From the CEO

Welcome to From the CEO, the place to find posts from John Ashmen, President Emeritus of Citygate Network. This page will curate archived writings, as well as future posts.

A position of mutual benefit
April 24, 2023

I had the board chair at a member organization reach out to me the other day to say that their current CEO wants to have the title of president emeritus once the new president starts

Stepping out of the liminal fog
April 24, 2023

Liminal might not be a word you use every day. In fact, you might need to ask Webster what it means.

Buyer Beware
March 20, 2023

Throughout my time at Citygate Network (and at Christian Camp and Conference Association before that), I’ve seen scores of leaders exit the ministry highway...

A Proud Artist Moment
March 20, 2023

Our daughter once lived in Paris. When Judi and I would go to visit her, we liked to hang around Place du Tertre and watch the portrait painters...

Here’s Mud in Your Eye
January 31, 2023

In the Gospels we read stories about five blind men that Jesus and His disciples encountered in their Judean journeys.

Be Thou My Vision
January 31, 2023

I had a call last week from a CEO who was asking about staff retention. She wanted to know what trends we were seeing and how other member organizations in Citygate Network were doing with getting staff to stick around.

Fanning the Flame
February 28, 2023

Earlier this month, a friend sent me a video of people packed in a sanctuary singing worship songs. I first thought it was Philadelphia’s 10th Presbyterian Church...

Reaching a Tipping Point
February 28, 2023

I have a large three-ring binder (plus an electronic file on my laptop) full of articles that talk about the failures of the Housing First philosophy...

Sail On
December 29, 2022

It was nearly noon before the sun squinted between the inky sky and the panes of leaden ice that formed the Bering Sea.

A Stronger Cord. Better Numbers.
December 29, 2022

Solomon said, “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken”

Who Fixed the Roof?
November 28, 2022

This is your busiest time of the year. Your facilities have heavy usage, and there will likely be some breakage and repair work as you continue to serve the multitude that looks to you for critical care.

The Tag of Intolerance
November 28, 2022

The November 19th shootings at Club Q in our hometown of Colorado Springs topped national news for several cycles.

Every Tribe and Tongue
October 31, 2022

The bombardment of political ads leading up to the U.S. mid-term elections is leaving giant craters in the American landscape. Such rancor shows how divided we are in these early years of the 21st Century.

The Man Who Knew Too Much
October 31, 2022

Solomon, the quintessential sage, left us a three-volume legacy that provides a peek into his soul and his psyche.

A Word to the Streetwise
September 28, 2022

Cedric was quite the character. I met him years ago when I lived in Philadelphia. He was thin and wiry and wore a dirty tan fedora.

Can we talk?
September 28, 2022

Earlier this month I had breakfast with Josiah Haken. Josiah is the CEO of City Relief, a Citygate Network member organization that serves desperate and destitute people in New York and North Jersey.

Anyone for Volleyball?
August 30, 2022

A lady came into our office earlier this month with a parcel of old papers and other artifacts from yesteryear. She introduced herself as Pat Ring.

The Ministry of Security
August 30, 2022

One of the sessions in last week’s CEO Summit was titled “It Could All Change in an Instant.” James Li was the instructor. He is one of North America’s foremost experts on security at soft-target locations, particularly churches and ministry organizations.

Dust in the Wind
July 29, 2022

The last day of this month I turn 70. As we all get older, we tend to think more about our legacy and how we will be remembered. But the truth is, legacies and memories have a limited shelf life.

Critical Concerns
July 29, 2022

Last week, I was the guest of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a legal organization committed to protecting religious liberty, free speech, traditional marriage and family, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.

We Can’t Run Out of Lions
June 27, 2022

Stephen Eide is a Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow and the author of a new book. He called me the other day at the urging of some mutual friends. He wanted to learn more about Citygate Network and get my perspective on some things for an upcoming article.

Is Kairos Coming?
June 28, 2022

The ancient Greeks had two words for time, both portrayed by gods. The word chronos and the word kairos. Which word defines the times we are in?

Standing Tall
May 23, 2022

In life-transformation work, we typically toil with guests (and even staff) who journey vertically: valleys to peaks to valleys

His, Hers, or Theirs
May 23, 2022

There are three middle schoolers in Wisconsin who have been accused of sexual harassment for misgendering a classmate.

Reality and a Greater Purpose
March 29, 2022

We’re appreciative of all the nice comments from those who attended this month’s DC Forum online.

Hope in the Gate is Moving Forward
March 29, 2022

No doubt you have seen the first video Citygate Network did at Amy Grant’s Hidden Trace Farm.

Fighting on Our Knees
February 25, 2022

If you know your history, you probably drew some eerie parallels between Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and Adolf Hitler’s annexation of the Sudetenland.

Happiness Is...
February 25, 2022

Are you prepared for an empty inbox? That might sound good right now, but where will you find meaning and purpose…and happiness?

The Devastating Results of Misguided Compassion
January 25, 2022

The lives of far too many people are being destroyed by policymakers with something I call “misguided compassion.”

What’s the Plan?
January 25, 2022

Most of you have been out on the dance floor with strategic plans before. Sometimes you do the twist, sometimes you tap dance, and sometimes you waltz your way off the floor, right through the curtains.

Surviving in brackish water
July 27, 2021

I took off last week and went to South Jersey. Judi and I were visiting our oldest offspring and his family...

Coming to terms
July 27, 2021

A few weeks ago, I was asked in a podcast interview about the “social justice work Citygate Network members are doing.”

There should be another “S”
May 21, 2020

As part of our 2018 rebranding, I wrote about the four ways followers of Jesus try to move people from human suffering to human flourishing...

Feast and famine
May 21, 2020

The CEOs of national and international ministries headquartered in Colorado Springs try to connect quarterly for fellowship and to compare notes...

Faces, not figures
February 26, 2020

Nothing tells tales like numbers: NASDAQ closes down 12 points...gross national product sees increase of more than $16 million...average gas price in Canada tops $1.30 per liter...worldwide Coronavirus recovery cases now at 30,359...monthly screen time up 11 percent...