We chose housing as the means to put our faith into action because housing serves as a foundation for the health, education, well being, equity and wealth of families and communities. The process of bringing people together to expand decent housing sparks change, and so we joyfully invite supporters, employees, advocates and partners of all backgrounds — of all faiths and no faith — to our work. Coming together with communities around the world to change their housing circumstances is a demonstration of our Christian values.
Staying centered on loving and serving with our neighbors is captured in the first of five mission principles that guide our work: Demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ. Christians often use the term agape — the unconditional, sacrificial love that is most concerned with the well-being of others — to describe what Jesus exemplified in his life, suffering, death and resurrection. At Habitat for Humanity, we seek to emulate that kind of love in the following ways:
Love all our neighbors
God’s love compels us to see every human as a neighbor. Inspired by how Jesus lived, we make opportunities for people of all kinds — different faiths, ethnicities, political affiliations, sexual and gender identities, and socioeconomic classes — to serve alongside, learn from and reconcile with one another. In our divided world, Habitat for Humanity has consistently built bridges that transcend the things that make us different, rooted in our founding as an organization that sought to be radically inclusive.
Do justice
Scripture is clear about how we create a more just world: We are called to correct systemic and interpersonal injustice as an expression of God’s love. The God-seeking early residents of Koinonia Farm were emboldened by their belief in the justice vision of the Kingdom of God as they faced threats of violence, boycotts and excommunication. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. often described his idea of a just world as a Beloved Community, an active spirit of hope and goodwill that holds space for creative tension undergirded by love. Injustice in housing is widespread, holding people back based on gender, ethnicity, race, age, physical ability and other factors. At Habitat for Humanity, we are compelled to correct these injustices.
Walk humbly with God
Faith in God equips us to take on hard things, such as tackling the global housing crisis, and to pursue connection with others rooted in curiosity and hope. We seek truth and acknowledge that all the answers are not within us. Our continual search for God’s guidance in our mission helps us recognize our shortcomings, forgive others, stay open to change, and walk as servants among equals.
