God & His Purpose for Mankind:
We are committed to the biblical record that God is the Creator of all things and reigns as Sovereign over all the affairs of man. God created men and women after his own image, equipping them with intellectual and emotive capacities. He then charged them with what has been called the cultural mandate—the divine mandate for all of humanity to fill, subdue, and rule over the rest of creation. This mandate encompasses all of life, including scientific inquiry, educational progress, environmental issues, and economic factors, both on the macro and micro levels. Our desire is to help individuals, particularly those negatively effected by material poverty, be restored to their God-given roles as humans to use their lives to the fullest as a means of worship to the Creator.
As a result, we desire to create initiatives that not only address practical, long-term solutions to material poverty, but also to highlight the aspects of spiritual and relational poverty existent in everyone in one form or the other. This would include the following: educating Christians in developed countries as to what poverty is in its various forms as well as teaching, training, and resource development designed to emphasize God’s sovereign plan and purposes for mankind.
Gen.1:19-20; Job 12:23; Ps. 22:28; 139:16; 147:3-4; Prov. 3:19-20; 16:9; 20:24; Mt.6:11; Acts 17:28; I Cor. 4:7
The Gospel & Christ’s Lordship:
We are unapologetically committed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his lordship over all things. God the Father sent his one and only Son to this sin-cursed earth in order to seek and to save those who were/are lost in sin. Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, he was buried, and he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. As the Son and Sent One (Messiah) of God, Jesus Christ also ushered in his kingdom over all of creation, which he holds together by the word of his power. The entirety of his earthly ministry was spent in preaching and demonstrating the good news of the kingdom. Before he returned to the Father he ordained the institution of the church, all of those who have been called out from among the unbelieving world, and commissioned them to go into all the world and preach this same message, all the while teaching them everything that is required of faithful followers of Christ. As such, Christ has sent his disciples out into this world as his ambassadors and has entrusted to them the ministry of reconciliation.
As a result, we realize that our words and deeds done in Jesus’ name for those who are the least and lowest in this life, are actually done for Christ himself. Additionally, any solution to poverty or any other societal issue, must be rooted in the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We must do what Jesus did, namely declaring with both words and deeds that he is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who is bringing in an earthly kingdom of righteousness, justice, and peace. Therefore, any of our programs or initiatives must be firmly rooted is this Gospel. Our desire is to live out this good news in both words and deeds, especially to those in poverty in the Majority World (Africa, Asia, Latin America) . This would especially include orphaned children, elementary, secondary, and college students, potential entrepreneurs, as well as the respective family members of these groups.
Ps.22:27-28; Mt.25:40, 45; Mt.28:18-20; Jn.3:16; Rom.8:15; I Cor.15:1-4; 2 Cor. 5: 18-20; Gal.4:4-6; Col.1:15-20; I Jn.4:9-10
Mercy Ministry & Poverty Alleviation:
We are committed to ministries of mercy, to church-based initiatives and programs that are designed to alleviate the negative effects of poverty in all of its forms. According to recent statistics, roughly 1.2 billion people globally live on less than $1.25 a day, primarily in the Majority World. There are numerous factors that lead to nations, regions, and individuals being trapped in poverty. Consequently, any efforts designed to alleviate or eradicate poverty must also be multi-faceted. Jesus himself was committed to ministering to those who were marginalized during his day, the lame, the widow, the orphan, the disabled, the poor. We can further understand His mission by listening to his words: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. Only Jesus has the power to fix everything that sin has ruined, including the binding effects of poverty on millions around the world.
In light of these truths, we desire to partner with individuals, families, schools, and local churches in an effort to serve them over a long period of time. Most of our programs and initiatives are designed primarily to see individuals become more productive and therefore become better able to care for themselves, their families, those in need around them, and their localized community of believers. One strategy is to assist in providing consulting and funding to begin small businesses. Microenterprise has been proven, especially in the past 30 years, to be a very effective means of addressing the issue of material poverty. Additionally, we are developing a variety of educational initiatives to help train and empower young people to live out their God-given potential.
Ps.10:14; Is.58:1-10; Mic.6:8; Mt.22:37-39; Lk.4:17-21; 7:22-23; Acts 4:34; I Jn.3:17
Holistic & Process-oriented Development:
We strongly believe in the biblical model and mandate for discipleship, the process of coming along side another person in an effort to teach and train them in how the Gospel can be lived out in every area of life and developing a biblical worldview. This is indeed a process. We are not merely focused on an end product or reaching certain numerical quotas. This approach should also be extremely relational and holistic. Organizationally, we place a high priority on the spiritual development of our international partners. But, we are also committed to their physical, intellectual, emotional, and material well-being. In short, we are coming alongside our partners on a number of levels, and assisting them in making decisions for themselves, their families, their businesses, and churches. Perhaps our greatest return on investment, both material and immaterial, is the increase in decision-making capacity of those we are serving alongside. Additionally, we are aware that this type of long-term ministry commitment is not very glamorous and may not produce immediate and tangible results, as an evangelistic crusade or relief efforts may. However, we believe that this approach is most sustainable and most effective over time.
As a result of our understanding and commitment in this area we will develop programs and initiatives such as the following: mentoring, church-based training and workshops; training and resource development relating to applying biblical business principles, entrepreneurship programs, providing financial education, providing no-interest or low-interest loans, savings programs, accountability, etc.
Mt.18:21-35; 28:18-20; Rom.6:11, 14; 2 Cor.3:18; Gal.2:1-10, 6:10; Phil. 2:13; 3:13-14; Col. 1:10; I Jn. 2:15; 3:16-18