As I speak with different church leaders about what they can do to serve their communities, or to get involved in missionary projects I am sometimes met with a strained sense of not knowing where to start. The willingness to get involved is sometimes stifled by an inability to conceive just what to do.
For the imaginative among you that may seem odd, but reality is that many people are willing to get involved but don’t know quite where to start. The creative juices do not flow, or maybe people sometimes feel they have to come up with a ‘worldbeater’ of an idea for it to have any currency.
As I pointed out below, your project or activity doesn’t have to be on the radical edge for it to be of value. It just has to fit your community and be an expression of the kingdom of God to those you live amongst. In fact most of what we do may seem quite mundane and simple. That’s ok!!
So here’s what I’d like to do:
As I am often speaking to groups of people about how they can more effectively connect in their community, I would like to develop a collection of ‘stories worth telling’, as a way of inspiring others to take action in their own backyards. I’d like to have a pile of stories I can tell of how others around the world are engaging in their local communities in small ways, big ways, creative ways and simple ways.
Your story could be the catalyst for sparking another’s imagination. I have lost count of how many times I have seen a great idea – or even a mediocre idea – and after reflection modified it to suit my own context.
So if you have a project you’d like to share with us then drop me an email hamo@forge.org.au and just write a few paragraphs answering the questions below and I will:
a) publish it on here – I won’t embarrass you and you can remain anonymous if you wish, but I’d love to get more stories out.
b) share it with the folks I speak to – your story could offer hope and inspiration to others.
The form of your church doesn’t matter. I don’t care whether you are a tie wearing, hymn singing, pew sitting Baptist or a candle burning, labyrinth walking contemplative. What I really want to know is:
1. Who is the community you are interacting with? ie what is your context and where have you seen a need? (The more specific the better here.)
2. What is the heart of the project? What are you doing and how are you doing it?
3. How is the gospel expressed in what you are doing?
4. How is it going and what have you been learning?
5. What would you do differently if you could?
My hope is that stories like that of Scarborough will get out and inspire more church communities to really engage with their own backyards.
So… I don’t know if this will work or will die dismally, but I’d love to have your reflections!
My wife and a friend from our small group started visiting elderly people in a home. They targeted those people that have no family members to visit them. They have many great stories.
I don’t know how it is in Australia but in
America the first baby boomers hit the 60 year old mark this year. Of course, the boomers are notoriously active- politically, physically, and economically. However, the writing is on the wall. This generation is aging and, given the gargantuan nature of the boomer demographic, I anticipate many ministry opportunities to emerge among that group in the medium distant future.
We are beginning to think more about how to reach out to our aging community. We just completed a project wherein we built a ramp for a 79 year old man who recently suffered a stroke. While we were working on that project it struck me that there may be a “ramp building” ministry possibility emerging.
Complications from stroke and other illnesses that are often linked with the aging (along with the rising costs of health care)may make such construction ministries an even more viable opportunity in the future.
We are thinking more along those lines anyway.
Good project you have going here.
Blessings!
Hamo this sounds great! I believe what you’re talking rings so true for many in the established church, they sense that God desires us to get out there, but they can’t ‘imagine’ how. Stories help us imagine and often spark our own creativity.
As someone trying to help people see a way forward these stories would be a great tool.
Spence,
I don’t think this is just an issue for the established church. Much of the missional conversation is just that…conversation. I think we all face the challenge around Number 3) in Hamo’s list. Many churches have programmes that provide great contact with the community and even great service to the community but when we try to define how the gospel is expressed it’s not that easy.
I think that’s a good observation Terry.
I hadn’t really thought of it like that, but I reckon you might be right.
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Emanuel Lutheran Church in West Warwick, RI, USA, annually has the Wrap A Friend Coat Drive. West Warwick is economically depressed with many needy people. This ministry has been going on for a number of years. The coats are cleaned, repaired and like new before distribution. Last year over 6,000 coats were given away to those without winter coats. There are also sweaters, gloves and hats available. People can pick out their coats just as if they were shopping, thus restoring a sense of dignity. Everyone gets involved in the preparation and distribution: young and old and their friends. Those needing coats are treated with dignity and respect as ones made in the image of God.
Last year we also fed people as they waited to pick out their coats.
Crossroads UCC in Indianola, Iowa, USA, serves a free dinner once a month in the county administration building. We put up signs at the transient hotel and in county offices so people will know to come, and we pass around a sign-up sheet at church to get a good distribution of types of food. Everyone cooks something really good, and we serve our guests and eat. We always send the leftovers home with people. It’s gotten to be rather festive, with people lingering and chatting, a tiny foretaste of the feast of the kingdom.
Thanks for the thoughts and comments so far folks!
I reckon its so important to keep letting people know that this is NOT rocket science and that everyday people doing everyday things are the heart of mission.
Hey all. I love footy and young people. When my son was at the age of wanting to play footy we hunted around for a team for him to play in and it ended up being my old primary school. The coach needed some help so I would hang around for training and assist him with the kids etc and help in whatever way on game days. That was 4 years ago. I am now coaching the senior team and we have an awesome community surrounding two teams with three teams to start next year. This involves three groups of 18 kids each team and all their friends and family who watch and support. Being a part of this community has been hugely impacting on me and some great friendships have been forged through it all. It’s been so refreshing just to be on the cutting edge of life in Christies Beach. It’s also been tough at times as I’ve broken up fights between parents and been involved in disputes with school leadership etc but that’s what life is about I think as we carry each others burdens. In a couple of weekends time our family is heading to a shack with some friends and their family that we have made through this community and things are sure to get deeper.
Sport has a huge following in Australia and serving in these areas has a huge potential for some great mission!