THE PROBLEM
Most people do not understand God’s design for their lives. They go about their day facing insecurities and questioning, “Is there more to life than this? Who am I really? What is my purpose? Why does my friend have more than me?” It causes inner pain and confusion about who they are AND who the Creator is who made them.
Individuals in underserved communities often don’t even have the luxury of asking such questions. They are busy, concerned with that day’s crisis.
• Do I have enough food to feed my children today?
• How can I pay my bills?
• Is there any hope for my situation?
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”
Psalm 23:1-3
Meet Brianna
Brianna was born into a single-parent home. She is the third of five children. From toddler age, she was taught not to share information with others. Her mom was a drug addict and there was no family support, just survival. When Brianna was about 8 years old, her mom started allowing the drug dealers to abuse her daughters in
exchange for the purchase of drugs. When Brianna became a teen, she struggled to trust others, have healthy friendships, and find hope. She became pregnant at 15. One day, she realized she could no longer live in this lifestyle and ran away from home. Fortunately, she ran to a place that could get her the help she needed. She is in the process of rebuilding her life. Today, she is 20 and has two children as a single mom. She longs to break the chains of her past. She is searching for hope, independence, and the desire to create a better life for her family.*
THE SOLUTION
Crown has more than twenty years of experience disrupting poverty around the world. Government programs have proven to fail and are not the solution to bring hope, alleviate poverty, or give true freedom. Crown’s model is disruptive to traditional poverty solutions. By teaching biblical principles and practical tools, we equip and coach individuals to find true freedom. When faithfully applied, individuals have a strengthened relationship with Christ, hope, direction, and practical tools that enable them to improve their life circumstances. Chains of generational poverty and dependency are broken.
By exploring the following questions, hearts will be transformed and lives will be changed:
- Who am I? (My identity and how did God design me?)
- Where am I from? (My good and bad experiences in life.)
- Why am I here? (What is my purpose?)
- What do I have? (My inventory of everything.)
- How do I use what I have? (My plan to manage money, time, and talents.)
Once someone recognizes their identity in Christ and understands that He has given them much for His use, a new freedom is found in their purpose for living. With that freedom, forward progress can be made past barriers and obstacles that no longer hinder faithful success.
Meet Aiden & Ava
Aiden is 14 and Ava is 13. They are brother and sister and, just like most teens in their community, they come from a single-parent household. Almost everyone in the community lives below the poverty line. Some have experienced hunger, homelessness, temporary housing conditions, or parents addicted to drugs and alcohol. Unfortunately, some have been mentally or physically abused. Many are struggling or failing academically. Their friends are at an increased risk for involvement with the juvenile system, physical or mental health issues, drug or alcohol abuse and skipping or dropping out of school. Ava and Aiden are worried they will continue living in the same cycle as those around them and are pessimistic about their future.*
IMPACT OPPORTUNITY
Restoration Path is designed specifically for hurting individuals and marginalized communities who are struggling to overcome poverty.
Our initial efforts are designed to support parents choosing life, pregnancy centers, youth programs, urban and community poverty areas, and individuals living on Native American reservations.
Crown will equip local leaders and alliance partners to implement the Restoration Path program within their current and future expanded reach.
One of the top 3 reasons pregnant moms choose to abort are money issues.
75% of American teens lack confidence in their knowledge of personal finance.
Children in the U.S. experience higher poverty rates than most developed nations.
In 2017, 40 million people struggled with hunger in the United States.
Meet Kaylee & Dylan
Kaylee just learned that she is pregnant with Dylan’s baby. Kaylee is 18 and Dylan is 19. Dylan is excited about the baby, but Kaylee is scared and does not have the finances to support a child. She visits a local pregnancy center that does an ultrasound of the baby. Kaylee does not have a job and she and Dylan both hoped to get more education. They are discussing marriage but neither of them has any concepts about handling and managing money. Without any mentors in their lives, one of their biggest questions is, “How can we make this work when we see so many around us struggling? We do not have the money to care for this baby.”*
Bring Restoration to Those Who Need it Most
Your gift today can help us provide valuable training to equip local leaders and alliance partners to implement Restoration Path and other transformative programs in their communities.
Meet Josephine
Josephine and her children are members of Crow Nation in Montana. She is a strong and resilient mother, doing all she can to provide for and protect her children. Unfortunately, living in a secluded community, with very few businesses or resources, she has found it difficult to maintain decent employment, making it a challenge to purchase food and basic necessities. Her estranged spouse remains absent and unhelpful. As is the situation in many homes on the reservation, Josephine is the caretaker of multiple children and family members, all while volunteering to help raise other kids in the community. Because of unresolved trauma, substance abuse and addiction, many families have been immeasurably disrupted. The local school is helpful in educating the children and providing a daily meal; however, they still struggle to dream of a different way of life. In such cases, many kids grow up to repeat the cycles of addiction and abuse by their parents, but Josephine is working hard to break that cycle, and give her kids a reason to dream bigger than they ever have.*
Meet the Creekside Community
This community is in the center of an urban city, the population is about 200 individuals including children. They are experiencing homelessness, and have built sheds from cardboard or other materials to protect themselves from the weather. They have limited access to healthcare, problems getting nutritious food, trouble staying safe as violence is all around, stress and unsanitary living conditions and some exposure to severe weather. Many adults are former addicts, but some have experienced a loss of job and their families. They are typically depressed to some degree and have little hope that things will improve long term for them. Fortunately, there are some church and para-church organizations that do lend some support to meeting their basic needs. This community is looking for hope beyond providing for their most basic needs.*
FUTURE IMPACT THROUGH CONTEXTUALIZATION
Restoration Path has the potential to be the "go-to" program for poverty alleviation in the U.S. With its modular approach, focus on contextualization, and aim to transform and restore the heart for God, we believe that Restoration Path will have an extremely effective and lasting impact in communities that have tried countless other solutions with little to no effect. We believe it will spread throughout the world and will even enhance some of Crown’s current programs and products, like the African Money Map. The principles in Restoration Path are applicable to all people, all generations, and all socioeconomic levels.
GET INVOLVED
Partnership criteria:
Restoration Path Interest Form
Restoration Path Interest Form
*These stories are representations of actual needs and struggles in the communities we strive to serve.