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
Missional Communities & Missions 3.0 – Interview w Craig Cheney | Heartland Community Church
In this talk Craig Cheney, who serves as the Executive Pastor of Heartland Community Church in Olathe Kansas, and Tom Bassford talk about the relationship of disciplemaking and missional communities to the work of creating sustainable solutions through church missions.
Journey to a Better Way by John Bailey | Huntsville 1st UM Church
Every day we witness the impact of poverty, injustice, disaster, and disease. Our desire as followers of Christ is to respond with compassion, love, and grace. In recent years, the church has responded in an unprecedented way to the needs in the world. Still, we see little in the way of true progress and transformation. In addition, despite our good intentions, we may be doing more harm than good. Speaking from his experience as a missions pastor of a local church, John Bailey shares real-life stories from the journey demonstrating that a better way is not only possible, but it [...]
From Outputs to Outcomes by Soledad Gompf | FINCA
FINCA’s mission is to alleviate poverty through lasting solutions that help people build assets, create jobs and raise their standard of living. FINCA owns and operates a network of microfinance institutions serving nearly 2 million low-income individuals in 23 countries. Soledad Gompf has over 30 years of professional experience with corporate and non-profit entities in Latin America and the United States in the areas of administration, strategic planning, budgeting, program design, project management, strategic initiatives and partnerships, resource mobilization and grant management. In this SATtalk Soledad explains what FINCA is doing with data to move from outputs and anecdotal stories [...]
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty by Desiree Monize | Avenue of Life
Desiree Monize shares how Avenue of Life is helping people through a continuum of services break the cycle of poverty in the Kansas City area. Their Equipping Center brings wrap-around services for people all under one roof and their Business Training Center employs 12 full-time individuals who recycle 1,578 tons of foam, textiles, wood and metal annually from over 50,000 mattresses. Their vision is to be catalysts for transformation in the community by breaking the cycle of poverty through community development, collaborative partnerships, and wrap-around services.
Better Business by Dave Geenens | Inhance Leadership
Dave Geenens is the President and CFO of Fire Door Solutions as well as Associate Professor in the School of Business at Benedictine College. He’s the author of three books and serves on the board of Significant Matters. He brings a passion for the role that business and virtue bring to the work of sustainable solutions. He also brings an understanding for how the church can better utilize the marketplace person who wants to serve their church but finds the pace and processes of the church almost impossible to work with.
The Co-Op: From Cooperation to Collaboration by Tom Bassford | Significant Matters & James DeLisle | UMKC |
A local effort of Kansas City churches working together to help create neighborhoods where people would want to live not leave.
