Editorial Collection

Lauren Ebert said yes to a trip to Masatepe, Nicaragua, at the last minute, knowing no one on the team. She expected roofing projects and found people whose faith reshaped how she gives and lives.

Mark Erkenswick, partner-in-charge of audit at KPMG and chair of One Collective’s finance committee, on the three signs a nonprofit handles money well, and why reports alone are not enough.

A One Collective couple has spent 14 years in Vietnam, where their son’s Down syndrome showed them how few paths exist for neurodivergent people. How a job program and a coffee shop are changing that.

Pastor Eric Costanzo and One Collective’s Scott White lay out the first three levels of cross-cultural discipleship: welcome, conflict and community. Why Jesus put a tax collector and a Zealot on one team.

Eric Costanzo and Scott White finish their six-level framework with advocacy, discipling others and partnership. Why Jesus sent his followers across cultures before handing them the Kingdom.

Jeff Wallace, president of the National Christian Foundation in Chicago, on giving from assets rather than cash, and how one couple gave 25 percent more by donating stock instead of selling it first.

Grace Roth, a psychology student, spent five weeks in Santiago, Spain making soap and farm baskets with a social enterprise. She left with a surprise: a passion for business she did not know she had.

Jesse Watson first walked the Camino de Santiago serving pilgrims at Pilgrim House, then returned a year later leading students. What he learned about ordinary gifts, like listening, that serve God anywhere.

Gezim and Leanne returned to his home region of Devoll, Albania, where jobs are scarce and many feel forgotten. Youth work, a teachers’ Bible study and plans for a park show what caring for the left-behind looks like.

Christian Fellowship Church in Columbia, Missouri has walked with Quito, Ecuador for 20 years and is now sister church to a congregation in Uzhhorod, Ukraine. Michael Acock on why depth beats trip count.

Gabe Garcia went to Shandia, Ecuador expecting to build things and came home thinking about how well he knew the people he served. What barefoot kids and cheerful home repairs taught him about connection.

Noah Swanson has been to Masatepe, Nicaragua three times in four years. On this trip shared meals, music and friendships with local youth mattered more than projects, and his prayer life changed at home.

Andrew Babyak, Messiah University business professor, on his years in Senegal and why half-hearted ventures erode trust. His case for building a real business, with local partners paid from its profits.

Emma Narber interned with One Collective in Athens, Greece in 2022, working with refugee women and alongside Nea Zoi’s anti-trafficking team. How a summer of uncertainty gave her direction and a calling.

Hope Trainor arrived in Cowley, England as a planner who packed every hour. Her Catalyst, Lola, handed the interns open space instead. What she learned about saying no and ministry as people, not projects.

A One Collective engineer came to Central Asia to show women another path, and found water projects only reached men. How parallel women’s and men’s projects, and plenty of mistakes, are changing families.

Researcher Joy Lee on why dramatic rescue stories distort Christian anti-trafficking work. The case for listening to survivors, protecting their agency and accepting that recovery is rarely a straight line.

Libbie spent her life next to Chibolya, Zambia, and wanted a place where people could know God and learn to provide for themselves. She died in April 2022; the young women she helped carry on her work.

After selling their business, Robert and Tessa Swarthout wanted their giving to build independence, not dependence. Why One Collective’s model gave them a way to invest in communities shaping their own futures.

Jared and Lori Blong asked how they could do more than support their church. A serve, pray, pay framework and a donor-advised fund changed how they give. Their view: passive investments never get it done.

When Tony Parmer inherited the family estate, the money felt like a weight. Planned-giving help from One Collective turned that anxiety into a plan to give now and later to young women escaping oppression.

Tim and Becky Obendorf have given to One Collective for over a decade, and Tim serves on its board. Why they expect giving to produce real, accountable results, and what a visit to South Africa settled.

Diane and Bill Campbell visited Cambridge, South Africa to see what their giving had done. Why they shifted from supporting a worker to funding Catalysts who draw out gifts already in the community.