“And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden; like a spring whose waters never fail.” – Isaiah 58:10-11
The Motivation
In alignment with our community-based, asset-based approach to development, churches have both the biblical calling and the opportunity to be facilitators of holistic long-term development.
As true shalom is inextricably linked to spiritual wellbeing, the church is indispensable in any efforts to make shalom become a reality in any context.
The Challenge
Due to the education level of the average adult in poor communities in Rwanda, the access to training, education, and resources to understand poverty in a holistic manner and address poverty accordingly are somewhat limited.
The Opportunity
ASM is committed to coming alongside church leadership and lay members who are loving God and loving others to link them to resources and tools to participate in God’s work of making shalom a reality.
The Means
Foster an understanding of the multidimensional nature of poverty: the church’s understanding of the problem
From the wealthiest suburbs of the modern world to the remote rural villages of the majority world, there are misconceptions regarding the complex nature of poverty and the number of interrelated factors.To adequately address poverty in a holistic sense, the local church must first understand the problem.
It is from this holistic understanding that the church can invest in the lives of children, their families, and the entire community so people can discover their identity and worth as image bearers of God as well as God’s plan for a relationship with Him, ourselves, others, and all of creation.
Broaden the local church’s understanding of holistic ministry: the church’s response.
As the Micah Network succinctly states, “holistic transformation is the proclamation and demonstration of the gospel. It is not simply that evangelism and social involvement are to be done alongside each other. Rather, in integral mission our proclamation has social consequences as we call people to love and repentance in all areas of life. And our social involvement has evangelistic consequences as we bear witness to the transforming grace of Jesus Christ.”
This understanding of holistic ministry will safeguard churches from the common pitfalls of focusing either on “saving souls” or on social activism.
Facilitate the design of specific strategies to invest in the lives of children, alleviate poverty, and transform their communities: the church’s plan.
The local church will have a strengthened commitment to long-term outward-focused engagement.
At this point, ASM plays the role of facilitator in helping those committed churches develop strategies and programs which are best suited for their context.
At times that will mean providing a template for something “tried and true” with wide-spread relevance, such as Savings and Credit Association.
Local churches have a key role to play in seeing the true meaning of shalom become a reality in their communities. By working with local churches, ASM focuses on the assets already in existence in the community.