 All of the groups visiting Good Works will stay in the Hannah House. It is the location of our recovery program for single men and women called Life in Transition. Several internships also function out of this house: Appalachian Immersion, a full-time 9-12 month internship; The Hannah House Internship, a part-time internship; and the Summer Internship, an intensive ministry experience with the visiting groups June –August. It is in this house that a Christian community lives, sharing their lives with one another. The residents, interns, and house managers form this Christian community who live in bedrooms on the second floor. We also host guests in the house who stay with us from time to time.
Life in Transition – the Residents
Those who participate in Life in Transition come from various backgrounds and challenges, (occasionally incarceration) but they have demonstrated to Good Works' staff that they are willing to abide by our guidelines and make serious changes in their lives. They do this through a comprehensive application process that is designed to identify those areas in which they are in need of help. A vital part of your experience here will be living with these folks, our residents. If any connected with your group have any questions, please feel free to contact us about this. Although there may or may not be any residents in the facility when you come, please prepare your group. They may be interacting with individuals who are in the difficult process of personal and spiritual change. This includes not only people in the Hannah House, but also the people they will come into contact with at the Timothy House as well as during the Friday Night Supper, which you may be participating in. Some of the guidelines we ask you to follow are established on the basis of the struggles these individuals are facing. While it is not our desire to restrict your personal freedoms, we also do not want to put stumbling blocks before our residents.
The House Managers
The house managers live in the top front apartment of the Hannah House. Their primary responsibility is the formation of the Christian community that lives in the house. They are available throughout the day to help you or answer any questions. The well being of everyone in the house is their responsibility, so please contact them, day or night, if you have a need or concern. There are always unexpected issues and problems, and our house managers are there to help you.
The Interns
The Hannah House is also the home of our interns, believers who volunteer to live with and mentor the residents living in the house and supervise your group on the projects. One of the responsibilities that the interns have is to “Host” for the evening. Each evening one of the interns will be responsible to oversee what goes on in the house from around 4:00 until 11:00. Though there are specific tasks they will need to accomplish, these are few and their primary focus is to be available for you. From time to time throughout the summer, the interns could have a schedule of 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. They have joyfully accepted this challenge. Please be mindful of this when it comes to lights out. We want to make sure they get the rest they need. It is not unusual for the interns to quietly spend some down time together after 11:00. This is part of their own community building.
The Visiting Worship Team – Your Group
You are a community joining another community for a week. We welcome your group and the life your presence brings to this house. Together the Hannah House and your Worship Team will form a unique expression of the Body of Christ.
Your group will be staying in air-conditioned dorm rooms with bunks able to accommodate 15 males and 15 females. Although there are mattresses on the bunks, no bed linens or pillows will be provided. Please bring linens or sleeping bags with you for your stay. There is a bathroom located adjacent to these dorm rooms with two sinks, two toilets and two showers for your use while you are staying with us. We do ask that you take most of your showers in the evening (due to limited hot water supply) after a long day's work. Showers can be taken at other times during the day, but please use the water sparingly and limit showers to 5 minutes.
We ask you to remember that for the Hannah House community, this is their only home. Please be open to residents and interns working and eating with you. Please tell the members of your group not go onto the second floor unless they have been given a specific task there. All members of our Worship Teams should be in the house by 10:00 p.m. and lights out/quiet is at 11:00 p.m. This is to ensure a sound night's rest for all in the house. The members of your group should be getting ready for bed by 10:45. Please be proactive in moving the members of your group toward bed, as this often becomes a stressful time for the intern who is Hosting. If you think your group would benefit from staying up later, please discuss this with the intern ahead of time and other arrangements can be made.
A Word on Appropriate Dress
Your group will most likely be doing labor-intensive projects of some kind during the heat of the summer. We ask that you dress for safety and modesty. We have a limited supply of work gloves (for those who forget), so everyone should bring at least one pair. (We ask that each person consider bringing two pairs of gloves, leaving one pair as a donation to Good Works.) Sandals are not appropriate for the projects you will be working on. Appropriate dress includes t-shirts and knee-length shorts that might be stained or ruined for regular wear. Jeans and sweatshirts are best for colder weather. Please note that tank tops and short shorts are inappropriate for both men and women. Modest sleeping attire is a good idea since members will be sharing a large room (men and women will be in separate rooms) and the bathroom is a short walk from either room. Leaders should prepare both youth and adults to dress wisely and modestly.
The Process of Leadership Development
In order to make things work together well, we encourage you to assign responsibilities to the group members prior to your arrival.
The Meal Coordinator
This person is responsible for planning all the meals for your group. You should make this assignment at least one month prior to coming. Each day, different people should be assigned to help this person with preparation and clean up.
The Chore Coordinator
There are also daily chores that need to be done and someone should be placed in charge of chores. The coordinator can assign different people to the chores on different days. We also ask you to do a final clean up before you leave.
All of these tasks can be used as ways of developing leadership in the members of your group. Living together brings new challenges to each of us, but it is a great chance to grow in our relationships with each other.
Dear Worship Team Leaders
Although you may hand out any of the information you find on our web site, we specifically ask that you distribute the materials listed under Participant Information to each member of your team. These will help introduce the individuals in your group with the whole trip and guide them as they prepare themselves. Encourage them to visit our web site as an introduction to Good Works, asking them to begin forming questions for us to answer while they are here.
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