Reflections From a Historic Event

In August 2016 Empowering Action partnered with Bay Shore Community Church and Homes of Hope (HOH) for installation of an initial shipping container conversion home. Below guest blogger, Patrick Staggs, President of HOH, shares his reflections on his recent trip, which was the culmination of a year, in which Patrick and friend Lance Manlove had been inspired to attempt something great for the Lord, and followed through in founding HOH. In doing so, they rejected what John Piper below identifies as the call to casual, comfortable, cultural Christianity, and instead are experiencing the thrill of Christ-honoring, Kingdom-building entrepreneurship.

“We can rest content in casual, convenient, cozy, comfortable Christian lives as we cling to the safety and security this world offers. We can coast through a cultural landscape marked by materialism, characterized by consumerism, and engulfed in individualism. We can assent to the spirit of this age and choose to spend our lives seeking worldly pleasures, acquiring worldly possessions, and pursuing worldly ambitions—all under the banner of cultural Christianity. Or we can decide that Jesus is worth more than this. We can recognize that he has created us, saved us, and called us for a much greater purpose than anything this world could ever offer us.” – John Piper, Risk is Right

Our recent week in the Dominican Republic was definitely a physical and emotional workout, while simultaneously serving as a spiritual battery charger.  We created a plan for the container, and I expected the unexpected, as far as technical conversion, and knew we would get through the issues, and we did.

However, I did not expect the enormous amount of community support for the recipient’s family and the project itself. In fact, I had feared that there might be some resentment toward the family. However, after seeing the genuine love and support from all their friends, family and neighbors, I could see immediately the joy that people had for them.

The trip also made me so thankful to God for bringing friends into my life that have influence over me.  This is something that has and will continue to offer tremendous impact on my growth, as I continue my walk with Christ. I believe we need people in our lives that we can relate to and lean on, in order to grow together to be the Christ followers that God calls us to be. I am thankful that this trip helped strengthened existing relationships, as well as begin new ones.

The other realization for me was how critical the role of EA is in planning, executing and sustaining ventures such as Homes of Hope, as well as mission trips like Ship Hope. The benefit that is easiest to identify is the logistical support.  Accommodations, meals, cultural advice, transportation etc. all done so well and stress-free. Then, by using the local church network to identify the target family, and the Abundant Life Program, to ensure the Christ-centered growth is sustained, the project can have a successful, chain-breaking impact in eliminating poverty for future generations. The work being done through the EA organization is beyond incredible, and I am thankful to have been able to experience its reach firsthand, and am looking forward to the next opportunity for us to partner on God’s work again soon.

Patrick Staggs
President, Homes of Hope
Member, Bay Shore Community Church, Rehoboth Campus

The Danger of a Martha Mentality

“Ice cream? But we haven’t done anything yet!”

That was the response of a recent trip participant when I suggested that after lunch we go patronize a participant in the Abundant Life Program who had launched an ice cream business from her home. She and her family were, by the way, exemplary mission trip participants: spiritually mature, prepared, passionate, and relational. So her question provided a great opportunity to highlight the value of relationship building in short-term missions work, and the danger of packing along an American, task oriented “Martha mentality.” (Luke 10:38-42)

That morning we had, in fact, accomplished quite a bit, having:

  • Spent time fellowshipping with the pastor and leaders of his church
  • Enjoyed an impromptu time of worship, comprised of musicians from the local church and the visiting group
  • Shared recent triumphs and challenges of our respective churches
  • Conducted visits to community members whose homes we, alongside the local church, would be painting the following day, learning about them and praying with them
  • Shared the gospel and our testimonies of how the love of Christ had compelled us to travel so far to encourage and serve alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ
  • And…enjoyed lunch with our Dominican brothers and sisters in Christ.

The truth is that, while there is certainly a time and place for hard work that produces tangible results, it is also essential to recognize the value of simply being versus doing, and the significance of one’s mere presence. This is a concept clearly evident in Paul’s words to the church at Thessalonica:

“Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” (1 Thessalonians 2:8)

And it’s also clearly visible in the photo below, taken during our ice cream stop, where American visitors, our host Dominican pastor, our bus driver, and translators enjoyed a lively discussion about…NBA basketball. When I witnessed the debate amongst believers in process, I smiled and whispered to the visiting group leader, “that’s relationship building…that’s ministry.”

