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
Intentional Giving-Just Do It by Wayne McDaniel | McDaniel Knutson Financial Partners |
In this SATtalk Wayne McDaniel shares the transformative power of generosity and how their financial planning business has made generosity part of the DNA of their business. Their commitment to give 5% of their yearly gross revenues to philanthropy has been transformative to villages in India as well as the lives of their employees. Wayne McDaniel is a Certified Financial Planning Practitioner and a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy with over 35 years' experience working with hundreds of individuals and families to help them achieve their financial goals and dreams. He founded Generous Vision in 2016 as a way to help [...]
You Wanna Do What? by Peter Knutson | McDaniel Knutson Financial Partners |
“You wanna do what?” was a frequent response in the early days at McDaniel Knutson Financial Partners as they talked about the company’s philanthropic giving. Peter Knutson shares the lessons he’s learned and the difference it’s made at their company because of their commitment to do philanthropy off the “top line.” He talks about the power of leveraging and the way intentional generosity can become a part of the way any business does business if they will take the first step. Pete graduated from Baylor University in 1993 with degrees in Real Estate and Financial Planning. He is a Certified [...]
Reclaiming Charity by Michael Matheson Miller | PovertyCure
“When we understand the dignity of the human person endowed with creative capacity and made in the image of God, it changes absolutely everything about the way we understand charity, missions, development and the poor.” WATCH THE VIDEO…
Missions 3.0 For Churches by Tom Bassford | Significant Matters
Churches, along with so many other organizations, individuals and agencies, have begun to understand that much of our well-intended helping has had the unintended consequence of hurting the very people we are trying to help. But what do we do when we are ready to move beyond helping that hurts? We need an upgrade. Church missions, like the software on our computers, must upgrade from time to time in order to keep pace. We call that upgrade Missions 3.0 since it builds on the Missions 1.0 and 2.0 work that most churches are already doing well. Through our Missions 3.0 [...]
Missions 3.0 for Mission Leaders by Jonathan Bell | Church of the Resurrection
No one is more critical to the future of missions than the Missions Pastor/Director of the local church. They are the ones who will bring focused leadership to what missions will look like in the 21st Century. Missions 3.0 brings clarity as well as tools, resources and support to help these Mission Pastors/Directors move their church through this missional upgrade. Jonathan Bell has spent the last 25 years leading churches beyond themselves. While serving as Director of Mission Ministries for Church of the Resurrection in the Kansas City area he orchestrated their transition from Missions 1.0 to 2.0, before becoming [...]
Missions 3.0 and the Marketplace Person by Grady Hawley | Soleran
The strategies and solutions that come with Missions 3.0 include things like job creation, business start-up and homeownership, to name a few. Churches are already beginning to create initiatives around these kinds of initiatives and are discovering they have marketplace people in their church willing to bring their time and talent to the table. We help churches understand how to better mobilize, coach and unleash these people and their gifts to help shape the mission work of the church. Grady Hawley is the CEO and founder of Soleran, a software design and development company in the Kansas City area. He is [...]
