July 12, 2025
When we hear the word poverty, we often think of a lack of material resources, such as food, clothing, or shelter. While these are certainly manifestations of poverty, they aren’t the only ways poverty can affect a community. At its core, poverty is the lack of something necessary to live a flourishing life. The goal of compassion ministry is to fill whatever gaps may exist, to provide people a path toward a life of joy in God, according to His design.
As you consider beginning a local ministry, remember: the goal isn’t to wipe out all poverty, but to share the gospel of Jesus. The effects of salvation, as they are worked out in a person’s life, can alleviate poverty and help people flourish. Because the gospel leads people to study and obey God’s inspired Word, biblical principles for life can be a major factor in a person moving from a place of poverty to a full and generous life in Jesus Christ.
There are four foundational relationships that God gives to humanity at our creation in Genesis 1. Our goal for the people that we serve is reconciliation in each of these relationships, and that they too join the work of God’s people to meet needs and change lives in Jesus’ name. Reconciled to God through the gospel, men and women of faith can truly begin a path to restoration and provision.
Relationship with God
The first of these four foundational relationships is our relationship with God. This is primary, and our other relationships flow out of this one. God is life. He is our Creator, Sustainer, and Savior. When we are in sin, we are separated from Him and have no life. The ultimate goal of starting a local ministry is to help people on their path to reconciliation with God through the cross of Christ.
Relationship with Self
The second relationship is our relationship with self. We are uniquely created in the image of God. This gives us inherent worth and dignity that is greater than the rest of creation because of the ultimate worth and dignity that is in our Creator. Having a reconciled relationship with ourselves enables us to live as God has designed us to live and to reflect His worth to the world around us.
Relationship with Others
The third relationship is our relationship with others. When Adam was in the Garden of Eden, God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Gen 2:18). God created us to live in loving relationships with one another. We are designed to need other people, to know them, love them, and live in community with them. Part of poverty alleviation and compassion ministry is helping people live in peace with those around them.
Relationship with Creation
The final relationship that we see in the creation account in Genesis 1-2 is our relationship with creation. In Genesis 1:28-30, God gives Adam a cultural mandate. He places humanity over the rest of creation, giving us dominion over it, but also giving us responsibility for it. We are to steward His creation well by understanding it, protecting it, subduing it, and managing it so that it is preserved and productive for human flourishing.
These four key relationships highlight the multifaceted nature of human beings, and they remind us that poverty alleviation efforts should also be multifaceted. If the root of poverty is relational brokenness in each of these relationships, relational healing must be primary in our approach.
Colossians 1:19-20 reminds us, “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in [Jesus], and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (CSB). God is a Reconciler. He is working to reconcile all things back to Himself, and He has invited us and called us as His people to do this work with Him. The solution to poverty lies first and foremost in reconciliation with God, and then growth and generosity spill out through reconciliation at the other three levels..
How to Establish a Local Ministry is a course designed to help you get started. It will help you learn what compassion ministry is, why we are called to pursue it, what the goals are, and what you can expect along the way. Take the course online for free at courses.sendrelief.org to learn more!
