Christian Hope Association - Guiding Principles

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind and with all your strength"
Love your neighbor as yourself."
Mark 12:30-31

"A community is a group of people united by the common objects of their love."
St. Augustine

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Christian Hope Association is to help build community. Community we define as: "human relationships held together by relational ties, living out a common purpose, through common participation." By virtue of the Grace of God placed upon our personal and corporate lives through the Reign of Jesus Christ as Lord, we desire to be faithful witnesses to Him and His Gospel. We strive to work toward this goal through our personal and corporate service, by acting as a catalyst and a model, in a way that will promote genuine community under the care of God. We will work to aid individuals and families to serve one another. We will work to aid and call our neighbors to use the strength and resources of their community, to bless those who have few resources. We will lead and encourage our community to work together to accomplish their dreams, solve their problems and bless others with their faith and service.

VISION STATEMENT

The vision of the Christian Hope Association is for our community to be characterized by love and cooperation, where Christians help individuals, families, neighbors and our community work together in an effort so all may live in the Will and Grace of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. We envision our community growing in character and stature, evidenced by people of different economic, cultural and racial backgrounds, joining together to solve problems of the individual as well as the whole community. We envision our role in being a faithful light in our world, called to represent and introduce Jesus Christ to people, so His Grace may profoundly and eternally bless them.

CORE VALUES

The Core Values for the Christian Hope Association are essential principles through which this organization shall be guided as it attempts to faithfully succeed in Mission and Vision:

1. The two most important virtues that give rise for solutions to individual and community problems are: Godly wisdom and Godly relationships.

2. Empowerment is found in submission to Christ and in conforming to His Will. Prayer and Spiritual growth are keys to helping people become what God wants them to be.

3. Good deeds are merely social service unless they are linked with the Gospel.

4. All people carry God's image in their being. All are to be respected, treated with dignity, and, affirmed as qualitatively worthy as image bearers.

5. By virtue of reconciliation to God through Christ, each person who is in Christ, has planted within, a seed of fruit that may bear much to the Glory of Him and the care of others.

6. Communities that identify and correct policies, structures and traditions that discriminate against poor or disadvantaged people will be blessed by God.

7. Leadership should primarily arise from within the community and organization, based on Christ-derived gifts and passion for service.

8. People flourish best in a community of relationship.

9. People in need often require a meaningful lift through personal mentoring, in order to take necessary and perhaps new steps toward a full and complete life.

10, Change (when appropriate) is good and people need to take risks to grow.

11. Aid or assistance by itself tends to lead people towards dependence. Aid or assistance when given solely to meet a problem, is often not a lasting solution. Aid is best given in the context of: accurate and comprehensive problem and opportunity diagnosis; long-term positive relationships; and, incentives that build on what the recipient can do for him/herself.

12. People receiving service from this organization, should be afforded a sensitive hearing as to their thoughts and input on our policy, procedure and programs.

PRIMARY STRATEGIES

The Primary Strategies for the Christian Hope Association are open-ended functions, further developing realistic means by how this organization will implement the major principles of Christian Community Development (Reconciliation, Stewardship, Relocation and Renewal):

1. Model and Promote Reconciliation:

• A) Appropriately offer through Word and Deed, the way of reconciliation to God through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Encourage spiritual growth in the program recipient, volunteer and staff alike.

• B) Call for reconciliation across economic, cultural and racial divides. Lead and teach for the development of Godly relationships between all peoples who, indeed, are our neighbor.

2. Model and Promote Stewardship:

• A) Through the use of individually negotiated plans, bridge people in need with existing physical resources and personal/human resources.

• B) Attract or develop new resources to help people take necessary steps towards their dreams.

• C) Network and build on the strong institutional base of services in the community, public and private, so families can achieve their dreams and goals.

• D) Create teams and task groups whenever possible that bring a diversity of God's gifts and resources to the "table," to assist in the creation of new opportunities for residents.

• E) Lead and teach in a way such that the primary use of resources contribute to helping people make sustainable changes in their lives, rather than in providing short-term relief.

3. Model and Promote Relocation:

• A) Place our lives in a position of nearness to those whom we call neighbor and who need our help.

• B) Encourage wealthy and poor people to live and participate in the same community for mutual blessing.

• C) Help low income residents access permanent, affordable housing in our community.

• D) Work to bring a just response to existing people divisions that give rise to cultural, racial or economic ghettos.

4. Model and Promote Renewal:

• A) Call for the most efficient distribution of government social service dollars to the poor.

• B) Implore the State to recognize churches as viable, equal and effective players in producing positive social changes in communities.

• C) Advocate for programs that help poor people make sustainable changes in their lives.

• D) Assist public and governmental institutions in carrying out their proper role and purpose in the care of the greater good of our society and community.