Category Archives: From the Staff

Dear friends,

Happy New Year! I hope you had a joyous holiday. WE certainly did, in large part because many of YOU made it so! It would be impossible to personally thank everyone who generously gave to make our celebrations what they were. The holidays can be quite difficult and lonely. Some of our guys really struggled. But the homemade cookies and treats, the special decorations, the gifts for our men and their children, the amazing feasts and chapel services – all of this is a tangible expression of the love of Jesus whose birth we celebrated.

As one gentleman shared, it made him “feel like a person” for the first time in a while. Another man said with tears as he gathered toys for his kids, “I never had a Christmas before. I was never in a place to celebrate it. But this is really beautiful. I can’t thank you all enough.” Thank you for blessing our men with these gifts – not just candy, homemade cookies, toys, umbrellas, travel mugs, wallets, towels, and the like. You gave the most basic and precious gifts of being seen and recognized and loved. You gave men the gift of being able to connect with and bless their kids. That meant the world to many men this Christmas. Thank you.

Then we rang in the New Year with pizza and chicken fingers and a party to celebrate God’s provision in the past year and His promises for the one ahead. Thank you for your part in it all! The Lord wove together everyone’s efforts to truly make the Mission a home for the holidays. These photos of our Christmas party and toy giveaway will give you a glimpse of the fun we had and the joy it brought. The men collectively share their thanks and blessings with you!

As we head into 2023, please pray with me for the Lord’s continued wisdom, guidance, and provision. We’re always looking for ways to do what we do better, to stretch dollars further, and to love more extravagantly. This past Fall our staff attended training to help us better understand trauma and how people heal. We’re excited to do more things like that this year. Please also pray for our men. Pray for good jobs, freedom from addictions, restored family relationships, and for health and healing. Pray for each resident who comes to the Mission over the next year to feel God’s love in a tangible way and to know His peace.

Also, as you make plans for the Spring, please save Saturday, April 22nd at 2 pm to join us at Calvary Presbyterian Church in Willow Grove to celebrate Rev. Dr. Bob Emberger’s retirement from full-time ministry after 33 years as Executive Director. The Lord has used Bob to not only develop and grow the New Life Program itself, but also to develop our wonderful staff and the financial means to carry it all out. There’s no cost for the event, but we will need to have a count because of limited seating capacity at the church. More details and a formal invitation will follow in early March. I hope you can come!

As always, we are grateful for and humbled by your partnership with us in the Gospel. Thank you for helping us share good news and a way forward with all who come through our doors. Please keep us in mind as the winter heating bills rise! The Lord bless you and keep you in His grace!

Grace and peace,

Heather L. Rice, D.Min.
Executive Director

Dear Friends,

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here. We’ve been enjoying some festive decorations, all kinds of holiday treats, and special chapel services filled with Christmas music and carol singing. Soon we’ll have our toy giveaway where men will select and wrap over a thousand gifts for their kids and grandkids. After that it won’t be long before we share all sorts of presents with our residents at a special Christmas chapel. All the while, I have Anne Murray on standby to belt out “Joy to the World” and “O Come, All Ye Faithful” whenever it’s my turn to ask Alexa to play something (if you haven’t heard her version of them, you should give a listen!).

All these festivities don’t make the hard things go away, of course. But they remind us in the midst of the darkness just how stunning the Light of the World is. Jesus, our Emmanuel, comes near! His light dispels darkness. And in that light, we see hope and a way forward. That’s what I love about life at the Mission. It doesn’t matter how dark it seems. The darkness can’t swallow up the light. The news the angels brought to the shepherds a couple thousand years ago is the same good news we rejoice in today – news of great joy for all people. It’s news of a Savior, Christ the Lord, who comes to make peace.

