What We Don’t Understand About Homelessness
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As president and CEO of Atlanta Mission, a shelter for people experiencing homelessness in Atlanta, Tensley Almand has gained firsthand perspective on why people find themselves without shelter and what we can do to help them secure stable lives and careers. In an eye-opening conversation with Nate Dewberry, Tensley shares some of the personal journey that took him from church pastor to head of the Southeast’s largest homeless ministry, and explains concepts such as “relational poverty” and “intact-family homelessness” that should make all of us realize just how thin a line there is between lives of abundance and lives on the edge.
Show Notes
Segment chapters
0:00 Intro
1:34 “Like every good story, it involves a girl”: Tensley’s faith and family journey
9:37 Surviving the crucible of COVID as a church leader
15:44 The transition from Decatur City Church to Atlanta Mission
27:18 Atlanta Mission’s history and purpose
32:59 What people don’t realize about homelessness
42:38 How churchgoers and churches can make a bigger difference
47:00 Trends Tensley is seeing in the unhoused community
57:32 Closing thoughts on leadership and the obligations of love
Snippets/excerpts
3:10 to 4:47—A romantic connection on the first day of college results in Tensley finding his way to Christ
12:15 to 14:06—How the challenges of COVID helped turn Tensley into a more insightful pastor and a better leader
22:00 to 23:48—The thinking that helped Tensley find a willingness to step outside of his comfort zone and take the reins at a homeless ministry
25:05 to 27:04—“Thank you so much for getting me to stay”
33:25 to 35:20—The single biggest thing most people don’t realize about homelessness: the existential danger of living in “relational poverty”
36:17 to 38:10—“So many people look at somebody experiencing homelessness and they’re like, ‘That could never be me.’ . . . It could be us.”
47:33 to 49:27—The hidden plight of the working poor, and the rising numbers of homeless families
Discussion
3:02—Does Tensley’s recollection of his family not feeling like they “fit” in church resonate with you? Was there ever a time in your life when you felt like you weren’t growing spiritually because church just didn’t feel welcoming to you? How did this conflict resolve? Ephesians 2:19
13:23—Think back on your experiences during COVID. Did you feel like your life was collapsing? Did you lose any great opportunities or feel like your progress in certain areas had been brought to a halt? Are there any ways in which you’re still feeling the effects of that disruption today? Did anything good come from it? James 1:2–4
18:48—Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt like you’d failed, but after thinking through it more thoroughly, you realized you’d accomplished exactly what you’d set out to do? Why do you think you initially felt like a failure, and what prompted you to re-examine things? Proverbs 16:3
22:47—In general, do you feel that your actions match your beliefs and the things you say? Are there ways of deepening your faith that you talk about, but have yet to follow through on? What do you think is inhibiting you from doing so? James 1:22
23:41—It’s easy to care about people who look like you or share your beliefs, but how much time do you spend around people whose race, background, economic class, etc. are different from yours? What are some ways in which you could broaden your horizons or experiences? Philippians 2:3–4
32:43—Have you ever experienced homelessness in your life? What life upheaval or trauma caused you to find yourself without shelter? Who helped you find a place to stay and get your life back on track? Psalm 34:18
35:20—What’s your reaction to Tensley’s explanation of the concept of “relational poverty”? Did it make you realize there was a time in your life when you were experiencing that kind of poverty, or were at risk of experiencing it? Ecclesiastes 4:9–10
37:42—Have you ever looked at a homeless or extremely poor person and thought, “That could never happen to me”? Have Tensley’s words changed your perspective or worldview in any way? Proverbs 16:18
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