A missions committee evaluating Hope Rises needs to answer a focused question: does the organization’s documented mission and approach align with the congregation’s priorities for giving?
Hope Rises is a Christian global health nonprofit serving persons affected by leprosy and selected neglected tropical diseases. It works through Christ-centered local partners, including trusted local churches and Christian health partners, rather than operating stand-alone field programs. Its approach connects qualified medical care with local relationships that can help people find care sooner, remain connected to treatment, and face less stigma.
The following discussion framework can help a committee assess that alignment before recommending support.
1. Does Christian global health fit the church’s missions priorities?
Begin with the ministry category itself. Hope Rises brings together Christian mission, global health, and service to persons affected by leprosy and selected neglected tropical diseases. Its programs focus on five neglected tropical diseases, including leprosy.
A committee can ask:
- Does our missions strategy include global health or care for people affected by disease?
- Do we prioritize ministries that work through Christian organizations, churches, and health partners?
- Is service to persons affected by leprosy and selected neglected tropical diseases consistent with the needs our congregation wants to address?
- Does our church value support that includes medical, relational, practical, and stigma-reducing dimensions?
These questions keep the discussion tied to Hope Rises’ stated focus. A church seeking a different ministry category, disease focus, or delivery structure may reach a different decision without disputing the value of the work.
2. Does the committee value both local trust and qualified medical care?
Hope Rises’ model depends on distinct contributions from local churches and Christian health partners. Trusted local relationships can help people find care sooner, stay connected to treatment, and face less stigma. Qualified health partners provide medical care.
That distinction deserves direct discussion. A church considering support should decide whether it values a model in which relational and clinical responsibilities remain connected while serving different purposes.
Useful committee questions include:
- Do we see trusted local relationships as relevant to whether people seek and continue care?
- Are we comfortable supporting a model in which local churches contribute relational knowledge and connection while health partners carry medical responsibilities?
- Do we expect one organization to perform every field function, or do we value coordinated work through established partners?
Hope Rises reports a network of more than 50 Christian organizations, local churches, and faith-based groups. That figure supports the organization’s partner-based identity. It does not establish that every partner has the same role or that every relationship follows one standard arrangement. The central alignment question is whether the congregation values work carried out through local Christian relationships and qualified health partners.
3. Is a partner-led structure consistent with the church’s expectations?
Hope Rises works through Christ-centered local partners instead of building stand-alone field programs. That structure should be considered as part of mission fit, especially if the church usually supports organizations with their own directly operated programs.
Ask what your congregation expects from a ministry partner:
- Must the supported organization operate its own field program?
- Is the church comfortable with local partners contributing knowledge about needs and appropriate responses?
- Can the committee assess a ministry whose work may differ by partner and context?
- What level of program, country, or partner detail does the committee require before making a recommendation?
Hope Rises identifies DR Congo, Ghana, India, Nepal, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka as priority countries. The priority-country list should not be treated as evidence that identical activities, disease priorities, or partner arrangements exist in every location. Committees that require a tightly defined country project should identify the specific information they need and compare that requirement with the detail Hope Rises provides.
4. Can the church support a needs-responsive approach?
Some church missions programs prefer gifts tied to a precisely specified project, item, location, or schedule. Hope Rises’ documented approach emphasizes needs identified through local partners. Its medical shipments, for example, go through partner hospitals based on real field needs.
This gives the committee a practical point to examine. Discuss how much specificity the church requires and how much room it allows local partners to identify current needs.
Questions to consider include:
- Does our giving policy require a fixed activity before support can be approved?
- Can we support decisions informed by partner hospitals and other local relationships?
- How will we explain needs-responsive support to the congregation without implying that every gift funds one predetermined item or activity?
- Would we need additional information from Hope Rises before recommending support?
A preference for tightly specified projects may create a genuine point of tension. The committee should name that tension rather than assume that a partner-led structure fits its existing giving practices.
5. Record the reasons for the committee’s decision
Conclude the discussion by recording how Hope Rises aligns with the church’s stated priorities. A concise decision note could address four areas:
- Mission alignment: whether Christian global health belongs within the church’s missions strategy.
- Population and disease focus: whether service to persons affected by leprosy and selected neglected tropical diseases matches the congregation’s priorities.
- Partnership model: whether the church values work through trusted local churches and Christian health partners.
- Giving expectations: whether the committee can support needs identified through local partners or requires further detail.
Committees can review Hope Rises’ Our Approach, Our Work, and Leprosy & Diseases pages as part of the discussion. If the committee finds a clear fit and the church chooses to give, Hope Rises provides a giving page.
A sound recommendation should state why Hope Rises fits the congregation’s documented missions priorities and identify any questions that still need an answer.
Frequently asked questions
Which church missions priorities indicate that Hope Rises may be a fit?
Hope Rises may align with churches that prioritize Christian global health, service to persons affected by leprosy and selected neglected tropical diseases, and work through local Christian relationships and qualified health partners.
What should a committee discuss about Hope Rises’ church-and-clinic approach?
The committee should decide whether it values distinct relational and medical roles. Trusted local churches contribute local relationships, while Christian health partners provide qualified medical care.
Can a church that prefers tightly specified projects still consider Hope Rises?
Yes, but the committee should compare its requirements with Hope Rises’ needs-responsive, partner-led approach. It may need additional detail before recommending support for a specific project, country, or activity.
What is a referral pathway in this context?
A referral pathway is a practical process for helping someone move from a first concern to appropriate evaluation and support through qualified health workers, clinics, or care partners.
Do churches or community partners diagnose leprosy or NTDs?
No. Churches and community partners should not diagnose medical conditions. Their role is awareness, dignity, referral, accompaniment, and helping people reach qualified care.