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This issue of Street Smart is sponsored by:
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Citygate Network’s Snapshot Survey Kicks Off The 29th Annual Snapshot Survey—a point-in-time count conducted each year by Citygate Network members—is being held February 1–21. The official count day is February 7, but members can conduct their local survey on any single day at their facilities through February 21. (This extended window gives missions flexibility to conduct their counts, particularly for missions trying to coordinate with government point-in-time counts held this time of year, but delayed because of the recent government shutdown.) Citygate Network’s Snapshot Survey is one of the most-requested and used pieces of information that Citygate Network provides. Local and national media outlets use the demographic results as a resource for stories on homelessness. Many have commented that the size of our sample (16,000 to more than 20,000 each year) makes our survey one of the most accurate and up-to-date of its kind. While all CEOs and previous count coordinators have been notified about the survey, if you didn't receive the information, you can visit www.citygatenetwork.org/snapshot for additional details and to download all survey forms. Ashmen to Speak in Conjunction with National Prayer Breakfast Citygate Network President John Ashmen will be in Washington, D.C., this coming week for multiple meetings with HUD and other agencies, but the primary reason he will be there is to participate in the events connected to the National Prayer Breakfast. The breakfast with President Trump and special guests is on Thursday morning. On Wednesday night, the 3,500 people in attendance are invited to regional dinners with their senators and representatives and others in the legislative branch. While that is taking place, a by-invitation-only dinner is held by The White House Fellowship, which includes staff, interns, and key committee leaders in the executive branch (both the president and the vice-president’s office). John and Ambassador Tony Hall have been asked to be keynote speakers at that prestigious dinner. As you can imagine, this is a tremendous opportunity to both establish and strengthen key contacts for Citygate Network and the work that you do. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy Confirmed for DC Forum Just this morning, we received word that Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), will indeed join us for the DC Forum, March 11-13 in Washington. This will be a tremendous Q&A time with the highest-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives. If you haven’t registered yet, better get on it! Register Now for DC Forum Interest is running high for Citygate Network’s March 11–13 DC Forum in the nation’s capital. This event provides your mission with the opportunity to connect with lawmakers and agency decision-makers. Two of the primary reasons we hold this event this every year are: (1) Awareness—to tell the story of how missions and kindred ministries are continuing to make a difference on the streets of our cities; and (2) Advocacy—to convey our desires and concerns about policies, laws, and bills that can hamper faith-based organizations and the work missions do. The more people from Citygate Network who are involved on Capitol Hill—talking about our cause and making our case—the better chance we have of continuing to make a difference in the way we believe the services we provide needs to occur. Accommodations for this year’s DC Forum are at Hyatt Place Washington, D.C./National Mall, with meetings held at both the hotel and at the Museum of the Bible. A number of special invited guests will help facilitate our sessions. And as always, the final day will be filled with appointments with lawmakers and/or their staff members in Senate and House office buildings. For details and to register, please visit www.citygatenetwork.org/dcforum. By the way, we urge you to register no later than February 28 if you want our offices to arrange meetings with your elected officials and their staff members.
