A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling

In Acts 4:34 it says no one lacked anything. They didn’t live in a commune, they lived in their regular homes, but as unexpected needs arose the body of Christ responded by taking care of that need. Some sold extra assets to help meet the need, but the core is that no one lacked. As the body of Christ expanded throughout the Roman Empire, the meeting of needs to the point no one lacked, involved time and distance.

For example, in Acts 11: 28-30 when a famine arose in the area around Jerusalem, the body in Antioch, several hundred miles/kilometers north, sent a cash offering to them with Paul and Barnabas. We also see Paul in I Corinthians 16 and II Corinthians 8 & 9, as well as Romans 15, gathering a collection for the poor in Jerusalem, the church there being overwhelmed with the needs.

Each house church is responsible for meeting the needs of its own, but when a need is larger than they can handle, they appealed to the network – that’s what we see in the NT. Jesus said in Matthew 25 He is returning for a church who took care of those in their midst who are hungry, thirsty, needing clothing, hospitality or a visit. How do we do that Lord? Finally, a few weeks ago in one of our house church meetings, the Lord gave me His will and wisdom on the matter, so we are moving in that direction.

Sponsorships for individual children in Uganda and Kenya are $41 USD per month, forwarding the bulk to the child and their needs, with just a small amount kept back for our own administrative needs. These are people in our network, the leaders we actually know and have known for years.