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
It’s Our Christian Duty to Support Work | by James Whitford
After nearly two decades of service to our neighbors in need, I’ve learned an important lesson: People struggling in poverty need hope. And few things offer more hope than a job. As Christians, we must never lose sight of our responsibility to go beyond alleviating the immediate suffering of those in poverty, but also to help people help themselves to rise out of poverty — for good. We must endeavor to empower those in need so they can feed and clothe themselves and their families in the future. As Christians, we are called to charity, but we’re never told [...]
Sustainable Solutions: Our Undivided Attention
SATtalks is a conference of like-minded people focused distinctly on church missions and even more particularly on the issue of sustainable solutions through church missions. There are many conferences, workshops and movements within the church to address Christianity and culture, discipleship, missional movements, worship, millennials, church planting, leadership, etc. It’s not that we think those issues are unimportant but rather that we think sustainable solutions through church missions needs a kind of “undivided attention” if the church hopes to make a respectable contribution in this type of work among the poor. So what do we mean by sustainability and sustainable [...]
Getting Better at Doing Good
Getting Better at Doing Good | There’s a lot being written and said these days about the effectiveness of charitable work. The wonderful and provocative 90-minute documentary by PovertyCure called, “Poverty, Inc.” makes a compelling case that fighting poverty has become a multibillion dollar business and it’s not helping the poor. The titles of some of my favorite reads like “Toxic Charity,” “When Helping Hurts” and “Dead Aid” give us a glimpse, in their titles alone, of where our thinking has gone. I’m right there with these folks, I think we need to get better at doing good and that’s [...]
Only One Day Late
Only One Day Late | We needed buns for family game night so I was off to the store. Window’s down, radio’s on and Luke Bryan is singing the words, “I believe most people are good and most mamas oughta qualify for sainthood.” Made me think of my own mom and just like that I’m reminded that tomorrow is Mother’s Day. How many times over the 63 years of my life have I been startled by the sudden realization that tomorrow is Mother’s Day! On those year’s it’s a mad dash to the Hallmark Card aisle to join the other [...]
Millennials and Missions – Not Your Traditional Approach | Part 1
Millennials and Missions - Not Your Traditional Approach | Part 1... Justin Carney grew up on a small farm in southern Missouri. In his early 20’s a missionary came to his church and talked about unreached people groups, gave him a book and asked him to pray. “Before I knew it, something weird happened, and God put Iraq on my heart” say’s Justin. It wasn’t too much longer and he was signed up with a traditional mission agency on his way to Iraq with a group. Their plan was a bit vague; a kind of short term strategy to [...]
It is Good to be Children Sometimes | by Tom Bassford
Coffee, beer, brussel sprouts; those are things that I now love but for which I had to acquire a taste. There are many things over the course of one’s life for which they acquire a taste and come to love. For me, Christmas is not one of them. Except for one very troubling year of my life I have always looked forward to its coming and all but mourned its leaving. To say that I have cultivated an appreciation for the season would be like saying I have cultivated a love for pecan pie. Nothing could be more untrue. Like [...]
