Focus
Why we do what we do
We believe God has called us to share His love with particular people, in particular places and in a particular way. Here’s why.
Jesus said “I have come that they might have life and have it in all its fullness.” We long to see every situation where there are barriers to this abundance of life for individuals and communities transformed, in the name of Jesus.
Since 1852 this vision has led us to the peoples of Asia and the Arab World, both to people living in those regions and those who have migrated from there to other parts of the world. In our early years in south Asia the main obstacles to fullness of life were limited access to education and medical care, leading to our involvement in these ministries which continues to this day. Parts of Asia and the Arab World still suffer from high rates of infant mortality and maternal mortality while access to education is still limited for millions of people, particularly women. Yet this region sees so little Christian witness that millions of people do not know a follower of Christ.
Over the years Interserve’s ministry has expanded as we seek to transform modern obstacles to fullness of life. We work to counter human trafficking, work alongside refugees, assist immigrants and in every way possible seek to bring meaningful, lasting transformation in the lives of those with whom we work. Times have changed, but Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever; and our call to serve in the name of Jesus alongside the peoples of Asia and the Arab World, wherever they may be, continues.
Far too often, Christians have divided the verbal proclamation of the gospel from gospel-inspired social engagement. We sometimes see the task of telling others about Jesus as being separate from acts of service for our community. In reality they are not two issues but two aspects of the same issue; and authentic gospel witness contains both.
Our task as the global Church is to bring the whole gospel to the whole person in the whole world. It aims to touch every level of society – spirit, mind, body and environment – which is why Interserve refers to it as wholistic mission.
We see this modelled in the life of Jesus. Jesus focused on the poor, the brokenhearted, captives, prisoners, mourners, and among people of other cultures; always combining the verbal proclamation of the gospel with acts of loving service.
Throughout our history Interserve has done the same, combining verbal proclamation with acts of service – working to promote education and healthcare, combating injustice, running ethical businesses, providing for the needs of those pushed to the margins of society; all in the name and for the glory of God.
We believe that partnership should be central in all that we do. We are not one community working alone, we are part of the global Church following Christ together to seek fulness of life for the world.
We partner with and work alongside the Church of the nations that we serve in, even where it is persecuted or small. We work to build the local church; to equip and empower them to be all that God has called them to be.
We partner across cultures. We battle against a tendency to have a dominant culture; we want to hear voices from all backgrounds, raising the volume of those often marginalised.
As a community, we partner with each other; encouraging and building one-another up. Read more about how we serve in community.