“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you [in the church], the hope of glory.”
— Colossians 1:27 NIV
Pastor Otim planted his first church in Northern Uganda in 2023. His vision was simple: preach the Gospel and help families find freedom in Christ.
The community he entered faced deep challenges, including alcoholism, conflict, land disputes, and other destructive patterns. Otim believed the first step was to plant a church and faithfully proclaim the Gospel.
But as the Gospel took root, the church began to see the people around it differently.
When the Gospel Takes Root
Not long after Otim planted his first church, a man in the community became critically ill. His family had already spent much of what they had seeking help at the hospital, but there was nothing more they could do.
The church gathered to pray, and God miraculously healed him.
After that, his whole family turned to Christ through what God had done. Today, the man is farming again and worshiping with the church.
Otim has also seen positive changes in the communities where he serves. As people turn toward Jesus and begin living out Kingdom principles, there is a reduction in drunkenness in those villages.
This is evidence that the Gospel is changing lives.
We call this transformation Redemptive Lift®. As the Gospel takes root in a community, people begin to live differently, and the impact extends into families, relationships, work, and the wider community.
As Dr. Ray Noah, co-founder of Petros Network, wrote in The Conduit for Missions (2022), a church planted in a community can become “the most compelling expression of Jesus people will ever see.”
In Otim’s churches, the Gospel is not only preached. It is becoming visible in the way people care for one another.
A Church That Sees Its Community
Today, Otim has planted eight churches, and together they are caring for hundreds of widows and other vulnerable people in their communities, including orphans, people with disabilities, and at-risk women.
These are people the church knows, loves, and walks alongside.
For Otim, caring for vulnerable people is not a separate program from the life of the church. It is part of being the Church.
This is what a Community Hub of Hope looks like: a healthy local church extending the love of Christ beyond its walls to meet the spiritual and practical needs of the people around it.
And that care reaches beyond immediate needs.
Pastor Otim and the leaders he works alongside are also helping advocate for families to regain land that was taken from them while they were living in displacement camps. When these families returned home, some discovered that others have claimed their land in their absence. Now the church is standing with them as they seek to reclaim what was taken.
The church is standing with people as they seek restoration, not just meeting an immediate need.
When the Church Faces Hardship
Caring for a community does not mean the church itself is free from hardship.
The Ugandan government recently destroyed one of Otim’s church buildings to make way for a hospital. And a key woman leader who has supported much of the compassion work among women and children in Otim’s churches is also facing her own health challenges.
Even as the church cares for others, it is learning what it means to depend on God together.
In the book of James we are reminded that caring for orphans and widows in their distress is part of what God desires from His people. (James 1:27) In Otim’s churches, that calling is being lived out.
- A church that sees people in need.
- A church that stands with families seeking restoration.
- A church that continues to serve even when it faces challenges of its own.
This is what happens when the Gospel takes root in a local church. God’s love and grace become visible in the way people care for one another and serve their community.
Otim’s churches are becoming Community Hubs of Hope—places where people encounter the Gospel and where the love of Christ extends beyond the walls of the church.
What Does This Look Like for You?
When the Gospel takes root, it changes the way we see the people around us.
We begin to notice the widow who needs care. The family who needs someone to stand with them. The neighbor who needs prayer. The person who needs to know that they have not been forgotten.
The question we should be asking is not, “What is the church doing?” It is, “How is God inviting you to see and respond to the needs of the people around you?”
For you, that may mean looking more closely at the people God has already placed around you. It may mean praying for your local church or equipping indigenous leaders like Pastor Otim serving in communities with little access to the Gospel.
Wherever God has placed you, ask Him to help you see people the way He does and respond with the love of Christ.
Pastor Otim’s story is a beautiful picture of what we hope for every church plant to become. A Community Hub of Hope where the Gospel is shared, compassion is shown, and lives are transformed.
Fund a Church Plant for $5K → | Learn more about Church Planting →
Editor’s note: To protect the identity of a church planter serving in a sensitive ministry context, we have changed his name.
