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!
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.
