There are lots of projects that we could send money to – but what the Embracing the Neglected committee had done is put its heads together, talked to our missionaries on the field and agencies that they know of, and looked at what is being done out there to not just save lives, but to give ongoing life, and hope and a future to the poorest of poor. The ETN then became the mechanism by which our folk could effectively and as importantly, sustainably, support good work being done overseas.
The ETN has:
- Recognized that most of us (at HBC) whether we realize it or not, actually live above and beyond much of the rest of the world. So the ETN started us (HBC) giving incrementally more to the poorest of the poor. Now our church budget apportions 5% of its giving to towards that end and encourages our folk to personally give (beyond tithe) 5% of their income to help the poorest of the poor.
- Made our giving more than just handing over money. For the past 4 years our short-term missions trips have been a hands-on-expression of our giving too. Church folk have worked with the projects we have supported in Cambodia and even helped build new facilities there. We have now spread our hearts and soon our hands, to take in projects linked with the work of our missionaries, Edward and Suzanne Sands, in South East Asia.