About GateWay of Hope Ministries

GateWay of Hope Ministries, Inc. is a faith-based, non-profit organization that exists to serve the multifaceted needs of women. At GateWay of Hope Ministries we offer support, acceptance, and the compassion of Christ to women from all faiths, races, and geographic locations. The programs, services, and ministries that we offer integrate the physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, and relational part of each woman’s life

GateWay’sPurpose is to

• H onor andglorify God in all that we do
• O pen theway for women to find encouragement, transformation, and hope
• P rovide asafe and peaceful environment so women can find restoration for their body,soul, and spirit
• E ngage thechurch and the community so that women can have access to available resources

GateWay’sVision is to

• See womenbecoming all that God created them to be – spiritually whole, emotionallypeaceful, and full of hope

GateWay’sMission is to

• Cultivate anenvironment that invites and encourages women to experience God’stransformation and hope

Our name, GateWay of Hope Ministries, came from Hosea 2:15 - “I will transform the valley of trouble into a gateway of hope.” The valley of trouble can take many forms, such as stress, loneliness, financial struggles, divorce, sexual abuse, domestic violence, or loneliness. We envision our gateway of hope as the entrance to a new path out of the valley of trouble. Although we believe that the ultimate Gateway is Jesus, the gateway that we offer is one that invites women to come near, to hope, and to leave the old behind as they seize the opportunity to make changes. Our logo is a visualization of our invitation to women to take a step toward hope, healing, and wholeness.

The History of GateWay of Hope Ministries

GateWay of Hope Ministries was birthed out of the hearts that Deborah Simon and Dori Tompkins have for women who are stressed or lonely, wounded or abused. Deborah and Dori met through mutual friends who knew they had similar visions for ministering to women. Although they brought different clinical backgrounds and a mixture of ideas, their desires and plans were similar enough for them to partner together. As they began to share their dreams, GateWay of Hope Ministries began to be formed. On May 25, 2006, GateWay of Hope Ministries, Inc was incorporated as a non-profit organization in the State of Kansas. GateWay of Hope Ministries became a 501 (C) (3) in February 2007.

One of the similarities that Deborah and Dori have is that they both are on a lifelong journey of knowing and loving Jesus. From this commitment, to Jesus, grows a heart for women who have been wounded and abused. They both see the need to address the needs of the whole person; they both have worked with lay-care training within their local churches; and they both have birthed and developed other ministries. Deborah is currently the only paid staff. She brings experiences in counseling, group work, and women's ministry leadership. Dori now works as a volunteer. She brings experiences in nursing, healing prayer, and Stephen Ministry leadership.

Deborah has counseled individual women and groups with issues such as depression, anxiety, grief, boundaries, sexual abuse, and dissociation. She has noticed four recurring circumstances. The resulting needs have motivated her to develop GateWay of Hope Ministries.

• Many women, especially those who have experienced abuse, were isolated and lonely with little or no social support. They often lacked the relational skills or confidence required to build friendships. As a result, theses survivors of abuse needed a safe, structured environment to build healthy relationships.

• Some of the women who had been abused did not have sufficient financial resources to obtain adequate counseling, attend pertinent seminars, or buy needed resource materials. These women, therefore, needed a variety of free or discounted services.

• Mental health services or community support groups dealt with mental and emotional needs whereas Bible studies dealt with Biblical principles; but it was very difficult to find the integration of mental and emotional health with spiritual health. Many women frequently voiced the desire to apply spiritual truth and Biblical principles to the difficult issues they were dealing with such as depression, anxiety, or abuse.

• Often times, women drain their physical, financial, and emotional resources. Whether being an abuse survivor, a single mom, a professional woman, or a woman in ministry, women simply needed a safe place to go, a place just “to be” - not a place to live, but a safe and serene place to relax, reflect, and refresh themselves. They needed a center just for women that offered not only counseling, but prayer, support groups, and a place to be, even for those women with limited finances.

Dori herself is a wounded woman on the path of healing, having experienced grace and healing though counseling, support groups, spiritual formation groups, Bible studies, women’s ministries, and healing prayer. In addition to her personal experience on the healing path, she has noticed trends in her nursing and her various ministries, she has confirmed her call in establishing GateWay of Hope Ministries.

• Increased stress-related health issues including obesity and depression

• Increased health care costs with a large percentage associated with alcohol and nicotine related diseases

• Increased employer interest in reducing work force losses due to illness

• Increased public interest in spirituality

• Increased acceptance of counseling and support groups

• Increased awareness of sexual abuse, rape, domestic violence, depression, anxiety, and loneliness

• Increased merging of theological, spiritual, and psychological issues

• Increase divorce rate with an increasing number of single mothers struggling financially, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.