Our Mission
Our Mission is to show mercy, build community, and make disciples for Christ in urban Denver.
Open Door Ministries exists to provide practical help and hope to people in urban Denver who are homeless or low income. Our primary objective is to move people toward self-sufficiency by helping change the circumstances and life patterns that have held them captive to poverty and addictions. Through four focus areas, we provide tangible needs like food, shelter, access to education and employment training, as well as intangible needs such as friendship, hope, and Christian spiritual guidance. Since the issues faced by our friends tend to have many layers, Open Door has learned that the best way to help them succeed is to surround them with support, holistically empowering them to overcome obstacles, attain self-sufficiency, and thrive.
ODM’s Desired Outcomes:
1) Stable Housing
2) Sustainable Employment
3) Completed Education
4) Vibrant Spirituality
5) Renewed Relationships
6) Healthy Behavior
7) Developed Leadership
ODM’s Core Values:
1) Christ Centered
2) Life on Life Discipleship
3) Community Driven
4) Undisputed Worth
5) Holistic Restoration
6) Leadership Development
7) Urban Denver
Our History
Open Door Ministries has grown over the years as an extension of Open Door Fellowship Church. Open Door Fellowship was started in 1984 for the express purpose of reaching the low-income populations in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. The church has always had a desire to help people with basic needs such as housing, food, clothing, education, job opportunities, etc.
With these goals, it wasn’t long before individuals in the church were starting programs to assist people in these ways. In the early 90’s, a ministry to at-risk youth developed, focusing on tutoring and mentoring. Around this time, TRYAD began as a ministry to the disabled.
In 1996, the Treasure House, a home for single moms, and Teen House, a home for girls living on the streets, began. In 1997, we began serving a weekly meal for the neighborhood. With all of these programs starting in a grass roots fashion, the church realized it needed a structure to manage them, so in May of 1997 Open Door Ministries was created. A board was constituted in December of 1997 and the new organization received its 501c3 in 1999.
Open Door Fellowship went on to plant Westside Church Internacional in January of 2018 and Open Door Ministries is now expanding programing over to Denver's Westside.
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Board of Directors
Michelle Cazas
Michelle is a pastor at Westside Church Internacional.
Sarah Dodrill
Sarah works as an Agent in the family business, Dodrill Insurance. She has been connected with Open Door her whole life through her family's involvement.
Michael Fen
Michael has been in pastoral ministry since 1989 and currently serves as the Lead Pastor of ChristLife Community Church.
Karla Ferrin
Karla is a retired teacher from Jefferson County Schools.
Mike Harrison
Mike is retired from a 27-year career with Johns Manville Corporation and heads up the missions committee at Bethany Evangelical Free Church.
Stephanie Hendrickson
Stephanie is the Vice President of Operations Innovation at DaVita Kidney Care in Denver and attends Waterstone Community Church.
Roc LaCrosby
Roc works in construction.
Dan MacLeay
Dan is a principle at Muletown Funding, Inc, a private money real estate financing company. Dan has served for 10 years on the board of directors. He lives in Aurora, CO and is a member at Colorado Community Church.
Don McHodgkins
Don is an Application Architect with Hewlett Packard.
Janet Moore
Janet is a mother, grandmother and former golf coach of Wheaton College and Arapahoe High School. She attends Greenwood Community Church and has supported ODM for over a decade.
Jeremy Moseley
Jeremy is a partner at Denver-based law firm Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell, practicing in the areas of insurance coverage and business litigation.
Ernest Mosman
Ernest is an Audio Video Technician at Entertainment Venues and has been a long-term community member of Open Door Ministries.
Hugo Otaola
Hugo is a retired pastor and church planter, attends Westside Church Internacional, and has been involved with ODM since 2019.
Dave Palmer
Dave currently serves as Executive Pastor of Ministries at Crossroads Community Church in Parker.
Matthew Reed
Matthew currently serves as Administrative Pastor at Open Door Fellowship Church.
Cassi Roberts
Cassie works as a Learning Systems Coordinator at a manufacturing facility with a focus on emotional intelligence training.
Kim Sierra
Kim is the Business Director for Open Door Ministries and has been on staff since our inception in 1997.
David Warren
David is the Executive Director of Open Door Ministries and has been on staff since our inception in 1997.
Mike Wearsch
Mike works in Telecom sales at Harmonic, Inc., attends OneLife church in Aurora, and has been connected with Open Door for 13 years.