Hope Dealers in Fairfield
Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “A leader is a dealer in hope.” Napoleon is known as one of the greatest and most famous military leaders and rulers in the history of France. What I believe he is trying to convey is that through a time of war, chaos, hardship and uncertainty, leadership is absolutely vital to generate and distribute hope and motivation through the most difficult of circumstances. One of the words that is used often to encapsulate the atmosphere of Fairfield is “hopelessness.” We as a staff at Urban Hope Community Church often emphasize the importance of godly leadership and the role it plays in restoring a community like Fairfield. In God’s sovereignty, our church has been blessed with several opportunities to stand in the gap created by this leadership void and to develop a new generation of leaders through the Urban Hope Leadership Initiative (UHLI) and our youth outreach ministry.
My name is Noah Despinasse and I joined the staff of Urban Hope Community Church on January 1, 2022. I was brought on to serve as the director of the Urban Hope Leadership Initiative (UHLI) as well as our youth outreach. UHLI is a nine-month, post-grad residency program for African-American Christian men who will be equipped and developed in four key areas: discipleship, leadership development, their vocation and an in-depth experience on the front-lines of urban ministry. UHLI has been a part of Urban Hope’s ministry structure in Fairfield since 2015, but was put on pause in 2017 after losing access to equitable housing for the residents. But by God’s grace, there are men who came through the program in those first two years who are now key leaders in our church and community today. Based on these results, we are convinced that this program is a major part of God’s vision for our church and would be a key component in the distribution of the Gospel and the restoration of stability in Fairfield.
As of today, we are on track to host between 6-8 young men in the program starting in the fall of 2022. I am excited to share that we have already had 5 men accept their offer to participate in our program this fall and we will continue our application and interview process for our first cohort until the end of June. It has been so encouraging to see the Lord’s faithfulness in this process. Two things that we’ve heard from all of the applicants so far is their desire to be in a community of believers and their desire to grow in Christian leadership. We believe this program will allow these men an opportunity to transition well into adulthood and to give them a vision for their lives and for leading redemptive efforts in America’s urban communities. I invite you to pray along with us that the Lord will develop these men into leaders, who will give their lives away by sharing the hope of Christ with “the least of these.”
In addition to my role with UHLI, I am also stepping into a role in youth outreach. I am currently spending a majority of my time trying to build relationships with young men in our community. The Lord has allowed me the opportunity to engage with groups of students at both Fairfield High Preparatory School and Restoration Academy. Before starting my role at UHCC, I have been working to build relationships with both players and coaches over the last several years and I am really excited to share that I have recently been given an opportunity to serve as a character coach/chaplain for the Fairfield football team! The defensive coordinator has also expressed interest in starting a one-on-one bible study once spring practice wraps up. My prayer is that he would come to know Christ and would become a co-laborer with me to make an impact in the lives of these local football players.
As I continue to have conversations with these young people, one of the things that is obvious is the lack of hope that weighs on so many of them. The students whom I engage at Fairfield High School regularly express a strong dislike for the school and for the community of Fairfield. I would imagine a lot of them want to eventually leave Fairfield and would never imagine coming back. However, we are praying that through UHLI and our local youth outreach that the Lord would raise up a group of men who will to go into Fairfield and communities like it to effectively communicate the hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ. We know and will continue to proclaim that God is able to change hearts and circumstances through the power of the Gospel. And maybe one day Fairfield will no longer be known as a community ravaged with violence and drug dealers, but will be known for being a city full of “hope dealers.”
If you would like to support or continue supporting our efforts here in Fairfield through our Youth Ministry, Urban Hope Leadership Initiative or other ways, please click the button below for instructions on how to give. As always, we are beyond grateful to participate in the work of the Kingdom here in Fairfield alongside of you.
