Jon Barrett

Executive Director of CVCCS
Guest Contributor

 

Listen to this article:

 

In 2021, I had just assumed the role of the Executive Director of Conestoga Valley Christian Community Services in Lancaster, PA, when I was invited to a True Charity Foundations Workshop. I was skeptical about attending, partly because I felt I had a good handle on helping people in poverty, but also because I had never heard of True Charity.  

Thirty seconds into the first session, I was skeptical no more. 

I was also stunned.

I quickly came face-to-face with a convicting question: Was I really helping people? I learned my view of charity wasn’t very biblical–and that in my zeal to help others, I had harmed those I tried to help. By failing to use discernment, I was enabling people drowning in poverty to do nothing more than tread water. Instead, I should have been helping them permanently escape its rough waters. 

I was challenged to change how I approached charity and to adopt a different view of my role as the leader of a faith-based non-profit. I learned our clients needed transformational charity rooted in Jesus and the biblical concepts of affiliation, bonding, exchange, and freedom. When I returned home, I aligned my leadership strategy and our organization’s vision with the True Charity movement. We slowed down, focused less on numbers, and spent more time getting to know our clients.

There’s a catch, though. Relationships take time. They require meaningful conversations–which means listening intently, sharing stories, and establishing connections. It is NOT easy–and that makes going back to the old way of doing things very tempting.

This leads to a key question:  As charity leaders, how do we avoid that temptation and stay on the right path to true charity? It starts with godly, servant leadership– and David, king of Israel, teaches us at least three great lessons about what that looks like:

#1. Servant leadership is based on strength and courage that comes from cultivating a deep, abiding relationship with God.

 

David was FAR from perfect. Nevertheless, God called him a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14) because, despite his weakness, David regularly found strength in his relationship with God (1 Sam. 30:1-6 is a great example).  

He knew the successor to his throne, his son, Solomon, would need the same thing. That’s why David told him to “… be strong therefore and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways … that you may prosper in all that you do …” (1 Ki. 2:2-3) and “know the God of your father and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind …” (1 Chron. 28:9). Godly leadership must include God’s presence first!

#2. Servant leaders lead justly.

 

In the nonprofit world, making sure people are treated justly (or “as they ought to be treated”) is a common passion. David’s last words (found in 2 Samuel 23:1-4) show us what that looks like: 

Now these are the last words of David. Thus says David the son of Jesse; thus says the man raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel: “The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue. The God of Israel said, ‘The Rock of Israel spoke to me: He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, like the tender grass springing out of the earth, by clear shining after rain.”’

Note God’s portrayal. Each description adds another dimension to being a just leader (I appreciate David Guzik for these insights): 

 

• “The son of Jesse” reminds us that David came from humble beginnings. Jesse was not a man of wealth, influence, or reputation. At times, David forgot that, and pride and selfishness took over. In each case, though, he humbled himself, went back to God, and “returned to his roots,” so to speak. 

• “The man raised up on high” shows us David was exalted by the King of the universe so that he could confidently function as the king of Israel.

• “The anointed of the God of Jacob.” David didn’t anoint himself nor was he anointed by man. He had a unique enablement from God.

• “The sweet psalmist of Israel.” God gave David a beautiful gift of eloquence and expression. This title reminds us of David’s deep inner life with Him.

Guzik continues ,“Ruling in the fear of the Lord is the key to justice in the work of a leader. When leaders rule in the fear of God, they recognize that a God of justice reviews their work and will require an accounting of how the ruler has led” (emphasis added). . . David reflected on how a wise ruler is blessed when he rules with justice. Though David’s reign was not perfect, it was blessed–and his reign is the one most identified with the reign of Jesus the Messiah.” 

#3. Servant leaders lead holistically.

