Stephan has lived in East Chattanooga neighborhoods for most of his life. He moved around from house to house, working odd jobs when he could find them, but never holding onto anything stable or lasting.

He had tried enrolling in a GED program to earn a high school diploma, but the inconsistent class schedule was mirrored in his attendance. Stephan desperately wanted a life change, but simply didn’t know how to go about it.

Ready for a Change

Tired of the unpredictability of day-to-day living, Stephan discovered Hope for the Inner City’s Jobs for Life program from a friend.

“I thought it sounded like a good idea,” he said of the seven-week program that mimicked the 9-to-5 daily schedule of a typical workday.

Stephan entered the program knowing that it would be a huge time commitment, even bigger than his GED class in the past. But he was determined to finish, and he showed real initiative throughout the course, recalls Bill Holland, Hope for the Inner City's director of economic development.

New Spiritual Life

Jobs for Life is more than resume skills or job placement, Holland explains. It is a seven-week discipleship course like most of its participants have never experienced.

And so it is that during the course Stephan found something much greater than job-readiness skills – he met Jesus Christ for the first time and gave his life over to Him. Throughout the program Stephan heard, both explicitly and implicitly, about the saving love and grace that are found in the Lord, and decided that he was ready for more than just physical life change.

On the Right Path

Stephan now works full-time at Walmart. By showing up on time for his shifts, he says he is determined to demonstrate how hard of a worker he can be—a testament to the character growth he experienced in Jobs for Life.

“It's nice to have money,” Stephan said about his job. The simplicity of knowing that a paycheck is coming, and that one needs not wonder how to make it through the next week can provide a strong foundation for lifestyle change, for those living in Chattanooga’s urban communities.

The Lord provided Stephan with just the opportunity that he had desired for so long: greater stability, clearer direction, and renewed purpose in Christ. Stephan says he is very grateful, that he intends to work as faithfully as God empowers him to.