The Gospel

“It has been my privilege to watch the power of the Holy Spirit at work at UGM every day for the past 30 years. When a person entrusts his life to Jesus, he receives the gift of the Holy Spirit and begins to change from the inside out.” – Phil Altmeyer, Executive Director

It’s our middle name.

It’s the crux of our mission statement.

 

The Gospel, literally “good news,” is at the core of everything UGM does. Here’s why: Only God can truly change a life. We can feed people, house them, listen and counsel them. We can provide showers and clothes, tutoring and job training, but we cannot change a heart. We cannot forgive sins. We can reflect the love of Christ, and we try to do that every day, but the best thing we can do for someone walking through our doors is to introduce them to Jesus Christ.

Hello God!

The Bible says God created each human being for relationship with him, but that relationship is severed by each person’s choice to turn away from God and go his own way.

God is perfect. Even when we’re trying (which we often aren’t), we are far from perfect. We are selfish, envious, discontent. Without God, we cannot have the joy we were created for. The abundant life can only be found through complete dependence on his perfect love, acceptance, and provision.

Deep down, everyone knows something is missing. In UGM recovery programs, we call it the “God-shaped hole” in our hearts.

Poor Substitutes

When we try to fill our need for God with food, sex, alcohol, drugs, codependency, gambling, counterfeit spirituality, thrill-seeking, or anything else, more often than not the end result is disastrous. Families are broken. Moms and dads fight. Children are neglected and abused – and, too often, they grow up to mimic the behavior they witnessed.

 

You’re probably wondering where the “good news” comes in.

What is the Gospel?

It comes in Jesus Christ, God’s Son. In the ultimate act of selfless and unconditional love, Jesus came to Earth, lived a perfect life and died willingly for us. He paid the penalty that we deserved and restores those who put their trust in him to perfect relationship with God. Because of him, all our past mistakes – the very worst things we have done – are forgiven. We have a clean slate because he rose from the dead and is alive, both with God in heaven and through his Spirit in our hearts.

Thriving, Not Just Surviving

Jesus’ promise to live in us is the only way to fill the God-shaped hole permanently and satisfactorily. When he lives in us, we can stop our futile efforts to fill our huge longing with temporal, destructive things. He restores us to a joyful relationship with our Creator and gives meaning to our lives in the midst of a needy and broken world.

 

And, we don’t have to fear death, because he’s promised to raise us up to be with him forever. That’s the Gospel.

 

Union Gospel Mission Sign

Our ability to freely share this wonderful truth is essential to what we do, and that’s the reason UGM accepts no government funding. For more than six decades, UGM has depended on God – through his people – to provide everything necessary to share this message of hope and freedom with homeless and hurting people in the Inland Northwest.

 

If you want to know more about the gospel and who Jesus is, please click here.
When we try to fill our need for God with food, sex, alcohol, drugs, codependency, gambling, counterfeit spirituality, thrill-seeking, or anything else, more often than not the end result is disastrous. Families are broken. Moms and dads fight. Children are neglected and abused – and, too often, they grow up to mimic the behavior they witnessed.

 

You’re probably wondering where the “good news” comes in.
Jesus’ promise to live in us is the only way to fill the God-shaped hole permanently and satisfactorily. When he lives in us, we can stop our futile efforts to fill our huge longing with temporal, destructive things. He restores us to a joyful relationship with our Creator and gives meaning to our lives in the midst of a needy and broken world.

 

And, we don’t have to fear death, because he’s promised to raise us up to be with him forever. That’s the Gospel.

 
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