When we are
not actively teaching one of our church planting schools to equip teams to
launch new churches, we are coaching new church planters, working with a cohort
of leaders and pastors to equip, empower and encourage them and recruiting new,
future church planters. Our end goal is to see a healthy church for every
community of poverty.
There are
numerous challenges to overcome when working with people living in poverty, but
it is breathtaking watching God create beauty out of brokenness and bringing hope
and justice out of inequality. Nelson Mandela said, “Overcoming poverty is
not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like slavery and apartheid,
poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by
the actions of human beings”
Jesus echoed
what is written in Deuteronomy: “7 If anyone is poor….10 Give
generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of
this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in
everything you put your hand to. 11 There will
always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be
openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your
land.” Deuteronomy 15:7-11
Part of our “being openhanded” and
“giving generously” is truly believing that the Kingdom of God will advance
through the Church, which will have key leaders, men and women, young and old
from areas of poverty that will lead people to Christ and help the Church
advance.
We have already worked with many of
these leaders and are astounded at what they are doing…and often with so
little. In a coaching time recently, I asked one emerging leader to draw out a
life map indicating pivotal moments that have led him to be where he is today
in ministry. Instead of a map or timeline he chose to draw a tree full of
fruit; each fruit representing a key, life-changing experience that taught him
or prepared him to love more deeply and have the skills and character needed to
lead a group of people. His “map” was so unique to the life in the city that he
has lived, yet there was no doubt that God’s fingerprints and guiding were all
over it. While he didn’t have what might be the ‘normal’ training and
preparation because he lacked resources, education, connections and
opportunities, God still called and is equipping him to be a leader that not
only leads and loves well, but also trains and empowers others to do the same.
Thank you for your ongoing prayers and financial support to help us empower the urban poor to change this world with the Gospel.
