inExcelsis was officially founded in January 06, 2020.
Our Story
Finding the Purpose
In July 2019, Severin was privileged to attend the Wild Goose festival held in Hotsprings – NC, to represent and promote the Global Mission Fellow program.
He made new friends including Savanah, a brilliant and inspiring young lady from Toledo – OH representing “Fresh Expression”.
They discussed about many issues one being this time of uncertainty the United Methodist church is wrestling with since the last General Conference in 2018 with the risk of schism. Also they spent time brainstorming on how as young Christians, can they impact the world surrounding them and make a difference that improves people’s lives in their communities.
Back in St. Louis – MO, Severin shared with friends the burden of serving the less privileged people and most specifically those experiencing homelessness.
December 2019, a couple of days prior to Christmas, Severin was invited to volunteer to an outreach event downtown St. Louis. When asked about the experience, Severin said: “I found my purpose in life, I feel alive. This is what I am going to do for the rest of my life.”
The Call to Act
One day as Severin was headed to his lunch break, he saw a young gentleman underneath the South Kingshighway – McRee bridge reading. Severin invited him to have lunch together which the gentleman accepted the invitation after declining a couple of times. That gentleman’s name is Eric, from Dallas-TX, father to a beautiful daughter. Eric shared he was running away from his previous lifestyle that led him to the penitentiary facility, hoping to change and make the three-year old daughter he left behind, proud of the dad he wishes to become. Their exchange was enlightening and educative. When asked what would be the appropriate way to help him, Eric said: ” I do not want to be given any charity, my deepest desire and the thing I want the most is to contribute to society. I want to work! I just want the feeling of being useful to others, that luxury of being a productive member of the community.”
Voilà! Thus inExcelsis Theology of Mission was born!
Our Philosophy of Mission
“Treat every single person as the most important person you’ve ever met on earth.”
Relationship Building.
John 13:34. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”
Relationship is the foundation of a holistic transformation and we believe in its power to break through the layers and unveil the needs. Active Listening and intentional Caring are the ingredients.
Earning Trust.
When one is willing to voluntarily release some of the control on anything which may be a painful past experience, a not-so-pretty past lifestyle or a current battle, it is called TRUST and here is our formula.
(Listening + Caring)Consistency + Respect = TRUST
Once earned, Trust miraculously help pinpoint the problem and draft a pathway to solution.
With Dignity.
It is like the partnership between the driver and the navigator in a rally car. We are the navigator and our clients are the drivers. Our role is to meticulously share information with the driver to be well prepared in advance to negotiating the next obstacle on a route that might be totally unfamiliar to them, in the shortest possible time.
We make suggestions, encourage their efforts, counsel when needed as true friends, find and connect with resources.
Strengthen With Prayer.
It is the most critical phase that will determine the failure or the success of the process. We keep all our fiends very close to our hearts and in our prayers. We regularly check on them through phone calls, emails, text messages or in-person hangouts. The most effective way by far, to follow up with our former clients is integration to the team. They become an inspiration not only to others initiating the process, but to the inExcelsis team and volunteers as well.
We are thankful to our PARTNERS.
