The Story
In 2018, Abe and Suzette were called to move to Chicago and led to join Church of the Beloved in Wicker Park. One of their passions prior to leaving San Francisco was their involvement with the Hands at Work in Africa ministry at their church. There was a hope that they would have the opportunity to introduce that ministry to their new home church. The Lord answered their prayers by opening the door for them to present Hands at Work to Grace Kim, Missions Director at Church of the Beloved. And so was birthed the start of a partnership between Beloved and Hands at Work.
Meet the Ministry
Hands at Work envisions the local Church in Africa effectively caring for the orphaned, the widowed and the dying, and unified in this mission with the Church outside Africa. Its mission is to, through relationships with local churches in Africa, challenge, encourage, develop and support the ministry of servanthood among those in need in their community through the replication of the Hands at Work community intervention model. The Hands at Work ministry seeks to fulfill the Biblical mandate to care for the orphaned, the widowed and the dying (James 1:27) and challenges churches in and outside Africa to do the same among the vulnerable and marginalized in their own communities.
For more information, please visit the Hands at Work website.
The Need
In Africa’s poorest villages, HIV/AIDS, orphaned children and poverty are at overwhelming levels and support structures are very low. Institutional models of care, such as hospitals and orphanages, are overwhelmed and unable to cope with the sheer volume of needed care.
According to the Borgen Project, the African continent is home to a 1/4 of all the orphans in the world. Hands at Work strivwa to reach the most vulnerable, those that would not have been reached otherwise. Without access to food, education and basic health care, children are left extremely vulnerable. Therefore in accordance with international standards of child care, Hands at Work does not say it “cares” for a child until we are able to provide access to these three things. Hands at Work does this by finding and scaffolding community based solutions by finding local volunteers (care workers) and standing with the local African churches. It identifies African Christian leaders who have a passion to serve the poorest of the poor.
Churches like Beloved are invited to join with our African brothers and sisters not as donors but as family. It is in the fullness and variety of the body of Christ, the beauty of a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural church that we together grow in our faith in our Redeemer as demonstrated by good works.
The Opportunity
Church of the Beloved serves alongside Hands At Work. During this season, we have postponed our mission trip to Zambia, but we are committed to continue our partnership with Hands At Work. Hands At Work has not paused in caring for the orphaned and the vulnerable.
If you are interested in partnering with us, by supporting Hands At Work, please prayerfully consider donating $25/month to handsatwork.org/us-donate. $25 a month helps a vulnerable child gain access to basic health care, food, and education – all delivered from the loving arms of the local African Church.