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Matthew and Lindsey Wamsley stood outside on a cold and rainy January day, watching helplessly as firemen fought to contain an electrical fire that ravaged the apartment complex where they lived.
“Lucky for us, we had renters’ insurance,” Lindsey said, noting the couple lost none of their possessions, but had to live in a hotel for three months. “Time seemed to stand still when we were living in the hotel because we had no idea when we would be able to move back home,” she recalled.
Just after the fire, the couple found themselves “staring in disbelief, outside, chatting with neighbors instead of actually packing our bags and preparing to evacuate,” Lindsey said. “Personally, I think this reflects the way God designed us to naturally reach out to others and want to lean on each other for comfort and support.”
The Wamsleys had been married only two months when the fire struck. Lindsey credits the blaze as another confirmation of the calling she and Matthew have to minister to their neighbors and for developing a sense of community. This led the couple in May 2009 to join an organization called Apartment Life and become a CARES Team couple.
Founded in 2000, Apartment Life is “a faith-based nonprofit organization passionate about helping apartment owners create authentic community to attract and retain residents,” the group’s website states. “While physical features and services are important, it is relationships and community that really anchor residents for the long-term.”
The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention has recently begun working with Apartment Life and the CARES Teams. Millions in Texas live in multi-housing complexes.
Apartment Life now serves hundreds of apartment communities across the United States with its CARES program. One reason for its rapid success is the ministry’s ability to attract and retain residents?outcomes apartment owners desire. This has made Apartment Life an industry leader in resident retention programs.
Another reason for CARES’ success is that it places people like the Wamsleys in apartment complexes, where they live rent free while employing relational strategies through activities and other means to help residents develop community.
THE NEED FOR COMMUNITY
According to the National Apartment Association and the National Multi-Housing Council, the number one amenity residents want is a sense of community.
For example, Matt told of one neighboring couple who had a baby shortly after the Wamsleys began the CARES program where they live. The couples became friends, have double-dated, cooked and shared meals, and even given care during sickness.
“The two of them and their child now come every Sunday to our church, and to almost every CARES event,” Matt said.
Matt is youth pastor of Fellowship of the Parks’ Grapevine campus. Lindsey is also well qualified for family ministry with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of North Texas while pursuing a master of arts in counseling at Dallas Baptist University. When her studies and certification are complete, she will be a licensed professional counselor certified in marriage and family therapy.
Highlighting the ease with which women relate through conversation, not all residents are so easily engaged, Lindsey said.
“I think the single male demographic is the most difficult population segment for us to reach,” Matt added. “Just getting most of them to come to an event can be a challenging prospect.”
Matt overcomes this obstacle by offering events geared toward men, like watching football games, or playing poker (sans money), or having a barbeque or chili cook-off.
“We make sure they know that their family and friends are welcome too,” Matt said. “I don’t treat them any differently than I would my best friend. And occasionally, I can relate our conversations to something I heard in church or something faith based.”
Reflecting on the apartment fire’s aftermath, Lindsey said, “When Matt and I spoke to others, we realized that this is where the need is?through the tragedies and events of everyday life. Everyone has a story or a hurt they want to share. It’s just a matter of when and where.”
For more information on the CARES program, e-mail Chad Vandiver in the SBTC office (cvandiver@sbtexas.com) or visit the CARES website, caresteam.org.
