Unfortunately, as the title implies, this is my farewell blog. As of 2025, I have gone full-time at UMass Boston, earning my Master’s in Instructional Design (training design, skills development, curriculum development). BFJN has been an important step along my journey in this direction. It definitely helped me to wrestle with how to train and mobilize people around difficult issues. This especially included my work redesigning our Micah 6:8 service-learning weekend, which was a very rewarding experience. I have also really benefited from getting the chance to learn and serve alongside so many great people!
Overall, it was a wonderful experience working at Boston Faith and Justice Network for more than a year. We have made a tangible impact by mobilizing volunteers and helping people to encounter or deepen their view of God’s justice and our role in it. These are always important issues, and today, no less so. However, I think what would be most useful for you all is to share my five biggest takeaways from my time at BFJN.
Learning and action are better in community. I took part in several of our book/learning groups. Following Jesus in a Warming World, Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, and Lazarus at the Gate. These provided powerful opportunities for people from different church communities to unite around topics of interest. The connections formed in those groups were significant and, in some cases, enduring. If you want to learn about something, find a group or create your own with friends. This work can be hard and having people to journey with you makes a big difference. I am reminded of the African proverb, ‘If you want to go fast go alone, but if you want to go far go together.’ Facing down tough issues is a long game. Don’t go it alone. Sometimes churches aren’t active in these areas and BFJN can be a great landing spot to find like-minded people to tackle these things.
Justice work is and isn’t complicated. The systems and causes of things like poverty, food insecurity, climate change, the housing crisis, and more are complicated. The policy decisions and individual actions to make a real difference can seem overwhelming. There is so much information and counter information out there that it can really be too much. However, getting involved and making a difference as an individual or group is actually very easy and accessible. It comes down to a matter of time and attention. There are so many great partners doing important work who could benefit from another volunteer or some expertise. It is a matter of putting it on your schedule or taking the time to think about it. No really, it is that simple. Not to fix everything, but to put your back to the plow. So experiment! Try a new volunteer opportunity. Go with a friend. If it doesn’t work, don’t go back. If you start to wonder if this is the right place over time, dig deeper. Be curious. Read about other people’s experiences from books like When Helping Hurts. These can educate us beyond our own experiences and prevent experientially learning something somebody else already has when possible.
Follow the evidence and not just our heartstrings. When we think about non-profits dealing with complex issues, stories really move us. However, we need to allow our hearts to move us without giving up on metrics for impact and evidence that backs up tangible change. I don’t just mean spending dollars either. Organizations can spend less than 10% on overhead costs (staff, etc.) but still fail to make significant impacts or evidence-based changes on an issue. Consider doing some research and seeing if there have been any studies or trials to see which method of addressing a problem is more effective. I wouldn’t let effectiveness be the end all be all but we certainly should consider it in relation to our giving and service.
God really cares about justice. I know this one seems obvious, but it is important. I don’t think God has a preferential treatment to the poor. I just think that he cares about the poor equally and that, in comparison to how we normally treat them, it seems like a preference. God identifies with the poor directly. It takes these direct references to the poor for us to take seriously how God is united with them. Given how important the poor are to God, we should want to join God in this work. The work is being in a relationship with people who are different and potentially materially less well off than us. This isn’t a ‘let me save you’ relationship. But a ‘we need each other’ and I want to learn from you too kind of deal. The resourcefulness of refugees, the poor, and people in need can be inspiring at times. Most people aren’t just wanting a hand out. They want an opportunity. They want people to believe in them. They also need to know God and to know God is with them and cares deeply for them.
Justice doesn’t happen accidentally. We really need to be deliberate about seeking justice. If we don’t have it in our schedule or as a priority in our lives, then it really won’t happen. As an important quote goes, ‘the most important ability is availability.’ If we don’t open up or reserve time in our lives, then justice work won’t happen. Without action, injustice will continue and probably grow. It has been easy for me to be involved in justice thinking and doing as part of my job at BFJN. The harder part is staying involved when it isn’t as connected to my work in the short term. Lord help me to remember and act on what I have learned.
Hopefully this list will encourage you to reflect on your own pursuit of joining God in the work of justice. It has been my pleasure serving you and alongside you at BFJN. If you wish to contact me directly then please email me at Fassett.andrew@gmail.com. God bless and Godspeed!
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