Volume 17, Number 15 | August 1, 2023 | www.citygatenetwork.org

De Vries Takes the Lead

Today represents a milestone in the history of the association as it marks Dr. Tom De Vries’ first day as president and CEO. Tom came on staff May 1, working with his predecessor to get up to speed on all things Citygate Network. In case you haven’t updated your files with Tom’s contact information, please put his email address (tdevries@citygatenetwork.org) in your database and devise directory (or Rolodex, if anyone still uses one of those). Include his office phone number (719-266-8300, ext. 112) and cellphone number (616-283-4575). “It’s been a joy getting to know Tom and see him come into his own within the association over these past three months,” said outgoing president John Ashmen. “I’m excited for him as he now takes the reins and spurs Citygate Network on up the mountain. I believe it will be a great ride.” If you haven’t been following Citygate Network’s transition and don’t yet know Tom, you can read his bio on our website. Please pray for Tom as often as the Holy Spirit brings him to your mind, especially in these important early months of his tenure.

Ashmen Remains Available in Emeritus Role

Through the end of 2023, John Ashmen, now president emeritus, will be available to Tom De Vries and the association, as requested. With 16-plus years of history, John will likely be tapped for background information on various matters, historical perspectives, new staff training, and short-term assignments at Tom’s request. He also has several Citygate Network-related speaking engagements to fulfill both at home and abroad. He will maintain his Citygate Network email address (jashmen@citygatenetwork.org) through December. You can also call or text him on his cellphone (719-440-5003).

New Staff Bring Youth and Experience

Often those traits don’t go hand-in-hand, but Citygate Network has fared well in its recent recruitment of key leaders. Bethany Wininger starts September 1 as our new director of strategic communication. She’s filled several key roles at Wheeler Mission in Indianapolis where her father, Rick Alvis, served as president. “I have always been a fan of Bethany’s creative writing skills,” said President Emeritus John Ashmen. She will add much to the communication proposition of the association, and her experience in all aspects of city mission ministry is so vital to the role.” President Tom De Vries added, “I’m tremendously excited to have Bethany joining our Citygate Network team. She brings a wealth of wisdom and experience from 14 years of serving and leading at Wheeler Mission and offers significant gifts and skills in leadership, project management, and communication. I look forward to how Bethany will continue to create community and ministry momentum as she catalyzes our strategic communication.” Bethany and her husband, David, will move to Colorado Springs in September.

We’re anxious to tell you who we recently hired to serve as Citygate Network’s director of leadership, learning, and program, but you’ll have to wait until the next issue of Street Smart to find out. We can tell you this person currently leads one of our member organizations and has been very involved with Citygate Network. With an August 28 start date, this new hire will kick off employment at the CEO Summit in Arizona. These key hires will return us to a full complement of personnel to continue fully supporting the membership.

We’ve Got Good News on the CEO Summit!

Thanks to another guest group not meeting their projections, the Arizona Grand Resort & Spa has given us a larger meeting room and they have opened back up our original room block, making more space available at the original $125 (single/double) per night! This means we can fully accommodate the unusually high number of registration requests we have been getting this year. Just yesterday, we moved those on the waiting list to confirmed status, and the hotel switched those who signed up after the original room block was filled and were told their rate would be $199 to the $125 rate. Now’s your chance to jump back in and sign up for this annual event, designed as a respite and deep connection for the executives at our member missions and ministries.

You can see the schedule and speaker lineup on our website. And that’s where the registration form can also be found. If you have any questions, you can contact Lisa Miller. Act now. There is less than a month left.

Don’t Forget to Check Your Email Filters and Rules

With the various staff changes at Citygate Network, we want to make sure you don’t miss any communications because they get misdirected to “spam” or “junk” folders due to an unfamiliar sender name or address. To resolve that issue, we suggest that you set your email client to allow anything through if it comes from the @citygatenetwork.org domain. That way, when President Tom De Vries sends out information, or a new education or communication team member begins sending email, you won’t miss anything. NOTE: If you use Outlook, for example, you can create a rule that says anything with @citygatenetwork.org is not Junk or a rule that says move anything with @citygatenetwork.org to the top of the inbox.

Alerting All Snapshot Survey Participants

A big thank you to those of you who participated in Citygate Network’s 33rd Annual Snapshot Survey. We really appreciate your engagement. Anyone wishing to see the comprehensive data collected on the survey can see this year’s numbers compared to the results in 2018, for comparison purposes. Those of you who participated might want to download a “swiss cheese” media release template we’ve prepared for you to use in communicating your organization’s impact locally. Note the places to fill in your organization’s information and results from this year. You may use the template as a model for wording or highlight only part of the results, according to your needs. The CEOs, profile managers, and billing contacts at member ministries that participated can download individual survey results by taking the following steps:

• Go to our website and click “Login” (if not already logged in).
• Enter your e-mail address and password (if you don’t know your password, enter only your e-mail address, and your password will be sent to you automatically) and click “Login.”
• On the right side of the page, click the link that reads, “My Organization Profile.”
• Scroll down to the section “Other Information” and click the link, “2023 Snapshot Survey.”

