Q&A with Mike Cross, Executive Director of Free On The Outside

Mike Cross grew up in Mountlake Terrace, WA, a small town just north of Seattle. He was one of four children, whose upbringing was very dysfunctional with 7 marriages between his two parents. Mike received Jesus as his savior during high school but struggled with drugs and alcohol until his first year in college.

During the spring of his freshman year, Mike fully surrendered his life to Christ, which started a fire in his heart for ministry.

He went on to study Intellectual & Religious History at the University of Washington where he was also an avid wrestler. After college, Mike was hired as a youth and associate pastor. After 10 years in ministry and 9 months after his oldest daughter passed away from leukemia, Mike was forced to resign because of sexual addiction issues.

With deep repentance, shame, and guilt, he believed God could never use him for good again and that he was disqualified from serving the Lord.

Seven years later he lost his family through divorce. His life spiraled into drug addiction which eventually led to him being homeless.

After years of pain and hopelessness, God led Mike back home to sobriety and a restored relationship with Him.

Kenny Ricketts, 57, served 36 years in prison for killing two men who were raping his mother. He credits his mentors at Free on the Outside church for giving him a second chance at life and making it his mission to counsel other offenders. He is shown at Free on the Outside Church in Oregon City, Ore.

He celebrated February 8, 2005, as his clean date and began having recovery meetings, which later became an official Celebrate Recovery in Oregon City. In 2007 he started a church, safe for all people coming out of prison regardless of their background. Soon after, God called him to open a recovery house for men. This was the beginning of Free on the Outside which was officially founded as a non-profit in 2008. For almost a decade, Free on the Outside had one recovery home.

In 2018 Mike successfully completed the Nehemiah Project Biblical Entrepreneurship Course and won first place at the United States competition. Representing the United States, he went on to win third place in the International Business Plan competition.

Using Mike’s knowledge and experience, over the next five years, Free on the Outside expanded its church, as well as Celebrate Recovery.

They now oversee a large housing program of 23 homes in the Portland metropolitan area, and their other areas of recovery support include a Monday night men’s meeting, women’s ministry, and Step Studies.

Pastor Mike Cross (left) prays with recently released sex offender Howard Collins during a worship service at Free on the Outside in Oregon City, Ore. The church participates in Home for Good, a faith-based program designed to aid ex-offenders transitioning from a life inside prison to one outside.

Mike serves as Free on the Outside’s Executive Director and Pastor, with his wife Caryn

working alongside him. In his free time, he enjoys collecting antique marbles and spending time with his family.

Transitional homelessness is “a state of homelessness resulting from a major life change (ex. job loss or divorce) or catastrophic event,” resulting in someone being unhoused for less than a year.

Episodic homelessness has on-and-off periods, whether throughout their life or three times or more within one year.

Chronic homelessness is being unhoused for more than one year, or frequent episodes of homelessness over the past few years.

Every night in Oregon, nearly 18,000 people experience homelessness. More than one-third (6,447+) are classified as ‘chronically’ homeless. The rate of chronic homelessness has nearly doubled since 2015. Reentry from incarceration is a challenge, with a myriad of barriers for someone wanting a fresh start. When released and seeking employment or housing, chances are slim-to-none someone reentering will find a livable wage job or new home waiting for them with open arms.

Interrupting homelessness to avoid an episodic or chronic homeless situation is just one reason why Free on the Outside’s services are incredibly needed.

17.4% of Oregon inmates are over the age of 55. And to be older and expected to start anew is a daunting reality. How might you approach care for these clients? What are some first steps to help those who have spent a significant amount of time removed from the trends and technology available in today’s world?

People need support and accountability. People need community, a place where they feel accepted and good to be who they are. We want our housing to be that place where they can have hope and start rebuilding their lives.

Nearly 6% of Oregon’s 12,200 inmates are veterans. Free on the Outside desires to open a reentry and sober-living home for veterans transitioning from incarceration, addiction, and homelessness. What are some needs you identified, specific to the veteran population you are looking to provide help for?

We have veterans in our sober living re-entry homes. Many of them come to meetings wearing their veterans’ hats and other veterans’ gear. Their identity as a veteran is sometimes the only thing they see as a positive in their past and an important need to be recognized by the community.

We would love to support meeting that need and create a home where they can thrive as veterans.

Leading 23 reentry homes, a thriving recovery community, a church, and shepherding an outreach ‘where all can find acceptance and grace,’ Free on the Outside touches into thousands of lives and hearts. With demands for housing and homeless needs only increasing, is it possible you can continue to scale and feed ongoing demands for more assistance in your community? If so, how? How can people best support Free on the Outside?

Free on the Outside continues to grow as we are in the process of opening our 24th home. The needs are huge and the opportunity to help people has created a ministry that the doors are literally wide open to change people’s lives.

We need the support and partnership of the community, especially the faith community, to help people get into housing.

How You Can Make a Big Difference

Two Ways to Donate

Donate to Arukah

When you click on the badge to the left, you’ll discover a donation page for Free On The Outside. It provides several ways to support various aspects of their organization.

Donate to Serving USA

1.  Click on the badge to the left of this text.

2. Use the “Select a campaign” dropdown menu to choose “Prisoners”, which means your donation goes to the overall cause. Free On The Outside is one of several organizations that may benefit from your donation.

3. Enter your donation amount and frequency of giving.

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