Welcome to Community Builders

A place for thoughtful content to encourage our growth in loving God and our neighbors.

We are thankful to have you joining us and we hope this blog can stir up some new ideas in you and help contribute to the flourishing of communities all around.

Read below to find out more about our regular contributors, see past posts, and subscribe to our blog.
 
New posts will be sent out to all subscribers on Mondays at 8am and will be available for viewing here on Tuesdays at 8am.

Maladjusted

~By Matt Farlow~
When stepping into the truth of poverty and mental health one is confronted with the tragic reality of lack. Not, however, a lack of resources, but of compassion. Our lack of understanding poverty and the toll it takes is tied directly to our lack of compassion…

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April 1, 2025 No Comments

The Intersection Between Poverty and Mental Health

~By Robin Fleming~
It is tempting to think about poverty issues solely in terms of job opportunities, skills, income levels, and maybe character. Provide jobs and teach skills that make those jobs and decent wages accessible, and maybe the problem will be solved, right?

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March 4, 2025 No Comments

How We Can Make A Difference In Families

~By Robin Keating~
This month, as we have been considering the effects of poverty on the family unit, you might find yourself asking the question, “How can I help? My family is having a hard time making ends meet ourselves.” Yes, helping financially is sometimes our first “go to” and then we tell…

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February 25, 2025 No Comments

About the Community Builders Blog:

In this blog, we are going to explore topics around the issues of poverty and how we experience these aspects of poverty as well as how we can, as a part of the global Church, bring about change to help our neighborhoods become whole.

Each month we will cover a different aspect of poverty and discuss what the problem is, how we see and experience it, and how we can address these different aspects of poverty as the church in a given community.

We will have guest writers as well who will contribute their thoughts, experiences, and insights on the various topics.

Ultimately, we who write and maintain this blog are not coming in as experts who know everything. No person is the same, no community is the same, and no experience of poverty and its many symptoms are the same. We are simply gathering our collective knowledge based on our experiences and studies, and trying to humbly provide thoughts and insights that will get us all thinking about how we can join together as the church and be who God called us to be as His beloved.

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Stuart has spent over a decade in vocational ministry both in the PNW and overseas where he spent several years studying Scripture and experiencing the global church across different cultures. A native Oregonian, Stuart has been married 28 years to his high school sweetheart. With two children and two dogs they enjoy time in nature and visiting food trucks around the Portland Metro area. Stuart has lived and traveled around the world his favorite memory is tour riding a motorcycle through Italy, Slovenia, and Hungary.
Stuart Smith
Stuart SmithContributor
Robin has lived in California, La Mision, Baja California and moved to Oregon in 2013. Married 3 years, she and her husband enjoy finding ways to engage with neighbors that are fun and build relationships.
Robin Keating
Robin KeatingContributor
Robin grew up in Vancouver, WA. Her experiences include teaching, mentoring, and counseling and she loves connecting and doing life with people. She and her husband have been married 35 years. After raising their four children in the Hillsboro area, they recently moved to a bit of country in Clackamas County. They enjoy reading, hiking, camping, listening to owls, and savoring good coffee roasted by her husband.
Robin Fleming
Robin FlemingContributor
Travis has been in vocational ministry contexts since 2021 and spent 5 years studying Scripture, theology, leadership, and community development at the former Multnomah University. After growing up in California, Travis experienced life on the East Coast, but returned to the West with his wife of 7 years. They have come to enjoy the rainy days of the Portland area and the beauty within and beyond the city. He enjoys challenging and thoughtful conversations, rich and flavorful coffee or tea, good food, learning from different cultures, and the crisp air of the PNW.
Travis Jones
Travis JonesGeneral Editor