About Alongside
Our History
The story of Alongside began at Tuscarora Resource Center (TRC) in Pennsylvania in the 1980s. Founder Reider Senum was curious: “When a person hurts, the person’s pastor ministers to them. But who ministers to the pastor when the pastor hurts?” TRC provided a place to rest and refresh God’s servants.
Dr. Jeanne Jensma joined TRC in 1996 as a counselor and clinical director. She was deeply passionate about ministering to missionaries. When TRC closed, she founded Alongside in 2000, determined to continue supporting Christian leaders. Two years later, Alongside relocated to Michigan and began leasing space from Gull Lake Ministries.
Years later, God provided Alongside with its own property—a beautiful, 125-acre wooded campus. Finally, in January 2013, Alongside moved into onto its new campus in Richland, Michigan.
Since then, over 2,500 participants have found hope and healing through our Renewal and Growth Retreat.
Our Mission
Alongside is a professional counseling ministry dedicated to helping missionaries, pastors, ministry leaders, and their families grow in personal wholeness, healthy relationships, and ministry effectiveness.
We offer counseling and care retreats so people in ministry can find the help and tools they need to live out their calling. Because spiritually and emotionally healthy Christian leaders disciple healthy Christ followers.
Our Commitment
When you come to an Alongside retreat, we commit to provide:
REST
Every part of our campus was designed with you in mind. We provide a place of rest, safety, and healing in a confidential community.
CARE
We will work together to identify the unique challenges you face in your life and ministry. Then we provide the counseling and support you need to better understand and care for your emotional and spiritual needs in your specific context.
CONNECTION
We equip you to flourish in your ministry and in your personal life. We provide practical guidance and helpful strategies to help you develop better communication and relational skills as you grow in your health, joy, and effectiveness.
Our Beliefs
- We believe the entire Bible is inspired by God, is infallible, and is the authoritative guide for faith and conduct.
- We believe in one God eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- We believe in God the Father as the Creator of the world and its Preserver.
- We believe in Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son. We believe He is the only way to salvation. We believe in His deity, virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, vicarious and atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His future personal return in power and glory.
- We believe in the Holy Spirit as a divine person who draws people to Christ, dwells within them, and enables them to live godly lives.
- We believe that all human beings are sinful and in need of salvation through Jesus Christ, the only way of salvation.
Flourishing in ministry is possible.
At Alongside, you’ll find the care and support you need to continue living out your calling with passion. You’ll be equipped to reconnect with the people who matter most. And instead of being stuck in survival mode, you’ll grow in your health, joy and effectiveness as you learn how to move forward with hope.