GOD gets All the praise and glory for any encouragement kindly directed our way! Without Him we can do nothing!
Mission Gate Prison Ministry, 2021 Septemberfest, Twin Oaks Presbyterian Church, St. Louis, MO.
This was our first time playing special music at this Event. And what an Event it was, with all of the testimonies of former inmates who went from crime to Christ! We were so blessed to have several new singers and musicians join us for this special occasion. Such talent! Trish Mathes, co-founder of the Mission Gate, called it “the best ever.” The bottom line is transformation to the image of Christ as we go “from glory to glory” (2 Cor. 3:18).
Mission Gate Prison Ministry, 2019 Christmas Angel Party, Christ Memorial Lutheran Church, St. Louis, MO.
The LORD showed Himself the Provider, a faithful Good Shepherd! The scheduled time was snowed out and canceled, and one of our singers, our lead guitarist, and our bassist could not make the rescheduled date that week. Well, the LORD provided talented subs on extremely short notice. And still a lot of kids who heard the gospel! We always preach His providence, and we witnessed it first hand! To GOD be the glory!!! “Your loaves and fishes multiplied.”
Faithfest, Wright City, MO. September 28, 2019.
Here’s what Catrina of Misfits for Jesus, the Church Sponsor for this Event, had to say:
“Hello all! Randy wanted me to pass on his sincere gratitude for your involvement at Faithfest this year. We believe, and we hope you do also, that it was a raving success! God was definitely glorified and we are so excited about the fresh wind, fresh fire in our souls and our church. THANK YOU ALL for helping to make this such an amazing event!”
Our keyboard player also witnessed a baptism after our set. Our God is an awesome God!
Pietown Gospel Music Festival, Alton, Illinois. July 27, 2019.
Cedric Shannon-Rives, worship leader extraordinaire, sang lead vocals as did Melissa Bell, who sang powerfully, beautifully. It was their first time with Friends of Jesus. What a treat! Check out some videos here.
Mission Gate Prison Ministry, 2018 Christmas Angel Party, Christ Memorial Lutheran Church, St. Louis, MO.
The kids were blessed again with the Word of GOD in song & sermon and also with Christmas gifts from generous individuals & churches. The volunteers are amazing in this favored ministry. It’s our sincere privilege to be a part of it! And we received a good report:
“It was my favorite Christmas party ever. Wouldn’t be right without any of our wonderful and blessed team! Thank you all so much! Press On! Rick and Trish” Mission Gate founders.
“…sounds good and tight Vic I was really impressed and proud. I was so edified by the worshipful pieces you were playing. You even did an Eddie James number! FREEDOM.
Really all the praise and worship songs – you got great vocalists, great guitarists your lead male singer the tenor what a great voice as well as the girls. you know, your drumming, the whole works”….a Class Act! But you carried the Spirit, and you would say along with me, that was the most precious thing of all . Thanks for telling me about it.” Marla Wessel.
“The Spirit of the Lord was with us all!” Sherry LoRusso.
Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of the Truth, Alton, Illinois.
Our third time here, and what a fun, fantastic time! What a Saviour we serve!
River City Rascals, O’Fallon, MO, Faith and Family Night.
Fourth time! We prayed hard for good weather and the LORD obliged! He gives us things we don’t even ask for. Can’t help praising Him! The crowd is just fantastic, all 2,000 of them. We debuted some new tunes, including “Hills And Valleys” which brother Timothy McGimpsey sings like the recording. Our powerful gospel singer Joy Nance-Johnson gave lotsa soul to “Gotta Serve Somebody”, and “O Come To The Altar” was just plain moving.
Mission Gate Prison Ministry Christmas Angel Party, Christ Memorial Lutheran Church, St. Louis, MO.
“…Anointed!….Awesome!….” We are so thankful to be a part of this ministry. A lot of people raised their hand to receive Christ at the invitation. Souls get saved every year and it’s all GOD’s grace! Our eighth time here, praise the LORD again!
Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of the Truth, Alton, Illinois.
“It was a good day!” — Pastor Donald Tolbert.
Pastor said that last time, too! This was our second time here to lift up the name of Jesus with our gospel rock praise & worship. The LORD provided good weather and good outreach yet again, praise His Name!
River City Rascals, O’Fallon, MO, Faith and Family Night.
This was our third time here and it was fantastic! The weather was just right and there seemed to be even more people than last year, if that is possible. This was singer Pam Camp’s premiere with us and you can see why she’s in the Fort Smith, Arkansas Musician’s Hall of Fame! We sang GOD’s praises and rocked, and the very friendly crowd celebrated Jesus.
Mission Gate Prison Ministry Christmas Angel Party, Christ Memorial Lutheran Church, St. Louis, MO.
