Effective Charity

At Medford Gospel Mission, we believe poverty and brokenness are deeper than a lack of material resources. Poverty affects the whole person and touches the relationships God created us to enjoy. That is why our Relational Restoration Process focuses on what we call the Four Key Relationships: our relationship with God, with ourselves, with others,

October 10 marks the 17th annual World Homeless Day, an international observance that draws attention to homelessness and encourages communities to respond. At Medford Gospel Mission, we want to use this occasion to remember what God has done over the past 67 years, thank those who have supported this ministry, and pray for His work

Author’s Note: This final article is deeply influenced by When Helping Hurts, Becoming Whole, and A Field Guide to Becoming Whole. The identification of demonic forces as one of five interacting causes of material poverty comes from the Chalmers Center’s framework. What follows is my reflection on how it applies at the Medford Gospel Mission.

Author’s Note: This article continues a series deeply influenced by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert’s work, especially When Helping Hurts, Becoming Whole, and A Field Guide to Becoming Whole [1] . What follows is my own reflection on how those themes apply to reaching people experiencing poverty and homelessness at the Medford Gospel Mission. In

Gardens have a way of bringing people together. They offer beauty, food, work, purpose, and hope. A garden can become shared ground where people who might not otherwise know one another work side by side. It can invite patience, cooperation, and joy. At its best, a garden is a picture of community. In fact, the

Author’s Note: This article continues a series deeply influenced by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert’s work, especially When Helping Hurts, Becoming Whole, and A Field Guide to Becoming Whole. [1] I am grateful for the theological framework these books provide, and what follows is my own reflection on how those themes apply in the context

Years ago, I received a call from the manager of a local grocery store. He was frustrated, and I understood why. He believed the Mission had his shopping carts. Technically, we did not. But many people came to our shelter carrying their belongings in shopping carts. They arrived looking for a meal, a shower, clothing,

Author’s Note: This article continues a series deeply influenced by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert’s When Helping Hurts, Becoming Whole, and A Field Guide to Becoming Whole. In particular, the framework of poverty as broken relationships with God, self, others, and creation, as well as the emphasis on moving toward wholeness in Christ, comes from