It may sound strange, but our goal here at Bright Hope is to work ourselves out of jobs! Our mission is to bring Hope to those living on less than $2 a day. And we do that by coming alongside churches in impoverished communities and helping them leverage their own gifts and talents to transform their communities and break the generational bonds of poverty. And when this happens, we have cause to celebrate God’s faithfulness and His peoples’ generosity!
But then, along comes a powerful, largely unknown virus that threatens to disrupt much of the progress these poor communities have made.
Thankfully, we know that God is so much bigger than the coronavirus! Not only can He use this health crisis for good, He will walk with us through it.
Finding Peace in a Pandemic
No matter where we live, COVID-19 is forcing us all to face our fears and to admit we’re not in control. So how can anyone find peace in the middle of a pandemic? Christ-followers from America to Kenya, from Bolivia to Haiti can rest in Christ’s finished work on the cross, the eternal peace we have with our heavenly Father, and the calming presence of the Spirit in us. And Psalm 46 can help.
One of the most common commands in the Bible is Do Not Fear! How can we live without fear when the storms of COVID-19 rage around us? We must flood our minds with this truth:
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear…” Psalm 46:1-2a
Then the Psalmist describes a dreaded disaster of astronomical proportions that threatens to destroy our peace—a monstrous earthquake that levels mountains and causes tsunami-sized flooding.
“…though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” Psalm 46:2b-3
When we look at the news headlines and watch coronavirus numbers stack up as high as a mountain, it feels like an earthquake that has shaken up our health and like a tsunami covering the earth with illness.
In the middle of this disaster, however, a peaceful stream flows from the city of God, from the place where God lives (Ps. 46:4-5). This stream flows from the garden in Genesis 2:10 to the new creation in Revelation 22:1-2, straight through the ups and downs of human history. This stream is God’s presence with us which gives us Hope.
This refreshing, Hope-giving stream flows right through disaster because it is anchored in God’s sovereignty and goodness. As believers, we know that God is with us (Ps. 46:7) because in Jesus, He has come to us (Matt. 1:23). And no matter what happens to us or the world around us, we have Hope that when Jesus returns, we will be with Him forever.
“But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are
eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal
bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power
with which he will bring everything under his control.” Philippians 3:20-21
As we fight the unseen enemy of COVID-19, would you join us in sharing Hope with the extreme poor around the world? Especially since this virus will hit poor communities harder than it will hit us. Don’t keep this Hope to yourself. Now is the time to share it!
Our Strategy
We envision a world where under-resourced, local, in-country churches transform their communities and bring Hope to the extreme poor.
For more than 50 years, Bright Hope has been engaging the local church around the world in the global fight against extreme poverty in their communities. Each community within the countries we serve has its own unique needs. Yet, the one thing they all have in common is an established group of Christ-followers. These churches provide an already existing infrastructure within rural areas and slum communities that has an established reputation, reach, and influence. When properly engaged and carefully resourced, these churches become a well-run, accountable entity for holistic community transformation.
Through our decades of experience, we have watched the church courageously love those considered unlovable, give generously in times of crisis, and sacrificially help all people regardless of religion. We have found that building into an already existing unit like the church is more effective in life transformation and helping lift the extreme poor out of their situation than trying to establish something new.
Our ministry strategy encompasses three types of programs that help us equip churches and communities fight COVID-19 with skill and wisdom.
Hope for Today
• Care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children
• Clean Water (including hygiene training and installing Tippy Taps)*
• School Feeding Programs*
• Medical Care*
• Strengthening Families
Hope for Tomorrow
• Microenterprise and Job Training
• Education
• Agricultural Practices
Hope for Eternity
• Resourcing Church Ministries
• Church Leadership Development
• Evangelism and Discipleship Support
* Indicates a TOP ministry priority because of COVID-19.
YOUR ROLE
- PRAY—The most important privilege we have is prayer! We know that God answers prayer in powerful, miraculous ways. Please join us in praying for the extreme poor as they face the unknowns of this pandemic. Visit our Prayer Wall to see current requests or sign up to receive urgent prayer requests via text.
- LEARN—Sign up to receive our blog and stay updated on how the coronavirus is affecting the communities where we work.
- GIVE—We need your help! Your gift to Bright Hope will help us reach impoverished families with important instruction about virus prevention, instruction and installation of Tippy Taps, and distribution of hygiene kits to our communities.
Please join us in sharing Hope in the midst of a pandemic. The most vulnerable members of our global society—those who barely survive on less than $2 a day—need you! And if the coronavirus threatens to steal your Hope, remember to take Psalm 46:10-11 to heart:
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
Psalm 46:10-11