Thanks again for helping us gather and communicate this important data!

SCOTUS Votes on the Side of Religion

Religious liberty advocates and employees of organizations like yours notched a victory with the recent U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in a case that pitted an evangelical mail carrier against the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The USPS had required a Pennsylvania postal worker to work on Sundays in spite of his religious convictions about Sunday being a day of rest. Justice Samuel Alito addressed an incorrect understanding of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, clarifying that employers must pursue an accommodation for religious beliefs.

Don’t Miss Out on Upcoming District Conferences and Huddles

While it feels like fall is still a long way off, don’t get caught napping! September and October bring district events that you’ll want some of your downline team members to attend. As final details fall into place, watch for an e-blast to provide you with more info for the event taking place nearest you. Remember, you won’t have to show a district membership card to attend, so if it works better for you to get to another district’s event because of the location or schedule, feel free to jump in where you can make connection and build relationship. We post details and information as we confirm it, so keep watching the website for updates.

Bread of Life Mission (Seattle, Washington) President Willie Parish, Jr. has announced his retirement after 15 years of service as the mission’s leader. The board named Kim Cook to serve as the new president, and if that name sounds familiar, Kim led the Open Door Mission (Glens Falls, New York) for nine years.

Open Door Mission (Rochester, New York) is finalizing the acquisition of a former rectory on the same property as its Coldwater Women and Children’s Home. Plans will include expanding that program to help single women reunite with children they have lost custody of and provide them with a transitional program and housing.

The city of San Diego hosted a ribbon cutting for the former school it has transformed into a year-round 50-bed homeless shelter. A three-year contract puts the San Diego Rescue Mission (San Diego, California) in charge of operating the facility. "Fighting homelessness requires a holistic approach, and we're grateful that the city of Oceanside selected us to operate this facility," said Donnie Dee, CEO of the mission. The facility will include 24-hour staffing, security, and activities. John Ashmen and Tom De Vries just saw this facility, still under construction, on their recent swing through southern California.

The city council approved an allocation of $750,000 to begin construction of Mission Esperanza, a project spearheaded by Oroville Rescue Mission (Oroville, California). Pallet brand shelters will provide an option for homeless people at this site, but due to the rise in construction costs, in addition to the lack of skilled labor, it became necessary to increase funding to build the 30 shelters, five ADA shelters, a navigation center, and a parking lot for those who want to live in their vehicles.

Thankfully, Souls Harbour Rescue Mission (Halifax, Nova Scotia) did not suffer damage from extensive flooding due to heavy rains in the province. CEO Michelle Porter’s interview made local and national news in the wake of this crisis that followed so closely on the heels of wildfire evacuations. The mission is providing free emergency supplies to evacuees through its thrift store while the entire province remains under a state of emergency. Citygate Network President Tom De Vries has a visit to Souls Harbour scheduled this fall.

CEOs Stepping Down in Record Numbers

Data indicates that in May, 224 top leaders in non-profit, technology, and healthcare organizations, left their jobs, making it the highest-ever one month total of CEO exits, including a large number that were not by choice. That total shows a 49 percent increase compared to the same month last year. Even though the economy has improved, the transition trend doesn’t seem to have slowed down. According to Jane Stevenson, global leader of the CEO Succession practice at Korn Ferry, “the intensity of the business landscape and the taxing nature of the CEO role today is creating a bit of a changing of the guard.” During and just after the pandemic, many leaders stayed to lead organizations through that crisis and the havoc it wrecked. But it seems they have now grown weary, and many have decided to opt out. So far, 182 CEOs have chosen retirement in 2023, which represents a 17 percent increase over 2022. Many firms had a decrease in revenue over the last year or so, and when you mix in record inflation, some situations have looked rather bleak. Through the end of 2022, CEO compensation has been reported as flat or declining. Political and social environments have also proven challenging for CEOs to read and navigate well.
Consider: Citygate Network members have reflected similar trends, with larger than usual movement at the top. Does your organization have a written, board-approved succession plan in place? If not, Citygate Network can help.

