Books Still in Print

Books on Rescue Mission Values, Programs & Approaches

• More than a Homeless Shelter: A Perspective on Residential Rescue Ministry Programming, Chris Hedlund, Hope Gospel Mission, 2017. Great book on current rescue mission program models.
• Called to Serve, Lorraine Minor, 2021 (free PDF, free course, free workbook). This book was written to serve as an onboarding training for rescue mission program graduates serving as interns. Many missions have used it as a weekly “book club” with discussions on each chapter.
• Meeting Homelessness with Hope: One Community’s Response, Springs Rescue Mission, 2023. Provides a tiered “critical mass” approach that can serve as a good model to consider, especially for ministries in more progressive cities.

Recent Books by Individual Missions & Mission Founders

• Bowery Mission: Grit and Grace on Manhattan’s Oldest Street,  Jason Storbakken, 2019
• Miss Brenda and the Loveladies, Brenda Lovelady, 2015 and Miss Brenda and the Lovelady Movement, Brenda Lovelady, 2024
• Mel Trotter: A Biography, Fred Zarfas, 2015
• Stories from the Shelter A Lawyer’s Ministry with God’s Children Who Are Homeless. Blake Barrow, 2014
• The Story of Wheeler Mission Rob Wingerter and Julie Alvis, 2018

Out-of-Print Books Available for Free Digitally

History of the Rescue Mission Movement

• Enacted Christianity, Arthur Bonner, 2002. The most current history of the rescue mission movement.
• The Romance of Rescue, W.E. Paul, 1946. One of the most inspirational histories of the rescue mission movement.
• Women Who Changed the Heart of the City, Delores Burger, 1997
• Unto the Least of These, Dr. William Seath, 1974. History with strong emphasis on the core values and methods of rescue missions
• Salvation in the Slums, Norri Magnuson, 1977
• Miracles of Rescue, William E Paul, 1950

Key Rescue Mission Founders & Historical Missions (Free on Archive.org)

• Memoirs of David Nasmith (Founder of City Mission Movement)
• Jerry McAuley: His Life and Work, Jeremiah McAuley, 1885
• Down In Water Street, Samuel Hadley, 1902
• Transformed, or the History of a River Thief Briefly Told, Jerry McAuley, 1875
• Jerry McAuley: An Apostle to the Lost Robert M. Offord, 1907
• The Pacific Garden Mission: A Doorway to Heaven. Carl F. H Henry, 1942
• Gospel Work in New York City: A Memorial of Fifty Years in City Missions, Lewis Jackson, 1878
• Biography of S.H. Hadley of Water Street. John Wilbur Chapman, 1906

We have compiled the top history sources into NotebookLM as an AI tool for you to use for research and to create customized histories for your mission

• Prompt for your Mission’s History: “Write a history of MINISTRY NAME to inspire new staff & supporters. Focus significantly on key historical figures and early stories. Summarize the organization’s impact. Summarize the organization’s mission, core values, the Biblical basis for the work, what is unique about their approach. Connect the movement to the works of Jesus and in the early centuries of the Christian church’s charity work. This should be at least 5,000 words. Your tone should be professional but encouraging and inspirational as if you were the Executive Director of the mission.” See examples.
• Core Values of Gospel Rescue Missions. “Write a paper of at least 5,000 words explaining the core values of gospel rescue missions and tie them into their Biblical basis, the life and teachings of Jesus and the Charity works of the early church. Be sure this is at least 5,000 words.” See results.
• Founders. “For every rescue mission that has an identified founder, list the founder, the mission name and the founding date in a table.” See results.
• Founding Dates. “Identify the founding dates of all missions including city and state where they were founded.” See results. 
• Women. “Identify all women in these histories and provide a summary of the role of each person.” See results.
• Scriptures Used in Rescue Ministry. “List the most common scripture references quoted in the material, sort by the most frequently quoted.” See results.
• Core Values of Gospel Rescue Missions. “Write a paper of at least 5,000 words explaining the core values of gospel rescue missions and tie them into their Biblical basis, the life and teachings of Jesus and the Charity works of the early church. Be sure this is at least 5,000 words.’ See results.
• Relationship between War/Trauma and Addiction in Rescue Missions. “In 5,000 words or more write a paper where you identify all the stories of individuals who went to war and later experienced alcoholism or addiction. Provide a summary of each person’s story.” Followed by “Write a paper of at least 5,000 words on how various wars impacted the demand for rescue mission services especially from those coming back from war. Organize by each war in chronological history.” See results.
• Founding Family Tree. Multiple prompts to try to assemble a founding family tree of rescue missions. See results.
• Use of Radio by Missions. “Write a paper of at least 5,000 words explaining the history of how rescue missions used radio in their strategies.” Followed by “List all references of any mission or mission leader using radio and provide a summary of each.” See results.
• Great Depression. “Write a paper of at least 5,000 words explaining the impact of great depression on rescue missions and the demand for their services.” See results.
• Influence of Second and Third Great Awake on Rescue Missions. “Write a paper of at least 5,000 words explaining how the second great awakening impacted rescue missions and city missions. Also explain how it shaped their values and approaches.” Repeated for Third Great Awakening. See results.
• Video Script. “Write a history of the gospel rescue mission movement in the US to be used as a script for a three minute inspirational video for new staff and supporters of rescue missions.”

Using Our Archive to Build Your Own NotebookLM (Advanced)

• Download books from our Digital Books and Articles Archive
• Uploaded into a new notebook you create in https://notebooklm.google.com
• Add webpages, documents and videos from your ministry’s history & recent annual report.
• Creating a Mission History Document for Staff Orientation. 
• Prompt for your Mission’s History: “Write a history of MINISTRY NAME to inspire new staff & supporters. Focus significantly on key historical figures and early stories. Summarize the organization’s impact. Summarize the organization’s mission, core values, the Biblical basis for the work, what is unique about their approach. Connect the movement to the works of Jesus and in the early centuries of the Christian church’s charity work. This should be at least 5,000 words. Your tone should be professional but encouraging and inspirational as if you were the Executive Director of the mission.” See example at: Bay Area Rescue Mission History
• Creating an audio history. Use the audio overview function of NotebookLM to create a custom audio history using a prompt like this (replacing YOUR MINISTRY with your ministry’s name): “Prepare this as an orientation for new staff and volunteers for the YOUR MINISTRY. Summarize YOUR MINISTRY’s history and impact to inspire. Connect its history to the larger rescue mission movement and history. Summarize the Biblical basis for the work rescue mission, what is unique about their approach and values and their overall impact. Connect its history to the works of Jesus and Charity in the early centuries of the Christian church.” See example at: Rescue Mission History & Values Bay Area Rescue Mission.