Our Mission- The “What and Why”
Simply put, the mission of Hills and Hollers Ministries is about ONE thing, and ONE thing alone; RELATIONSHIP… between our God, our neighbor and ourselves.
Jesus told us that this approach to living sums up everything; the Law, which consists of the formulas which we’ve determined are essential for righteous living, and the Prophets; those revelations of the mind and counsel of God which have come aside from human reasoning. (Matt. 7:12 and 22:37-40)
This “mission philosophy” is most clearly embedded in the calling which we received from the Lord. “Go! Live among the impoverished people of Appalachia! Teach them about My Love, and show them how to take care of each other!”
The bottom line is that we have NOT been called to simply “give free stuff to poor people”. There are plenty of organizations, both religious and secular, who do precisely that. We’ve discovered that this approach only tends to deepen the real issues of poverty, obscuring the vital need for “reciprocity” in ALL relationships. We believe that we’ve been tasked to help people see that God’s Love is most frequently manifested “when two or three come together in my name (acknowledging the presence of Jesus), there am I with them.” … in relationship. (Matt. 18:20)
We’re often contacted by needful people asking, “What goods and services do you provide?” I respond, that we offer just one thing! We provide an “opportunity for relationship” with caring followers of Christ; people who will help identify issues and satisfy need as we are able to. Of course we DO extend tangible help to folks in distress. Most people- even seasoned believers in Christ- need to experience God’s Love in ways which they can see, touch, and comprehend. I’m certain that the faith exhibited by a Roman Centurion and a Canaanite woman would have quickly degraded if they had returned to their homes only to find their loved ones, whom they had sought out Jesus to heal, were seemingly untouched by what they believed COULD happen. We walk a line of responding to the material needs of our impoverished neighbors, while always drawing attention to God’s Love which provides ALL of the relief which they seek.
Thus far I’ve shared with you the “what and why” of Hills and Hollers Ministries. The “where and when” are obvious; McCreary County, Kentucky… now! But you might ask “how” it is that we go about trying to walk out this calling and mission? We attempt to “show” the people whom we minister to a most important truth by relating to them through varied venues of ministry. Please read on!
