Gateway Mission Minute Newsletter
Gateway Mission Minute
“We’ve Lived It,” says Gateway Men’s Center Director
“It was the worst thing I ever did in my life and the best thing I ever did.”
That’s what Gateway Men’s Center Director, Greg Groen says about entering the Forge program eight years ago under difficult circumstances.
His story reveals the destructive nature of alcohol and drug addictions—which can devastate even the most unlikely people. Yet it also shows how Gateway’s approach is informed by firsthand experience.
In early 2016, Greg hit rock-bottom. After a DUI arrest, he spent time in jail. When a friend bailed him out, Greg learned that his wife of 33 years said she needed time apart from him. After 10 weeks, his friend said Greg’s couch-surfing and continued drinking had to end. Greg needed help.
On June 5, 2016, Greg was accepted as a student into the Gateway Forge Program, which is centered on addiction recovery, skills training, and Bible-based teaching. Enrolled guests work in the mission and adhere to strict living standards, while undergoing
education and discipleship.
At first, Greg planned to short-circuit the nearly year-long program. “I thought, If I can just hold out doing this for two or three months, I can prove to my wife that, okay, I got help,” he said.
But something changed for him in those early months.
To read more about Greg and the rest of the Gateway Mission Minute, click here.
