BETTERING THE LIVES OF YOUTH AND FAMILIES

Featuring Aaron Brown

Youth Shelter Director, The Matthews House

October 2023

Aaron Brown, currently serving as Youth Shelter Director, has been serving with The Matthews House since 2020. The Matthews House serves Northern Colorado by building trusted relationships with youth and families in order to disrupt cycles of poverty and abuse. This work is accomplished through people like Aaron Brown, who serves at The Matthews House. Together, The Matthews House team provides resources, builds relationships, and helps the individuals they serve to take control of their lives in order to shape positive futures for themselves. 

Prior to this role, he served as a Supervisor Juvenile Hall Counselor. In this position, he worked with a Transitional Age Youth pilot program that helps with the diversion of young adult felons between the ages of 18-21. Through this work, he had the opportunity to serve this population by developing and supervising the Camp Condor Program in Juvenile Hall which was a program designed to take youth on probation and then provide educational help and job training skills. 

 In each capacity, his heart for serving vulnerable youth and young adults facing difficulties such as housing insecurity is felt by those he serves. 

He has also been a presenter on issues relating to at-risk youth related to his work and various roles. In 2018, he was part of a team that spoke at the National-At-Risk Youth Convention, highlighting the work the team had completed to help youth gain employment which resulted in over $250,000 in economic growth for this community. 

Aaron's work has been dedicated to helping youth and young people build better lives for themselves, and for their families. His work has a direct impact on various issues of justice that are not only in Colorado but throughout the globe. G.L.O.B.A.L. is grateful for the work of Aaron and The Matthews House. We are pleased to continue to support their work and also engage in the work of justice together. 

CONNECTING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH CHURCH AND JUSTICE

Featuring Elyse Aguirre 

Pastor of Connections and Formation at LifeSpring Church, Loveland Colorado

October 2023

Pastor Elyse Aguire serves the Loveland Community at LifeSpring Church as part of a pastoral team with the mission of growing deeper with Jesus for the sake of others. Her heart for service within the church and throughout her community is an inspiration. 

As Pastor of Connections and Formation at LifeSpring Church, she helps people relationally belong at LIfespring but more importantly, grow in their experience of God’s love for them as well as His word. As part of the Pastoral team at LifeSpring, she is part of a dynamic and dedicated group of individuals dedicated to their church and the broader community. 

Prior to serving as Pastor of Connections and Formation, she attended Capernwray Bible School in England. She went on to attend the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago where she received a  Bachelor of Arts in Pastoral Studies, emphasizing Women’s Ministry. She then returned to Colorado and graduated with her M.A. in Christian Formation and Soul Care from Denver Seminary in 2016. 

Elyse is a Loveland native and also considers herself a LifeSpring Native. In her role as Pastor,  Elyse is also an advocate for justice within the church and throughout her Colorado Community. She has spoken on issues such as racial justice within the Church and has engaged her community on justice concerns.  She truly is an advocate for the people she serves within the church and within her community.