Lost Sparrow

Lost Sparrow

Potter's Hands Partnership

Illustration

Mission statement

The Potter’s Hands exists to strengthen and unify the global church to share the gospel, help the poor, and provide community development services.

History

 Starting in 2013, Matthew and Lauren were engaged to be married, but living apart long distance as Lauren was sent by TMS global as a missionary to Patna, Bihar, India while Matthew stayed stateside to work and complete his architectural registrations. Abhishek Raj was a local believer who taught Lauren the language and brought her out to minister amongst the poor in the inner-city slums and villages across the state. An emerging house fellowship began to grow in the village of Pun Pun. Today, that house fellowship has grown to over 120 house fellowships with over 1500 believers across the state. The main desire amongst the people was an opportunity out of the poverty cycle. Abhishek received a vision from the Lord to create this hope by starting a Christian school to provide education for the slum children and the next generation. by starting a Christian school to educate Matthew eventually came to Bihar, and they and brother Abhishek began the process of casting the vision of the school amongst the people. They also continued caring for and ministering to the train station orphans as well as helping with architectural design for a new business being used as an avenue to share the gospel. Matthew and Lauren moved back to the U.S. to start Tilbrook Architects in an effort to support these growing ministries and create self-sustainable income programs for the Indian people.Over the years, the ministry has grown to over 200 students at the school and a variety of outreach programs. In 2020, due to an increasing amount of orphans needing immediate shelter, both families were led to start Lost Sparrow Children’s Home and register these ministry activities with the Indian and US governments in an attempt to create long-term legitimacy, accountability, and a good reputation amongst the people. Thus, The Potter’s Hands (USA) and Lost Sparrow Ministries (India) came to be. Today, both organizations are working together to be a voice for the poor and hands and feet of Jesus Christ as they continue to meet their needs and spread the gospel. 

About Potter's Hands

"This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message. “So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. Jeremiah 18:1-7 cont…."
People’s lives can be turned upside down in an instant. War, natural disasters, political corruption, pandemics, intense poverty, and other circumstances can leave entire communities without shelter and without hope. Just as the clay is in the potter’s hand, the people we serve are in God’s hands. Though they may feel like their life has been marred to nothing, we believe God sees them and wants to do something new in their life.
Through our team of Christ-centered pastors and design and development professionals, we aim to restore these individuals and their communities by providing charitable services for any of their community development and design, and building needs. Some examples include:
• Shelter (permanent and temporary) • Educational facilities • Hostels • Churches • Hospitals • Orphanages
We believe in the holistic restoration of communities and bringing lasting change. In addition to infrastructure, we provide opportunities through community developments such as self-sustainable income programs, the housing of orphans, food distribution, water well installation, widow support programs, education, caring for the homeless, house fellowships, and more.

Partnerships

There are a variety of design, building, and community development needs across the globe. There are even more needs for basic human survival. The needs vary based on the infrastructure, culture, and geography of those people. In order to connect with those most in need and other professionals with a heart to serve them, we also partner with entities such as:
• Engineering Ministries International (www.emiworld.org)
• Habitat for Humanity (www.habitat.org)
• TMS Global (www.tms-global.org)
• International Mission Board (www.imb.org)
• Salvation Army (www.salvationarmyusa.org)
• Helps Ministries (www.helpsministries.org)
• Love For the Least (www.lovefortheleast.org)
• Harvest Bridge (www.harvestbridge.org)

Board of Trustees

Darin and Taloyre Keller -Boone, IowaAl Tebrugge- San Antonio, TXJaclyn Carrington-Bartonville, TX Becky Randolph- New Braunfels, TXLiz Lubrani-Canyon Lake, TX