Visit Annual Conference Webpages for Complete Program and New Details
Registration for Citygate Network’s 2019 Annual Conference and Exposition continues to be robust—the highest in several years (and we’ve been close to SRO for the last five years!). Make sure you and other staff members at your mission are part of this one-of-a-kind event, which will be held in Palm Springs, California, June 3–6. We’ve recently updated our conference webpages with loads of additional details about the event, including a complete schedule. Visit www.citygatenetwork.org/conference. If you prefer a printed piece, look in the center of the January/February issue of Instigate magazine for a 16-page convention brochure (or you can also view the brochure online). Be sure to check out all the activities taking place just prior to the core conference, including the L.A./Skid Row Experience and the Exodus Exhortations early education offerings. Many are extending their stay in southern California to take advantage of these events (not to mention the warm desert weather). Citygate Network Webinar to Examine Giving Trends and Strategies We have received some great feedback from Citygate Network’s recent survey asking members if their giving in 2018 is up or down over 2017, and even how it compares to several past years. We invite you to join us to examine the findings and how they may play into your overall development plans at our Development Trends and Strategies Webinar, February 27, 1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. MST. The team of presenters—which includes Citygate Network staff, ministry leaders, and development consultants—will explore what’s happening with end-of-year giving, seasonal gifts, individual donor motivations, and Millennial donor practices. You’ll learn the trends, understand what to look for in giving, and discuss the realities that will help you build development strategies that will fuel your ministry. For more information, contact Director of Education and Engagement Sam Edwards at sedwards@citygatenetwork.org. Abuse Recovery Certificate Program Begins March 27 A 12-week online certificate program for Citygate Network members conducted by Abuse Recovery Ministry Services (ARMS) will begin March 27. Participants will receive high-quality training that meets industry standards in working with victims of abuse and violence using ARMS’ abuse and violence recovery program called Her Journey. Some of the topics covered include: understanding abuse, depression, anger, tools to think God’s way, the power of choices, and learning to dream again. Training begins Wednesday March 27, 9:00–10:30 a.m. PST via live Zoom meetings for the first seven weeks with and additional five weeks of online training. The cost will be a discounted rate of $285.00 for Citygate Network Members (per individual). Upon completion, participants receive Her Journey facilitator certificates, a facilitator’s manual to begin leading the course, 10 complete folders for future client participants, as well as on-going consulting and support from ARMS office. Watch for additional details including registration information in your Inbox next week. Citygate Benefits Programs Provides Dedicated Customer Service Members who are a part of the Citygate Benefits Program have access to a dedicated call center for virtually any question related to the program’s medical, dental, vision, or life insurance. The number for the Citygate Benefits Center is (833) 234-7045. We’re also developing a monthly web meeting to address questions and provide additional information as we move forward in year one of the program. Ripple Effect Program Begins in April Citygate Network’s Ripple Effect board acceleration program is kicking off the 2019 program with our first cohort meeting in the Los Angeles area, April 11-12. The program is for ministry CEOs and up to four board members. The $2,400/ministry cost is inclusive of the two-day conference, program, lodging, meals, coaching visits, webinar, and consultation. To learn more, contact Ripple Effect Program Director Ed Morgan, at ed@inspirationalleadership.com or (917) 576-6604.
Forms and additional information will be available soon. If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact Director of Communications Brad Lewis at blewis@citygatenetwork.org.
Looking Down the Street…
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Examining the Effects of the 2019 Tax Policy Many nonprofits thought discussions of tax policy were behind them after the federal overhaul passed at the end of 2017. But the year ahead will be a big one for deciding whether their organizations’ missions will be constrained for decades by extra financial burdens imposed on tax-exempt organizations by federal, state, and local governments. According to an article in The Chronicle of Philanthropy, by the end of 2019, we’ll probably have answers to numerous questions still flowing from the 2017 federal tax law. For example, will donations plummet for certain types of charitable organizations? Will nonprofits owe tens of thousands of dollars to governments because of new taxes levied in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and similar laws in the states? What will it cost to overhaul accounting systems and other processes to accommodate the record keeping required by the federal tax law and resulting state tax changes? The answers to these and many other questions will come through the push and pull of imperfect processes at the federal, state, and local levels in the year to come. NOTE: Realizing that new tax laws are likely to affect giving, Citygate Network recently conducted a survey among our members on giving trends. We’ll share the results and provide additional insights at our Development Trends and Strategies Webinar, February 27, 1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. MST. See “Citygate Network Webinar to Examine Giving Trends and Strategies” in Our Street above for details. Midwest Cities Scramble to Keep Homeless from Dangerous Cold Winter’s sharpest bite in years moved past painful into life-threatening territory Tuesday, prompting officials throughout the Midwest to take extraordinary measures to protect the homeless and other vulnerable people from the bitter cold, including turning some city buses into mobile warming shelters. According to a report by the Associated Press, at least four deaths were linked to the weather system, including a man struck and killed by a snow plow in the Chicago area, a young couple whose SUV struck another on a snowy road in northern Indiana, and a Milwaukee man found frozen to death in a garage. Officials in large Midwestern cities including Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago, and Detroit were desperately trying to get the homeless off the streets. Organization Helps Raise Awareness About Sex Trafficking During Atlanta Super Bowl An organization dedicated to fighting sex trafficking will be handing out thousands of bars of soap to people staying in Atlanta hotels during the Super Bowl to try and help rescue children being bought and sold through the sex trade. S.O.A.P. (Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution) is looking to hand out 60,000 bars of soap in two days to every single hotel room in metro Atlanta, the group said, according to a report by 11 Alive News. The labels on the soap bars include the National Human Trafficking Hotline number and a message to sex trafficking victims or those who might witness children being prostituted during the Super Bowl.
