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Click here to view our 2023 Impact Report
Our Mission
We are on mission to foster conversations and facilitate cross-cultural exchanges that empower the global Church to serve together.
We've heard the critiques of missions.
In recent years, mission work has faced a growing number of critiques that demand our attention and reflection. While we strive to approach these critiques thoughtfully and with a willingness to make adjustments, we also believe there is a better way forward and it is still very worth pursuing.
About $2.4 billion is spent annually on short-term mission trips. Unfortunately, many of these initiatives prove to be ineffective and, in some cases, harmful to vulnerable communities.
Mission work is tainted by its association with colonialism, according to 42% of Christians. We want to recognize this reality and make efforts to redeem the narrative of this work.
83%
Shockingly, 83% of U.S. churchgoers cannot define the Great Commission. It's time to realign our understanding of missions through the biblical framework God laid out for us.
“We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.”
- 1 Thessalonians 2:8
The Power of Social Capital in Global Missions
We champion a narrative centered around social capital. Our approach recognizes that social support is not just an approach to missions that removes savior complexes and fosters mutuality; it is a stable force that protects individuals from the adversities of stress, ultimately influencing mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being (Leigh-Hunt et al., 2017).
In the realm of global missions, traditionally shaped by colonialism, we firmly believe that reshaping this narrative begins with humility. It's the humility to acknowledge the brokenness within the North American missions system and the commitment to pursue mutual relationships that unite the Global Church through the transformative power of social capital. This shift is not merely a change in strategy; it's a fundamental reimagining of missions, one that places relationships at the forefront and dismantles the remnants of a colonial past.
"The difference between what Africans think the white man has done to them and what the white man thinks he’s done for them is like night and day."
- Mekdes Haddis, Author of A Just Mission
Our Programs
We are committed to learning and (maybe more often) unlearning the way we approach mission work in order to restore God's original design for the Global Church to co-labor in our calling to fulfill the Great Commission. We do this by fostering conversations and facilitating cross-cultural exchanges that empower Christians around the globe to join hands and serve together.
Conversations
We believe a desire to participate in global missions must start with a willingness to examine, listen, learn, and adapt. Through our blog, podcast network, and free missional resources, we hope to foster healthy conversations for Christians to explore the reformation and redemption of the North American missions system.
Around the globe, there are thousands of underestimated and under-resourced leaders capable of leading movements to create sustainable change and Kingdom impact in vulnerable communities. Our goal is to partner with these leaders to provide the knowledge, resources, and social capital they need to get started.
Cohorts
Old Missions
The Global North serving the Global South.
Missions of Mutuality
The Global Church serving together.
If you've found yourself wrestling with the critiques of missions, unsure of how or if you even should continue to move forward in this space, you're not alone.
At Kindred Exchange, we want to challenge the status quo in hope of redefining the narrative of global missions. We invite you to be part of a movement that doesn't just acknowledge the flaws but actively seeks to reform and redeem the North American missions system.
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