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Praises
- International Missions Department Staff Prayer/Planning Retreat – Roseville, California – These meetings went well as we especially focused on long-range items, which, for me of course, revolve around Gateway. And, we hosted an NAB Pop-Up Mission Event at First Baptist in Lodi, California. This was the first of its kind and went well!
- NorCal Short-Term Mission Leader Workshop – Sunrise Community Church in Fair Oaks, California – We had a small but well-represented group coming from four different churches. We even had two churches represented that attended the entire training over Zoom! We are looking at ways to make this a more normative way for people to attend the training in the future.
- Gateway Advisory & Initiative Team (GAIT) – Brookfield, Wisconsin – GAIT had our first-ever in-person meetings in April, with 5 of our 7 team members. It was a great time and so valuable to interact in the same room with each other; some of our team members had never met each other before! GAIT will definitely be a formative part of how Gateway moves into the future as we continue to meet monthly over Zoom and in-person again in the future.
- Bonfire & Mission Advisory Team (MAT) meetings – Heartland Community Church in Medina, Ohio – As I write this newsletter here in early May, we just completed these meetings, which went really well; further proof of the importance of in-person interaction for the MAT as well. It was also great to interact with many other NAB-ers meeting separately and together with various teams representing the NAB. Also as I write, we are getting ready to have another NAB Pop-Up Mission Event TONIGHT (May 8) at Cross of Hope Church in the Cleveland area.
- PRAISE from my Central Europe Field Director role in Hungary/Serbia:
- Hungary and Serbia Field Visits – In April, I was able to meet with the staff of both of our NAB partners: MEK in Hatvan, Hungary, and ZZ in Novi Sad, Serbia. Both of these visits and meetings went well as we created budgets and planned for the future with each partnering organization. For more information, please read MEK’s April Newsletter and ZZ Serbia’s. I know that many of you reading about and supporting Gateway may also be interested in reading about my other ‘role’ in Hungary and Serbia. Please let me know (rschmor@nabconf.org) if you would like to receive MEK and ZZ’s newsletters directly as well on a regular basis.
Prayer
- Serbia Gateway Team Training Retreat – First Baptist in Emery, South Dakota – Please pray for this training and soon after (May 31) this team’s mission trip to Serbia to work with ZZ Serbia in the Roma village of Donji Petrovci! This team is comprised of 15 students and leaders who will be serving this village and ministering to youth and children. I’m looking forward to leading this Training Retreat and helping prepare them for this experience!
- GAIT (Gateway Advisory and Initiative Team) – Brookfield, Wisconsin – GAIT was just formed in September as a group of volunteers to advise/serve the NAB Gateway Ministry. We’re hoping to have our first in-person meetings this April! Please pray that the logistics come together for this time.
- Bonfire – Medina, Ohio – Pray for this NAB gathering that includes a number of groups, including the Mission Advisory Team, where I’ve been serving for 13 years.
- Argentina Field Visit – Please pray for me as I connect with two of our key leaders in Salta (Lucio Gallo and David Vargas) and their churches and accompanying ministries. I’ll also be joined on this trip by Geoff Hartt and Tony Campos of Hispanics for Christ.
- Sister-Church Partnership Orientation – Christ Community Church in Puyallup, Washington – Thanks for praying for me as this church has invited me to meet with their leaders and familiarize themselves with how to develop and pursue a sister-church partnership!
- FUSE Trips – Please continue to pray for applicants to join two upcoming Gateway FUSE Teams in Cameroon and the Philippines! (See nabonmission.org/fuse for more info, or pass along this opportunity to a young person you know).
- For all of Gateway’s ongoing sister-church partnerships in various stages of development and engagement in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Mexico, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Hungary, Romania, and Cameroon.
- For more North American churches to engage in sister-church partnerships.
- From my Central Europe Field Director role in Hungary/Serbia: Please pray as NAB and MEK Hungary continue to discover our way forward with ministry in Hungary. Pray for me as well in this as I represent NAB Central Europe, Hungary/Serbia, as field director.
In my February newsletter, I highlighted our new Gateway Advisory & Initiatives Team, or GAIT, and mentioned that GAIT began meeting in September 2025 and was about to have our first in-person planning retreat together in April 2026. We did in fact have that retreat and among other things, we captured a picture of where Gateway is now and a vision for Gateway’s future (by 2031) as well. Let me share some of our hopes for the future!
Sister-Church Partnerships and Consulting
Our primary initiative for developing long-term international, relationship based, mutual partnerships between local churches. Future Goals (over the next 5+ years): 50+ sister-church partnerships; 15+ Triangular Initiatives (sister-church partnerships on mission together).
Training
We offer short-term mission leader workshops, instructional Orientations for sister-church partnerships, training retreats for Gateway Mission Teams serving overseas, workshops at mission conferences, and also training/preparation for individual Volunteers in Mission serving internationally. Future Goals (over the next 5+ years): 25+ Trainers, Cultural Interpreters (cross-cultural individuals who facilitate sister-church partnership vision trips), and short-term mission team leaders.
Short-Term Mission Teams, Volunteers in Mission and Consulting
Short-term mission teams, always at the core of Gateway’s ministry, that are church/organization based or sent directly from Gateway (such as our FUSE Teams). Future Goals (over the next 5+ years): 30+ short-term mission teams per year and VIMs active in all partner nations; half of them from outside of North America.
Resourcing
Whether it’s the Short-term Mission Leader Manual, our complimentary online support tools, or the numerous articles, academic papers and videos we’ve authored, Gateway has developed helpful resources to aid in short-term mission and sister-church partnership efforts. Future Goals (over the next 5+ years): More video aids and teaching tools to come.
Staff/Volunteers
GAIT members, Cultural Interpreters, trainers, short-term mission team leaders, and administrative assistance currently serve our Gateway efforts. Future Goals (over the next 5+ years): Staff – Recruit Short-term mission team leaders and trainers, and an associate director.
As you read through these Future Goals, please pray for individuals to come forward for these positions and for churches and individuals to be compelled to serve and participate in our Short-term mission teams and sister-church partnerships. AND, please get in touch with me/us at Gateway if you feel God is leading you to serve with us!
For the Kingdom,