Volume 20, Number 10 | June 1, 2026 | www.citygatenetwork.org
Welcome Two New Regional Coordinators to the Team!
Over the last several months, the Citygate Network Regional Coordinator program has taken great strides forward! These seasoned ministry leaders have really stepped into their expanded roles to help support member staff, boards, and executives within their district. They regularly call, email, and visit our members to build engagement and relationship by offering a sounding board, practical guidance, helpful resources, and prayerful encouragement.
Today we officially add two new members to that team to represent the Northern Lights (Canada) District: Former Union Gospel Mission (Vancouver, British Columbia) CEO Bill Mollard will work with the Canadian ministries in Western Canada, and former Scott Mission (Toronto, Ontario) CEO Peter Duraisami will focus on those in Eastern Canada. They both eagerly step into their new roles and have already begun connecting with leaders and prospects throughout Canada. Welcome aboard!
Bill Mollard brings more than 40 years of experience from the nonprofit world, including executive roles with the Salvation Army and various other healthcare organizations, pastoring two churches, and serving as president of Union Gospel Mission (Vancouver, British Columbia). During his tenure at the mission, he steered a period of significant growth in revenue, staffing, and capital expansion and also spent several years on the Citygate Network Board. Bill and his wife, Darlene have raised two children, and when he’s not working, Bill pursues an active lifestyle that includes biking, scuba diving, and an “occasional” triathlon.
Recognized for his extensive contributions to social services and spiritual ministry in Toronto, Peter Duraisami served at Scott Mission (Toronto, Ontario) for more than 30 years, and as president and CEO for the second half of that tenure. He became the architect of the organization’s modern era of expansion, leading a profound strategic evolution. His ability to balance rigorous financial oversight with compassionate mission-led vision allowed the organization to launch innovative new ventures and infrastructure projects. Peter and his wife, Sheela co-founded Church on the Rock International Ministries and he remains deeply committed to holistic leadership.
Packing Up for the 2026 Annual Conference in Grand Rapids!
The cool, rainy weather last week didn’t stop the Citygate Network team from working together to pack up all the pallets and get them loaded on a truck to Grand Rapids in preparation for next week’s big event! We get on the airplane next weekend to roll out the red carpets to welcome you to the 2026 Annual Conference & Exposition.
By this time next week, conference attendees will have already started gathering in our host city for this year’s main event. Will we see you there? We’ve stretched our negotiated accommodations to several nearby hotels to accommodate the record number of attendees registered for this year’s event. Don’t miss out!
Register to Participate in the Pre-Conference HUD/HHS Forum
Engage directly with officials from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to gain insight into current and emerging federal policies impacting homelessness, housing, recovery, and social services. This interactive session will help facilitate a better understanding of funding priorities and the broader government landscape that inform and influence your ministry decisions. Register now, or contact Sereen to add this to your registration, for this pre-conference session on Tuesday, June 9, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., in Grand Rapids. $30.00
Featuring:
Monty Burks, HHS Director, Center for Faith
Dr. Robert Marbut, HUD Special Advisor
Caitlyn McKenney, HUD Deputy Assistant Secretary
Conference App Goes Live
With the countdown on, attendees should have received an email last week inviting them to download the Whova conference app. Whova makes it easy to connect with fellow attendees, build your own personalized schedule, explore sessions and exhibitors, and keep the entire conference program right in your pocket. Didn’t see the email? Reach out to our Whova Maestro, Sarah Rieger, for assistance.
Exchange Swag, Win Prizes!
We’ve come up with plenty of fun ways to engage throughout the conference. Participate in the Whova Passport Contest in the Exhibit Hall, join the “Spot the Staff” photo challenge, and climb the Whova Leaderboard for bragging rights. With the help of our Whova sponsor, FaithSearch Partners, we’ve upped our prize game!
Attendees will also have chances to win exciting prizes throughout the event, including:
- A pair of Meta Ray-Bans and Citygate Network swag (must be present at Wednesday’s afternoon General Session to win)
- A complimentary registration to the 2027 Annual Conference in Spokane (must be present at Friday’s General Session to win)
And don’t forget the Swag Swap during Wednesday’s afternoon General Session! Bring something branded from your ministry to exchange with another attendee—shirts, mugs, hats, stickers, pens, tote bags, or anything creative that represents your organization.
Check out all the pertinent information on our website here, and you can even get a sneak preview of our official conference program here to begin planning your time in Grand Rapids!
Contact Registrar Sereen Gualtieri if you have any questions or need assistance getting registered. We can’t wait to see you there!
