Walking with the Poor - Empowering their Journey

Walking with the Poor - Empowering their Journey

• 1.
  Walking with thepoor to transform lives – in Christ
• 2.
  Some sentiments:  The“rawness’ of life without the frills  You can sense the need for survival – there is no comfort  You can sense desperation – people are praying for answers  It exposes who you are: privileged  A smile is priceless – joy overcomes hardship A mother & child in a tent camp post Haiti earthquake
• 3.
   Not justa lack of “stuff”  Not a syndrome of “laziness”  The poor are the after-effects of disfranchisement – lack of capital, lack of resources, lack of economies of scale to compete for ‘living wage,’ lack of a government support  Poverty result of sin – broken world  Poverty is multidimensional – food, shelter, education
• 4.
   Worship asconcert  Focus on church growth  Being comfortable is OK  Not challenged for outward call of service  No urgency to go to the ends of the earth Culture is fundamentally altering Christ’s call – focus is on individual success through faith
• 5.
   Luke 4:18-19: He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. Matthew 25:40: And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
• 6.
  Some tough questions: Are we ready to sell all we have to follow Jesus?  Are we ready to renounce family for the cost of Christ?  Are we ready to die for Christ? “Follow me” Radical Abandonment of Comfort
• 7.
   Felt thatoverwhelming brokenness for the poor  Poverty at first was just a concept – something from TV of a starving African child  Asked the Lord “send me”  Began to intersect with those who had little – and hear their stories  The Lord moved me to be a light – just a small act of compassion those with nothing saw God move  Now moving to build that process of stepping out in faith to a global level. Top: Mission trip to Philippines Bottom: Homeless food outreach in Norfolk
• 8.
   Empowerment: micro-loans= hand up  Discipleship – coming alongside a church, individual & to deliberately share God’s truth.  Compassion – providing direct and emergent aid (2 fish, 5 loaves)
• 9.
  Pray for theLord to send you Pray for those in refugee situations and conflict Pray for persecuted Christians Take yourself outside of your comfort zone Serve food at a homeless shelter or go on a mission trip Join us on a global journey to serve the poor
• 10.
  We look forwardto follow-up! E-mail: [email protected]