Since our beginning as an urban missions organization, World Impact has taken a holistic approach to the advancement of God’s Kingdom among the Poor. The transformative power of the Gospel not only leads to eternal life, but toward a new life purpose as well. What does this look like within the mission field of under-resourced communities? For us it is our staff being used by God to impact both the inner and outer reality of a person. We take on the missional work of addressing the soul of a person and the social conditions that surround them. Let me explain a little further.
For years we used a volcano as a metaphor or picture of our work among the unreached urban poor. The inside of the volcano – or the hot inner core – represented evangelism, equipping and empowerment. This part of our ministry is focused on the Gospel presentation leading to salvation and the longer term mentoring in order for a person to realize the deeper implications of becoming a follower of Christ. To a degree, the challenges within under-resourced communities will change as the hearts of the indigenous people change. But this is just one aspect of the Gospel, though a very important part.
The outer part of the volcano is what we have used over the years to describe the Gospel being demonstrated to address broader social and systemic challenges the poor face. These challenges specifically show themselves within areas such as education, healthcare, mass incarceration and unemployment. This is why over the years we have demonstrated the Gospel through thrift stores, leadership development initiatives, Christian schools, and mobile health clinics. In recent years we have developed initiatives around mass incarceration. Did you know that our Christian schools participate in dismantling the pipeline between under-resourced communities and prison? When third grade urban children are performing at grade level in math and English they are less likely to ever be incarcerated. We also have The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI) running as a theological school in county jails, halfway houses, and prisons across the country in partnership with ministries such as Prison Fellowship. Additionally, we have launched the SIAFU (See-AH-fu) Leadership Homes the San Francisco Bay Area and Chester, PA providing mentoring, church planting training, and discipleship. I have met men recently who have already acquired jobs through this initiative. All these initiatives connected to the issue of mass incarceration come together under a more comprehensive whole known as “Incarceration to Incorporation” (I2I).
The volcano is a powerful picture of how the transformative work of the Gospel is aided by the work of compassion and justice. That volcano has evolved into the power grid we use today, where a light bulb represents the demonstration of compassion and justice, a visual sign of the Gospel’s work.
The declaration and the demonstration of the Gospel combined is truly the realization of the Kingdom of God coming to bear upon the lives and communities of the urban poor. This approach leads us toward the true ends that missions endeavors should be going after, which is the raising up and empowerment of transformed indigenous leaders. This understanding of missions is what makes sense of our Global Ends Statement, “The empowered urban poor, advancing the Kingdom of God in every city, through the local church.” We desire your prayers and support in gaining greater faithfulness and fruitfulness in being used by God as vehicles of presenting the whole gospel.
Efrem Smith is the President and CEO of World Impact.
