The ministry began in the Spring of 2021 with a gift from a church member of a two-bedroom home on the north side of Pekin, now known as Charis Place. In the fall of 2021, the church purchased two adjacent lots next door, now known as Providence Place at 1307 S. 5th Street.

Tenants are selected through an interview process to determine who the church is best equipped to walk alongside. The ROCHouse team and the prospective tenant together write a covenant of care that outlines goals for the term of occupancy and what both parties covenant to do in order to achieve those goals. The covenant becomes part of the lease agreement. The ministry is intended to be short-term housing but the length of the agreement is considered according to the specific needs of each tenant.

As the church has served two families over the last three years through the ROCHouse ministry, we have become aware of the huge need in Pekin for safe, affordable housing. The church has witnessed the success of walking alongside people and how offering the grace of God makes a difference in peoples’ ability to move forward and have a brighter future for themselves and their families. Expanding the ROCHouse ministry by building a duplex at Providence Place will allow the church to serve more families at the same time.