Your support helps us shine the light of Jesus in ways that illuminate the path forward for men who come to the Mission looking for help and yearning for peace. Thank you for partnering with us. As we approach the end of 2022, consider perhaps making a special one-time gift to the Mission. Below are some options – each one a practical way to help dispel darkness and shine light on the path forward for a man at the Mission in a life-changing and even life-saving way. This change goes on to affect not just that one man’s life, but the lives and futures of so many others including his family and children. Perhaps one of these options might resonate with you in this season. Here are several great ways you can help:

1. Consider a generous year-end gift of cash as an investment in transformational life-change.
2. Instead of giving gifts to each other at the holidays, some families bless our men by pooling their money and giving a special Christmas gift to the Mission from their whole family (individual receipts for each donor can still be given).
3. If God has especially blessed you this past year, please consider sending a larger-than-usual gift to the Mission. Large gifts take big bites out of our budgeted expenses. They also strengthen and expand our compassionate services to our men.
4. Give a gift of appreciated stock – this is a great help to us and may provide you with excellent tax benefits, especially if you transfer the stock directly to the Mission without selling it first. Please consult with your financial advisor to confirm these tax benefits. To arrange for an easy electronic transfer of stock, please call me at (215) 438-3094 x 103.
5. If you have a donor-advised fund, you can recommend that a grant be made to the Whosoever Gospel Mission. Your grant will bless our men in many ways.
6. You can make up to a $100,000 Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) to the Mission instead of taking your required minimum distribution (RMD). Your distribution must be sent by your IRA custodian directly to the Mission. The effect in most situations is both an income tax savings and an increased gift. Please consult with your financial advisor.
7. Save postage and time – you can go to whosoevergospel.org/donate to make a secure online gift. You can also set up a monthly recurring donation for 2023.
8. When you shop online at Amazon.com, make your online purchases through AmazonSmile which is run by Amazon.com as a unique way to support charities. You will get the same service, same merchandise, and the same prices. Register with AmazonSmile and designate the Whosoever Gospel Mission to receive a percentage of all the eligible purchases you make on AmazonSmile. You can search for the Mission on AmazonSmile, or you can type in the following address: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-1352579. You won’t pay any more for your purchases, but you will be helping the Whosoever Gospel Mission.
9. Make a gift to the Mission through PayPal Giving Fund. Search “Donate with PayPal Giving Fund” or go to PayPal Giving Fund’s website: www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/hub and search “Whosoever Gospel Mission.” We get the full value of your donation – PayPal doesn’t charge us any fees.

Thank you for being part of the light that shines with us into the darkness, illuminating the way forward in the path of peace. May the grace and peace of Jesus fill your heart and home this Christmas and always. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Grace and peace,

Heather L. Rice, D.Min.
Executive Director

Dear Friends,

Happy Thanksgiving! Here at the Mission, we have so much to thank God for – prayers answered, needs met, relationships restored, staff that were supplied at just the right time…I could go on. We’ve seen God provide what we needed before we even knew there was a need! Each instance is a reminder that God is so very good. Things like the chess tournament Shorty just organized (which Kisho and Andrew won), or the 10-year-old granddaughter’s birthday party that Cory just attended – these are reminders of God’s goodness. It’s easy to think of these things and give thanks. And so we should!

And then there are other things we thank God for – things for which giving thanks feels more like a sacrifice. Things we know are good, even though they’re hard – like when God starts tearing down long-standing strongholds in a person’s life one stone at a time. That can be hard and painful work. Often it involves losing some things that are precious to us. But the light of the Gospel – the good news that Jesus brings life, reconciliation, healing, forgiveness, recovery, and peace – begins to shine through the newly-formed cracks in those stronghold walls. And when it does, we begin to realize even more profoundly just how good God is.

We’re also thankful for the way the Lord makes us a family here at the Mission. Holidays can be hard and lonely for folks struggling with addictions, homelessness, and the like. The strain of broken family relationships weighs especially heavy at times like these. We try our best to make the Mission as warm and inviting as possible. We pull out all the stops for Thanksgiving. It’s a joy to pause the normal activities of life for a day and just gather to worship the Lord, feast on good food, and fellowship around the tables with our brothers and sisters. It’s a reminder that none of us is alone, and that God is so good to us.

Please give thanks with us for the good work God continues to do in this place. And if the Lord should lay it upon your heart, please consider partnering with us in the work that lies ahead! Thank you for your prayers, your donations of needed items, and your financial support! May the Lord bless and keep you and yours this Thanksgiving in His mercy, love and grace!

