Helping Up Mission
Innovation & Impact Lab
October 13 – 16, 2026 | Baltimore, Maryland
Discover Kingdom-centered best practices up close–and leave equipped to apply them to your ministry with confidence.
Citygate Network’s Innovation & Impact Labs are immersive, hands-on experiences designed for ministries ready to grow, innovate, and lead with excellence.
Over three focused days, your team will collaborate with peer ministries, explore proven practices, and develop a tailored 90-day action plan. No matter your size, if you're ready to adapt and elevate your impact, this is for you.
After the Lab, a Citygate Network Regional Coordinator will walk with your team—offering support, accountability, and tools to turn ideas into results.
About our Host
Helping Up Mission (HUM) in Baltimore, Maryland, offers a unique opportunity for mutual learning and the exchange of best practices in addiction recovery and holistic care. Their model integrates faith, science, and community to serve nearly 700 men, women, and children each night. A standout feature is their peer recovery community—70% of HUM’s staff are graduates of the program, using their lived experience to guide others. On-site clinical partnerships with Johns Hopkins Cornerstone Clinic and GBMC Health Partners provide primary care, while specialized support for pregnant and parenting mothers is available through Johns Hopkins’ Comprehensive Addiction Pregnancy Program. HUM’s Spiritual Recovery Program is rooted in the 12 steps and designed to remove barriers to recovery through coordinated efforts with hospitals, treatment centers, and street outreach teams. Their approach is sustained by a blend of philanthropic funding and program revenue, with an emphasis on measurable outcomes and long-term transformation.
- Lab location: Helping Up Mission, Center for Women and Children
1216 E. Baltimore St., Baltimore, Maryland 21202 - Hotel: Homewood Suites
625 S. President St., Baltimore, Maryland 21202
(Note: Reservations will be arranged by Citygate Network following your registration.)
Focus Areas
During your time at Helping Up Mission, you’ll engage in meaningful conversations and practical learning centered on the following key areas of ministry development and growth:
General Sessions:
- Perils and Possibilities of On-Site Community Partnerships – Explore the rewards and challenges of housing external service providers within your recovery campus
- Navigating Generational Leadership Transitions & Governance (Panel Discussion) – Hear from leaders navigating succession and board development in dynamic ministry settings
- Vision and Opportunities for Growth – Reflect on strategic direction and what’s possible when faith, data, and collaboration align
Breakouts:
- Bringing Together Faith, Science, and Community – Learn how HUM integrates evidence-based practices with spiritual formation in a trauma-informed recovery model
- Progress to Life Transformation Matrix Outcomes Model – Dive into the framework HUM uses to track and evaluate holistic life change
- Philanthropic Initiatives – Gain insights into innovative funding strategies that fuel long-term sustainability
- Resource Development with Focus on Opioid Settlement Grants – Understand how to pursue and implement funding from opioid-related legal settlements
- Peer Recovery Coaching – Discover how lived experience enhances recovery outcomes and supports long-term transformation
- Warm Handoff Programs – Explore partnerships that remove access barriers and facilitate smooth transitions into recovery
- Tour of Both Campuses – See firsthand how HUM’s facilities support their mission and diverse programming
- Participate in Mobile Street Outreach – Join HUM’s team in real-time engagement with individuals on the streets of Baltimore
- Attend CWC Phase Up Ceremony – Celebrate milestone moments with women in the Spiritual Recovery Program as they advance to the next phase of healing
- Step 1 – Apply
Select the Lab that aligns with your ministry’s current challenges, complete the Ministry Assessment Form, and submit a short online application. - Step 2 – Selection
Applications are reviewed and ministries will be selected for mission‑fit, demonstrated need, and readiness to implement change. - Step 3 – Register
Invited teams receive a private registration link. Thanks to generous grant funding, the investment is just $199 per person. Each attending ministry commits to sending four to five senior leaders. Recommended participants include:- CEO/Executive Director
- Department directors and team leads aligned with the Lab’s focus area
- Board member (optional, for governance-level insight and support)
- Step 4 – We’ve got you covered, just get here
Your registration fee provides:- Three nights of hotel accommodation for up to five team members
- All instruction, facilitation, and on‑site resources and materials
- Most meals
- Please note: Travel to and from the Lab city, along with ground transportation, is the ministry’s responsibility.
- Step 5 – Immerse
Over three energizing days, work side‑by‑side with peer ministries and subject‑matter experts to diagnose challenges, prototype solutions, and craft a 90‑day action plan. - Step 6 – Activate & accelerate
For the next 90 days, your Regional Coordinator walks with you—providing check‑ins, coaching, and resource connections—to ensure momentum and measure impact.
The Helping Up Mission
Innovation & Impact Lab
Questions? Contact us at info@citygatenetwork.org or
(719) 266-8300.