Let me begin by stating that my knowledge of the realities of the global service to the poor is woefully inadequate. If I speak of platitudes or make incorrect assumptions, it is only because I may be ignorant of all of the facts.
What I know to be true is that Jesus came to all of us who are sick, that He brought healing to the whole of the person, and that He expects that we who have been entrusted with some will serve ‘the least of these’.
Through time, the investment of a number of individuals in my life, a year spent living in India, and courses like Perspectives, I am beginning to gain some understanding of what organizations around the world are doing in holistic service to the poor. What I have been surprised to learn is that most organizations operate very independently with little collaboration being done between academics, other NGOs (both Christian-based and secular), business people, and national churches. Arguably we are missing out on the potential for what could be accomplished if we worked hand-in-hand – leveraging the collective body of knowledge to gain insight into program effectiveness, raising visibility for the purpose of mobilizing resources, and joint development efforts that leverage collective strengths.
My objective in creating this blog is to share stories, ideas, and plans of people and organizations with likeminded ambitions or interests who are successfully working together to eliminate global poverty. I also hope to create a federation of people committed to unification of the body of Christ to better serve the needs of the poor in order that we might overcome current hurdles.
I have been told that the task is too difficult given the economic and political realities of competing interests, resource constraints, theological differences, fears, differing perspectives on approach, and the egos of all of us well meaning but broken people. However, I believe that our God desires unity, not fragmentation. I believe that our God is at work. And I believe that we are on the crest of a new and deeply impactful movement that will unite people across organization, occupation, nationality, and denomination to collectively serve the poor in Jesus name.
What do you believe?
Are you ready?
What I know to be true is that Jesus came to all of us who are sick, that He brought healing to the whole of the person, and that He expects that we who have been entrusted with some will serve ‘the least of these’.
Through time, the investment of a number of individuals in my life, a year spent living in India, and courses like Perspectives, I am beginning to gain some understanding of what organizations around the world are doing in holistic service to the poor. What I have been surprised to learn is that most organizations operate very independently with little collaboration being done between academics, other NGOs (both Christian-based and secular), business people, and national churches. Arguably we are missing out on the potential for what could be accomplished if we worked hand-in-hand – leveraging the collective body of knowledge to gain insight into program effectiveness, raising visibility for the purpose of mobilizing resources, and joint development efforts that leverage collective strengths.
My objective in creating this blog is to share stories, ideas, and plans of people and organizations with likeminded ambitions or interests who are successfully working together to eliminate global poverty. I also hope to create a federation of people committed to unification of the body of Christ to better serve the needs of the poor in order that we might overcome current hurdles.
I have been told that the task is too difficult given the economic and political realities of competing interests, resource constraints, theological differences, fears, differing perspectives on approach, and the egos of all of us well meaning but broken people. However, I believe that our God desires unity, not fragmentation. I believe that our God is at work. And I believe that we are on the crest of a new and deeply impactful movement that will unite people across organization, occupation, nationality, and denomination to collectively serve the poor in Jesus name.
What do you believe?
Are you ready?
posted by Josh at 1:06 PM
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