Grace and peace,

Heather L. Rice, D.Min.
Executive Director

Dear friends

As we approach the end of our fiscal year September 30th, we have much to thank God for! It’s been a BIG year for us. We’ve definitely experienced huge change (and all the normal aches and pains that go along with such change). At the same time, we’ve thankfully enjoyed ongoing stability and significant growth.

Financially, it looks like we will end the year in the black with all of our expenses covered. That’s even with some capital projects we tackled this year including a new roof, a major repointing project, a new walk-in refrigerator, and all new computers. That’s a huge praise! We’ve significantly expanded our staffing (and with it our annual expenses) by hiring an Executive Assistant and a Program Director. Both were necessary for me to step away from some daily tasks and into the role of Executive Director. Bob Emberger continues to be a tremendous help mentoring me in my new role, coordinating our volunteers and church partnerships, and doing grant writing. We’ve also increased our minimum starting salary to make sure every team member earns a livable wage. We have a great staff that continues to joyfully love and serve the men in Jesus’ Name. All of this lends great stability to the Mission community.

This stability, in turn, has allowed us to keep on growing and developing the scope and quality of the program services we offer. Over the past year we began covering 50% of the money our graduates needed to move into their own apartments. We’ve been tweaking the New Life Program to better fit today’s job market and our residents’ current needs. We’ve leaned even harder into celebrating residents’ milestones and achievements, like publicly honoring men when they advance in the Program from the Foundations Phase to the Careers Phase and begin their job search. We’ve added more layers of addiction recovery support, and we’re actively trying to cultivate an atmosphere of hope in the midst of all that is broken in our lives, families, city, and beyond. These things and more are the results of asking the simple question, “What does it look like to love God and others right here, right now?”

That’s a question the Mission has been asking for decades. It helps us focus on people, not programming. It allows us to meet men where they are and adjust what we do to help. Thank you for your part in helping to love our men well. As we begin our new fiscal year on October 1st, your generous financial support is needed more than ever as we all continue to experience increased expenses. Thank you in advance for your support, prayers, and encouragement!

Grace and peace,

Heather L. Rice, D.Min.
Executive Director

UPDATE: Thank you to all who helped us reach our goal!

Our 14-year-old large walk-in refrigerator needs to be replaced as soon as possible. The whole project will cost us $17,950. Friends just committed $10,000 to replace the fridge. We’re looking to raise the remaining $7,950. We serve about 165 meals each day to men working hard to overcome addictions, find good jobs, and secure their own permanent housing. Any help is deeply appreciated!

https://www.facebook.com/donate/560075255849541/

Thanks!

Dear friends,

With summer upon us, we’re grateful for good air conditioning in our main building. We had our system switched over from heat to air just one day before that 90+ degree weekend hit us in May. The relief is worth the increased electric bill – especially for several of our residents with serious health issues that affect their breathing (like asthma, COPD, and congestive heart failure). Thank you for your part in helping to keep the air conditioning on and our residents breathing easier!

Life around the Mission continues full speed ahead with all its joys and struggles. Pray for our residents – that the Lord would grant freedom for those struggling with addictions, encouragement for the weary, the opening of doors for those that are stuck, good jobs for those looking for work, and safe, affordable housing for those who are ready to graduate and move on. We have seen again and again how the Lord opens doors and provides in ways that we could never expect or imagine. It’s always a delight to witness.

One such joy is Joey. It’s been a pleasure to watch his growth and success. He persevered through several difficult situations. He stuck it out at a tough job until he found a better one. He kept to his budget and saved up and eventually found a place. I recently had the joy of signing a check payable to his new landlord for 50% of his security deposit, first and last month’s rent – all of which was due at lease signing. Joey graduated from the New Life Program and moved into his new place on May 19th! Joey, his family, and the whole Mission community could not be happier for him. Pray for Joey as he settles into this new season of life.

Thank you for all the ways you help and support men like Joey. Your prayers, financial support, and donations of items from our needs list are a blessing (you’ll find an updated needs list here). The Lord bless and keep you in His grace!

