July 2021 Three Mississippi Musketeers! - OUR MISSION To offer life changing hope through the Gospel of Jesus Christ to homeless men, women, and ...
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
July 2021 Three Mississippi Musketeers! OUR MISSION To offer life changing hope through the Gospel of Jesus Christ to homeless men, women, and children through programs to deliver food, shelter, counseling and discipleship
From the “Some wish to live within the
sound of church or chapel bell.
DIRECTOR I wish to run a rescue shop
within a yard of hell.”
—C.T. Studd REX BAKER
Robert and Mike are two of my best friends in rescue Ministries like ours are in the crosshairs of legal
ministry. We all hail from Mississippi. However, while I challenges in different parts of the country. We are
stayed home, Robert and Mike branched out to other monitoring certain lawsuits in other states, with no
states. Both are “never meet a stranger” types who guarantees as to how they will resolve. In the face of
greet you with hugs and smiles and the love of Jesus. all this, rescue missions are called to minister to the
Robert Loggins lives in St. Louis and serves basically broken, the hungry, and the marginalized people in
as the chaplain/pastor for Citygate Network. His calling society. This call doesn’t go away just because the
is to pastor and encourage rescue mission directors political and cultural winds are changing.
across North America. As an African America pastor, At our conference, we were presented with some
God is using Robert mightily to speak healing to our surprising polling numbers. In short, the number of
nation and bridge racial divides among Christians Americans claiming to attend church regularly has held
during these challenging days. steady since the early 1970s. Also, the number of people
Mike Myers founded Beautiful Feet ministries in Fort on anti-religious extremes has held steady. What has
Worth, Texas and works on the front lines of rescue changed? The big group in the middle.
ministry, much like what we do at Gateway Rescue Time was when even those who didn’t attend church
Mission. Mike’s team feeds the homeless and offers still held to a Judeo-Christian worldview. That has
a rehabilitation program for folks seeking lasting life changed, so that now those in the middle are increasingly
change. hostile toward Christianity and see us as a threat. As
I linked up with these friends recently at the CEO culture shifts, it’s only a matter of time until legal rulings
Summit sponsored by Citygate Network. At the and new laws threaten our traditional ability to serve
CEO Summit, rescue mission leaders get together God as we feel led.
for briefi ngs on the status of rescue ministry across At our conference, I sat one night and poured out my
our nation. (Citygate Network used to be called the heart to Robert Loggins, our Mississippi born and raised
Association of Gospel Rescue Missions, of which Citygate Pastor/chaplain. Robert looked at me, and in a
Gateway is a member.) voice fi lled with wisdom, discernment and experience
Here’s what I’m hearing from other leaders in rescue said “Rex, we can never beat the legal system. But the
ministry. Homelessness is on the rise across the country. legal system can never beat God.”
More people are living on the streets than in the past. Long after I’ve forgotten the specifics of the
Many suffer from addiction and/or mental illness. presentations at the conference, I will remember
Simultaneously, most small to medium sized missions Robert’s words. May you remember them too. In Christ,
have modified their services to combat the spread of we need not fear the future. God has called us to be salt
Covid-19. All this holds true here in Jackson. and light to a dark world. He never promised us it would
Concern about the potential erosion of religious be easy.
liberty pervades the ranks of rescue leadership. Rescue At Gateway Rescue Mission, we will do what rescue
missions are often on the front lines of the cultural and missions are doing across our nation. We will prayerfully
legal battles over religious liberty. While we serve the consider and put into practice how to best share the
needs of the underprivileged out of biblical convictions, love of Jesus to those who come to us in need. While
rescue missions often lack the legal standing afforded circumstances change, God’s call upon us never wavers.
to churches.
Rex Baker
Visit gatewaymission.org Executive Director
Gateway Rescue Mission
for more information on how you
can help someone today.
FEATURE GATEWAY
Thrift Store Update Board of Directors
Ford Mosby
President
Beth Archer
Vice President
Jackie Meck
Secretary
Vivian Farris
Treasurer
Glen Bush
Danny Cawthon
We recently held a ribbon cutting for the grand re-opening of our Thrift Store in Pearl. A fine Allen Holiman
group of Pearl Chamber of Commerce and community leaders turned out for the event. Our
newly renovated and reopened store contains more and better shopping space. This includes
better lighting, new flooring, renovated restrooms, an improved break room for employees,
Ben Moncrief
and a multi-purpose conference room for Gateway team meetings.
Vernon Perry
All sales from our thrift store go directly to support the ministry of Gateway Rescue Mission
in helping people who have fallen through the cracks in life. Sales are booming, inventory is
new, and we welcome you all to come shop at our newly reopened store. Marilyn Tinnin
When the store flooded in February due to frozen sprinkler pipes bursting during the winter
freeze, it seemed like a huge setback. However, God has worked through this setback to provide
us with the best shopping store we’ve ever had.
We wish to thank the staff, contractors and Pearl leaders who helped us through this process.
Our employees and contractors went beyond the call of duty from the moment we got the phone
call that the store was flooding to the moment we cut the ribbon on the grand reopening. God
is good, and what He has done at our thrift store drives home the biblical truth that all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.
328 S. Gallatin Street
P.O. Box 3763
Jackson, MS 39207-3763
Phone: 601.353.5864
Fax: 601.353.9468
Website:
www.gatewaymission.org
Word from across the nation is that we are
seeing more homeless people than before. That
seems to be on the surface what we are seeing in
Jackson also. Our challenge is how to go beyond
merely offering a meal to opening a door for the
Gospel of Christ to change lives.
People come to Gateway Rescue Mission
broken by life’s circumstances. Most of the
folks who come here do not experience healthy
relationships in their lives. Ironically, most of the
people coming off the streets are not interested
in joining our New Life Program. This is also a
national trend. It points to the need to devise
new methods and philosophies in how to reach
those most in need with a practical Gospel that
will draw them to a transformation in Jesus.
Things are changing more rapidly than in the
past. At Gateway, we are entering into a period
of rethinking our strategies of how best to reach
those who need not just a meal, but substantive
life change. In short, how do you get them to
want it? Please pray for God’s wisdom as we
seek answers to what rescue ministry should
look like in 2021.
Current Needs
• We need water. With hot weather upon us, we need • Sunscreen and bug repellent lotions for the
lots of bottled water to help those who come to us summer months.
fight dehydration. You can deliver it in person or
• Shoes. Many who come to Gateway for lunch don’t
have it shipped to Gateway Rescue Mission, 328
have adequate shoes, socks and footwear. We need
South Gallatin Street, Jackson, MS 39203.
basic, inexpensive “walking around in” type shoes
of all sizes. We get folks with big feet, little feet, and
• Sanitary wipes, hand sanitizer (the small bottles
medium sized feet.
work great), and personal hygiene supplies for
emergency care packages. Many people ask for those • Anything that can help with personal summer
hygiene for the homeless. We are looking for ways
• Basic summer clothing to hand out to those who to take our ministry to those who come for lunch
come to us for lunch. beyond just feeding.
• Please pray for God’s wisdom and power to reach
those in need with the love of Jesus.
Follow Us on Social Media
Twitter: @gatewaymission • Facebook: Gateway Rescue Mission • Instagram: gatewaymission
For your convenience you may now donate online at gatewaymission.org/donate
You can also read
