Advancing sustainable solutions to material poverty through church missions.
The North American Church is losing ground in attendance, influence, credibility and virtually every other category that really matters. In this day and age, many see the church as the hope of the world only as it “proves” itself in practical ways that touch the everyday needs of everyday people. But that’s not a cry for more traditional forms of charity or the missionary model of the past 200 years. Instead, thoughtful people, from Millennials to Boomers, are looking for churches that have moved from simply doing good things to solving real problems in lasting ways. Churches that invest in this kind of mission work become more helpful in lifting people out of poverty and better partners to ministries on the frontlines. They also become more relevant and credible to their community, more fulfilling to both pastor and people, and more appealing to those on the margins looking for a reason to attend a church.
Our mission is to help churches reframe their missions and charitable work around sustainable solutions and create room for business-minded people who can help that happen. Our annual SATtalks and other resources highlight some of the most innovative churches and faith-based ministries around the world working to move missions in this direction. We do this because the Church needs the stories of early pioneers and innovators to inspire and help us see what could be!
Tom Bassford, Founder/President | Significant Matters & SATtalks
Significant Matters: Planned Use of EquityVest Profits
EquityVest is a for-profit, Reg CF portal business enterprise launched by its sole owner, Significant Matters, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, as part of furthering its mission to advance sustainable solutions to some of the world’s most [...]
A Poor Man Has No Sizes
There are long stretches of endless grasslands and open plains in the Transkei region of South Africa. Road trips in this part of the world were made for random reflections and candid conversations. On [...]
Partnering Like Family, Not Donors | Tom Bassford
I was supposed to be in Zimbabwe this week with a small group of people from the US, Canada and the UK. We were going to get an up close look at Hands at Work [...]
It’s Because This Church Has Been Helping Us | by Rick Rusaw
Over the years I have always tried to look at the broader trends going on in the world and try to translate them into the church world. Recently I was invited to sit in [...]
Prophetic Imagination | by Tom Bassford
Change comes in a thousand different ways but never in a hurry or by unanimous consent. That may be one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned over the past 15 years. I used [...]
No Bird Can Soar in a Calm | by Mike Saccocio
An early observation the Wright Brothers made that helped them figure out the physics of flight was that birds in flight use their wings to catch the air. They realized it wasn’t about sheer [...]