Humanity. What does it mean to be human? With all our complexity as human beings living in a broken (yet still beautiful) world, it can be easy to get lost on the quest to finding our truest selves. Who do we want to be, and how do we want to show up in the world? […]

What does it mean to love our neighbor?

It’s a question James Barnett from Neighborly has spent 10 years exploring. I’ve known James for a couple of years, and I’ve learned so much from him about what it means to love our neighbor. I’ve come to understand that loving our neighbor can often look many different ways, but it very often involves stepping out of our comfortable routines to enter into the margins with the people Jesus loves. It’s the thread tightly woven into what Neighborly is today, and in fact, it’s where it all began.

I find James’ story and that of Neighborly so interesting and unique, because it indeed started with entering into the margins. James sold all he had and intentionally chose to live homeless for 2 years as a way to commune with those living in poverty, get to know them, become their friend, and most importantly, to love like Jesus loved when he walked this earth. The perspective he found under bridges and in cardboard boxes during those years lead him to the beginnings of Neighborly – which he launched while still living on the streets! It’s a story that James can tell much better than me of course, so I’ll link to more from him at the end of this story!

Short-term mission trips are expensive, and the truth is, teams make little impact in the few short days they’re on the ground. A little harsh? Maybe, but it’s because of this (and more) that mission trips have gotten a bad rap for some time. Read on, and we’ll discover why together!

It’s been said Giving Tuesday is “a day dedicated to giving on purpose with purpose”. I’m not sure who coined the phrase first, but I like it! Last month, we talked about the importance of going deep with organizations to understand how we’re helping those we intend to help. And while giving once on a particular day (i.e. Giving Tuesday) isn’t necessarily going deep, it is a day set aside to purposely give to causes we care about. It’s a day to be intentional with our giving, and today I hope to help you bring your intentionality to another level by sharing organizations I’d support this Giving Tuesday and WHY. These organizations are ones I’ve personally gone deeper with either by spending my time supporting, interacting with, or supporting financially (and in most cases, all of the above!). Even better yet, they all embody the idea of “Helping Without Hurting”, a theme threaded throughout most of the stories we’ve read together – one being the organization who designed the framework itself! Ready? Let’s dig in!