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We have a hard job at M-POWER.
For one, our mission is difficult. Generational poverty is not something that can be "solved" in a short time frame. Moreover, if someone has never experienced life trapped in poverty, there is no frame of reference for the struggles many of our clients face on a daily basis. Thus, communication about this cause is difficult.
We rely on the generosity of people who "get it" to fund our work. That means this year we're raising one million dollars to operate the programs that make advancement of our mission possible. We are dependent upon people giving sacrificially.
Typically, nonprofits are underfunded. Ministries in particular are underfunded. Most people operate on the assumption that doing some good is better than doing no good, but we're committed to a higher standard of effectiveness than most.
Because most ministries are underfunded, we are forced to be resourceful. Sometimes this is a wonderful thing. We can become creative and figure out how to be efficient and effective with the resources we do have. Other times, it creates an environment where dreaming is impossible and where fear reigns.
Things break. Sometimes it rains and the air conditioning unit is submerged under water for a week, leaving the building with no cooling capacity during the middle of summer. Sometimes it gets hot, and crowded, and very difficult to be patient with those who are also hot, and tired, and sweaty.
Sometimes, right before a big volunteer training or before classes start back in the Education Center, the copier decides to not work. Or the phone system shuts down. Or the internet crashes.
These things are hard. They make our job hard. But there is a bigger issue.
You see, the hardest part of M-POWER's work revolves around our Christian identity. And not in the way you might imagine.
Because we are Christians, we believe not that Jesus wants to offer "some good" for His people, but "the best" for those He created in His image.
Because we are Christians, we believe that our role is to display God's radical grace by meeting practical needs.
Because we are Christians, we believe that Jesus came to redeem the whole person: body, mind and spirit.
These beliefs have implications for every part of our work. From resource development to program structure and everything in between.
We struggle because we are fighting to make this world look more like heaven, and oftentimes the world does not want to cooperate. Here, we become distracted by things like broken cooling systems, not feeling confident in how we're communicating the needs of our clients, and our inability to "fix" the problems our people face quickly.
We hold ourselves to a higher standard, and we should. But thanks be to God that He takes our brokenness - air conditioning systems, copiers, funding needs, phones, staff members, and volunteers - and uses them to bring about His purposes.
It's getting hot in here, that's for sure. We feel the pressure rise as we become more intimately involved in the struggles of those we serve and as we feel more confident in how to effectively address them.
Pray for us, friends. Our work is not our own, but we have been commissioned by God to share His redeeming love in all we do.
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."
Romans 12:9-13
Christ's Peace and Courage,
Executive Director | 