Many Companies Rehiring Employees Who Left

Not so long ago, the Great Resignation caused upheaval for employers all over the world. Fast forward to this summer and the topic has switched to “boomerang” employees, referring to those who left an employer and ended up coming back when the “honeymoon ended” at a new job. Some HR departments are taking advantage of the growing boomerang trend, choosing to proactively and strategically reincorporate former employees. A recent survey covering 4,000 people in six countries found that almost 20 percent who quit during the pandemic have already boomeranged back to their previous job, and more than 40 percent would consider it, given the opportunity. Boomerang employees already know the culture at a former place of employment and can get back up to speed more quickly than a new employee would. They might even come back with a greater appreciation for the work and culture they left in search of greener pastures. The organization already knows what the returning employee offers because they have history with them, meaning they know what to expect from them. Certainly, the employee’s motivation for return should play into whether or not they should come back, but sometimes, the time they spent away might have helped them realize how much they appreciate the mission, values, and vision of what they left behind.
Consider: How has your organization dealt with rehiring employees who have previously left to work elsewhere?

Sharing Produce in a Food Desert

During the summer months, you could find a group of homeschoolers picking fist-size garlic cloves, green jalapeños, strawberries, squash, and kale during a volunteer stint at the NRG Dewey Prairie Garden. The local one-acre food garden lies about 60 miles east of Waco and has produced about 10,000 pounds of produce for a half-dozen food pantries over the last 15 months. Texan by Nature manages the project and claims to have served about 2,000 people in the surrounding counties where residents have few grocery store options. Pantry customers have limits on how much produce they can take based on the size of each household, but never have to pay for the fresh fruits and vegetables they receive. Dewey Prairie Garden represents only part of a massive effort to restore the 35,000-acre former coal mine and has plans in place to expand the garden to a total of 10 acres over time. A mine reclamation company fills in the pits with soil and then plants native grasses and vegetation which they monitor over a five-year period, ensuring that both the soil and water contain no toxic materials.

Does the Bible Support Same-Sex Marriage?: 21 Conversations from a Historically Christian View

by Dr. Mark Yarhouse

At our annual conference in Orlando, we hosted a very well-received plenary session with Mark Yarhouse, one of the two preeminent voices on faith and sexual orientation and gender identify issues. The other often-quoted voice belongs to New York Times–bestselling author Dr. Preston Sprinkle. He just published a new resource that will encourage respectful and thoughtful conversations around the question Does the Bible Support Same-Sex Marriage? Many arguments are made for and against same-sex marriage that end with divisiveness and confusion instead of thoughtful conversation. Published by David C Cook, and equipped with thorough research, history, and biblical context, Sprinkle’s new book will enable you to wade into some of the prevalent arguments against the historically Christian view of marriage. He carefully answers 21 of the strongest cases for same-sex marriage and offers a humanizing and thoughtful response to each one. If you are one of the many people who have grown tired of hearing about this subject, realize that it isn’t going away and will be a topic of conversation in ministry for the foreseeable future. You should definitely have a full understanding of what’s being said.

NOTE: You can access Dr. Yarhouse’s Christians and Culture Discourse plenary session (and all the other recorded sessions and seminars from the annual conference in Orlando) by ordering the conference recordings at Piper Media.

Child Tax Credit Legislation Introduced to Cover Unborn Children

Several bills in the House make up the “Providing For Life Act.” Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) leads this attempt to revamp the whole government’s family care system. At the top of the list of reforms stands the refundable child tax credit (CTC), which she wants to expand to cap at $3,500 for children 5 and under, and $4,500 for children 6-17, with a requirement that parents must have a job in order to get the credit. The proposal has garnered quite a bit of attention because of the recommendation to expand the CTC to apply to unborn children. After the birth of a dependent, parents could claim the credit for the prior year during the pregnancy, as well as the current year’s regular CTC. Hinson’s legislation also suggests offering support programs to expectant parents on college campuses and pregnancy resource centers, as well as establishing "a federal clearinghouse of resources" through social service programs at places of worship. Already on board, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) says, "Supporting pregnant mothers and their unborn children is essential, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because America’s continued strength depends on the next generation. This comprehensive legislation will provide real assistance for American parents and children in need. We need policies like these to show America that conservatives are pro-life across the board."

Avoiding Government Bureaucracy to Build Affordable Housing

The Low Income Housing Tax Credit system (LIHTC) has a reputation for bureaucracy, which results in higher costs. “You can produce housing much more quickly and affordably if you can avoid all the (well-intentioned) constraints placed on housing production by various public funding sources,” according to economist Jason Ward. The necessary kind of housing for an acutely low-income population depends on long-term rental subsidies and services for a segment of society that displays an inordinately high number of physical and mental health disabilities. When the government takes on a typical subsidized project, the process can move painstakingly slowly, beginning with identifying a building site. Then the developer seeks out grants and/or loans from as many as five different government programs, and finally applies for tax credits. This full process takes years. Since private developers don’t have to adhere to the same government restrictions and processes, they can creatively invest large amounts that can turn into a revolving account to finance ongoing building. “It’s very encouraging to see so many people trying to solve this affordability problem through non-traditional means,” said David Garcia, policy director for the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley.

