It only requires a surface reading of any of the Gospels to realize that Jesus paid special attention to those at the margins of society. In 1st Century Jewish culture those at the margins were women, children, foreigners, those with handicaps, those thought of as “sinners” and the uneducated. It was Jesus’ attention toward these people that frequently got him in trouble.
In case his concern for those on the fringes of society was unclear, near the end of his ministry he told the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46). The message at the end of the parable is undeniably clear– Jesus cared for the marginalized and his followers should do likewise.
Most church planting ministries don’t focus on starting new churches in marginalized communities for one obvious reason: economics. Suburban communities have more money than marginalized communities. In addition, virtually all church planting ministries require their church plants to be financially self-sufficient in 2-5 years. These two fact converge to virtually guarantee that they won’t try to start new churches in marginalized communities.
We in Mission Alive are deeply sympathetic to this challenge. However, we have chosen to prioritize the value Jesus taught – to help those at the margins. That is why we focus on starting new innovative faith communities in and for marginalized communities. Does that mean that finances are a challenge? Yes, virtually all the time. However, it also means that we get to see God doing amazing things in the lives of people. We get to see lives blessed, redeemed, helped, and utterly transformed. That is why we need your help. Finances are nearly always an issue but transformation is always happening!
Please take a few minutes and visit our website. Read the 100 Marginalized Communities Initiative. Pray for our current IFC leaders and future leaders. Ask God to increase your heart for those that need to know of His love the most. Give as you can.