Advancing sustainable solutions to material poverty through church missions.
The North American Church is losing ground in attendance, influence, credibility and virtually every other category that really matters. In this day and age, many see the church as the hope of the world only as it “proves” itself in practical ways that touch the everyday needs of everyday people. But that’s not a cry for more traditional forms of charity or the missionary model of the past 200 years. Instead, thoughtful people, from Millennials to Boomers, are looking for churches that have moved from simply doing good things to solving real problems in lasting ways. Churches that invest in this kind of mission work become more helpful in lifting people out of poverty and better partners to ministries on the frontlines. They also become more relevant and credible to their community, more fulfilling to both pastor and people, and more appealing to those on the margins looking for a reason to attend a church.
Our mission is to help churches reframe their missions and charitable work around sustainable solutions and create room for business-minded people who can help that happen. Our annual SATtalks and other resources highlight some of the most innovative churches and faith-based ministries around the world working to move missions in this direction. We do this because the Church needs the stories of early pioneers and innovators to inspire and help us see what could be!
Tom Bassford, Founder/President | Significant Matters & SATtalks
I Was Measuring & Celebrating the Wrong Stuff | by Jeanette Thomas
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8) To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. (Proverbs 21:3) Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; [...]
No Needy Among Us by Quinn Schipper
Imagine a community where it is said, "there are no needy among us." Imagine a community that addresses the injustice of poverty so strategically that “there are no needy among us.” Imagine the Body of Christ in a community so one in heart and mind that “no needy among us” is the reality. Acts 4:32-35 records this phenomenon: there were no needy in Jerusalem among the believers in Jesus. Who wouldn’t want to be part of that?! What if it was said of YOUR community? Imagine that happening because of you. I am passionate about the Body of Christ [...]
Do you have the courage to evaluate? by Krista Petty
How do you know if your mission work is transformative and sustainable? Anecdotal stories and occasional statistics of lives touched or improving can be encouraging and generate continuing funding; but, does that show sustainable transformation of an entire community for the long-term? What about measuring beyond sustainability? What would it look like for a model to be reproduced and multiplied? Last year’s SATtalks featured Dr. Florence Muindi, founder of Life in Abundance, as one of the presenters. As a young adult, Dr. Muindi was called by God to serve the poor and desired to make a lasting impact in [...]
King David Was Right! by Mike Simon
I was encouraged recently by King David’s insights from Psalms 133: How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! Immediately, I thought about the work that I, and my colleagues at Simon Solutions, are doing each week and the crazy, amazing journey that got us to where we are today. From outward appearances, we are a database system for shared case management to serve the poor across a city. But inwardly, I know this technology is a tool God has used to answer my prayers for unity of the church and transformation for the [...]
Do We Really Believe the Problems of Poverty CAN be Solved? by Tom Bassford
Albert Einstein once said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” The problem? So much of our well-intended efforts to help the poor have left them worse off in the long run. Warren Buffett’s son Peter Buffet made some waves with an article he wrote for the New York Times in 2013 entitled; “The Charitable-Industrial Complex.” In the article he wrote, “Inside any important philanthropy meeting, you witness heads of state meeting with investment managers and corporate leaders. All are searching for answers with their right hand to problems [...]
A Ministry Persepctive on SATtalks | Dr. Florence Muindi
Dr. Florence Muindi, founder and President of Life In Abundance (LIA) and a 2016 SATtalk Presenter shares some thoughts on the value of SATtalks and what it means to rub shoulders for a couple of days with others who believe church missions and sustainable solutions go together. LIA takes an integrated approach to mobilizing the local Church to restore health, renew hope and inspire lasting transformation for the world’s most vulnerable families. They train, equip and walk with local churches throughout Africa and the Caribbean to: Promote Health and Prevent Disease | Empower The Poor with Economic Opportunities | Equip [...]