 

David’s life shows he was a well-rounded leader. Here are five distinct traits that demonstrate what that looks like:

• Be yourself. David wrote psalms in different styles–which means he wasn’t afraid to be himself. We shouldn’t be, either.
• Wait. Despite his impulsiveness at times, David learned to wait for God to act. In Psalm 37:7, he says, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently.” Waiting involves trust. Impatient decisions are always the worst decisions, particularly when it comes to charity. Leaders must avoid being overrun by the frenzy of trying to meet every need.
• Cultivate love. David thirsted for God like a deer pants for water (Psalm 42:1-2a). When under pressure and surrounded by enemies, the one thing he asked was to dwell in the house of the Lord (Psalm 27:4)–that is, to be with the One he loved and who loved him. Cultivating love for others starts with our love for Jesus (Matt. 22:37-39).
• Rest. David allowed some of his men to rest even in the midst of a major battle (1 Samuel 30:9-10). If we don’t learn to rest in the Lord, we’ll suffer significant consequences that come from running on empty.
• Be careful. In 2 Samuel 11, we find David in Jerusalem when he should have been in battle with his men. In an idle moment, he saw Bathsheba bathing on her rooftop. Lust turned into adultery, adultery turned into murder, murder turned into a cover-up, and a cover-up turned into chaos (2 Samuel 12–20).

David’s life helps us remember the purpose of just leadership is to point others to the only place Jesus’ glory and transforming power is available: the Cross. It is only there that one finds everything necessary for true change in a lost and broken world.

 

JIM MORGAN

President of Meet the Need
Guest Contributor

 

Listen to this article:

 

The Greatest of All identified Himself with the “least of these.” Jesus’ economy flips ours on its head – rich is poor, and poor is rich. He modeled healing and feeding to open ears before disclosing who He is (i.e., the Gospel). His parables of the Good Samaritan, Sheep and Goats, and Rich Man and Lazarus could even be misread to infer our eternal fate hinges on our response to poverty. Of course, we’re saved by God’s grace alone, but the implication is clear – no authentic Christ-follower will ignore the materially poor. 

For roughly 1,900 years, churches took those warnings seriously. Local churches were the food bank and homeless shelter – the first place the destitute turned to for help. The Church was the spiritual, social, and charitable “center of town” across the globe – integral and integrated. Even the word “charity,” derived from Old English, means “Christian love of one’s fellows.” Few disputed our right to speak up on issues of importance to a community or culture – in their eyes, we had earned the right to do so. Yet over the past century, churches gradually abdicated the front lines of poverty alleviation in America. The failed Social Gospel Movement and New Deal era sparked that transition, but another movement emerging over the past few decades accelerated the separation of compassion from evangelism – an insatiable appetite for church growth.

Prevailing ideas about church growth are incompatible with Jesus’ model for Kingdom growth. They encourage the attraction and retention of churchgoers, not the development and deployment of disciples. They treat congregations as “customers” rather than Kingdom employees (and my decade of Customer Relationship Management consulting taught me the value of properly defining and serving the right customer). They direct attention and resource allocation inward, not out, toward the real “customer” that every Christian should be pursuing – those in dire need of help and hope. Consequently, performance expectations have shifted, with members church hopping and shopping to find the best “experience.” Church has become centralized around a place and pastors, simply asking attendees to encourage friends to come next Sunday to hear the Gospel from a “professional.” Investing energy in the church is now our focus, not sending workers out to reach the lost. Churches can no longer demand “consumers” take personal responsibility for discipleship, compassion, and evangelism. However, if churches still viewed congregants as Kingdom “workers,” we would imitate companies and train them to be effective in their “mission fields.” 

The only way the Church in America can stem its decline in growth, impact, influence, and public perception is to abandon current church growth principles. No organization that targets the wrong customer or ignores its intended customer can succeed. The “safety net” in America for hundreds of years was not government programs but generous churches and Christians. Yet today, cynicism mounts each time we run seasonal “outreach” events that double as church advertising – then retreat back into our four walls, seemingly forgetting that those we served are still hungry and hurting after the holidays. As Christians, we won’t regain our voice in the marketplace of ideas until we resume sharing and demonstrating Jesus’ deep love for the poor – year-round. 

Assuming a church is its members, members are its Kingdom “employees,” and the unchurched are its biblical “customer,” here are 7 non-negotiables for church engagement in compassion:

 

1: Pray for the Lord to reveal the ideal opportunities, not just what’s expedient.

Prayer precedes Care and Share in Jesus’ model because the options and outcomes of our compassion and evangelism are in the Father’s hands. Too often, churches default to what’s most convenient – a service day at a popular local ministry or meal-packing event on the church campus. An externally focused church would assess pressing issues in its community and develop plans to address them collaboratively with other leaders. It would surrender its priorities and goals to the Lord’s revealed will for reaching the city.  Surrender entails risking members gaining exposure to ministries where they may feel called to devote time and resources. Surrender means seeking to maximize impact, even though that involves getting our hands dirty – walking alongside individuals and families as they plot and implement their own paths to a brighter future.

