Habitat For Humanity
March 11, 2009 by admin
Filed under Ministries
Habitat for Humanity: A Christian Ministry *
Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian organization dedicated to eliminating substandard housing and homelessness worldwide and to making adequate, affordable shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat is founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child should have a simple, decent, affordable place to live in dignity and safety.
Habitat has an open-door policy: All who desire to be a part of this work are welcome, regardless of religious preference or background. Habitat for Humanity has always had a policy of building with people in need regardless of race or religion, and we welcome volunteers and supporters from all backgrounds.
The work of Habitat for Humanity is driven by the desire to give tangible expression to the love of God through the work of eliminating poverty housing. Habitat’s mission and methods are predominantly derived from a few key theological concepts: the necessity of putting faith into action, the “economics of Jesus” and the “theology of the hammer.”
Putting Faith into Action
Habitat’s ministry is based on the conviction that to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ we must reflect Christ’s love in our own lives by loving and caring for one another. Our love must not be words only—it must be true love, which shows itself in action. Habitat provides an opportunity for people to put their faith and love into action, bringing diverse groups of people together to make affordable housing and better communities a reality for everyone.
The Economics of Jesus
When people act in response to human need, giving what they have without seeking profit or interest, we believe God magnifies the effects of our efforts. Habitat refers to this perspective as “the economics of Jesus.” Together, the donated labor of construction volunteers, the support of partner organizations and the homeowners’ “sweat equity” make Habitat’s house building possible. By sharing resources with those in need, Habitat volunteers and supporters have made decent, affordable housing a reality for more than 200,000 families worldwide.
The Theology of the Hammer
Habitat is a partnership founded on common ground—bridging theological differences by putting love into action. Everyone can use the hammer as an instrument to manifest God’s love. Habitat founder Millard Fuller called this concept “the theology of the hammer,” explaining, “We may disagree on all sorts of other things … but we can agree on the idea of building homes with God’s people in need, and in doing so using biblical economics: no profit and no interest.”
Habitat for Humanity welcomes all people to build with us in partnership. “The Bible teaches that God is the God of the whole crowd,” explained Fuller. “God’s love leaves nobody out, and my love should not either. This understanding drives ‘the theology of the hammer’ around the world, steadily building more and more houses in more and more countries.”
* Information on Habitat For Humanity is extracted from the Habitat For Humanity website at http://www.habitat.org
For more information please see the following references:
Habitat For Humanity Home Page
Get Involved – Join in the fight against poverty housing and homelessness around the world!
Girls In Action
March 10, 2009 by admin
Filed under Ministries
For 93 years, GA® has influenced the lives of girls and helped spread the gospel around the world. Leaders like Beth Moore and Marilyn Blackaby affirm that their experiences in GA shaped their lives. Numerous missionaries—such as the recent appointees I visited in February—share stories of how God used GA to call them to the missions field. And countless other women are teaching missions to their own children because of their experiences in Girls in Action® or Girls’ Auxiliary. The legacy of GA is immeasurable.
We pray that God will use GA to inspire the next generation of women to a lifestyle of missions action and support. Through the GA motto, pledge, song, and Scripture verses, girls learn the values that have been a part of GA since its beginning. Our hope is that missions will become a natural part of their faith and a legacy that they will leave for future generations.
What Is Girls in Action (GA)?
GA is a comprehensive missions education program, for girls in grades 1-6, which includes praying for missions, engaging in missions action and witness, learning about missions, developing spiritually toward a missions lifestyle, participating in the work of the church and denomination, and supporting missions.
Through participation in GA, girls grow in their knowledge, understanding, and application of the Bible. They also learn from the example of missionaries, believers, and hands-on mission action what it means to actively engage in ministering to others with the compassion of Christ.
GA Motto: “Go Forward!”
GA Pledge: “As a GA, I will do my best to live a missions lifestyle that honors God by learning about missions, praying for missions, giving to missions, doing missions and participating in the work of the church.”
GA Scripture Verse: “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted” (Isaiah 12:4 NIV).
GA Lifestyle Verse: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8 NIV).
To help ensure the future of GA for generations to come, consider giving to the GA Endowment. Your contributions will help facilitate, enhance, and expand the reach of Girls in Action. Visit www.wmufoundation.com for more information or to give online.
For more information please see the following references:
Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU)
Royal Ambassadors
March 10, 2009 by admin
Filed under Ministries
The Royal Ambassadors Motto, “We are Ambassadors for Christ,” not only gives the organization its name, but also gives the boys and leaders a lifestyle goal. This Motto is taken from Scripture, specifically 2 Corinthians 5:20 NIV; We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
Who Are Royal Ambassadors?
A Royal Ambassador (RA) is a boy in grades 1-6 committed to living out the RA Pledge. This Pledge is part of personal and chapter (group of RA’s) accountability.
What is the Royal Ambassador Organization?
Royal Ambassadors (RA’s) is a Bible-centered, church-based, Southern Baptist mission education organization for boys in grades 1-6.
Why The Name Royal Ambassadors?
The Scripture passage 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 describes the purpose of Royal Ambassadors. While the RA motto is found in verse 20, the other verses sum up Paul’s declaration of why we need to be ambassadors for Christ.
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. Now everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ; certain that God is appealing through us, we plead on Christ’s behalf, ’Be reconciled to God.’” (2 Cor. 5:17-20, HCSB)
What are the Parts of the RA Emblem and their purposes?
| The Words—Royal Ambassadors An ambassador is a representative in a court or nation other than his own. Royal Ambassadors are representatives of Christ the King bringing good news of salvation to people everywhere. The RA Motto reads, “We are Ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor. 5:20, HCSB).The Shield The shield stands for faith in Christ (see Eph. 6:16). This symbol represents the journey of faith and a commitment to having faith in Christ. The Crown The Branch The Colors For more information please see the following references:
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Christian Prison Ministry
March 7, 2009 by admin
Filed under Ministries
An important Christian ministry that is often overlooked is Christian prison ministry. Jesus Christ spent most of his time on earth ministering to the poor, the needy and often times the people most spurned by society. After Jesus resurrection he appeared to the Eleven disciples and he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Mark 16:15. Paul who was a murderer and persecuted Christians was converted into a great servant of God (see our blog post; The Road To Damascus).
An organization called Bible Believers Fellowship has a nationwide Christian prison ministry based on the Bible verse above. This excerpt is taken from their web site;
“Bible Believers Fellowship, Inc. is not a church but a nondenominational, nonprofit, nationwide Christian prison ministry. We take the Bible literally as what it is, the inspired Word of God. It is our firm belief that even the most hardened of criminals, or troubled youth offenders, can be touched and changed forever by the power and love of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.
We provide United States prison chaplains with free English and Spanish Christian literature, audios, and videos that will assist them in reaching prisoners with the Holy Word of God. Among other things, we distribute Bibles, New Testaments, Gospels of John, role model books, little Bible booklets, tracts, Christian audios and videos, and our regular Bible teaching newsletter, “The Good News Letter.”
We also provide free counseling and encouragement, not only for repentant convicts and juveniles who want to turn from their past and live for Jesus (see John 1:12-13 and 2 Corinthians 5:17), but also for incarcerated new believers and backsliders who are struggling hard to understand the Bible and to live the Christian faith.”
There are many ways to serve God and all of them may not be clean and tidy but require one to roll up their sleeves and get working with all types of God’s creation. If you are seeking to serve God think about ministries that are often neglected in which you can serve.
For more information please see the following references:
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