b'The City Gate Presents a Powerful Visual. The concept for the name of our organization comes from Bible times when cities were walled for protection purposes and various gates were built at points around the wall. But for extra protection, there were often second interior gates. The walled area between the two gates became a large courtyard. The entire courtyard area was known simply as the city gate. Everybody and everything coming in or going out of a city passed through these courtyards, basically making them the vestibules for the city.But for the stranger, the person in distress, the person in need, it was a place of safety: You could stop running when you entered the city gate. It was a place to have immediate needs met: Water for a parched throat, bread for an empty stomach, bandages for an injured foot. It was a place to have disputes settled: Court was held there. It was a place to seek counsel: Wise city leaders gathered there to give advice and directionspiritual and otherwise. For all intents and purposes, if you needed a reprieve, needed to assess your situation, needed guidance, needed to prepare for your ongoing journey, you could do it in the city gate.You might ask, Doesnt the Church or the government function in the role of the city gate? Well, sometimes they do, but all too often they lack the resources and expertise (as is the case with many local churches) or the spiritual perspective (as is the case with government) to do what really needs to be done. That leaves it to missions and kindred ministries to step forward, join together, and be the new city gatea network from coast to coast and beyond, doing the work of liberation and life transformation with desperate and destitute peopleand doing so with an unwavering focus on the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to set people free and change their lives.'