 

2: Treat those we’re helping as equals, not as the “rich helping the poor.”

Every human being suffers some form of poverty, whether it’s spiritual, psychological, relational, or financial. Maintaining awareness of our own shortcomings keeps us dependent on the grace of God. However, emphasis on church growth papers over some of our Christian duties by imagining the central focus of the church is to meet our personal needs. Once those needs are met, we’re conditioned to feel anything we do to serve deserves “extra credit.” This amplifies a sense of moral superiority to those we serve. On the contrary, the Bible teaches that poverty alleviation is a mandate, not a favor. Failure to do so is an expression of our own depravity. Learning to imitate Jesus in His humility as a servant and in how He treated everyone with dignity will require a level of personalized, intensive discipleship rarely found in American churches today.

 

3: Train members to share the Gospel powerfully and proactively.

Evangelistic responsibilities of churchgoers have essentially been reduced to testimonies and invitations. For the same reason companies lack the leverage to push customers too hard for referrals, churches no longer feel at liberty to ask members to do something most find extremely uncomfortable. Invitations to church absolve us of our personal responsibility for the Great Commission. Testimonies emphasize what Jesus did for “me” and associate the first part of my story (“who I was”) with the unredeemed listener. Greater church engagement in compassion would put more Christians in a position to share our faith, but we will repeat the mistakes of the Social Gospel Movement if we continue catering to the whims of churchgoers rather than challenging them to become disciples.

 

4: Build ongoing relationships because that’s the answer to poverty in all its forms.

The Chalmers Center and True Charity teach that material poverty originates through broken relationships (with God, His creation, ourselves, and others), and poverty ends when they’re repaired. The strength of relationships determines the effectiveness of interventions.  However, the success of church growth models depends on members and visitors coming back next Sunday. So most churches conduct occasional “outreach” events that require little time and few volunteers. Unfortunately, transactional compassion does more harm than good, building dependence and humiliating those in need of “handouts” to make it through the day. That’s why Meet the Need’s new Link2Hope platform builds sustainable circles of support around families, providing comfort in the knowledge they’re not alone and in the hope that is found only in Jesus. 

 

5: Deal with the underlying issues, not surface-level symptoms.

Only churches can address and restore all four broken relationships at the root of material poverty. Arms-length, sporadic events fail to take advantage of the unique position churches are in to heal the whole person – body, mind, affections, and will. For example, a new job fully leveraging our strengths and capabilities positively impacts our physical, mental, and emotional state. A pastor may counter that his church deals with the whole person and all four key relationships after people join the congregation, but that reflects a failure to recognize those outside the church as the true “customers” in need of healing.  

  

6: Test intentions to make sure compassion isn’t advertising or “checking the box.”

If members are treated as “customers,” then local mission activities are likely for them, not for the (materially) poor. Growth-oriented churches hijacked the words “outreach” and “ministry” due to the tremendous manpower needed to sustain operations. “Outreach” now implies advertising, and “ministry” refers primarily to internal “church chores.” The design of initiatives reveals the heart behind them – their proximity, duration, budget, and metrics indicate the sincerity of a church’s commitment to poverty alleviation. Significant expenditures aimed at moving the needle over a long period in unity with partners without announcing it to the world likely means the church is more about Kingdom growth than organizational growth.

 

7: Mobilize members into personal ministry in their neighborhoods and workplaces.

Waiting for the next church-sponsored event to serve or inviting people to church to hear the Gospel won’t reach the many coworkers, neighbors, family, and friends within each member’s circles of influence unwilling to be part of a church body. That’s why no one is exempt from GC3 – the Great Commandment, Great Commission, and Great Calling. Our lack of focus on personal discipleship, compassion, and evangelism was exposed during COVID-19. Even long-time, faithful churchgoers were unprepared to be “pastors” of their neighborhoods, missing countless opportunities to be the personification of the Church when the building’s doors were closed.

All flourishing organizations evaluate employee performance based on customer satisfaction, but dominant narratives of church growth measure the performance of the wrong “employees” and the satisfaction of the wrong “customers.” We’ve asked too much of the church “professionals” and too little of the members. In the end, refocusing our efforts on discipling members to reach the hurting in our communities is a better strategy to expand the Kingdom of God. Compassion evangelism done well is how the Church took the ancient world by storm, and it’s the blueprint for revival today.