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Citygate Network Well Represented at 200th Anniversary of First Mission
The Glasgow City Mission hosted a celebration to commemorate the global movement birthed by Scotsman David Nasmith’s vision and actions way back in 1826. Nine people affiliated with Citygate Network made the journey to Scotland for this historic occasion. They engaged in healthy discussions and strategic planning with mission and ministry leaders from all across Europe, discussing a revived version of the Global City Mission Network (GCMN) and building relationship around common threads. We came home encouraged from having seen and heard about the international roots and impact behind our movement of faith-based, kingdom-focused, life transformation ministries.
Stay Tuned for Next Issue on July 1
Since everyone on our small team plays a part in making our annual conference happen, we will not publish a June 15 issue of Street Smart. Watch your inbox for the July 1, edition to catch up on all the news and happenings around our movement. We’ll have a lot to share!
HUD's Continuum of Care Funding Reforms Welcome the Faith Community's Support in Eradicating Homelessness
HUD recently announced significant reforms to its Continuum of Care (CoC) Program—the nation’s largest federal initiative addressing homelessness. The changes are designed to strengthen accountability, improve outcomes, and expand opportunities for faith-based organizations to participate in community homelessness efforts.
Join the White House Faith Office and the HUD and HHS Centers for Faith for a webinar exploring these updates. Learn about new funding opportunities, partnership possibilities, and ways faith-based organizations can collaborate with shelters, workforce programs, treatment providers, mental health organizations, law enforcement, and other community partners to better serve vulnerable populations.
Whether you're new to the Continuum of Care Program or looking to deepen your community impact, this webinar will provide valuable insight into upcoming opportunities and the evolving federal homelessness landscape.
Register now for the webinar, scheduled on Wednesday, June 3, 11:30 a.m. ET (10:30 a.m. CT, 9:30 a.m. MT, 8:30 a.m. PT)
Success Secrets for New Donor Acquisition
A panel discussion featuring experienced Citygate Network leaders will explore best practices for building an effective new donor acquisition program. Panelists will share proven strategies tailored to organizations of varying sizes, along with practical insights on what works—and what to avoid.
With donor attrition on the rise in recent years, acquiring new supporters is more critical than ever. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from some of the top growth-focused leaders in our network.
Panelists:
- Dr. Candace Gregory, President/CEO, Open Door Mission (Omaha, Nebraska)
- Jerrel Gilliam, Executive Director, Light of Life Rescue Mission (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
- Dennis Van Kampen, President/CEO, Denver Rescue Mission (Denver, Colorado)
- Tracy Gorman, President/CEO, Evansville Rescue Mission (Evansville, Indiana)
Key Takeaways:
- Gain a clear understanding of syndicated programs for list acquisition and the critical role of list modeling in selecting rental names.
- Learn how to effectively integrate digital strategies (including Meta advertising) with direct response efforts.
- Discover how to incorporate community events into your acquisition strategy to increase reach and results.
Register now for the webinar, scheduled on Thursday, June 25, 1:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. CT, 11:00 a.m. MT, 10:00 a.m. PT)
This week, Refuge of Hope (Canton, Ohio) will host a community event to celebrate 25 years of service! Festivities will include food trucks, tours, entertainment, activities, and an anniversary program to close out the day. Congratulations and keep up the good work!
Gospel Inc. (Lakeland, Florida) Executive Director Ray Steadman and his team joined the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce to cut the ribbon for two new apartment buildings with 24 units each, completing phase one of Gospel Village. In addition to donors and community leaders, Dr. Robert Marbut, HUD Special Advisor, also spoke. (See Stop Street below for photos taken by Regional Coordinator Penny Kievet.)
The San Antonio Rescue Mission (San Antonio, Texas) recently received a letter of recognition and encouragement from the White House, signed by the president and acknowledging the mission’s work and witness in the community. Well done!
Union Gospel Mission of the Inland Northwest (Spokane, Washington) CEO Phil Altmeyer accepted a Congressional Community Impact Award as part of the celebration of the mission’s 75th anniversary. Congratulations!
A fire broke out in the Durham Rescue Mission (Durham, North Carolina) chapel last week. Several rooms suffered damage, but nobody got hurt. Keep them in your prayers as they navigate repairs.
The Lovelady Center (Birmingham, Alabama) experienced a thrift store fire last week, damaging several storage trailers. Officials suspect arson. Lift this team up in your prayers as well.
Puppeteer Turned Author Shares Street Perspective
A First Nations puppeteer and performer from west of Calgary, Alberta, had earned a following for his cast of Native character puppets and comedy. But several years ago, DerRic Starlight walked away from the stage (and drinking) to confront homelessness and recovery. He spent three years on the streets in several Canadian cities, learning about survival, and ultimately wrote a book. Next week, the Calgary Downtown Public Library will host a launch party for See-Me Street, featuring DerRic’s diary entries, raw stories, and stark black-and-white photographs that draw the reader into the chaos and courage he experienced during his time on the streets.
