“As Iron Sharpens Iron, so one man sharpens another” – Proverbs 27:17

At Kaleo Missions you may hear us using the term “relational” to describe the type of ministry we do.  We thought it would be helpful to take a minute and define exactly what it means that our urban short term mission trips are “relational” trips.  Before we talk specifically about what it is, let’s talk about what it’s not.

First of all, at Kaleo Missions relational does not mean that we don’t do service.  We certainly do!  In fact, we are committed first and foremost to being a blessing to the city through partnering with and serving alongside of our ministry partners.  For us, it simply means that we are not a “work camp” type of short term missions program where your group will spend the entire week working on building a house, cleaning a warehouse, or restoring an old home.  Our goal is to get people face to face with people as much as we can.  So as we serve, we desire to serve alongside of people for the purpose of developing authentic relationships.

Also, relational does not mean that we simply throw your group out on the streets of the city and tell you to talk to people.  We have year round staff in each city who work very hard to develop meaningful relationships and partnerships with ministries and organizations in the city, so we can partner your group up with those organizations to serve alongside of them and what they are doing on a year round basis!

Ok, so I know what it doesn’t mean, but what does it mean?

From the very beginning of creation, God intended for man to be relational.  After God had created the world, he looked down at the first person he had created and realized that, in all of creation, there was no suitable partner for him.  And in his act of grace, God created Eve, to be the perfect partner to Adam.  At the very core of who we are, we are relational.  We were designed to be in relationship first and foremost with our Creator, but also with other people and with our creation. As we begin to look at sin in the world and in our own lives, we discover quickly that sin is a result of broken relationships, starting with a broken relationship between us and God.  As a result, at Kaleo Missions we believe that as we interact with a world in poverty (both physically and spiritually), experiencing pain, and oppressed by injustices, the solution is not simply physical, but relationship.  Yes, the person experiencing homelessness often times is in desperate need of food, but that is not their ultimate need.  Their ultimate need is a restored relationship with God, other people and all of creation.

So on our mission trips, we want to put people face to face with other people, with the belief that in the context of relationships, each of us can be changed through the power of the Holy Spirit.  As we actually sit down and talk to the homeless person on the sidewalk, or the kid at the after school program, or the refugee from the other side of the world, God can use that interaction to change both the person being served as well as the person “serving.”  We have the ability to share the restoration that is available through the Gospel, and at the same time be exposed to our own sinfulness, brokenness, and need for restoration.