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
The Genius of SATtalks | Keith Jaspers
Keith Jaspers, founder and President of The Rainbow Network 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. The Rainbow Network is an interdenominational Christian Ministry working in rural Nicaragua with about 42,000 people who live in 112 specific geographic communities. Their model involves significant community participation and is led in-country entirely by Nicaraguans. Their housing program has provided a pathway to homeownership for over 1000 families to date who otherwise were [...]
A Millenial’s Perspective on SATtalks | Lindsey Strickler
Lindsey Strickler, co-owner of a Denver-based marketing firm (Defenestrate) 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. Lindsey describes SATtalks as, "A safe place to be vulnerable" and gives some insights on how Millennials, Boomers, and other generations can collaborate and work together for change and erase the line between secular and sacred as well as business and ministry. She spent her college career deeply involved in a college campus ministry and faced a [...]
A Businessman’s Thoughts on SATtalks | Chris Herre
Chris Herre is Principal of Rose Design Build, Inc. a Kansas City based company offering full architectural and construction services to businesses and entrepreneurs. Chris attended the 2016 SATtalks in Kansas City and shares some thoughts on the value of SATtalks and what it means for a business person to rub shoulders for a couple of days with others who believe church missions and sustainable solutions go together.
Final Thoughts for 2016 by Tom Bassford
[one_fourth last="no" spacing="yes" center_content="no" hide_on_mobile="no" background_color="" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" background_position="left top" hover_type="none" link="" border_position="all" border_size="0px" border_color="" border_style="" padding="" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" animation_type="" animation_direction="" animation_speed="0.1" animation_offset="" class="" id=""] [/one_fourth][three_fourth last="yes" spacing="yes" center_content="no" hide_on_mobile="no" background_color="" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" background_position="left top" hover_type="none" link="" border_position="all" border_size="0px" border_color="" border_style="" padding="" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" animation_type="" animation_direction="" animation_speed="0.1" animation_offset="" class="" id=""] Final Thoughts for 2016 Last week I shared an article I'd written ten years ago entitled; "I Love This Bar! - An Unlikely Christmas Story" to which I got a number of great responses. One in particular really stood out and I thought you would enjoy it as much as [...]
I Love This Bar – An Unlikely Christmas Story by Tom Bassford
I Love This Bar: An Unlikely Christmas Story by Tom Bassford - More than a few years ago I wrote an article based on an experience I had in a little bar the night before. Not a year goes by that I don't think of this experience. In a very real sense it captures the heart of what I see in so many people who just want to lend a hand and make this world a little better place. The bar and grill no longer exist but the spirit of the people who were there that night [...]
To Alleviate Poverty, The Exit Strategy Matters | by Peter Greer
When we engage in employment-based solutions, the benefits of employment extend to future generations. Outside a small office in Trou-du-Nord, Haiti, I saw several boys with homemade kites. Using a plastic bag, some string, and a few sticks, these three boys constructed kites capable of expertly navigating tangled power lines and two-story buildings. I could see other kids watching and learning from their example. Other children saw what was possible, and there grew a prestige factor in who could get his kite the highest. In the same way, I’ve seen community members improve their lives, motivating other community members to [...]