Billed as a powerful resource for general audiences, outreach workers, and those exploring perspectives and social forces shaping life on the streets, DerRic said he did not expect to find the community and kinship he witnessed among those experiencing homelessness. “What I found amazing is they communicate with each other in different cities, they know what they’re doing … and it’s a community that tries to encourage each other to go to the detox and try to get housing that’s offered to them.” He pushes for better infrastructure to help those living with addiction and those trying to make a better life, recognizing how difficult constant exposure to drugs and alcohol makes that journey.
Impoverished Contribute to Local Newspaper
On Saturdays in Asheville, North Carolina, a local café turns into a newsroom where writers can spread out amongst the large tables and work on articles for The Intersection, produced by the group of writers and artists living in extreme poverty. The nonprofit Asheville Poverty Initiative (API) sponsors the newspaper and runs the café. A professor at the University of North Carolina – Asheville campus founded the paper to cover community news, profiles, opinion pieces, poetry, and artwork. She says, “We exist to build community and educate about the realities of poverty. Specifically, the street paper reduces fear and dismantles stereotypes by publishing news, opinion, and creative work by those living in deep poverty and homelessness.”
The Intersection always sells out and provides some income to those who sell/distribute the newspaper. Vendors, who often double as contributors, receive 10 copies of the paper at no charge, and additional copies for $1 each. They can then sell the papers for $4 apiece. According to the executive director at API, it “empowers and engages folks who often aren’t invited to the table and don’t have a platform to speak out and share.”
Consider: What kinds of platforms does your organization offer to guests and residents whose voices don’t often get heard?
Access Practical Board Governance
As a valued Citygate Network partner, the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) waives its application fee for our members and continually provides informative and insightful resources to share. ECFA has a goal to support ministries in accelerating the gospel, and a commitment to seeing as many organizations as possible operate under healthy, engaged boards.
Because having a strong, informed governance foundation leads to thriving and trustworthy ministries, ECFA has put together several popular board governance resources offering practical guidance on things like board roles and responsibilities, caring for top leaders, accountability, and best practices for effective oversight.
9 Essentials of Internal Controls for Ministries (eBook)
8 Essentials of Compensating Ministry Leaders (eBook) (Citygate Network members can use promo code 8ESSENTIAL to waive the $9.99 and download for free)
Mission Driven Leadership (webinar recording)
Nonprofit Board Score (ministry assessment)
"True self-care is not salt baths and chocolate cake; it is making the choice to build a life you don’t need to regularly escape from."
– Brianna Wiest –
Rawhide Regional Coordinator Don Shisler paid a visit to CEO Daniel Roby at the Austin Street Center (Dallas, Texas) [below left] recently and stopped in at Door of Hope Mission (Odessa, Texas) [second from left] where he enjoyed a tour of the mission even though CEO Andrew Pistone was out of town. While in West Texas, Don spent some time at Faith City Mission (Amarillo, Texas), learning about their honey enterprise from Development Director Heidi Keathley [second from right], and touring the mission with Executive Director Robert Burton [below right].
On a tour through Nebraska, Regional Coordinator Ken Peterson visited with Daniel Buller, executive director at Crossroads Center Rescue Mission (Hastings, Nebraska) [below left] which has four shelter locations (250 beds total) and six thrift stores throughout central Nebraska. Ken also stopped in to see Citygate Network attorney Jon Ruybalid in Henderson, Nebraska [below center], and CEO Lonnie Berger at Gospel Rescue Mission (York, Nebraska) [below right].
While in Nebraska, Ken also made a trip to People’s City Mission (Lincoln, Nebraska) [below left] to check in with CEO Tom Barber (Hawaiian shirt) and his leadership team, as well as take a tour of the new community center at Open Door Mission (Omaha, Nebraska) [below right] with CEO Candace Gregory and Maintenance Technician Chad Lynch.
Deep South Regional Coordinator Penny Kievet celebrated the ribbon cutting for phase one of Gospel Village with Gospel Inc. (Lakeland, Florida) [below left and right] CEO Ray Steadman and his team last month.
Community Mobile Care Expands Services
Not every mission or ministry can operate a clinic within its own facilities. Logistics, as well as financial and operational constraints, led the Evansville Rescue Mission (Evansville, Indiana) to seek out alternative options within the community to be able to offer medical care, especially to the women and children at its newly opened Susan H. Snyder Center for Women and Children (CWC). The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile (RMCM) quickly rose to the top of the list as an incredible asset to incorporate on a regular basis.
