“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’" Matthew 25:40

In 2006, God used this passage in Matthew 25 to stir the hearts of Gateway Church’s leadership. While eating BBQ for dinner together one night, they realized they were all on the same page and felt compelled to lead the church in learning about mercy and taking care of needs in the Church and in the community of Blue Springs. At that time, the church was looking into the possibility of buying property for a church building. However, after spending time in prayer, they clearly discerned that they were not supposed to invest in a building; rather, they were to lead Gateway in building people.

After a visit to a ministry in Texas in 2006, God had given the leadership a vision of creating a neighborhood of transitional housing. The neighborhood would provide a place for families to have an opportunity for relief and transformation and would also allow church members to use their gifts and skills to help change lives.

In the spring of 2008, Mercy Ministry was developed as Gateway responded to the call to show mercy in the same way God has shown us mercy. After much prayer and discernment, God led the leadership to call Meagan Farber to lead Mercy Ministry. Her compassion and desire to meet the needs of others, along with the experiences God has given her, made her a perfect fit for the role of leading Mercy Ministry.

In the fall of 2008, Gateway purchased two homes for transitional housing in the Kingsridge neighborhood. Over 80 volunteers from Gateway worked 400+ hours renovating the houses. In the spring of 2009, Gateway held a House Blessing to celebrate the homes being completed and ready for families.

By Spring 2012, we will have 3 families that have completed the covenant process in Mercy Ministry housing. Each family has a unique story of how they have moved forward, paid off debt, established stable housing and developed stronger relationships with God and others.

Mercy Ministry continues to develop ways to meet the needs of the community and does this by looking at the whole picture of families’ lives and stories and offering a covenant relationship where we can walk alongside those with them. Mercy Ministry seeks opportunities to help families move out of the cycles and patterns that keep them from experiencing God’s best for them.