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The Ripple Effect of Obedience

Hebrews 10:24 challenges followers of Christ to “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” It’s amazing how personal obedience can have a ripple effect of community impact. Case in point: My friend Lance Manlove of Bay Shore Community Church in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Lance had never been on a mission trip, until last year when, in obedience, he joined a team from his church in serving with Empowering Action in the Dominican Republic.  During that brief trip Lance learned personally what theologian H.A. Ironsides had stated long ago,

“We are naturally so self-centered that we are inclined to believe that the greatest happiness is found in receiving rather than giving. We all enjoy receiving gifts.  We delight in receiving praise, love and adulation. We sometimes imagine that if everything that our hearts crave could be poured out upon us, we would be supremely happy. But this is a total mistake. The happiest people in the world are those that give most unselfishly.”

But the impact did not stop there, as a ripple effect of obedience occurred, in regards to the number of people impacted through what the Lord did in Lance’s heart on that short trip, serving alongside the local church to impact their communities for Christ:

  • Personally – as Lance allowed himself to be dropped down on his first mission trip answering, “Here I am. Send me” (Isaiah 6:8). The result is that he not only used his gifts, talents and abilities in those moments in-country, but he was also impacted by the huge need for quality shelter, and left desiring to formulate a solution to help others.  God implanted an idea that would eventually lead to a non-profit organization, established to assist impoverished island nations in breaking the chain of poverty through Christ’s love, by converting shipping containers into sustainable homes.
  • Family – as his 3 small children have, not only supported their father’s new nonprofit, but also become actively involved in raising money for impoverished families in the Dominican Republic, by selling lemonade, with the help of their parents, at their church and to hikers and bikers on a neighborhood trail.
  • Friends – as, after his mission trip, Lance went back to his friends and, along with Patrick Staggs, together they founded the nonprofit Homes of Hope, which collaborates with EA in providing housing through participating churches of the Abundant Life Program in the Dominican Republic.
  • Co-workers – as Lance’s employer, Schell Brothers Home Construction, assisted with the prototype build, with many sub contractors donating materials and labor, and sponsored a 5K race this spring, benefitting Homes of Hope.
  • Church – as Lance’s church supported the first container project, with the entire church, young and old, involved with the building, planning, and sponsorship.
  • Community – as not only do random individuals stop and offer to help during workdays, but Lance has also been contacted by businesses, civic associations, schools and other churches regarding participation, nationally and abroad. A homeless shelter has even expressed interest in collaborating on a project to develop a container solution to local poverty issues.

As you can see, God can use the obedience of a few to impact many. We can see that same concept at work in scripture with the ripple effect of obedience of Jesus’ earliest disciples, resulting in the existence of the church today:

  • The initial obedience to the call of “Follow me”…(Matt. 4:18-22)
  • Continued obedience in the midst of persecution and struggle, stating, “We cannot help but speak about the things we have seen and heard…” (Acts 4:20)
  • Strategic empowerment and capacity building through adherence to the call to “…entrust these things to faithful men who will be able to teach others also…” (2 Tim. 2:2)

Pastor John MacArthur calls for this ripple effect of obedience to continue, commenting on 2 Timothy 2:2,

“From Paul to Timothy to faithful men to others encompasses four generations of godly leaders. That process of spiritual reproduction which began in the early church is to continue until the Lord returns.”

So please pray for and financially support Home of Hope’s initial container home installation with EA, occurring July 31 to August 5th, in the town of Caballona in the Dominican Republic.

And let me encourage you to function in whatever role in the ripple effect of obedience God has given you, and, above all, heed the call of 18th century theologian John Wesley to,

“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.”

Jesus: Our Model for Missions, Part II

The Gospels provide us a glimpse into Jesus’ Model for Missionary Work, as Christ came into the world in the way we should go unto the nations.

1.     SENT BY GOD

32 times in the gospel of John Jesus indicates God the Father sent him.

