Empowering Communities for Exponential Change

In Quito, Ecuador

January 10th, 2022 | One Collective

“When you look around at the communities where One Collective is at work today, I think one thing you’ll notice right away is that no matter where you visit around the world, there are oppressed and invisible people on the margins of society, looking for a better future. Alongside that need though you will also find incredible strength in the form of local leaders, partners, and Change-makers who are passionate about seeing their community transform.

Serving in our community (a subset of a city of roughly 2 million), really forces you to be focused and to rely on empowering people to transform the environments that they are a part of. I think healthy people create healthy community, and that community produces more healthy people. Those ideas of empowering people to change, and transformation being exponential are at the core of the work happening in Quito - and also what One Collective is doing around the world.

Here in Quito, the needs that we are working to address often center around people groups who are in vulnerable situations - and working in those spaces can be complicated. One of our main focuses is youth, and in our ministry homes, sometimes they come to the door because the government sends them there, sometimes a family member says ‘hey, you know, this kid’s living on the streets and we don’t have a way to help.’ But no matter how the process begins - building relationships, inviting them into a community, and giving them a safe place to grow are the first steps to seeing change come about in their lives.”

Aaron Passmore

Quito, Ecuador

“Those steps lead to much more. A story we see again and again is that when people are equipped with resources, space, and relationships that empower them to change - they want to take that same transformation they have experienced and bring it into their wider community.

This is the model that Jesus showed us first - how one person who is empowered to transform can go and transform others around them, whole areas, and ultimately lives and communities around the world. 

One of the things I love most about being part of One Collective is that we know that we can’t do it all on our own. Each of us have different things we are gifted at, and we can bring those things together around the ways of Jesus without any one person being the hero.”

“One of the biggest things that One Collective continues to focus on is empowering people to serve in the ways that fit the context of their skills and experience. As an organization there is a lot of time and effort that goes into training people well before they go into new places around the world - but then also making sure they are well supported once they are there serving. That sense of being equipped is one of the big reasons why I think around the world you see leaders focused on empowering others for long-term change.

That’s so critical. When we’re thinking about transformation happening within our communities, our role has to be focused on empowering others. That idea is what equips leaders to work well and collaborate well with other ministries, businesses, governments, and partnerships too.

Here in Quito and around the world - exponential change is happening today.

It’s happening because of your support - because leaders are being empowered to follow the ways of Jesus - and as One Collective, we are all bringing our skills, experience, and passion to transform lives and communities together.”

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