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 Report Shows What Social Sector Leaders Think About Feedback As part of the Power of Feedback series, Stanford Social Innovation Review conducted a survey of 1,986 nonprofit, foundation, and other charitable sector leaders. In a report by the review, the survey found that 88 percent of the leaders prioritize gathering client feedback, and 44 percent of them see it as a “high priority” or “top source of insight” for continuous program improvement. However, the survey also showed that only 13 percent of social sector leaders believe they have been able to turn their feedback aspirations into a reality. When asked about the causes for this disparity, two-thirds of those whose organizations were not collecting client feedback stated that the greatest barrier to implementing feedback systems was limited staff time and/or resources, and 20 percent of respondents said it was “too complicated” or “too costly.” Many Americans Are Just One Missed Paycheck Away from Poverty Millions of middle-class Americans are just one missed paycheck away from poverty, with 4 of 10 considered "liquid-asset poor," or without enough money socked away to cope with even a sudden disruption in income. The findings, from economic advocacy group Prosperity Now, highlight the financial insecurity facing many U.S. households, as was seen during the recent partial government shutdown. In a report by CBS News, thousands of furloughed government workers, who missed two paychecks, struggled to cover basics like housing and food. One furloughed worker told CBS News in a report that she had $1.06 in her bank account, describing the situation as "terrifying.” Despite the lowest unemployment rate in decades and solid economic growth, many Americans are on thin financial ice, Prosperity Now found. Minority households are particularly lagging on key measures such as income and wealth, the study found. Across the board, more than 1 in 10 American households fell behind in their bills in the last year, a signal that many are struggling with rising costs and stagnant incomes. Survey Suggests That a Quarter of Ottawa’s Homeless Are Refugees and Immigrants Data gathered over a 24-hour period this past spring suggests refugees and recent immigrants to Canada represent a quarter of Ottawa’s homeless population. From April 19 to 20, the city of Ottawa surveyed 1,400 individuals experiencing homelessness in the nation’s capital, 334 of whom identified as newcomers to Canada. Of those respondents, 169 identified as immigrants, 113 said they were refugee claimants, and 52 identified as refugees, according to a report by Global News. Both Ottawa and the province have set goals to end chronic homelessness in six to seven years. The city of Ottawa says these surveys will help officials and staff better grasp “the scope and nature of homelessness in our community.”