“…Absolutely amazing…! Thank you….” Rick and Trish Mathes, Mission Gate founders.
What was amazing was the harvest of souls saved that day! Many hands went up in response to the call to follow Jesus as LORD! We were so blessed and humbled to minister here our seventh time!
Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of the Truth, Alton, Illinois.
“I was impressed!!” — Pastor Donald Tolbert.
“WOW!” — Soundman Matt. “It was a good day.”
Yes it was! The LORD provided good weather, good sound, and a truly blessed time. And the Word of God was broadcast loud & clear. Thanks to the Church and glory be to GOD for a great event, indeed!
River City Rascals, O’Fallon, MO, Faith and Family Night.
“You guys were great and it was nice having you back out here!” –River City Rascals.
Our second time here! The weather was hot but everyone had a lot of fun. Two thousand people got to celebrate Jesus with us in song as they entered the ballpark.
New Life Evangelistic Center, St. Louis, MO.
“Wow! Wow! Wow!” — Bill, NLEC camera and audio technician.
This time we pre-recorded some Christmas songs and some new ones to NLEC. They use these tunes on their telethons for the poor & needy. I can vouch first hand that NLEC truly helps the homeless with food & shelter.
“The one who is gracious to the poor lends to the LORD, and the LORD will repay him for his good deed” (Proverbs 19:17).
Mission Gate Prison Ministry Christmas Angel Party, Christ Memorial Lutheran Church, St. Louis, MO.
“You took me home”….“Awesome” ….“You were killing it.” God has blessed us, allowing us to serve the sixth time at the StL party. It was a fantastic privilege hearing and seeing the the gospel being presented to all those people. The prayers at the beginning were all answered. What an experience!
KidFest 2015, Faith Church Sunset Hills Campus, St. Louis, MO.
This was our 50th Event! Check out Faith Church’s FaceBook page to see how much fun this was for all the kids.
FaithFest, Kaufmann & Poelker Parks Downtown, St. Louis, MO.
Our third time here as well! The first two at Soulard Market Park, this one by Soldiers Memorial. Thx to Pastor Ken and the St. Louis Rock Church crew for all your work!
Joshua House, Jericho Ride VII, Hazelwood, Mo.
Our third time! We love it here. Great event! “Amazing.”
Mission Gate Prison Ministry Christmas Angel Party, Christ Memorial Lutheran Church, St. Louis, MO.
“It gets better every time.” — Trish Mathes, Aftercare Director.
Our fifth time doing the StL party. Wow. Kids get blessed and we certainly do, too! Fun seeing our friend Mynistra part of the Program. And Sound Engineer Larry Jost did another exemplary job, even recording us and mixing it with an artist’s touch! Thx to all!
New Life Evangelistic Center, St. Louis, MO.
“The last song was amazingly good!” — Bill, NLEC camera and audio technician.
We were invited back to pre-record more songs and were blessed this time to bring Richard Thrasher Sound to hit the sweet spot of the mix! Our segment is scheduled for Friday night, October 3rd, 2014, and Sunday, October 5th, time TBD, Channel 24 KNLC. And this will air other times as well. Tune in, be edified, and bless the homeless! Praise GOD.
Greater St. Mark Family Church, Ferguson, MO.
“Y’all are awesome!….Where did you get those singers?….Heaven is going to be just like your band.” — Columbus Gregory, St. Louis Media Hall of Fame – Radio.
“You all did a fantastic job and brought such an evangelistic spirit to the gathering!” — Pastor Michael Sust, Harvest Bible Chapel.
FaithFest, Soulard Market Park, St. Louis, MO.
Our second time here. Love it.
“You guys sounded fantastic!” — Pastor Tim Jones.
The grave couldn’t hold Jesus down and the rain didn’t stop the music praisin’ or the people celebratin’! That Soulard is a bustlin’, happenin’ place, rain or shine. Kudos to Pastor Tim and StL Rock Church for seeing it through!
River City Rascals, O’Fallon, MO.
“You guys were amazing — definitely! ….Awesome.” What a great Faith & Family Night! 2,000 people. KSIV Radio was there. Kids were taking pics and doing video. And it was very cool to see a family with matching T-shirts saying, “With God all things are possible.”
New Life Evangelistic Center, St. Louis, MO.
“You guys were cookin’!” The pre-recording went great! Our segment is scheduled for Sunday, July 6th, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM, Channel 24 KNLC. Tune in (before or after Church!) or record it. Thx!
“You guys did a great job on TV.” — Larry Rice.
“Your music is truly a blessing and we appreciate you all so much!” — Dir. of Development.
Joshua House, Jericho Ride VI, Hazelwood, MO.
Our second time there. Lots of biker saints! “Sounded good”….“Good job!”….“Sound was perfect.” We love it here. Lots of fun and the Spirit flows.
