As a staff, we are all reading a book called When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert and at each of our Monday morning staff meetings we discuss a chapter from the book. This week’s chapter was called Yes, In Your Backyard. I absolutely loved this chapter, especially since my husband and I just moved to the city. This chapter talks about poverty and what that looks like in your community. It addresses helping the materially poor but the book as a whole also addresses meeting the needs of the emotionally and spiritually poor. For me, the idea of being “emotionally or spiritually poor” has never really crossed my mind. When I think of poverty, I always think of not having material things. I know that we are all broken people, but I never really thought about what that looks like and what this book has taught me is that poverty can mean many different things and that we are all poor in one-way or another. When I think about other people in that way, it makes me realize that we all have something in common. We have staff members that live in the city and some that live in the suburbs. The poverty that can be found in the suburbs may not be quite so obvious as poverty in the city, but what is so exciting is that God gives us an opportunity to minister to the “poor” no matter where we are and no matter what “poverty” looks like. On the other end of the spectrum (and this is what makes the people of Kenya so special) is that they might be materially poor, but they are not necessarily spiritually or emotionally poor. We can learn so much from them!!
We often talk about the impact that going to Kenya has on everyone that goes and what people can do to keep the “effects of Kenya” going once they return home. I have recently begun looking into what it means to live missionally and I found these great tips on how to live your everyday life with a mission mind. You can click here to read more on each tip but I added a few of my own thoughts.
-Eat with Non-Christians (Jesus did this regularly!)
-Walk, Don’t Drive (When possible-We miss a lot of relational opportunities when in our car.)
-Be a Regular (Get to know the businesses in the community and build relationships.)
-Hobby with Non-Christians (It’s important to show non-Christians that we are interested in the same things. Be the person that a non-Christian can look at and say “That’s who I would be if I were a Christian.”)
-Talk to Your Co-workers (Work is a great place to show that we are alike, but also set apart.)
-Volunteer with Non-Profits (I know of a really great Non-Profit you could volunteer for! ☺)
-Participate in City Events (Even small towns have events!)
-Serve Your Neighbors (Here and abroad.)
I believe living missionally is a way to live out your beliefs that come from the life and relationship we have with our Savior, Jesus. It’s about growing daily in His grace, using our gifts to administer that grace and being who we were created to be by living every moment in communion with God.
If you have been to Kenya and are looking for a way to get connected on this side of “the bridge”, I would encourage you to ask your church or find an organization that is doing meaningful long-term development work within your city.
If you haven’t been to Kenya, we have some really great ways to plug in and make a difference. Check out our upcoming trips here. We’ve also come up with some great ideas of ways to raise money for water in Kenya here.
“The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps – we must step up the stairs. “ -Vance Havner
