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
Justin Beene, Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation | 2018 SATtalks
Dr. Justin Beene is the director/founder of the Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation (GRCCT), Grand Rapids, Mich., a collective of non-profit and for-profit entities with a mutual interest in alleviating poverty. Together these partners are working to see flourishing in the city for all. One of their joint efforts is the “Building Bridges Professional Services;” a social enterprise that Dr. Beene started in 2006 and now generates $ 1 Million annually, maintains over 500 properties, provides significantly reduced rates to low income seniors, and has planted over 1000 trees while employing 25 hard to hire individuals [...]
Michael Saccocio, Schenectady City Mission | 2018 SATtalks
Michael Saccocio is executive director and CEO of City Mission in Schenectady, New York. In addition to this role he has taken the lead in establishing an on-going, multi-sector initiative called Schenectady Bridges to help promote the “Bridges out of Poverty” framework as a citywide movement, linking social, business, education, healthcare, and faith-based sectors. Through this program more than 2,000 people have been trained in Bridges constructs which help volunteers view the world through the lens of those who come from under-resourced backgrounds. That kind of understanding is foundational for anyone who genuinely wants to be helpful [...]
Rick Rusaw, Lifebridge Church | 2018 SATtalks
Rick Rusaw has served as the Lead Pastor at LifeBridge Christian Church in Longmont, Colorado for over 25 years. He is the co-founder of Externally Focused network and the co-author of three books: Externally Focused Church, Externally Focused Life, and Externally Focused Quest. He became the senior pastor at LifeBridge in 1991, five weeks before it celebrated its 100th anniversary. Change in the church began when Rusaw asked the question, “If our church disappeared, would anyone care?” That question set the direction for the past 25 years and has led them the church to get involved in [...]
Cheryl Cuthbertson, Children of the Nations | 2018 SATtalks
Chery Cuthbertson oversees COTN’s sustainable development programs in Africa and the Caribbean. This includes designing and facilitating the implementation of sustainable global practices and interventions with indigenous leaders in water, agriculture, sanitation, renewable energy, technology, and microfinance. She has a work history that includes more than 25 years of Fortune 500 experience in management, strategic alliances, marketing, and business development. Although most of her career has been in the private sector, she also has more than 20 years serving Christ in sustainable community development, urban ministry, and global missions. As an organization Children of the Nations works with [...]
Tom Bassford, Significant Matters | 2018 SATtalks
Tom Bassford is the founder and President of Significant Matters, a nonprofit organization working with churches and other faith-based groups to tackle complex societal issues in sustainable ways. Before founding Significant Matters, he pastored for over 30 years and has been involved in the work of church missions both locally and internationally for over 40 years. In 2014, under his leadership, Significant Matters lunched SATtalks, a TED talk type of gathering and video website to explore and demonstrate ways to create sustainable transformation through church missions. They also launched the Missions 3.0 Network and Peer Learning Communities [...]
Jonathan Bell, Church of the Resurrection | 2018 SATtalks
Jonathan Bell has spent the last 25 years leading churches beyond themselves. He joined the Church of the Resurrection staff in 2001, as Director of Mission Ministries, and orchestrated the church’s transition from Missions 1.0 to 2.0, before becoming lead architect for Resurrection’s 3.0 structures and strategies. Jonathan currently oversees the church’s national network of partner churches, as well as the church’s collaborative relationship with Saint Paul School of Theology. He is co-creator of the Missions 3.0 Framework and Strategy and part of the leadership team for the Missions 3.0 Peer Learning Communities. For a good understanding of Jonathan’s [...]