Mission Gate Prison Ministry Christmas Angel Party, Christ Memorial Lutheran Church, St. Louis, MO.
“The best Christmas Party ever.”….“it was solid”….“exciting and fun”….“The music made me feel happy.” Our fourth time doing the StL party. What a privilege! During the altar call hands went up and people stood up, adults too! Words don’t describe watching precious souls receive Jesus as Lord & Saviour! Here’s a ‘Thank You’ video from Mission Gate: http://youtu.be/lMKsttEX1wI.
Harvestival, Harvest Bible Chapel, Chesterfield, MO.
Our second time! “Sounded great! You guys were cookin’.”….“You all made the Harvestival a very special event!” Check out the beautiful ‘Thank you’ card in Photo Gallery. “You are loved!” is their motto!
FaithFest, Soulard Market Park, St. Louis, MO.
What a great day in the park. Pastor Tim of Saint Louis Rock Church has a great vision for this annual outreach.
Imogene’s Engage in Jam, Wildwood, MO.
“The bands sounded real good.” We made some good friends tonight, and had fun doing it. The weather was beautiful, and we are so grateful to God for allowing Christian music to herald Jesus without hindrance in our neighborhoods. 2 Chronicles 7:14. Go for it.
Ascending Glory Cafe, Stratford Inn, Fenton, MO.
“….Anointed….Prophetic….” Love the invitations to receive Christ given by our lead singers….We love playing here, ministering here. Great worship and powerful moments, accented by the wonderful praise dancing. Check out the pics in Photo Gallery.
Joshua House, Jericho Ride V, Hazelwood, MO.
“….Sounded GREAT….Friends of Jesus was all inspiring at the Joshua House on Saturday. Everyone in the band is blessed by great musicianship….God was in the house Saturday!”
TV Channel 24, New Life Evangelistic Center, Downtown St. Louis, MO.
“…Your performance was WONDERFUL. Hope to see more of you all in 2013.”
Meramec Music Theatre, Steelville, MO, the other Mission Gate Christmas Angel Party.
A doubleheader and a double blessing. And our third time! A humbly received honor. It was amazing watching the kids respond to the altar call to receive Jesus Christ as Lord & Saviour. That’s why we do this! “Sounded great.” “You all brought it.”
Mission Gate Prison Ministry Christmas Angel Party, Westminster Christian Academy, St. Louis, MO.
“You guys are outstanding.” “You guys rocked the house.” “….Spectacular!…” Our third time there and we are totally privileged to minister at this event for the kids. The altar call is always amazing. Check out the video: http://youtu.be/ITVCQM_w9xY.
Harvestival, Harvest Bible Chapel, Chesterfield, MO.
“Thanks to all of you for coming out and playing…for being an important part of the very first Harvestival :-)” ….“The song rocks. Thanks….”
Ascending Glory Cafe, Stratford Inn, Fenton, MO.
By God’s grace, two original songs were introduced tonight, “Do” and “A Friend Named Jesus.” “The Good Lord hit a home-run for us last night. Woohoo.”
Six Flags St. Louis, Eureka, MO.
Our third time there, many thanks to Six Flags for engaging us to rock out praises to God Most High in this public park. “You guys sounded great.”
Ascending Glory Cafe, Stratford Inn, Fenton, MO.
Back again, and what an experience! The Anointing from the Holy Spirit brought a whole lot of energy, and a lot of surprises, spiritually and musically. “Awesome….The best ever!” Wow. The LORD is good; His people are kind; they are the best.
National Day of Prayer, Under the Arch, at the Riverfront.
A repeat engagement, this one with five lead singers singing praise & worship! Very cool, and very powerful! A big sound. And the prayers in my small group were intense…. “Praise God for the powerful NDP prayer gatherings!…no doubt…standing in the gap for our Nation and brought glory to God!”….“Once again you have been a blessing — thank you….”
A Night of Miracles and Hope, E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall, 560 Music Center, Delmar Loop, St. Louis, MO.
Let’s see, at least six raised their hands to receive Christ as Lord & Savior, and two others prayed to receive Jesus after the show, so all the prayers were answered for a fruitful event! Evangelist Jack Alan Levine, Founder of “Voice of God Ministry, Inc.” and Author of “Don’t Blow It With God” and “Where The Rubber Meets The Road With God”, was called by the Lord to visit St. Louis, and brought a Team from Florida that was clearly powered by the Holy Spirit. Their one-on-one prayers with the audience were an awesome move of the Most High.
