Homelessness has been a daunting problem in the state of California — and in many other states — for decades. Economic hardship and rising housing costs are just two factors that contribute to this crisis.
I am grateful that state leaders — like those in Sacramento who recently proposed the creation of the Sacramento Area Housing and Homelessness Agency — are seeking lasting solutions that give people experiencing homelessness hope and an opportunity for healing.
While these efforts are essential for progress, the truth is that politics and policy alone cannot solve homelessness. We also need holistic, community-based solutions that don't just give people a handout; they provide a hand up.
No organization or government is better positioned to activate those resources than the local church, which is, by definition, local. In order to thrive, people need community. They need support from neighbors and friends. They need other people.
That is what the church was designed to be: a group of people loving and supporting one another through life's inevitable challenges and celebrations. But the church does something else as well. It provides structure and accountability.
Too many programs aimed at helping those experiencing homelessness tend to be transactional. People are given services and then expected to succeed on their own. While intentions are good, outcomes often are not because homelessness can quickly become a cycle of program and relapse, over and over and over.
The local church has the capacity not just to address poverty, but to break poverty. It is a space for genuine, lasting relationships where people of all ages, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds stand as equals before God. There is real beauty and power there because those people quickly become more than mere acquaintances. They become allies and cheerleaders invested in success and recovery.
This is the beating heart of the church — a place where people come together in faith and action to bring hope and healing. When churches and communities unite, real transformation is possible. Our hope is that projects like Elevate in downtown Bakersfield serve as a glimpse of what can happen when compassion, creativity, and collaboration are put into motion to meet real human needs.
It's already making a difference, all because people of faith decided to leverage their time and talent for the common good.
That's another beautiful thing about the church: It's full of normal people with incredibly diverse skill sets and relationships. This reality holds immense potential. Within congregations throughout the United States and worldwide, gifted people are ready and waiting to use their talents and expertise to address the real-world problems their neighbors and communities face.
However, quite often the problem is not that churches lack the vision, but rather the vehicle to make their vision a reality. With all of the talents, gifts, and willingness to help, the church already has the resources to make a substantial change in its local communities.
I often think about the parable of the talents in Scripture. Talents were a unit of measurement in the ancient world. But today, the word refers to the unique gifts and abilities God has given each of us to work to bring glimpses of His Kingdom here on earth.
Not every church and community is facing the same problem. The challenges are varied and complex, so those glimpses will be equally so. But our approach and commitment can be the same. We can seek to love our neighbors in the radical, self-giving way Jesus commanded and exemplified.
When we live and love like that, anything is possible. We will see neighborhoods transformed and lives changed. The only question is whether we are bold enough to step out in faith and, by God's grace, be the solution to the problems we see in the world and in the communities we call home.
Wendell Vinson is the co-founder of CityServe International, a church empowerment network that provides basic essentials and disaster relief to communities in need throughout the United States and around the world.