According to the director of the CWC, "The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile is a fully equipped medical clinic on wheels that delivers free or reimbursed care to underserved women of child-bearing age, pregnant women, postpartum mothers, and infants up to 12 months in their own neighborhoods. RMCM eliminates many of the barriers that underserved families face in accessing healthcare services while raising awareness for healthy lifestyles and reducing reliance on emergency rooms for care. RMCM serves the women and children bi-weekly and powerfully impacts the health and well-being of children and their families through regular checkups and follow up of medical services."
Every time I drive on to the campus of the CWC and see the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, I feel incredibly grateful for this community treasure. Many of our residential guests, especially the children, have never had access to medical care, let alone right where they live. The RMCM represents help, healing, and hope for our residents and our community, and we have benefited immensely by utilizing this community resource.
I encourage you to check out this and similar collaborations in your own community to discover (or expand) valuable resources you can make available at your facility.
Contributed by Tracy Gorman, president and CEO at the Evansville Rescue Mission since 2008, and current president of the Great Lakes District.
Radical Hospitality & Trauma Informed Ministry Course Overview
City Vision University (CVU), originally born out of the rescue mission movement, has created a free, non-credit course designed for ministries to use in their internal staff training. Use it to equip frontline workers to compassionately and effectively serve marginalized individuals from high-trauma backgrounds, such as those experiencing homelessness, addiction, or incarceration. The curriculum uniquely integrates three complementary disciplines:
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Radical Hospitality (ministry) incorporates the deeply rooted Christian theology of radical hospitality that recognizes the inherent dignity (Imago Dei) in every person.
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Trauma Informed (counseling) explains the importance of establishing psychological safety and de-escalation techniques from the clinical counseling perspective of trauma-informed care.
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Customer Service (business) provides customer service training and establishes a service culture.
Through each module, the course teaches that life transformation relies on relational service rather than transactional charity, focusing on practical skills like the “ministry of the first encounter,” empathetic listening, and behavioral adaptability when dealing with difficult or escalated clients. The course also addresses the intense emotional toll of this work, providing practical and spiritual strategies to manage emotional labor, prevent burnout, and discern a sustainable, long-term calling in high-trauma ministries.
Listen to this podcast for a summary of the Radical Hospitality & Trauma Informed Ministry curriculum intended as an outline for an eight-session training course for your staff.
Helping Kids Manage School
Educators, child advocates, and legislators in Salisbury, Maryland, have teamed up to present a plan that would help families with school-age children get into stable housing. With nearly $2 million “extra” revenue found by the state legislature, the plan suggests that schools could directly refer families currently living in shelters or motels to subsidized apartments and make a significant impact on stabilizing the home life of many children.
Reportedly, the next state budget will include a line item for this plan, according to one advocacy organization. A school teacher and advocacy board member says, “I am a teacher, and I see firsthand the impact that students face while experiencing homelessness.”
Consider: How does/can your organization help the children of your guests and residents excel at school?
Canadian Households Struggling to Afford Groceries
Food insecurity in Canada continues to rise as incomes struggle to keep up with food price increases. Statistics Canada data indicates that about one in four Canadians lived in a food-insecure household in 2025. An annual comparison of numbers show that food prices have increased 3.5 percent since this time last year. Food Banks Canada reported over two million visits in one month in 2025!
According to registered dietician Lauren Kennedy, “When people fall into food insecurity, it’s not only about feeding yourself but staying healthy. … We know that … when folks are facing household insecurity, it’s hard to eat enough, let alone healthy food.” People struggling with chronic disease face even greater challenges to get the food they need for their conditions, and children in food insecure homes develop depression, hyperactivity, and inattention issues more often than their peers.
Consider: How has your organization managed increased food prices both for the meals you provide and the clients you serve?
Annual Conference & Exposition 2026
June 9 – 12, 2026
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Register Now!
CEO Summit
August 24 – 26, 2026
Denver, Colorado
Registration Now Open!
Save the Date for District Events
• Great Lakes: September 16 – 18 near Chicago, IL
• Evergreen: September 22 – 24 in Coeur d’Alene, ID
• Rawhide: September 23 – 25 in Ft. Worth, TX
• Deep South: September 28 – 30 in Atlanta, GA
Registration opens in June
![COABBanner_2 copy[43] 2](https://hs.citygatenetwork.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Email%20Header%20Images/COABBanner_2%20copy%5B43%5D%202.png?width=2000&height=630&name=COABBanner_2%20copy%5B43%5D%202.png "COABBanner_2 copy[43] 2")
Conversations on a Bench
October 8 – 9, 2026
Location: At a bench near you!
Registration opens in June
Public Reading of Scripture
Every Monday at 7:00 p.m. E.T.,
every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. E.T.,
and every Friday 7:00 a.m. E.T.
