of the Christian tradition. Just as God was embodied in the human person of Jesus of Nazareth, the great gift of divine love is continually embodied, touch-able, and experienced. We participate in this lived reality joyfully.
Prayer. In our often-intense urban context, we are learning the value of quieting our hearts and minds in order to listen for the voice of God. Prayer is itself a kind of presence: being present to God; trusting that God is fully present to us.
Peacemaking. Seeking the peace of the city means unplugging from the violence of rivalry and exclusion that come so naturally, pursuing instead relationships and collaboration, including with people whose worldviews may differ from ours, for the shared joy of building healthy and welcoming communities.
Our Team
Meet Our Team
Mile High Ministries is both a non-profit organization and a spiritual community. This holds true of our staff, board, and program participants as we share work and life together.
We began in 1988 as a small group of mostly suburban churches who detected within the pages of scripture a heart for the poor. Over the decades we’ve become urban people, deeply connected to neighborhoods in the heart of our city. As a diverse community based on the life and teachings of Jesus, we actively encourage one another in lifestyles of generosity, peace, and self-emptying love. We pursue a prayerful, contemplative path that helps us pay attention to the great variety of ways the Spirit is at work in our world.
OUR STORY
Mile High Ministries was formed in 1988 as a collaborative effort between a group of churches working across denominational and cultural lines. In our early days were particularly inspired and encouraged by the vision of Pastor Frank Tillapaugh, who challenged us to focus outside the walls of our churches and engage our city—particularly the beauty and struggles of the urban poor.
From its earliest days, Mile High Ministries functioned as a kind of “incubator” for a variety of social ventures, which in many cases have spun-off to operate independently. Examples of such projects include:
After 14 years of focusing our work in Capitol Hill, we expanded to neighborhoods across the city of Denver—in partnership with churches, faith-based organizations, and other community organizations.
- In 1999, we established a leadership development center in our apartment building on the east side of Denver.
- In 2001, we purchased the old “Motel 7” on Denver’s west side, which was renovated into Joshua Station—our transitional housing for homeless families.
- In 2015, we built an office and community space next to Joshua Station that now houses a legal aid center and serves as home base for a variety of innovative responses to urban poverty.
- In 2022 we are building Clara Brown Commons in northeast Denver’s Cole neighborhood—the fulfillment of 17 years of prayer and planning that reclaims a blighted urban block for affordable, supportive long-term housing.
While our focus is Denver, we’ve helping communities across the metro area see and connect with the growing numbers of poor and marginalized people within their own neighborhoods, while building connections between leaders throughout our urbanizing world.
While we’ve put great energy into learning and implementing effective approaches to poverty, we’ve continually been on a journey of shared spiritual life as people. Our primary influences have been the people we serve with and among. We’ve also been blessed by seasoned mentors and teachers from around the world.