  • “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.” – John 9:4
  • “he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” – John 5:24
  • “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.”  – John 6:44

Long and short-term missionaries are “sent ones” – not those who desire adventure, new experiences or an alternative to summer vacation. God sent His son into the world. Jesus sent the twelve and then seventy on missionary journeys.  But Jesus did not stop sending once he ascended to heaven

Acts 1:8-9 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.”

He continues to send men and women to the nations with the gospel.

“As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” – John 20:21

A good mission trip participant sees themself as being sent!

2.     ACTED VOLUNTARILY

Although Jesus was sent by God the Father, He did it voluntarily. He wasn’t compelled, manipulated or forced to come to earth and die for our sins.

John 10:17-18 – “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

And because he voluntarily left behind heaven to serve those on earth, he could identify with those He came to serve in a genuine way. No one should be compelled to go on a mission trip.  The only thing that should be compelling someone to go on a trip is Christ’s love.

2 Cor. 5:14-15 – “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves  but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

And because a mission trip is a voluntary act participants can identify with Christ and those we go to serve in a genuine way.

So mission trip participants should see themselves as being sent, act voluntarily…

3.     MOVED WITH COMPASSION

Jesus’ identification with people produced real sympathy and compassion.

Matt 9:36 – “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

His compassion moved him to: heal the sick, teach truth, feed the hungry, give sight to the blind, and comfort the grieving. Without compassion missionary work is just work, and can honestly be akin to someone riding a rusty old bike: painful to ride, painful to watch, and not very productive.

Mission trip participants should see themselves as being sent, act voluntarily, be moved with compassion…

4.     COMPELLED TO COMMUNICATE

The central activity of missions is the communication of the gospel.

Mark 8:36 – “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”

Jesus healed, cast out demons, raised the dead and fed the hungry; however, all these were secondary. In fact, communication was so central to Jesus’ mission trip that one of his key names was “the Word.”

John 1:1, 14 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Eric Wright says it well in A Practical Theology of Missions when he states,

“Missionary activity that fails to focus on the proclamation of the gospel fails to be missionary. Philanthropy, perhaps; missions, no. However, as sinners grow in grace they increasingly manifest both love for God and love for their neighbors. Works of concern and compassion spring up as believers see neighbors in need. Evangelism precedes and produces, social action.”

With Jesus as their example, mission trip participants should see themselves as being sent by God, be acting voluntarily, be moved with compassion, and feel compelled to communicate.

Click here to support EA’s dual ministry TO visiting groups and THROUGH visiting groups by donating toward our Operations Budget.

Jesus: Our Model for Missions, Part 1

With the Summer Olympics rapidly approaching, how many of us if given a chance would like to go?  How many of us if given an opportunity would like to compete? There’s a vast difference between the two. One is a vacation and the other is a competition. With a vacation it’s about what you will experience, and your preparation involves essentially counting down the days and packing your bags. On the other hand, a competition is about what you will accomplish, and your preparation involves physical and mental training.

In the same way, a mission trip needs to be approached less like going on a vacation, and more like preparing for a competition (spiritual battle). That’s not to say you won’t have great experiences on a mission trip, as you experience a new culture and beautiful scenery and establish new friendships. But we need to be prepared, not merely logistically (fundraising, packing…etc.) but spiritually as well. And the great news is that we have the ultimate missionary, Jesus Christ, as our example.

Not Peter (missionary to the Jews) or Paul (missionary to the Gentiles) but the Son of God Himself, whose mission trip had dual purposes:

  • Saving sinners from hell – eternal separation FROM God
  • Moving believers to fellowship – a close relationship WITH God

Jesus said in John 17:2-3,

“You have given me authority over all flesh, that I should give eternal life to as many as You have given me. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and me whom You have sent.”

Mission trips should also have a similar dual focus, prioritizing both evangelism and discipleship, as the church is an extension of Jesus’ personal mission trip.

The Gospels provide us a glimpse into Jesus’ Model for Missionary Work, as Christ came into the world in the way we should go unto the nations.

“Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.  So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”(John 20:19-21)

On Thursday we’ll see how, with Jesus as their example, mission trip participants should see themselves as being sent by God, be acting voluntarily, be moved with compassion, and feel compelled to communicate.

The Open Sea of Affliction

Years ago I was challenged to make God’s Word my first word daily. As I read this morning from DL Moody’s Thoughts for the Quiet Hour, I reflected on:

– having felt “constrained to go” and start Empowering Action almost 4 years ago;
– “feeling assured of a calm voyage”
– and yet learning daily from the Lord that “there is a rest even on the open sea.”

Below is the devotional, which I highly recommend:

June 11th.
Jesus constrained His disciples to get into a ship. Matt. 14:22

“Jesus constrained them to go! One would think that if ever there was the certain promise of success in a mission, it was here. Surely, here, if anywhere, a triumphant issue might have been confidently predicted; and yet here, more than anywhere, there was seeming failure. He sent them out on a voyage, and they met such a storm as they had never yet experienced.

Let me ponder this, for it has been so with me, too. I have sometimes felt myself impelled to act by an influence which seemed above me—constrained to put to sea. The belief that I was constrained gave me confidence, and I was sure of a calm voyage. But the result was outward failure. The calm became a storm; the sea raged, the winds roared, the ship tossed in the midst of the waves, and my enterprise was wrecked ere it could reach the land. Was, then, my divine command a delusion? Nay; nor yet was my mission a failure. He did send me on that voyage, but He did not send me for my purpose. He had one end and I had another. My end was the outward calm; His was my meeting with the storm. My end was to gain the harbor of a material rest; His was to teach me there is a rest even on the open sea.”—George Matheson.

The above insights are made all the more powerful when you know the story of their author:

At age 20 George Matheson (1842-1906) was engaged to be married but began going blind. When he broke the news to his fiancee, she decided she could not go through life with a blind husband, and left. Prior to his loss of sight George had penned two books of theology, and many believe that had George not gone blind he could have been the greatest leader of the church of Scotland in his day. And yet God’s hand was on George and his sister offered to care for him. With her assistance, George left the academic world for pastoral ministry and wound up preaching to 1,500 each week–blind.*

It was on “the open sea of affliction” that George Matheson impacted thousands of lives for Christ. A good reminder when we find ourselves longing for “the harbor of material rest.”

*SOURCE:  https://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/justintaylor/2010/08/04/o-love-that-will-not-let-me-go/

EA5K Recap

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Thanks to all the participants, volunteers and sponsors of the 2016 EA5K!  Congratulations to all our finishers, category winners and our overall winner, Calvin Bannister, who provided his reflections below:

“The EA5K was special in that it created an opportunity for all of us, who are otherwise strangers, to join together and support a mission we believe in. In many ways, the event itself mirrored the partners and networks through which Empowering Action accomplishes its work, as there’s a place for everyone’s abilities: volunteers, runners, virtual runners, donors etc. We were each able to play our own part, and that’s what makes this 5k an event one that I’ll be sure to remember!” – Calvin Bannister, 2016 EA5K Overall Winner

EA5K Superlatives

 

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Guest Blogger: EA5K Race Director, Danny Talmage

For the second year Danny Talmage of Crazy Dog Events will be directing our upcoming 5K race. We sat down with him to learn more about his company and connection to Empowering Action.

Tell us about yourself.

Since I moved to DC in 1993 I have always been supportive of nonprofits including Habitat for Humanity, YFU, and Greater DC Cares. Over time I got into running and first started volunteering, then being a team captain, and later a race director. In 2003 I started my own charity race, the Germantown 5 Miler. 12 years later I started Crazy Dog Events to help charities get new races started.

Tell us about the name Crazy Dog Events.

Crazy Dog’s name came from my running partner and crazy Airedale Terrier, Snickerz. He is now 14 and is retired from running, but he loved running and would average 20 miles a week.

Tell us about your race schedule.

I am normally directing, timing, or volunteering for a race every weekend during the main race seasons of the spring and fall. In the summer and winter I volunteer as a USATF official for various indoor and outdoor track events.

Snickerz is retired from running. What about you?

I still get out for a few miles once in a while, but various injuries have hampered my running.