 

As a former Investment Banker on Wall Street and as a Management Consultant to Fortune 500 companies, Jim felt like he needed to be spending more time serving God and helping others. Jim realized that the same solutions he was helping companies implement could be used to help others find opportunities to reach out to those in need.  Meet The Need was founded (and incorporated, as a non-profit) in 2001 and is the realization of Jim’s vision, providing a unique and innovative way to leverage leading-edge business technology to enable churches, ministries and individuals to reach out to those in need in their local communities or anywhere in the world.

 

FROM THE TRUE CHARITY TEAM: We appreciate the perspective of our knowledgeable guest contributors. However, their opinions are their own, and do not necessarily represent positions of True Charity in all respects.

---

 

BETHANY HERRON
Instructional Designer
Read more from Bethany

 

Listen to this article:

I wasn’t sure when I would be ready to write this article, if ever. You see, in October of 2021, I sat beside my mother and watched as machines kept her broken body alive. In tears, I sat for days, repenting of all the years I pushed her away in the name of leaving and cleaving, begging her to wake up so she could move closer to us like she always wanted. After a month on life support, she went to be with the Lord at 67, never having met her 4-month-old grandson, Hank, in person. 

Though God is the one who numbers our days, I can’t help but wonder how an understanding of True Charity principles could have changed my story. And I show up to work every day because I believe that by the grace of God, it can change the stories of those you serve. 

Let’s rewind ten years to high school. Years of family trauma had hardened my heart and dampened my relationships with my parents. As a teenager, I lived with my mom while my dad fought hard against his addiction to drugs and alcohol. Meanwhile, I watched my mom fight her own battles against government dependency and poor financial choices. I had a deep love for my family mixed with a desire to escape and live differently. 

I married my amazing, godly husband the week after graduating college – a sigh of relief entered my heart as I thought, “You’re doing it. You’re choosing a different path.” 

Quickly, I realized that my mother would try her hardest to follow me on that path. So, I kept her at arm’s distance. She tried on and off for eight years to move closer to my family, and for eight years, I said, “Not yet.” 

I convinced myself we weren’t financially ready to handle her lack of responsibility, and she didn’t need us yet, all while ignoring the whisper of Scripture, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

I didn’t realize that she wanted a different path too, and after years of me dampening the flame of hope, she had all but given up on living a different life. I didn’t realize that my mother was living in poverty – physically and relationally – and she no longer trusted me enough to admit she was struggling. 

During my first few months on the True Charity team, I sat quietly in shame as the Lord deepened my understanding of our call to care for the least of these – especially those within my own family. 

I fully believe our story could’ve been different. Here are three things that I believe can change the narrative of not only those you serve but of their entire families: 

 

1.  Encourage natural affiliations whenever possible. 

Broken relationships are painful, and it’s easy to run instead of restore. 

Broken relationships are prevalent throughout all of creation. You have an amazing opportunity to encourage the restoration of family relationships – if and when it is possible for those relationships to be healthy. Not only are individuals hurting, but their family likely is as well. Consequently, many family members do not recognize their biblical responsibility to care for those within their families (1 Timothy 5:8).

Get used to asking, “Where is your family?” and be prepared to dive into the messiness 

the comes with family relationships. 

 

2.  Restore hope through achievable goals. 

Many individuals can’t think past their current situation. They are defeated and don’t know that a flourishing life is possible. In short, hope is lost. Their poverty reaches far beyond a material need. 

Creating achievable goals can restore hope in the lives of those we serve. As 

created beings, made in the Image of God, we were made for a purpose. Work and 

productivity were given as a blessing before the fall of man. Therefore, work tends 

to awaken worth in an individual. 

Create goals. Empower them to reach them. Encourage dependency on Christ. Surround them with family support. Restore hope. 

 

3.  Help restored families establish boundaries.

Trust has been broken in many of these families. Families are afraid to be taken advantage of. They may also fear creating unhealthy dependency instead of empowering support. 

Working with restored families to create solid boundaries can help ensure healthy connections. Boundaries exist for the good of both parties involved, as family demonstrates trust in an individual, and that individual is held to high expectations. Boundaries work to restore healthy bonds for both parties. 

 

I encourage you to continue practicing True Charity principles. Together, we can work to change the stories of those we serve through the restoration of relationships. 

