In 2003 I was awarded a sabbatical grant by the Louisville Institute allowing me to gather stories of how people experienced the presence of God in the midst of terrible suffering. This project, "Finding God in the Excrement," led me to many different people, including those who were living on the streets of Philadelphia. The project ended; but a call to be with those experiencing homelessness continued to grow. In 2006, the ache to address the situation of homelessness led me to leave my "housed" congregation of fourteen years and begin a drop-in known as "The Welcome Center" in a Center City Church. Now in its fourth year, "The Welcome Center" is its own sustainable non-profit extending hospitality to folks nearly 6,000 times a year. A worshipping community, "The Welcome Church" emerged from this non-profit. In 2009 I was called by my synod to serve as Pastor of this "church without walls" offering street services and pastoral care to those who are homeless. It is my desire to research on a national level different models of the church's response to homelessness and to explore what is needed for our Christian communities to respond more fully to the mandate of offering hospitality to the stranger.