Grace and peace,

Heather L. Rice, D.Min.
Executive Director

Dear friends,

So much has been happening around the Mission, I hardly know where to begin! First of all, I want to start with a great big THANK YOU. Since Bob Emberger shared the news of our leadership transition, we have not ceased to be encouraged! As you may have heard, March 1^st of this year Bob stepped down from being Executive Director because of his health and moved into the vital new role of Director of Advancement. I, in turn, have become the new Executive Director. So many friends have reached out to support and encourage us. We are grateful!

Your prayers are so very necessary and deeply appreciated. Please keep praying for Bob’s continued recovery, strength, and stamina. Pray for me – for wisdom and a heart that is open to the Lord’s leading. Pray for our residents and staff and their families – that the Lord would give grace upon grace as we seek to follow Him one step at a time.

As winter comes to a close and spring begins, we look ahead with joy and anticipation. We have several long-in-the-works facilities projects finally coming to completion. These will beautify our property, ensure its usefulness for years to come, and facilitate ministry here and now. Our oldest building is 111 years old and with a little love is ready to keep on serving us for many more. We’re also excited to be able once again to have outside church groups come in to do chapels. We have our first groups returning this spring!

Meanwhile, the Mission is a hive of positive, forward-moving activity every day. James is in school studying to be a chef. Will started a job at Tastykake (and brings us Butterscotch Krimpets!). Lamont put together a workable budget, saved up enough money from his job at a local pizza place, graduated from the New Life Program and moved out into his own place. We also just hired two New Life Program residents to work full time at the Mission – Roger as a Thrift Shop Associate and Michael as our Hospitality Supervisor. There are dozens more like these men, working hard to overcome the obstacles in their path, build a solid foundation for life, achieve their goals, and move into their own permanent housing.

Your support is used by God to make all of this possible. On behalf of the whole Mission family, thank you. God’s richest blessings to you and yours.

Grace and peace,

Heather L. Rice, D.Min.
Executive Director

Dear Friend of the Mission

Thank you for loving our men with the extravagant love of God. Please our post sharing heart-warming photos that spotlight the new toys that were given to the children and grandchildren of our men and the Christmas gifts that our men received. You will be especially blessed and encouraged by Michael’s “note of thanks.” The Lord’s love doesn’t just turn frowns upside down, but most importantly of all, God’s love makes a person feel loved to the very core of his or her being. God’s love fills a heart with hope and determination to press on.

I have a pretty big announcement to share with you in this letter. As of March 1, 2022, after 33 years of service, I will be stepping down as the Executive Director of the Whosoever Gospel Mission. The great news is that the Lord has raised up the perfect person to be our new Executive Director, Dr. Heather Lynn Rice. Heather is currently our Associate Executive Director. Heather has served with the Whosoever Gospel Mission for 29 years starting as a freshman volunteer in Central High School. When she went to college, Heather worked part-time at the Mission and then became full-time upon graduating from college. Heather then earned both her masters and doctoral degrees while serving at the Mission in many different roles and capacities. For many years she served as my Executive Assistant before becoming our Associate Executive Director. I will become the Executive Director Emeritus on March 1st. I will also pick up a new title, Director of Advancement. My job as Director of Advancement will be to do whatever I can do to bless and prosper the Mission both internally with our ministries and externally raising the funds and resources we need to continue sharing God’s love with the broken and hurting homeless men who come to the Mission looking for help. I am stepping down as the Executive Director for health reasons. As you know, I had extensive open heart surgery last May. Thankfully it was a success, because without it I had only 1-2 months to live. However, the surgery resulted in significantly decreased energy and stamina, and lymphedema and weakness in both legs. I still hope to work 40 hours a week as Director of Advancement, but I can no longer put in the 50 plus hours a week required as the Executive Director. Thank you for supporting me as the Executive Director for 33 years. It has been a good run. I am excited that Heather is taking the helm as our new Executive Director. She will do an amazing job. Please pray for her, and please continue to generously support the Mission to let Heather know that you are standing with her in her new role. With joy, serving at the Whosoever Gospel Mission has been the best job ever. Thank you for being part of it.

With peace and thanks to the Lord,

Robert A. Emberger, D.Min.
Executive Director