In a previous blog post, we answered the question – “Why does GateWay matter?” In this post we’ll answer a related question – “Why does GateWay exist?” Or “Why do we do what we do?”
Before we answer that question, let’s briefly review the other W questions:
• Who – GateWay serves women only, primarily women who have been hurt by abuse, divorce, loss or stress. Only women are on our staff. We have male board members and an off-site male business manager, but GateWay is all about women.
• What – GateWay is the helping place for hurting women.
• When – GateWay serves women seven days a week through one or more of our ministries.
• Where – GateWay is located at 815 S. Clairborne, Ste. 200, Olathe, KS. But more importantly, our “where” is a safe, peaceful, inviting atmosphere that feels more like a home than an office.
• How – GateWay helps hurting women through four core ministries: counseling, groups, coaching and prayer.
Now let’s get back to Why GateWay does what it does…
Compassion – GateWay wants to offer God’s compassion. In the Old Testament, we see His concern for widows and orphans, the poor and aliens. In the New Testament, we see Jesus defending children, forgiving prostitutes and touching lepers.
Since God is compassionate and we want to be like Him, then we too will offer compassion to women. We know how it feels to need compassion. And we know what it is like to receive compassion. We want to share God’s compassion with other women.
Truth – GateWay wants women to know the truth about God and about themselves. God often gets a bad name. Christians, or people who call themselves Christians, do, say or teach things that are not in line with God’s character.
At GateWay, we sometime hear stories of women who have been physically, sexually and spiritually abused in God’s name. At other times we meet women who view God in the same way as their earthly father. These misrepresentations not only give a distorted image of God, they give the women a distorted image of themselves.
GateWay wants to help correct these lies.
Influence – GateWay wants to influence the world. GateWay’s vision is to see each woman become all that God created her to be.
Can you imagine a world where each woman reaches her potential, where she is authentic, confident and wise; where she offers hope to her sphere of influence; where she loves God with her whole heart soul, mind and strength and her neighbor as herself.
These women would use their gifts, influence people and change the world simply by being who God created them to be. We do what we do to help women influence their world for good.
So why does GateWay do what it does?
Because God is compassionate. Because truth is paramount. Because the world needs the influence of women living from their true selves.
2013 GateWay of Hope Ministries – The Helping Place for Hurting Women