“You guys were awesome. ..I loved listening to FOJ again…man i cant wait to hear more FOJ LIVE AND IN PERSON!!”…. “….How blown away we were by the band’s music. You guys are on par with any gospel/Christian group in the world….they truly received a touch from God that night through your music and ministry. The current clips you have on “YouTube” and your website do not do you guys justice.. they really do not clearly portray just how good, talented and spiritual the band and its music are!….Some things just have to be seen live to really understand how good they are.” — Jack Alan Levine.
What a night. And make sure to check out Jack’s ministry on the web. See “Links” under “About Us.”
Mission Gate Christmas Angel Party, Westminster Christian Academy, St. Louis, MO.
“CHRISTMAS ANGEL PARTY SUCCESS!” What a privilege to be asked back to bless the kids. Check out the pics!
Grace Bible Church, Florissant, MO.
The various vocalists were a treat, the preacher had a good word from the LORD, and is there a more generous Church in town?
Ascending Glory Cafe, Stratford Inn, Fenton, MO.
The Holy Spirit inhabits the praises of His people here as Jesus is lifted up! Check it out on Facebook. It’s a great place for no-holds-barred praise & worship. Always a treat. “It was awesome….ministered to me”….“It was a great time!”….“Sounded real good.”
Willott Road Community Church, St. Peters, MO.
We love extending the invitation to know Christ better. And the saints there showed their love through their generosity. “You don’t know what this means to us!”
National Day of Prayer, City Hall, Downtown St. Louis.
Scheduled for the Riverfront, inclement weather moved it inside. City workers got an unexpected taste of the Holy Spirit, praise GOD! “Friends of Jesus did a fantastic job….”
Ascending Glory Cafe, Stratford Inn, Fenton, MO.
One of our favorite places. The cook got saved! That might be why. It was from the spoken Word of God after the two-song medley. See & hear it on Youtube by clicking the Look & Listen tab and then the third link down. Watch and listen to the whole video. “You guys sounded great last night and Jesus was truly lifted up.”
Missouri Gospel Announcers Guild, Downtown St. Louis.
Special “Thanks!” to Adam of Mercy’s Child for helping us with his powerful voice on “The Presence Of The Lord Is Here.” A “killer” song (that brings life!).
Ascending Glory Cafe, Stratford Inn, Fenton, MO.
Our second time! See the video link on “Look & Listen”. “Last night was the BOMB..I have been waiting for weeks to hear you guys, and it was GREAT..It was so much fun”….I told Vic, “If you guys didn’t go National I would be very upset”….
Epworth Children & Family Services, Concert on campus.
What a response from the kids! A moving experience. “You were kickin’ it.” “You all are great messengers for Christ.” “…Truly a blessing to all of us — youth & staff.”
Operation Rolling Thunder, Twin Rivers Worship Center.
“…The Lord was pleased with our sacrifice of praise….”
Oasis International Ministries, by Bevo Mill.
Outdoor concert and community outreach to the immigrants. “The music, sound quality and songs were great!”
National Day of Prayer, Under the Arch, at the Riverfront.
Praise & worship, with anointed ethereal effects undergirding Pastors’ prayers! “You were the BEST!…Everyone was edified & the Lord was honored….Thank you for using your time & talent to help lead people to the throne of grace.”
Ascending Glory Cafe, Stratford Inn, Fenton, MO.
The flags were flying and the Holy Spirit was ushered in. “Shout joyfully to Him” (Ps.95:2 NASB). We did, at 108 – 111 decibels! They danced on tables and sang praises to GOD a half-hour later. The LORD moved in a special way. “You guys were tremendous, amazing….Awesome worship.”
Easter Extravaganza, St. Louis Dream Center.
A community outreach outdoor concert. “Awesome….This was a great event and many seeds were planted.” “It was a blessing, we had a lot of fun.” “I felt so blessed….”
Meramec Music Theatre, Steelville, MO, Angel Mission Christmas Party sponsored by Mission Gate Prison Ministry.
A repeat performance! “The kids loved you and got a full dose of the Holy Ghost and they sure know that Jesus had a birthday party.”
Cicero’s, Delmar Loop, Christmas Party Concert with multiple performers.
Wow! Rockin’ for Jesus.
Six Flags St. Louis, Praise-a-Palooza Concert
Headlined by Christian recording artist Jeremy Camp
Six Flags St. Louis, Gospel Fest Concert
Headlined by Christian recording artist Kirk Franklin
Westminster Christian Academy, St. Louis, MO, Angel Mission Christmas Party music & show
Sponsored by Mission Gate Prison Ministry
Christian Family Expo, Concert at St. Charles Convention Center
Christian Family Day, Olive Park Plaza, Downtown St. Louis
Music preceding event at Busch Stadium following the St. Louis Cardinals baseball game, headlined by Christian recording artists Casting Crowns
Kiener Plaza, Concert Downtown St. Louis Music Evangelism
Our second concert & outreach there!