- Who We Are
- What We Do
- Where We Go
- Get Involved
- Resources
go
Samaritan’s Purse Christian Ethos Statement
The ethos of Samaritan’s Purse is derived from the organisations Statement of Faith, value system and commitment to holistic relief and development, prayer, mission and transformation of individuals lives. This commitment is clearly laid out (along with values and policies) in its published strategy and is summarised below:
Mission Statement
“Meeting the critical needs of victims of war, poverty, famine, disease, and natural disaster while sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ”
In particular Samaritan’s Purse aims to:
• To work in close collaboration and partnership with Samaritan’s Purse offices across the world, bringing greater co-operation and a presentation of the whole of Samaritan’s Purse global ministry to the UK donor base.
• To provide practical support and immediate relief to hurting communities in the grips of poverty and / or following war, natural disaster, disease or famine.
• To earn the right to share the love of Jesus Christ through acts of kindness to people in need
• To clearly present Jesus as Lord in the UK and overseas at every opportunity
• To develop longer term relationships with reliable in-country partners, across the world, who share our passion for the Gospel and for the hurting people in their countries in ways that move beyond immediate relief into longer term development.
To understand the context of the above we have outlined in our Statement of Faith what we believe to be the Christian faith and the resulting way of life to be lived by those who adhere to the Statement of Faith.
The Christian Faith
Samaritan’s Purse has adopted to following Statement of Faith.
The Christian Way of Life
The above is based on the knowledge that the Christian’s motivation to express the love of Christ in his/her life, affects not just the nature of work or the work he/she chooses to do but the way he/she behaves and relates to others. Such motivation leads to a vocational and relational lifestyle. A lifestyle characterised and driven by faith in God, touching the lives of others through the work of the Holy Spirit.
As well as wishing to live the Christian Way of life in our work overseas, Samaritan’s Purse desires to see this way of life lived out by all employees in all their dealings with other staff, partners, donors and suppliers.
Our Core Values
Seeking to be distinctively Christian...
Seeking to be professional in all that we do...
We want to be the best that we can possibly be and so to honour God in all of our work. In practice this means
- setting clear quality standards and then ensuring that we are adequately resourced and our staff are well trained in order to meet those standards.
- that our processes and procedures are clear and up to date.
- that we encourage one another to learn from others and to grow in our capacity and capability.
- having clear objectives and taking personal and team responsibility for meeting them.
Seeking to be creative and innovative...
Many of the situations we find ourselves dealing with on a day to day basis are hard and complex. We value the creativity and innovation that our partners, our colleagues, our volunteers and our donors bring in helping to find positive, creative and innovative solutions to these situations. Every person’s ideas are valued and actively sought.
Seeking to put people first...
We affirm the equal worth of every individual made in God’s image. In practice this means
- showing compassion and integrity in our dealings with others, be they colleagues, donors or beneficiaries.
- doing what we say we will do, not making promises lightly and when we do make promises sticking to them.
- valuing each individual’s time, gifts and integrity, and thinking of the impact on others of our actions
Seeking to put the people we serve at the centre of what we do
We are committed to the people we serve, and we seek to put beneficiaries of our work at the centre of all that we do. We therefore seek
- to be informed and educated and to understand about those we are serving and to give them a voice.
- to empower them to meet their basic needs, overcome injustice and fulfil their God-given potential.
Seeking to work in partnership with others of like mind...
We are a small piece of the picture of what God is doing in building His Kingdom around the world. We are therefore delighted to work in partnership with others who share our purpose and sense of mission, be they in the UK or overseas. We seek partnerships where
- there is mutual respect for each partners contribution
- there is the freedom to be honest, open and transparent
- there is appropriate accountability and autonomy
- partners seek to learn from their relationship and activities
- there is the ability to take risks
- there is long term commitment to one another evidenced in shared values and goals
Practices
As a result of the above Mission and Purpose statements and supported by our value system, the following practices are part of everyday activity at Samaritan’s Purse:
• Our work life is under girded by prayer. We pray at the weekly Staff Devotions, at management meetings, at team meetings and spontaneously in smaller groups when needs arise. We pray both for our work as an organisation, for national and international situations, for each other as individuals and for concerns we have as individuals. This reflects our willingness to lay our lives before the Lord in prayer
• We demonstrate a willingness to pray for the needs of our donors and those whom we serve
• We aim to treat each other with care, respect and dignity and therefore to love each other as Christ loves us
• As a natural part of our daily working lives, we share with each other the way the Lord is speaking to us, prayers that have been answered, blessings received and spiritual truths learned. We seek to encourage one another in our spiritual journey.
• Personal evangelism with those with whom we come into contact, be they volunteers, beneficiaries, colleagues or suppliers.
