Our History & Vision

Servants’ Vision

God is with the poor. We want to be too.

We are communities of Jesus-following, justice-loving people, living with the urban poor in Asian cities. Together with our neighbours, local groups, and the Holy Spirit, we strive to see our neighborhoods flourish with the peace, love and joy of God’s Kingdom.

Tuhan ada bersama orang-orang miskin, kami juga ingin bersama-Nya.

Kami adalah komunitas pengikut Yesus, yang mencintai keadilan, serta tinggal dan hidup bersama orang-orang miskin di perkotaan Asia. Bersama tetangga-tetangga kami, kelompok masyarakat, dan dengan Roh Kudus, kami berusaha untuk menghadirkan masyarakat yang bertumbuh di dalam damai, kasih sayang, dan sukacita yang berasal dari Kerajaan Allah.

Gott ist mit den Armen, das wollen wir auch.

Wir sind Menschen die Jesus nachfolgen und Gerechtigkeit lieben. Wir leben mit den städtisch Armen in Asien. Wir arbeiten zusammen mit unseren Nachbarn, anderen lokalen Gruppen und mit dem Geist Gottes und gemeinsam wollen wir den Frieden, die Liebe und die Freude des Reiches Gottes in unserer Nachbarschaft aufblühen sehen.

Nasa mahihirap ang Diyos-nais naming matulad sa Kanya.

Kami ay mga komunidad na sumusunod kay Jesus, nagmamahal sa katarungan, at nakikipamuhay sa mga mahihirap sa mga siyudad sa Asya. Nakikiisa aming mga kapitbahay, mga samahang lokal, at sa Ispiritu, umaasang makita ang paparating na Paghahari Niya- sa mga kapitbahayang mas mapayapa, mapagkalinga at masaya.

खुदा गरीबों के साथ है – और हम भी वहीं होने चाहते हैं।

हम येशु-भक्त, इन्साफ-प्रेमी समुदाय है, जो एशिया के कुछ शहरों के गरीबो के साथ रहते हैं।  हम अपने पड़ोसियों, आस-पास के समुहो, और पाक आत्मा के साथ काम करते हैं, इस उम्मीद में की खुदा का राज्य आ रहा है – पड़ोस में शांति, प्रेम और उम्मीद बढ़ रहा है।

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God is with the poor. We want to be too.

We are communities of Jesus-following, justice-loving people, living with the urban poor in Asian cities. Together with our neighbours, local groups, and the Holy Spirit, we strive to see our neighborhoods flourish with the peace, love and joy of God’s Kingdom.

Tuhan ada bersama orang-orang miskin, kami juga ingin bersama-Nya.

Kami adalah komunitas pengikut Yesus, yang mencintai keadilan, serta tinggal dan hidup bersama orang-orang miskin di perkotaan Asia. Bersama tetangga-tetangga kami, kelompok masyarakat, dan dengan Roh Kudus, kami berusaha untuk menghadirkan masyarakat yang bertumbuh di dalam damai, kasih sayang, dan sukacita yang berasal dari Kerajaan Allah.

Gott ist mit den Armen, das wollen wir auch.

Wir sind Menschen die Jesus nachfolgen und Gerechtigkeit lieben. Wir leben mit den städtisch Armen in Asien. Wir arbeiten zusammen mit unseren Nachbarn, anderen lokalen Gruppen und mit dem Geist Gottes und gemeinsam wollen wir den Frieden, die Liebe und die Freude des Reiches Gottes in unserer Nachbarschaft aufblühen sehen.

Nasa mahihirap ang Diyos-nais naming matulad sa Kanya.

Kami ay mga komunidad na sumusunod kay Jesus, nagmamahal sa katarungan, at nakikipamuhay sa mga mahihirap sa mga siyudad sa Asya. Nakikiisa aming mga kapitbahay, mga samahang lokal, at sa Ispiritu, umaasang makita ang paparating na Paghahari Niya- sa mga kapitbahayang mas mapayapa, mapagkalinga at masaya.

खुदा गरीबों के साथ है – और हम भी वहीं होने चाहते हैं।

हम येशु-भक्त, इन्साफ-प्रेमी समुदाय है, जो एशिया के कुछ शहरों के गरीबो के साथ रहते हैं।  हम अपने पड़ोसियों, आस-पास के समुहो, और पाक आत्मा के साथ काम करते हैं, इस उम्मीद में की खुदा का राज्य आ रहा है – पड़ोस में शांति, प्रेम और उम्मीद बढ़ रहा है।

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Our History

We started in the early 1980s after Viv Grigg, a New Zealander, moved into a rented room in a squatter settlement in Manila. From that initial step grew a movement, Servants to Asia’s Urban Poor.  Over the years Servants has worked in 8 different countries, including two in the West, and we currently have teams living in poor communities in the Philippines, Indonesia, India and Cambodia, as well as ‘Linking Teams’ in North America, New Zealand, Philippines and Switzerland. As well as these teams there is a network of people across the world who are united by their desire to embody the Servants principles and values in their lives.

Our History

We started in the early 1980s after Viv Grigg, a New Zealander, moved into a rented room in a squatter settlement in Manila. From that initial step grew a movement, Servants to Asia’s Urban Poor.  Over the years Servants has worked in 8 different countries, including two in the West, and we currently have teams living in poor communities in the Philippines, Indonesia, India and Cambodia, as well as ‘Linking Teams’ in North America, New Zealand, Philippines and Switzerland. As well as these teams there is a network of people across the world who are united by their desire to embody the Servants principles and values in their lives.

Why the urban poor?

The past century has seen the most massive migration in human history – that of people to the cities. No longer are most of the world’s population rural peoples. Now, more than 50% of our population lives in towns and cities. The result is poverty on a scale never known before. Financial hardship, overcrowded slums, inadequate sanitation, unemployment, injustice and exploitation, a lack of health and education services, prostitution and child exploitation, HIV/AIDS and rampant disease are all part of the vulnerability that is daily life for millions of people. The urban poor are now the largest and neediest population confronting today’s church.

However Jesus came to bring the ‘good news’ of eternal life, wholeness and healing to the poor (Luke 4:18) and the Bible speaks often of our responsibility to them. We ignore this challenge at our peril: “I was hungry… and you gave me nothing to eat” (Jesus, Matthew 25:31-46). Servants exists to bring transformation in the lives of the urban poor through the power of Christ.

Why the urban poor?

The past century has seen the most massive migration in human history – that of people to the cities. No longer are most of the world’s population rural peoples. Now, more than 50% of our population lives in towns and cities. The result is poverty on a scale never known before. Financial hardship, overcrowded slums, inadequate sanitation, unemployment, injustice and exploitation, a lack of health and education services, prostitution and child exploitation, HIV/AIDS and rampant disease are all part of the vulnerability that is daily life for millions of people. The urban poor are now the largest and neediest population confronting today’s church.

However Jesus came to bring the ‘good news’ of eternal life, wholeness and healing to the poor (Luke 4:18) and the Bible speaks often of our responsibility to them. We ignore this challenge at our peril: “I was hungry… and you gave me nothing to eat” (Jesus, Matthew 25:31-46). Servants exists to bring transformation in the lives of the urban poor through the power of Christ.