“How you are on the job speaks volumes about your faith.”

Saginaw, Michigan and Peoria, Illinois aren’t that far from each other, but it took the experience of working side by side in a pediatric unit in a Chicago hospital to bring these two nurses together.

Tom McNally now consults on clinical health information systems for an international consulting company. His job takes him traveling across the country every week. His wife, Rhonda, works for Boulder County Public Health doing home visits for at-risk families who have infants.

Tom committed his life to the Lord in high school at a Billy Graham movie. Rhonda was baptized at age 9, took advantage of the Young Life program at her church and refreshed her faith as an adult.

“College was the most formative time for my faith,” reflects Tom. At Wheaton College I was introduced to urban ministries.” After graduation, Tom moved into a community house in Uptown Chicago with other friends from college.

“Rhonda & I were involved in a storefront church in Uptown Chicago. Seven different language groups worshipped at our church, including Asian refugees (Cambodians, Vietnamese, Hmong from Laos), African refugees and others. Once each month we would have a combined communion service and each national group would have a public part. It was inspirational. (And the potlucks afterward were delicious!)”

They spent the past twenty-two years in Pittsburgh where they raised their two children, Brianne and Kevin, and were very active in their church in Pittsburgh. “We tried to weave faith and work. Service vocations lend themselves to blend both. How you are on the job speaks volumes about your faith.”

What is Growing Home’s Ministry and how did you get involved?
“Families with children who find themselves homeless can work with the Growing Homes program to find housing. During that time they are sheltered in churches one week at a time for up to six weeks. We got involved when Growing Homes sent a representative to Discovery seeking a support church. They were looking for a coordinator. With Steve’s encouragement we decided to do it. We are reaching out, sharing God’s love in a concrete way to people who need support. We could be those people any day.”

What does a person have to do to be involved with Discovery's Growing Homes participation?
“They need to be interested in providing a meal, food or supplies that are used at the church. Or they can be overnight hosts at the church. We do this 12 nights a year.”

Stop by the Growing Homes display in the lobby.