Love Elk River’s discipleship efforts to see systemic poverty eliminated in the city and surrounding area is outlined in a statement recently adopted by the Love Elk River Board of Directors. The statement is:

Discipling to Elimination of Systemic Poverty

Elk River area helping ministries are windows through which God’s people get an upfront and personal look at poverty and the poor. These ministries also have an important role in the coming season when His word (as adopted by the Love Elk River Board of Directors and Pray Elk River Servant Leader Team) on elimination of systemic poverty will become a reality. God intends to use these ministries as gateways through which His people will come to know and understand who they are as salt and light to a dark and hurting world and act out of that knowledge and understanding wherever they are at all times.

All helping Gospel-based ministries in the city must become fashioned in such a way that they will fulfill their role in God’s ultimate plan to eliminate systemic poverty in all four areas – material, spiritual, motivational, and relational – in the city and surrounding area. This will require some paradigm shifting to move the local Body of Christ from “church as usual” to understanding and accepting God’s call, on each life, to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to the world and disciple nations with the Word and demonstrations of the power of the Holy Spirit. These helping ministries must operate in such a way as to touch the heart of everyone involved – leaders, volunteers, donors, associates, those being helped – with God’s love for His creation; especially for the lost and hurting.  These ministries must focus on the need in the world (as well as the local need), carry the message that Jesus Christ is the answer to every problem, and inspire a personal desire for everyone involved to enter the harvest field as a laborer.

Love Elk River has been raised up by God and is prepared to provide training, as well as on-going discipleship, for God’s laborers. Training will include:

1. Understanding the church’s call to the world, beyond the sanctuary doors.
2. How to be salt and light to a dark and hurting world.
3. Understanding the biblical truth about poverty, the poor, and the required response from God’s people.
4. How to give freely to those in need.
5. How to hear God’s voice.
6. Prayer evangelism – “Talking to God about your neighbor before talking to your neighbor about God.”
7. Evangelism – presenting the Gospel to the lost.
8. Healing and deliverance.
9. How to discern needs through the power of the Holy Spirit.
10. What ministries, programs, and other assistances are available to help the poor and needy.

When systemic poverty is eliminated in the City of Elk River and the surrounding area, there will be unprecedented abundance. This will be brought to neighboring communities to help the poor and needy there. Opportunity will be provided to introduce those communities to God’s Word about elimination of systemic poverty and His faithfulness to bring it to reality in the Elk River area.