Its hard to believe we are nearing the end of January 2024!

The new year still feels so new.

One year changing to another is a great time to both reflect and imagine. That’s as true for an organization as it is for individuals. So I thought I would share some personal reflections on BFJN’s 2023 and some personal thoughts on our 2024!

I am so thankful for all the work BFJN participated in in 2023 and so excited for what lies ahead in 2024.

In 2023 we launched our podcast! What a blessing it has been to engage with so many amazing friends running organizations, leading ministries and making a difference!

2023 was the first year we decided to choose specific focus areas to dive deeper into as a community. We began the year engaging with housing justice and in the fall we focused on climate change. I was encouraged by the books we read (Grace Can Lead Us Home and Following Jesus in a Warming World) and really challenged by the groups who read them together. I found so much hope and inspiration in gathering with like-minded people to learn more about specific issues and consider how our faith calls us to action.

We hired a new staffer in 2023! Andrew has been an amazing addition. He brings a new perspective and set of skills and abilities to the work. It is wonderful to have him as part of our team.

There was so much more – our four Micah Experiences which allowed us to learn and serve with many new friends and connect with several new partner organizations; adding Latha Kalpala to our board and holding our first bord and staff retreat; our first Winter Walk team; and the start of our partnership with Faith Leaders for Housing Justice.

It was a full and rewarding year for us at BFJN and we know the Lord has great plans for us in 2024!

We will continue to learn from the amazing Faith Leaders for Housing Justice. We are excited to help their ministries grow, connect their work with our network and find new ways to serve unhoused communities and advocate for housing justice.

We are already planning our spring and summer Micah experiences – looking forward to connecting with new friends and partners. There are a few weekends still open – reach out if you’d like to plan an experience with your church/group.

We opened our 2^nd podcast season with a conversation with the amazing June Cooper and are really excited to continue talking about important topics with leaders who are doing good work in and around Boston and to consider together how we can engage to make a difference.

For 2024 we have decided to have just one focus area. Poverty. We will be sharing more on how we plan to engage this issue throughout the year but I just wanted to share a few things for now.

According the US census data almost 40 million people in the US live in poverty – this measure sets the threshold of poverty for a family of four at around $30,000 annually and does not account for cost of living variations.  So the reality is that far more individuals and families are experiencing poverty. Globally, according to World Vision, almost a quarter of the world’s population (1.9 billion people) live in fragile contexts which they define as “being characterized by impoverished conditions and dire circumstances.”

There are many issues that intersect with that of poverty including housing justice and climate change (last year’s focus areas). So we expect to continue the conversations started last year, adding layers of understanding. Of course understanding poverty will mean exploring other intersecting challenges and oppressions like racism and wealth inequality. We will engage with people in fields like education, the criminal legal system and health care to understand the role poverty plays in creating disparate experiences and opportunities.

Please pray for BFJN in 2024 as we seek to continue to answer God’s call to call equip fellow Christ followers to live generously, do justice so that all might flourish!