The Humility of the Cross
The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus truly changes everything. It has changed the course of history, our calendar, how modern cultures value human life, our views of freedom and dignity, our compassion and charity towards others, our understanding of liberty and justice, how we think about arts and culture, and so much more. That the King of the universe would leave His throne to become one of us perfectly, so as to die as the worst of us, that we might be made perfect, is a mystery beyond compare. And we are the beneficiaries of this act of love in human history.
It’s hard to refuse someone who has given absolutely everything for you. Especially when that “everything” is infinitely more than the best you can offer. This gift should create in us one significant effect… humility. Our theme for the month of April at the Gospel Rescue Mission is “Humility That Lifts Up”. The world teaches self-promotion, but the Gospel teaches self-forgetfulness. Jesus showed us that the way up is down, that greatness is found in serving, not in being served. At the Mission, humility creates unity. It allows staff and residents to grow together, learn from correction, and treat every person with dignity… no matter their title or story.
Folks coming to the Mission often share that they want a different life than the one that drove them to us in the first place. Even being honest enough to acknowledge that can require humility, and for our team it is in listening that love learns. Life in our program is designed to exercise humility in ways that build up others while thinking of ourselves less.
It’s how we want to love our community, our neighbors, customers, donors, and family. When we lift others, God lifts us.
Philippians 2:3-4 says, “ Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
So our entire team will be working to challenge each other and our resident population to look for opportunities to choose humility over pride, listening more and talking less (this will clearly be a challenge for this chatty Executive Director), encouraging and honoring others, and serving them from our hearts. True greatness is found in washing feet, in serving behind the scenes, and in lifting others up. Humility invites God’s favor because it makes room for Him to work, and when He does the work He gets the glory!
– Brian Bouteller, Executive Director
From Ritual to Relationship: Jimmy’s Walk into the Light
When you first meet Jimmy, you are struck by his attitude. It’s positive, it’s infectious, and it’s deeply rooted in a peace that he hasn’t always known. But as Jimmy will tell you, that peace didn’t come from the rituals of his youth or the comfort of a trust fund; it came from a “divine appointment” at the Gospel Rescue Mission.
Jimmy’s story began with a different kind of structure. Raised Catholic and baptized at birth, he moved through the motions of a traditional religious upbringing—catechism and the sacred sacraments. He grew up, married twice, and raised two daughters, eventually moving to Grants Pass five years ago to settle on land near where his grandmother once lived. To the outside world, it looked like a life of stability.
But underneath the surface, Jimmy was battling a cycle of addiction. He had cycled through 12-step programs and intensive outpatient care in San Clemente, living in a house overlooking the beach where he could surf and fish.
Yet, even with those resources, the “cure” remained elusive because it hadn’t yet reached his heart.
After his parents passed away from cancer, Jimmy found himself with a sizeable trust fund. In the world’s eyes, he was free. He split the money with his daughters, but in that season of perceived independence, he lost his grip on his connection with God.
“In doing so, I kind of lost touch with God,” Jimmy recalls. “And I started drinking again… just about every day.”
The physical toll was immediate. His youngest daughter noticed his health failing and took him to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with cirrhosis, along with double hernias and vision issues. He was at the end of his own strength, broken in body and spirit. It was at this rock bottom that Jimmy found himself at the Gospel Rescue Mission. He doesn’t credit luck or a social agency for his arrival; he credits the Lord.
At the Mission, Jimmy began attending chapel twelve times a week, soaking in the Word. He discovered that while the world offers “death prevention” through handouts to the homeless, the Mission offers a true Pathway to Independence by restoring dignity through discipleship, structure and responsibility.
The most profound change, however, was in his relationships. Jimmy’s youngest daughter, who had previously not been baptized, watched her father’s transformation. Recently, at Edgewater Christian Fellowship, Jimmy didn’t just stand by—he got to baptize her himself!
Today, Jimmy is a “shining light” at the Mission. Whether he’s reading Proverbs in the chapel or planning to pull weeds in the garden when the sun comes out, his focus is no longer on his past mistakes but on his new Master.
“When God’s in your life, He knows exactly what He has planned for us,” Jimmy says. He has moved from a life of “blame-shifting” and “bad choices” to one of “biblical love expressed through action and service.”
Jimmy’s journey is a living testament to the truth we hold dear at the Mission: that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. He came to us broken, but through the grace of God and the support of this community, he is putting the pieces of his puzzle back together—and this time, they are staying in place.
Staff Spotlight: Bradley Bass – Finding Purpose in the Grime and the Garden
When you walk onto the grounds of the Gospel Rescue Mission, you might see Bradley Bass tending to the far reaches of our garden or ensuring the logistics of a trash disposal run with precision. To the casual observer, it’s just weeding and taking out the trash. To Brad, it’s a ministry of restoration.
Brad’s journey to the Mission started shortly after he was released from prison, a time he describes as a total transformation of his life by the Lord. Seeking to be around like-minded people, he found his way to The ROC Food Pantry and eventually joined our staff at GRM about five years ago. Today, he serves as a utility man and groundskeeper, a role that requires a servant’s heart and a willingness to do the heavy lifting that keeps our ministry running smoothly.
Brad spends much of his time acting as a mentor in the Mission garden, a place he helped transform from a weed-choked lot into a productive sanctuary. For Brad, the garden is a living classroom where the physical work serves as a backdrop for spiritual growth. He views the garden as a natural outgrowth of the Holy Spirit, providing a quiet space to point residents toward God’s work in their own lives. He uses the rhythmic, quiet time of weeding and planting to have deep, often difficult, conversations about faith and the person of Jesus. Brad credits the Holy Spirit in providing the right words to say at the right moment, “Sometimes the ‘spew’ comes out—a one-minute thing—and I’d be observing my own speech going, ‘Where’d that come from?”
Just like the plants he tends, Brad knows that residents require constant attention and “weeding” to keep the habits of their old lives from taking over their new growth in Christ.
Outside of his work at the Mission, Brad’s life revolves around his church family in Sunny Valley. A drummer since the age of 12, he has been a staple of his church’s worship team since they opened their doors. His heart for teaching even extended to his life group, where he spent a season teaching the entire group how to play guitar!
A gifted writer finds his most important story yet: his own restoration.
Brad is quick to tell you that his favorite part of the job isn’t the groundskeeping; it’s the men he serves alongside. He understands that the Mission isn’t just a place to stay; it’s a place to change. Reflecting on the program, Brad notes the importance of the internal shift that happens when a resident truly commits. He sees his role as helping residents move past the surface-level fixes to find a deep-seated identity in Christ. But the relationship goes both ways. “They help me become a shining light,” Brad explains. “They help me not focus on my own little issues and instead be selfless.”
Whether he is planting seeds in the soil or seeds of truth in a resident’s heart, Brad Bass humbly embodies the Mission’s goal: demonstrating that real freedom comes from choosing Christ as Master and living a life of disciplined, joyful service.
