Serving is Part of our Ideal.
We believe that are ways in which God's design for each of us will only be realized through reaching out to those in need. There are aspects of God’s heart and character that we discover and understand by being in relationship with the poor and marginalized. This will not come through Sunday service nor will it come through reading or teaching. It will only come by feeding the hungry, clothing the needy, and caring for the orphans and widows. We are God’s plan for bringing hope to a hurting world.
The poor are part of our lives.
We aren't striving to see people involved in charitable service or programs. We are talking, rather, about being in authentic relationships with the poor and marginalized. Relationships that have the power to change the lives of all of those involved. So, at Southridge we strive to continually move forward in having God use our community to impact the world around us. And, as we engage in this lifestyle of action, we find our own lives powerfully changed.
Do this [compassion & justice] and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage. Then when you pray, God will answer. You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.'
Isaiah 58:8-9
(The Message)
Although pursuing this lifestyle normally starts by altering “what you do,” over time it becomes a lot more about “who you are.”
There are three characteristics that are typically developed as we embrace a Lifestyle of Action:
A Humble Perspective
- Values people
- An attitude of equality in how they we people
- Diverse relationships that demonstrate both giving and receiving (mutuality)
- A deep and constant dependence on Jesus, and strong sense of gratitude for what He has provided
Responsible Choices
- Strives to understand the impact of our decisions and lifestyle
- Leverages our influence
- Lives simply
Generous Priorities
- In how we pray
- In how we use our time
- In how we use our finances
- In the kinds of things we focus on and care about
As a church, we recognize that our ability to affect change to the seemingly overwhelming issues of poverty is extremely limited. As such, we have chosen locally to rally each of our locations around a particular spoke of marginalization in order to help people to experience community with us. Likewise, we have chosen to rally, across locations, around a global anchor cause to help people in other parts of the world to emerge from poverty.
HomelessnessEvery year, thousands of individuals across Niagara find themselves in need of temporary shelter.
Single Parent FamiliesChildren from families led by single-parents are more likely to have difficulty in school and experience emotional disorders.
Global Partner: CompassionEvery year, nearly 10 million children die from preventable diseases before their fifth birthday.
Poverty is a complex issue and there is no single factor that prevents an individual from experiencing enough. Rather, different factors, that we call Spokes of Global Poverty, to work against people in the developing world from breaking free from the circumstances in which they find themselves.
Similar to the spokes of global poverty above, researchers have identified six areas in Canada that cause people to become marginalized locally. While our local anchor causes currently are focused on three of these spokes, we encourage you to learn about all the Spokes of Local Marginalization and decide how and where you could take action in your life.
Tim Arnold Action Team Leader
Annie DuRoss Outreach Volunteer Coordinator
Brent Esau Global Outreach
Christopher Loewen Shelter Manager