Gospel Equipment Ministries
Meet Mark & Katie
Mark
I grew up in a Christian home, attending church and Sunday school since I was born. I was taught a strong moral base, but the Christian life did not interest me. I knew nothing of the adventure of being led by God.
As a young man I looked forward to trying my hand at more worldly fun. I knew there were things in the world that were too bad for me and I had my boundaries.
After a few years of this, I realized my fun was not much fun. I was invited to a church. I attended for a number of weeks. One evening the Lord asked me, “Mark, you’ve been trying your hand at ‘fun.’ Who do you think can come up with more fun in your life? You or Me, the Creator Of All Things?” I already believed that Jesus died for the redemption of sins. I just didn’t submit to Him as Lord. At that stoplight I answered, “I’m in. Jesus, You may be Lord of my life.”
Katie
Katie was raised in a Christian home where came to know Jesus as a child. She did not understand how to be a Christian, but as Katie read her Bible, the Lord spoke to her through Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” After reading that, Katie knew Jesus was her Saviour and that He would be with her for the rest of her life.
As Katie continued to grow up, it became her heart’s desire for God to use her to help others come to know Him as their Saviour, too. Her youth group did regular short term mission trips to Mexico which Katie participated in. After high school, she attended Bible school, went on some short term missions overseas, and worked in the medical field when she was home. Katie enjoyed teaching English at a Bible school in India off-and-on for a few years.
After Mark and Katie got married, they settled on the farm where Mark grew up. Some friends introduced them to No Greater Joy, a ministry in the U.S. One of their outreach programs, Light Bearers, shares the Gospel with inmates in U.S. prisons by giving them the comic book action Bible, Good & Evil. Mark and Katie wanted to get involved by helping send books to Canadian prisons, so they asked if they sent books to Canadian prisons. Their response was “No, but you could start!” So, Gospel Equipment Ministries (GEM) was born!
Vision
GEM is all about sharing the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ with inmates across Canada by sending them the comic book action Bible, Good & Evil.
It has an easy-to-read format for people who struggle to read. Chaplains and inmates in the prisons are so thankful for this resource and eager for more! One book is like a missionary that can work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Inmates are a captive audience with lots of time to read, especially since COVID restrictions began!
Not only is this book, Good & Evil, making a huge impact for God’s kingdom in prisons, it is being used to reach people in countries that are closed to missionaries. Good & Evil has been made available to download for free online at www.goodandevilbook.com. No Greater Joy has translated it into over 50 languages and formatted it to be read on smart phones. They advertise the free downloadable book in countries that are closed to the Gospel and are reaching millions around the world this way!
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
HEBREWS 4:12