ROP Youth Ministries
“So he got up and went to his father, but while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” – Luke 15:20
We drew our old name “Prodigal Gatherings” from the biblical story of the Prodigal Son. Like the son to his father, we beckon kids and ourselves to come ‘home’.
Now as ROP Youth Ministries, we still base our outreach on creating a sense of family and home for so many of our youth that have not known what consistency and acceptance feel like.
Expecting only a few teens in 1995, they came in droves. This is our story…
Who We Are:
Mission Statement: 
ROP Youth Ministries provides a consistent, Christ-centered, safe place for children and teens living along East Colfax.
Philosophy of Ministry:
Volunteers and staff live out the gospel of Jesus Christ by having a ministry of presence and by developing redemptive friendships with our youth and our community. We help to meet the youth’s holistic needs by introducing them to other ROP ministry partners and other ministry network opportunities throughout the Denver Metro Area.
History:
In July 2010, Prodigal Gatherings changed its name to ROP Youth Ministries, primarily to reduce confusion and to help newcomers understand that Prodigal Gatherings and Heart to Hand Resource Center – now ROP Resources Ministries – all work together as a unified whole under the umbrella of Restoration Outreach Programs. Before the name change, ROP Youth Ministries operated for more than 15 years as Prodigal Coffee House and then Prodigal Gatherings. The following is a brief history.
One night over coffee, Beaker shared his story of being dumped off downtown when he was fourteen and mockingly wished “good luck.” Realizing he had been sitting with his back to the street, he said “Prodigal’s strange, like I’m safe here and I belong”. We clanked our coffee mugs and toasted Beaker’s future.
About a month later, he left his abandoned building and reunited with his family. Often he would come back, say hi and slip us a little money.
Certainly, every kid doesn’t leave the streets so swiftly or successfully. Beaker reminds us that giving kids a place to belong can set in motion events that will change their lives.
Before long at Prodigal, it became clear that many of the kids were moving east along Colfax, fittingly called ‘crack’ alley, inevitably teaching us about the fastest growing aspect of homelessness, homeless families.
To serve a greater need and after hearing about Denay, an eighteen-year-old girl who was murdered and tossed in a dumpster, we were heartbroken and expanded our ministry to children and teens living in and around the many small, run-down motels on east Colfax.
Our Coffee House provides a haven for teens like Denay. Our Club House gives children a few hours of innocence, where burdens are left at the door. Every week, Prodigal gives kids what Beaker found – a place to rest and a place to be known.
As a result of building relationships, we connect kids to organizations for their holistic needs. But first, we must offer hope that they are loved.
They have found their safe place…
