06/18/2026
We are keeping our friend Bob, his family, and his friends close to our minds and hearts during this time. We would describe him as a caretaker of both downtown and many of the most vulnerable. We are lucky for all he has poured back into our community ❤️
If you receive our newsletter, you may remember that this month we featured a piece on Bob Burnsworth where we spent time talking about his many years of dedication as our Meal Ministry Director. We wanted to take a moment to share that piece with everyone on here, too.
Since the piece was written, Bob has shared a few updates personally regarding his health. As he has shared, he has been in and out of the hospital and has been diagnosed with cancer that is pretty advanced. He's been doing treatments at home so that he is comfortable, but has been very weak. He continues to cling to his faith, and we ask that you please continue to keep Bob and his family in your prayers during this challenging time.
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A Moment to Stop and Reflect with Bob Burnsworth (featured in the June 2026 edition of New Life News)
"We are the first to admit that here at New Life Ministries, we often get so busy doing ministry and sharing the wins that we forget to stop and take a moment to express what is heavy on our hearts. But if we are being honest, things have been hard recently, and we need to pause and be vulnerable.
As many of you may have heard by now, our Meal Ministry Director Bob Burnsworth is in desperate need of prayer. Unexpectedly, he was diagnosed with cancer and has been in and out of the hospital since. Although he is still waiting on further information, a more specific diagnosis, and next steps, he and his family need prayer.
Bob has served as our Meal Ministry Director since 2014, and he will be the first to tell you he never expected that he would have served in this position for as long as he has. But no matter what, he has always been faithful to serving until God closes a door.
“When I commit, I commit,” Bob said. “And God kept me motivated to keep serving. I never felt overwhelmed. It is about glorifying the Kingdom and loving people. I would’ve stayed there (the Meal Ministry) until I retired or even longer if I felt healthy.”
Bob went on to say, “We all have trials and tribulations, and now God has me on a different path. This trial is to show, do I trust him? And I want to let people see His light through me during this situation.”
As Bob explained, God has him on a different path right now and, as a result, he has had to step away from his role at the Meal Ministry to focus on his health and spend time with his family. Yet, he continues to express his gratitude, saying, “Thank you to everyone for serving with me – no matter what you did. It (the Meal Ministry) isn’t Bob; it is a team of people and the church. God gave the plan, and we (New Life Ministries) ran with it.”
And with his gratitude, he expressed his desires for the future of the Ministries and the Meal Ministry, saying, “I hope the community keeps supporting the Ministries and the people coming in for meals. I don’t want people only donating because of me or not donating because I’m not there. I hope that they’re supporting because God wants it.”
This moment of reflection alongside Bob comes at a heavy time, but at New Life Ministries, we believe in the power of prayer. Therefore, we ask for prayer for Bob during this time. We pray for wisdom for himself and the doctors and healing if it is God’s will.
More specifically, when speaking with Bob, we asked if there were any ways we could pray for him. He wanted to ask that anyone reading this be prayed over for their salvation. He also asked for God’s hands to be on everything going on in his life right now. And finally, he requested prayer for the Ministries, and that New Life Ministries remain at the front of people’s minds at all times because people need help, they need Christ, and they need the chance to experience unconditional love.
Thank you, Bob, for being a significant member of our team for these last 14 years! Your hard work and dedication is an encouragement to all."
