Mission Description

MUSTARD SEEDS AND MOUNTAINS, INC. is committed to working from a clearly stated biblical foundation in its mission and to the declaration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This declaration is expressed in reconciling people to God, to one another and God's creation.

MUSTARD SEEDS AND MOUNTAINS, INC.'s mission is to see the reign of God established in the lives of people, families and communities throughout His world. We have the obligation to discern how God's Kingdom is already expressed in the culture and community of those with whom we work. We seek to make a conscious effort to augment what is already of God's Kingdom wherever we work.

PURPOSE

MUSTARD SEEDS AND MOUNTAINS, INC. is called to be a part of the larger Church's ministry of reconciliation. Within that context we have a specialized call to work in meeting the physical needs of the poor and in Christ's name empowering them to achieve a life of greater dignity and self reliance. We also do development in a way that shows high regard for God's creation. We are committed to meeting people's spiritual needs...laboring to see them reconciled to God. And we are called to work for reconciliation in the fabric of their community life as well. Central to our mission is the enabling of the church to:

• Reflect the values of God's new Kingdom.
• Place mission at the center of congregational life and Christian discipleship.

MUSTARD SEEDS AND MOUNTAINS, INC. iis positioned to assist the church in the United States and in the two-thirds world to enable one another to realize God's intentions in their congregational life and the larger society. We have the opportunity to be "servants of the servants of God."

MUSTARD SEEDS AND MOUNTAINS, INC. 's goal is to strengthen the church by helping the church in the U.S. to share resources and personnel to enable those churches who do not have as plentiful resources to carry out more fully their anointed task. Our ultimate goal is to strengthen indigenous churches to carry out God's reconciling mission to the full range of human needs in their community. Our particular emphasis is to enable them to minister to the poorest of the poor through Christian development initiatives.

Recognizing that the brokenness brought on by the fall impacts all people and cultures, our mission is not limited to the needs of persons in Appalachia. We also have a mission responsibility to our partners, churches and the larger North American society as well as the two thirds world.

In order to carry out this mission, we recognize that we, as part of the Body of Christ must reflect the values of Christ and His Kingdom in both our individual lives and our corporate structure. Living under the reign of God and in unity with one another is essential. Even as we challenge our partners to be world Christians and adopt a more serious approach to discipleship and stewardship, we must be pace-setters ourselves in that area.

Above all, since we are seeking to do the work of God, we must through consistent prayer seek the empowerment of God's Holy Spirit in all that we do... until we arrive at that final day when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ reigns as Lord and King.

The Need

The Appalachian region (specifically the state of West Virginia) is often referred to as the Third World of the United States. It suffers from chronic poverty brought about by absence of jobs and remoteness of location. Some of the problems are: chronic high unemployment (30-50% in many areas), substance abuse, high drop-out rate in schools, population reduction due to migration, malnutrition (one fourth of all children in the region go to bed hungry each night), poor medical care, infant mortality exceeds national average by 35%, high rates of teen-age pregnancy, and poor housing (housing in WV, according to standards set by the United Nations on adequate housing, is so substandard that an alarming number of the population could be considered homeless).

The Strategy

At times it may be necessary to engage in traditional charity work. Ultimately, though, we seek to transform the region and the people while affirming their dignity and giving them skills to succeed in our absence. Our goal is not merely to affect the economic condition of the region. We will live among the people and by representing Christ to them as we minister to their needs, we will be able to lead them to the point where God empowers them to be servants as well. This reconciliation to God and between people is central to our ministry.