In March of 2016, Kevin DeYoung, author and senior pastor of University Reformed Church (East Lansing, Michigan) visited Niddrie Community Church to meet some of the members and check out 20schemes. In this sort video, Kevin shares some reasons why he loves this ministry.

Video Transcript – Kevin DeYoung

Kevin: I’m grateful for the ministry of 20schemes because I think they’re trying to bring together a lot of things that people think don't go together, but they should. And that's trying to minister among low-income folks, trying to minister in what most people would think are ‘hard places’. And understanding that this gospel that we preach is the same gospel for rich and for poor and that the local church is absolutely central to God's plan wherever the kingdom is going to break in. [bctt tweet="This gospel that we preach is the same gospel for rich and for poor @RevKevDeYoung #gospelministy" username="20schemes"]And so the centrality of the local church needs to be absolutely a focal point in any sort of ministry.

And I love that there's an understanding that what people need most, no matter where they come from, what they're facing, what they need most is to know their sin and a Savior, they need to know the Bible. And that when we do this ministry, we don't want the… people call it the soft bigotry of low expectations – thinking that, well if we're going to minister in hard places then we should really water down the truth or we shouldn't really care too much about doctrine, or we shouldn't try to put too fine a point on it. Now I mean, absolutely wrong because the things that we're doing require the best, deepest, most robust, theological truths and affirmations not only so that we’re partnering with the right people, doing the right things, but so that we have a real life, long life giving, God glorifying sense of motivation for what we're doing.

We’re not simply trying to help people's – you know – few decades here on earth be better, though there's some good things to do with that, but really it's to give people the living water, it’s to give people the bread of life, it’s to give people the only news that can transform them and the only news whereby they can be saved. So I am grateful for Mez, grateful for 20schemes, grateful for the work that they're doing. I've learned from them, I continue to learn from what they're doing and pray God's richest blessing because in the schemes of Scotland and anywhere in the world we need good churches we need good doctrine and we need the gospel boldly proclaimed.