"Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." Matthew 9:35-38
About JESUSpolitik
Okay,
first, why the name?
JESUS - We operate under His name. This keeps us focused; it reminds us of why we do what we do and Who gave us this work. Not just "acting for acting's sake", but acting as an outpouring of our heart for JESUS and His people. We aren't moved by empty religion, money, or political agenda. We are moved by compassion.
Politik - The communal sense of the word "politic", referring to a community that is purpose oriented. We represent a worldwide community of mission groups, human rights organizations and concerned individuals that want to reach their world for JESUS.
What is JESUSpolitik?
JESUSpolitik is a registered 501 c3 US nonprofit organization, that works with local missionaries in areas where there is a lot of need and not a lot of resources. We connect these local missionaries to human rights groups and mission groups and they collaborate their efforts - joining forces and sharing resources.
JESUSpolitik then gets the word out about these international projects to groups and individual in the US, so they can get involved too. We encourage people to not just "raise awareness" but to act to actually DO SOMETHING to help people.
Check out the activism ideas and stories of people like you and what they've done to help the people these projects are reaching on the Do Something page.
We have a broader outreach when we link arms.
CURRENT INTERNATIONAL PROJECT IS "LOVE MAPUTO" IN MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE
JESUSpolitik is activism simplified.
We work with human rights organizations and mission groups to provide them a connect with student groups, churches, civic groups, and concerned individuals- people that want to get involved but don't know how. It can be overwhelming when you want to actually do something beyond just buying a gum-rubber bracelet and donating five bucks. We thought activism and living out your faith should just be made easier.
"Raising awareness" often becomes more of a shock and awe experience than an inspiration for action. You can wear yourself out trying to do all the research and preparing all the presentations yourself. And, by that point, you still haven't actually done anything besides horrify your fellow students! You can't fill people's spirits with images of attacks against human dignity and then not give them an opportunity to act against those attacks! You owe it to them to give them an opportunity to act.
Let us help.
JESUSpolitik researches "the issues" for you - what they are and the history behind them. We make and develop all the presentation materials (posters, PowerPoints, pamphlets, t-shirts, you name it...) you'll need to get people informed and get people moving.
All you have to do is act.
We have activism and fundraising ideas that actually work (ex- step by step instructions on how to put on a benefit concert). They're listed right here on the site! You can give us feedback on how they worked out and add your own ideas too!
We also promote the needs of people project by project. We list the needs, you act to fulfill them by either using our ideas or your own. Short term and long term mission trips are also available for some projects. To get involved in our newest project, click here!
We get you started and we help you every step of the way. By linking arms, we have a broader outreach and a more efficient one.
Who does JESUSpolitik help?
We work out of our network of mission groups and human rights organizations and take on a project where people have the most need and the least amount of resources. We continue that project until it comes to a point of sustainability, then we spotlight another project where people need help.
Previous projects remain in the JESUSpolitik network and opportunities to get involved with helping them will also remain available. After all, we're a family.
We are currently working on the Maputo Project .
Spread the word!
- Click here to download JESUSpolitik pamphlet!
- Tell your group about JESUSpolitik, click here to download the PowerPoint presentation!
About Us
Melissa N. Davis, President
“Awareness without action, just like faith without works, is dead. And it will make you feel dead, too. It is unjust to fill a person's spirit with information and images of attacks against human rights and dignity without providing a means of acting against those attacks."
Melissa is from the DC area and graduated from Messiah College in 2006 with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, with a focus in working with victims of sexual abuse, and a minor in human rights pre-law.
While in college, she was heavily involved in Messiah's International Justice Mission chapter, presiding over it for 3 years, while also leading an Invisible Children chapter, leading and coordinating service trips for the college, playing a lot of music and ... well, doing way too much.
While in school, she also volunteered regularly with Bethesda Mission's soup kitchen and with Fellowship House reaching out to children, the homeless and the hungry in Cambden, NJ. She spent her summers at home, street witnessing and handing out food in SEDC with Urban Outreach and still does today.
In 2005 right after the
tsunami hit, Melissa went to Thailand to do work with one of
International Justice Mission's aftercare agencies for victims of human
rights abuse, The New Life Center. In addition to the time she spent
with the girls there, she also edited the English script for a
radio soap opera project in the Lahu language. This project, funded
through UNESCO, provides education in the areas of HIV/AIDS, human
trafficking and drugs and is broadcast throughout northern Thailand,
southwest China, eastern Lap PDR, northern Myanmar and parts of
northeast India. She also attended Chiang Mai University through the
Spring Semester in Thailand Program.
Melissa also got the opportunity to participate and present at a special two-day workshop on human trafficking, held with 14 senior leaders of the Mynamar Council of Churches, International Justice Mission, United Nations Inter-Agency Project to Combat Trafficking in Women and Children and NGO's in Thailand.
This opened doors for her to edit the English script for Heifer International Mekong Region Program's Training and Education Program, as well as do the voice over for their promotional video of the work they have done and are doing in the Yunnan Province of China.
Melissa also lived in a Karen Hill tribe village in the Musakee Jungle for a month doing ethnographic research on the Karen people, comparing their creation account and eschatology to that of Christianity. It was a wonderful time.
In 2006, after Hurricane Katrina hit, Messiah College sent a Relief Team of 3 three students and 4 teachers to New Orleans to help with disaster relief and lay out plans for future service teams to come in. Melissa was among them. Click here to read the article.
Melissa Davis still lives in the DC area and is the Director of Outreach & Evangelism for her church there. She also heads up The Harvest Program, which gives out food and clothing in the community. She plays in a little blues band and...well, still does way too much.
Delainna Batoon, Executive Director
delainnabatoon@jesuspolitik.com
Delainna is originally from Bitburgh, Germany and lived there for ten years before her military parents were stationed in the Washington D.C. area, where she has spent the last 15 years. She attended two years at the College of Southern Maryland and then transferred to Towson University in 2002, where she studied for two and a half years toward a Bachelor's Degree in Music education.
While attending Towson, Delainna became very active with Campus Crusade for Christ, singing regularly with the praise and worship team, attending and leading bible study and helping with outreach toward students on campus.
In 2004, Delainna married her college sweetheart Augustine Batoon. Almost two years later they were blessed with their first child, Ania.
Delainna is very active in reaching out to her community. She heads up a food distribution ministry handing out food and clothing to the poor and needy in her community and she uses this for means of evangelism. She is out there serving week after week and souls are getting saved. Lives are being changed. She believes in reaching people holistically, not just ministering to the body, but to the soul as well. Delainna also has a heart to reach children for Jesus, and teaches young girls (ages 3-8) who attend the Girls and Boys Club at her church.
For the past two years, Delainna has been a sought after speaker at various women's and other ministry related events.
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