Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity - Building on Faith Week

For the past three years, His People Baxter has been involved in Habitat for Humanity’s Desmond Tutu Building on Faith project. This worthwhile project enables Christians to demonstrate God’s love in an incredibly practical way: by building someone a home.

Some Background

Habitat for Humanity South Africa is the local representative of Habitat for Humanity International. Habitat for Humanity International is a worldwide, non-profit, nondenominational housing organization that demonstrates the love of Jesus Christ in partnership with families in need. Habitat for Humanity seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. It envisions “a world in which every person has a decent place to live.”

The Desmond Tutu Building on Faith Project

The Desmond Tutu Building on Faith Project is an annual event that focuses on Christian partnerships. During this event, Christians around the world are encouraged to partner with Habitat for Humanity organizations in building homes for destitute families who have been enslaved by poverty. However, Building on Faith involves more than just building houses. The aim is to encourage Christians to earnestly pray and to become advocates for those in need of decent shelter.

This year the Building on Faith event is scheduled for 13–17 September 2010. Habitat for Humanity is trusting God to serve 30 families nationally. This is a big ask but then God is a big God. During this 5-day blitz-build the focus will be on more than just the home owner and building houses. The mornings will kick off by praising God together in song, prayer and a message from His Word. At the end of the 5-day blitz-build the house is dedicated to God, and the key handed over, along with a Bible, to the new home owner. Christian groups also have the opportunity to thank God in prayer as this is ultimately a celebration of what God has done.

Partnering with Habitat for Humanity during this week will not only test and stretch your faith, it will also expose you to a world where people are desperate for God’s touch. This is what makes the ministry so powerful. It touches people’s lives, brings different communities and cultures together and continually relies on God for resources and wisdom.

How can you get involved?

His People would like to get all our congregations in Cape Town involved in this project. Primarily, this means providing volunteers for the Desmond Tutu Building on Faith week in September. If you would like to be a part of this initiative, please contact Victor Kroon at . For more information about Habitat for Humanity, go to www.habitat.org.za. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to put your faith in action and to make an impact in our country.