 

 

Listen to this article:

“Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw…”

These words are found in one of the most quoted encounters of Jesus’ ministry. His encounter with the “woman at the well” has been a go-to passage for many a preacher and Sunday school teacher. Found in Chapter 4 of the Gospel of John, this beautiful story of redemption demonstrates the lengths to which Jesus will go to reach those around us living in this broken world. This woman and Jesus’ response and engagement with her prove to be a tremendous example of the discernment required to effectively minister to those in need. Not just “anything helps,” as many signs of those on street corners read; there is an actual underlying need that must ultimately be addressed.

John the Apostle tells of Jesus’ encounter with this woman from Samaria at Jacob’s well. The early parts of the account give us some insight into the mental, societal, and emotional status of this unnamed Samaritan woman. It simply says, “It was about the sixth hour. There came a woman of Samaria to draw water.  Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink.’” 

In Jewish thought, the day began at 6:00 a.m., and the 6th hour would be noon to us. This woman had chosen to come and draw water at the primary water source in the middle of the hottest part of the day. One can assume that either she had terrible timing or (more likely) she was doing what every “normal” person would have done early in the morning at a time when she would be alone, hidden from the expectations and judgments of others. We will find out later that this woman was not living a life of honor but of unchastity, shame, and guilt.

Her meeting Jesus in the middle of the day was the last thing she was expecting—as in the same way God has shown up for so many of us. We encounter Him in the middle of our shameful life when we least expect it. How Jesus interacts with her becomes a beautiful picture of God’s grace and reveals the Father’s desire for true and spiritual worshipers. But for those of us “doing” ministry on a day-to-day basis, it can also be a blueprint for how we handle the everyday encounters with those in need.

As Jesus asks this woman for a drink, it sets into motion a discussion that will touch on everything from societal prejudice, religious customs, eschatological expectations, true and false worship, living conditions, and ultimately the promise of a spiritual relationship with the True God.  She approaches Jesus with a “natural” mindset and a fixation on her perceived need, primarily resulting in a myopic obsession with solving the “everyday” issues of her life. She immediately sees 

1. He’s not supposed to talk to me: “You being a Jew…and I am a Samaritan woman” (v. 9)
2. He has “nothing to draw with and the well is deep” (v. 11)  
3. He is just a man and “not greater than our father Jacob…who gave us the well” (v. 12)

Everything about her perception is earthly and steeped in the natural. Jesus engages her spiritually and says, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink’ you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water” (v. 10).  Here He begins speaking to her and interacting at a completely different level than she is likely used to. This is seen clearly when her response is all about her natural, superficial needs. The woman said to Him, “Sir give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw” (v. 15). She wanted her circumstances to change! She wanted the burden of life to be eased and her responsibilities to be lifted. Her hopes were that this man could make her life easier. Her perceived need was for a better or easier existence, and this man sounded like a possible way of receiving her perceived need.  

This becomes the exact moment where Jesus models a better way of helping: He shifts the entire conversation away from her perceived need and exposes her actual need. He says to her, “Go, call your husband” (v. 17), and this simple charge unlocks the reality of a life lived in disobedience to God’s commands and exposes a pattern of shame and brokenness that has plagued the Samaritan woman for years. His prophetic insight brings this woman into a place of humility and lays bare the truth that her perceived need was not her greatest need. She was in need of something greater.  In fact, she was in need of Someone greater. She needed Jesus.  

During this encounter, the woman does what most of us do. She deflects, waxes theological, and begins debating and excusing away her culture, life, and existence in it. But Jesus avoids following the rabbit trail. He loves her enough to continually reveal her true need. She needed Him. Later in the account, the woman says to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming, he who is called Christ; when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” Jesus responds to her, “I who speak to you am He.” 

Many of us spend our lives serving and ministering to people. They are often distraught, hurting, financially ruined, and emotionally broken. They come from every kind of experience and from every walk of life and always carry with them a sense of perceived need. We have to approach conversations with this mindset so that those to whom we’re ministering can come to this realization. Let’s pray for the Holy Spirit to lead us with discernment and help us reveal to those we serve their actual need: Jesus!

For all those faithfully serving Jesus and others, my prayer for you today is Galatians 6:9: Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

In a world filled with people who have great needs, let’s never forget that their greatest need is Jesus.

 

FROM THE TRUE CHARITY TEAM: We appreciate the perspective of our knowledgeable guest contributors. However, their opinions are their own, and do not necessarily represent positions of True Charity in all respects.