Border Patrols on High Alert

Drug smugglers turn to all kinds of trickery to try to sneak their products into the country. According to Customs and Border Protection reports, smugglers often use a variety of everyday objects, including car batteries, gas tanks, and drones, to get past inspections. In June, officers working the border in El Paso found 146 pounds of cocaine stashed in an ice cream maker, and at JFK in New York, almost $500,000 of cocaine showed up in the wheels of a wheelchair. Based on the weight of confiscated cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana seizures in May and June, the Customs and Border Protection has logged a seven percent increase in banned substances. “Smugglers will sometimes try to conceal contraband in items that appear innocent to deflect suspicion,” Daniel Mercado, director of Customs and Border Protection at the Presidio Port said. Just last week, thanks to x-ray technology, his team found almost 18 pounds of cocaine concealed in four large wheels of cheese from Mexico.
Consider: Citygate Network members use a variety of methods to identify items they do not want brought into the facilities. Perhaps you can learn some new tricks by talking to peers at the upcoming district conferences and huddles.

Alexander Security and Protection

Unfortunately, we live in a world where security has become more and more of a necessity. Citygate Network partner, Alexander Security and Protection offers our members a free initial security consultation for up to 30 minutes, as well as free access to security training videos, and discounts on security-conscious architectural design, onsite building and campus evaluations, and training for self-defense, weapons, and personal protection. Whether large or small, every member should proactively take advantage of the insight and expertise of this valuable member benefit. Get connected today by calling (407) 332-7347 or send an email. Don’t forget to mention your Citygate Network membership!

Journey to Generosity

By Pat McLaughlin

Fundraising is a journey, not a destination. The initial donation is often the most challenging to ask for and receive, but a humble $100 gift can grow into a monumental $1 million contribution when you strategically guide your donors along the path of generosity.

Check out these five significant milestones along the way:

• Information: Share clear and concise information about your organization's mission, vision, and core values.
• Education: Help potential donors understand the significance of your work and why their gift will make an eternal difference in the lives of those you serve.
• Cultivation: Don’t skip this step. Deepen your donor relationships by expressing genuine interest in your donors. Care more about them than about their gift.
• Inspiration: Share success stories of the individuals you serve, allowing donors to witness the impact of your organization as evidenced through their transformed lives.
• Solicitation: Ask for a donation in a friendly and confident manner. Overcome any fear, uncertainty, or doubt in the solicitation process. Consider the Golden Rule—ask others like you would like to be asked. Be proactive and persistent in your interactions.

Apply this five-step process to entry-level, mid-level, major, and mega donors in your database to achieve success, by the grace of God. Never forget the importance of personal connection. In our technologically advanced fundraising endeavors, never forget the power of a handshake, a smile, and a personal story.

As president and founder of The Timothy Group, Pat McLaughlin frequently shares from his knowledge and expertise at Citygate Network events. He has assisted more than 2,000 Christian organizations specializing in major donor programs, board training, strategic planning, and capital and annual campaigns since 1981. Pat has authored three books, Major Donor Game Plan, The C Factor: The Common Cure for Your Capital Campaign Conundrums, and Haggai & Friends: A Stewardship Story.

CEO Summit

August 29 – 31, 2023
The CEO Summit will be held in Phoenix, Arizona, providing an unequaled outlet for much-needed, highly relevant, deep-level, heartfelt conversations among senior executives of missions and similar ministries.
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Sierra District Conference

September 12 – 14, 2023
Shepherd Church, Woodland Hills, California
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Great Lakes District Conference

September 12 – 14, 2023
Blue Gate Garden Inn, Shipshewana, Indiana
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Bluegrass District Conference

September 20 – 22, 2023
Holiday Inn Center City, Charlotte, North Carolina
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Deep South District Huddle

September 21 - 22, 2023
Jacksonville, Florida
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Liberty District Conference

September 25 – 27, 2023
Spruce Lake Retreat Center, Canadensis, Pennsylvania
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Evergreen District Conference

October 4 – 5, 2023
Union Gospel Mission, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
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Heartland District Huddle

October 9 – 10, 2023
Topeka, Kansas
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Ripple Effect Board Acceleration Event

October 19 – 20, 2023, Virtual
Ripple Effect is a program that grows in concentric circles to wash over all current board members of your organization. This program provides a permanent framework for board excellence that will strongly influence your organization’s future board members.
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Public Reading of Scripture

Every Monday at 7:00 p.m. E.T. and
every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. E.T.
The Word of God is foundational to everything Citygate Network stands for. Join with fellow Citygate Network members as we meet around scripture and hear it read in an engaging way.
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Check out the most recent list of openings on our Careers page.