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Assistant Director, Life Recovery Counseling: Nashville Rescue Mission, Nashville, TN BBQ Pit Master: Portland Rescue Mission, Portland, OR Biblical Pastoral Counselor: Union Gospel Mission (Spokane), Spokane, WA Breakfast Cook: Seattle's Union Gospel Mission, Seattle, WA Care Support Specialist: Light of Life Ministries, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA Chief Financial Officer: St. Matthew's House, Naples, FL Development Director: The Gospel Rescue Mission, Inc., Muskogee, OK Development Director: Kansas City Rescue Mission (KCRM), Kansas City, MO Director of Development & Fundraising: Modesto Gospel Mission, Modesto, CA Director of Programs: Light of life Ministries, Inc., Pittsburgh,PA DIRECTOR of SAN FERNANDO VALLEY RESCUE MISSION: Rescue Mission Alliance, Oxnard, CA Donor Development Professional: Madera Rescue Mission, Madera, CA Executive Director: Rescue Mission of Utica, Inc., Utica, NY Executive Director: Klamath Falls Gospel Mission, Klamath Falls, OR Executive Director: Kansas City Rescue Mission, Kansas City, MO Extended Care Program Manager: Seattle's Union Gospel Mission, Seattle, WA Food Services Manager: Turlock Gospel Mission, Turlock, CA Grant Writer: Open Door Mission, Glens Falls, NY Intake Specialist: Portland Rescue Mission, Portland, OR Lead Case Manager: Seattle's Union Gospel Mission, Seattle, WA M25 Cafe Manager: St. Matthew's House, Naples, FL Major Gifts Advisor: Hope Ministries, Pleasant Hill, IA Major Gifts Officer: Seattle's Union Gospel Mission, Seattle, WA Marketing & Digital Communications Associate: Open Door Mission, Glens Falls, NY Outreach Specialist: Seattle's Union Gospel Mission, Seattle, WA Public Relations Manager: Seattle's Union Gospel Mission, Seattle, WA Residential Coordinator_Cornerstone Manor Facility: Buffalo City Mission, Buffalo, NY Salesforce Data Analyst: Atlanta Mission, Atlanta, GA Shelter Manager : Turlock Gospel Mission, Turlock, CA Shelter Supervisor: Open Door Mission, Glens Falls, NY Shepherd's Door Case Manager: Portland Rescue Mission, Portland, OR Support Services Coordinator: Open Door Mission, Glens Falls, NY Volunteer Engagement Specialist: Seattle's Union Gospel Mission, Seattle, WA Weekend Cool: Seattle's Union Gospel Mission, Seattle, WA Women and Children's Program Manager: Hope Gospel Mission, Eau Claire, WI Women's Case Manager (Growth Leader): Portland Rescue Mission, Portland, OR Women's Program Manager - Laura's Home: The City Mission, Cleveland, OH Women's Recovery Counselor: Union Gospel Mission (Spokane), Spokane, WA |
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Spirit-Led Control
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1).
It’s true that when we get caught up in life, it’s easy to mimic the often selfish and corrupt behaviors of the world around us. But when we genuinely seek to know God and what His Word says about our lives, then over time—even during difficult times—the Holy Spirit changes our thoughts and attitudes to be more like Christ (Ephesians 4:21–23).
When the Spirit leads us, our desires become the opposite of the temptations of the world. What once felt like sacrifice becomes a grateful act of self-control. It becomes easier to ignore our selfish wants, lustful desires, and everyday burdens for Christ to bear on our behalf, allowing us to focus on the things in our life that are pleasing to God, leading to a life of purpose (Galatians 5:16–26).
Is this always easy for Christians? No. Do followers of Christ still allow themselves to succumb to the pressures of this world? Yes, far too often. But if we continue to keep the door open for God by intentionally pursuing and applying His Word to our lives, then when we do stumble and fall, we’re not likely to fall as far, and it’s much easier to find our way back onto the path He has laid out for us.
Devotional by Mark Henderson; used with permission of used with permission of Daily Devotionals, www.shortdailydevotions.com.
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Citygate Network is a nonprofit organization committed to furthering missions and kindred ministries. Citygate Network provides limited space in "Market Street" for advertising opportunities, services, and products to advance the cause of rescue missions. Citygate Network is not responsible for the claims made by its advertisers and reserves the right to select or reject any advertising, in the sole discretion of Citygate Network, for any or no reason.
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All Scripture quotations taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, unless otherwise noted. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
Street Smart is sent to you as a member service of Citygate Network, and is published on the 1st and 15th of each month (unless those dates fall on a weekend or holiday). The content does not necessarily represent the views of or imply endorsement by Citygate Network. To submit items for publication, email editor@citygatenetwork.org. To unsubscribe, email unsubscribe@citygatenetwork.org.