How did you get connected with Empowering Action?

I’ve known the founder, Kent Husted, for almost twenty years, meeting for the first time at a church in Germantown where he was serving on staff. We reconnected last year when Empowering Action expressed an interest in hosting a 5K race, and was directed to me by a mutual friend at Fellowship of Christian Athletes who had partnered with me on some events.

What excites you about Empowering Action?

I like Empowering Action for how they are helping people get out of poverty and teaching them how to have a vocation for the future. The program is well designed and helps so many in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Haiti. Having taken the Perspectives class I see the value of the program and know that it is doing amazing things for those that are involved.

From the Eyes of an Intern

Hello, my name is Jean-Didier Pierre-François, I’m 16 years old, and I’m a student at the “Liceo Francés de Santo Domingo” the in Dominican Republic. Recently, my school asked all the students from 10th grade to coordinate an internship with a company, in order to discover the professional world. I had the opportunity to work with Empowering Action.  I was really anxious at the beginning, because I didn’t know what to expect. But since the moment I walked in the office for the first time, I was reassured. Everybody was so nice to me that I never felt like a stranger. It was a really pleasant working environment, and at the end of my first day I was very happy.  And, fortunately it just got better and better.

I had a lot of different activities, and my tutor was really the best, explaining every little aspect of the organization. I had the chance to visit some poor neighborhoods in and around the capital, and it was probably my favorite part of the internship, because I got to see a lot of people, to interact with them, to play with the kids. It was also very hard to see them live in such conditions. I was very touched. At one point, when we went to visit some Haitian churches and their communities, thanks to my understanding of 4 different languages, I had the chance to translate the meeting between the members of the churches and the employees from the organization. I was really proud to be able to contribute to the work of the NGO, and to make their job a little bit easier. At the end of the week, to be honest with you, I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay and help them more, because I saw that they are working very hard everyday to fight poverty, and that they’re truly changing people’s lives. I also saw that faith was a HUGE part of their work, the most important one. It was really important for me to see that, because I realized that without faith, you can’t achieve anything. In conclusion, my Internship at Empowering Action was a total success. It was a truly enriching experience, and I hope I’ll be able to bring them more help in the future!

Gifts of Lasting Value

The other night, as my wife and I sat in our daughters’ room, doing our nightly devotions with our girls, my eye caught the many magnets on my daughter’s metal bunk bed, that I had collected for them over time. Years ago I started the habit of bringing them something tangible and permanent whenever I traveled to a new city or country, with refrigerator magnets being the economical and logical choice. Yes, at times I’ll couple the magnets with something temporary and consumable, like a unique candy from a far-off land, but I recognize that while those are nice, I want to bestow upon them something of permanence and lasting value.

This past week as we celebrated Mother’s Day, I was reminded of Paul’s words to his disciple Timothy, regarding the lasting value of the spiritual impact of his mother and grandmother,

“I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” (2 Tim. 1:5)

I have no doubt that Paul’s mother and grandmother demonstrated their love for him in a variety of ways over the years, many meeting an immediate, short-term, temporary need. However, the most urgent and permanent need for any Christian parent is to exemplify a sincere faith, as Lois and Eunice did for Paul. Serving as personal chauffer, chef, fashion consultant, tutor and career counselor are all valuable and selfless acts; however, in the eternal spiritual scheme of things they are temporary and minor, in comparison to faithfully nurturing, in partnership with the Holy Spirit, a sincere faith in Christ in our children.

In the end, nothing is of more lasting significance, as Hebrews 9:27-28 reminds us,

“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”

And Paul notes an ingredient of vital importance to leaving a lasting spiritual legacy on children, when he states, “your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice.”

In short, we, as parents, cannot impart what we do not possess.  Paul’s faith was birthed in him to a large degree because it lived in influential people in his life.

So while I’m certain many a sermon was preached this past Sunday encouraging mothers of the sacrificial nature of motherhood, in the end, God’s Word indicates, wherever we parent, as believers around the globe, our top priority must be to emulate Paul’s words to the Ephesians elders in Acts 20:28,

“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.”