Articles for tag: Community Transformation

Missions of Hope International Brings Hope, Health, and Healing

Missions of Hope International began in the Nairobi slums with the goal of serving the poor through education, spiritual development, economic empowerment, and basic medical care.

July 3, 2025

Community Change Brings Life Transformation: Denford Chizanga and Africa Development Mission’s Impact

Denford Chizanga's life is a testament to transformation—not only the transformation of his own, but also transformation in the lives of countless people across Africa.

March 18, 2016

Church & Ministry Church Planting

Jesus in the Rubble

By Rich Gorman We were failing miserably. We moved into our Chicago neighborhood in 2010 to join others in starting a new church that would help people discover Jesus and lead to lasting life change and community transformation for God”s glory. Our neighborhood provided some unique challenges. It is one of the most dense and diverse in the city, a home to refugees and immigrants from all over the world. It is a community of stark divisions: ethnic, racial, gender, socioeconomic, language, religion, culture . . . and the list goes on. But we were certain God would bless what

March 12, 2015

Connecting Churches, Transforming Indy

By Jennifer Johnson Lots of churches in Indianapolis are working to help people in poverty. City Mosaic is helping those churches work together. “We realized many churches were doing their own thing in silos, with no coordinated partnership,” says Stacia Murphy, communications director at City Mosaic. “We exist to connect those churches and help them work together to transform and empower the communities of our city.” The three-year-old organization has developed initiatives in education, housing, job creation, family transformation, and church revitalization to accomplish this goal. Volunteers serve as tutors in several of the city”s elementary schools; church partners and

January 9, 2015

Nate Bush

A Healthy Church Helps Make a Healthy Community

The gospel’s purpose is restoration—and churches can reflect that future by confronting local bad news with good news solutions. From serving schools to true mission “with” neighbors, this article urges generosity without an agenda.

September 13, 2014

Changing a City

By Glen Elliott Do you believe your city, town, region, barrio, or district can change? Do you believe your church can be a catalyst to bring about true community transformation? Do you see your church joining other churches, social agencies, and governmental entities to make a real difference? Will the prayer Jesus asked his disciples to pray become a reality where you live, “Your kingdom come, your will be done in (insert your city name here) as it is in heaven”? At one time, I had my doubts. The challenges and needs seemed overwhelming. I had so little time and

October 12, 2013

Transforming Our Region

By Glen Elliott Pantano Christian Church exists in a city and region that is facing huge challenges. Over this past spring, there were four reports that captured my attention. We did not fare well in any of these reports. According to Barna Group research, Tucson, Arizona, is the 17th least Bible-minded city, the 11th most unchurched city, and the 12th most post-Christian city. Finally, we are the sixth-poorest city in the nation. We have a community that is far from God and struggling, and that is not OK with God. It must not be OK with the church either. How

June 10, 2013

The Power of One

By Todd Bussey Simple, humble people emboldened with great faith and strong conviction give each of us a hint about what we could accomplish. They demonstrate the power of one to make the world a better place. AndÂ they have four traits in common. “¢ A young man starts a shoe company. For every pair purchased, a second pair is given to a child in need. The idea explodes into a global phenomenon. “¢ A mother of four puts her young children to bed and spends the evening on her laptop as an “online” missionary to another mother living in a

May 6, 2013

Church Leadership

How to Take Your Ministries to the Next Level

By Brian Mavis The church has a problem. The things that matter the most””spiritual growth, changed lives, ministry impact””are the toughest to measure. How are you supposed to measure things like peace, patience, kindness, a transformed heart, and kingdom impact? As the saying goes, “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” Our mission is to go and make disciples of Jesus; not merely decisions for Jesus (though that is a start), but disciples. Yet it seems to me there is a disconnect between our mission and what we measure. It is not

March 23, 2013

Neighboring Churches

By Brian Mavis “From the city”s perspective, there is not a lot of difference between the way Christians neighbor and non-Christians neighbor.” The assistant city manager of Arvada, Colorado, made that statement to a group of church leaders. It left them embarrassed and convicted. But it wasn”t the first time they had heard something like that from a city leader. A month earlier a group of church leaders was meeting with Bob Frie, the mayor of Arvada. He explained that even though Arvada (population 106,000) is a great city, it has many problems typical of a city its size””delinquency, elderly

June 7, 2012

Church & Ministry Church Growth

Seven Positive Trends for Megachurches

By Brian Mavis I asked nine authors, academics, megachurch pastors, and missional church planters “What”s next for megachurches?”Â The nine shared enough opinions and insights for severalÂ articles, and I will develop those in upcoming issues. Several of the leaders I contacted mentioned some concerns, but this month let”s focus on identifying and distilling seven positive trends. 1. DeeperÂ Discipleship Megachurches are growing less content with measuring attendance alone. David Faust, president of Cincinnati Christian University, said at a megachurch leaders conference he was . . . encouraged to hear a number of megachurch leaders talking about how their plans for the

April 23, 2012

The Missional Model: “˜Go and Make Disciples”

By Greg Nettle It all boils down to “how well we are doing at making disciples.” After 23 years at the leadership helm of RiverTree Christian Church, I have to take at least some responsibility for the quality of disciples we are producing. Now, don”t get me wrong, I know it is God who brings about the sanctification process and that we, as humans, certainly continue to have the freedom to make good or bad choices. However, surrounding my 20-year anniversary as leader of RiverTree, I spent a lot of time praying and reflecting. And I didn”t like what was

May 4, 2008

Understanding the Externally Focused Movement

By Krista Petty, Eric Swanson, and Rick Rusaw Just a few years ago, a Google search for “externally focused church” found nothing. But today that search yields tens of thousand of references. What does it mean to be externally focused? In their book The Externally Focused Church, Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson offer this description: Externally focused churches are inwardly strong but outwardly focused. They integrate good deeds and good news into the life of the church. They value impact and influence in the community more than attendance. They seek to be salt, light, and leaven in the community. They

January 27, 2008