Faith on Display: Rose Marie Scott-Slater—February 2018
February 15, 2018
James chapter 2 reminds us that faith without works is dead. Works supplement our faith by putting on display the inward work of God in our lives. Rose Marie Scott-Slater (‘01, ‘03) has spent many years serving in the Community Action Program, most recently with IMPACT Community Action Partnership in Des Moines, Iowa. Community Actions Agencies, such as IMPACT, focus on assisting low-income families and individuals to better use resources to equip them for economic self-sufficiency.
Rose Marie graduated from Faith with a concentration in counseling, followed by a M.A. in Biblical Studies from Faith’s seminary. She came to Faith with a desire to help people, although specifically in what context was still unclear to her. After taking Introduction to Psychology, she knew pursuing counseling further was what God was leading her to do. God taught Rose Marie much about forgiveness while in college, as well as how forgiveness related to her counseling ministries.
Upon graduating and leaving Faith, Rose Marie received certification in Family Development, and she eventually began working as an in-home caseworker with a Community Action Agency in Ames, Iowa. This led her to begin working at IMPACT several years later. When she was later offered the family service director position at IMPACT, she did not feel that she could be successful in that type of responsibility. God reminded her that it is through His strength that she can serve effectively.
“The Lord reminded me it was not about what I could do, but what He could do through me,” Rose Marie explained. “The Lord has provided strength and wisdom that I know I did not have on my own. In the time I spent in that position, we increased over all services to our communities by around 78%. It really is a testament to what God can do through us when we let Him.”
Because of federal restrictions in her field of work, open proclamation of the gospel was not allowed, but as Rose Marie testified, “There are times one just cannot hide Christ, and He is evident in our very actions!” God presented countless opportunities to Rose Marie to share her faith openly to those she served. She added, “I am humbled to be used by Him for this type of service to others.”
Rose Marie was recently married to Kevin Slater last October, and they are actively serving in their local church in Ankeny, Iowa. She has since resigned from IMPACT, and she is pursuing further service opportunities in her local area.