For a semester now I have been drenched in the stuff of church growth, worship, spiritual formation, and on and on. In all this, however, I have noted one areea which even at the educational level we largely ignore. That is the area of local missions.
The Need
Let me first define what I mean by local missions: any program or organization of outreach centered, sponsered, and funded by the local church to provide a necessary service to the community. I will even be so daring as to state the following: Every church with a Sunday morning attendance of greater than fifty should have a substantive local missions program consisting of at least one major service or product contributed to the community. Among the possibilities for such programs are the following 10 starter ideas:1. The Food Bank- One of the longest lived and most successful outreaches of many churches is the food
bank. You cannot come much closer to perfectly following the directive to "feed the
hungry" than this.
2. The Second Hand Store- The Salvation Army and Goodwill have this market cornered,
but many communities are still in need of inexpensive clothing provided
by the loving hands of the church.
3. The Transit- Your church could begin to provide a city wide transit service. Insurance would be pricy,
but charging a small fee might help offset the financial overhead. The church gets a twofer
for this one; you protect the environment and aid thos who cannot afford transportation.
4. The Community Center- A community center for Senior Citizens could be a real boon to the ministry of
any church. This normally would require a more urban setting, so the option is out for
the rural church. However, a community center for teenagers might also be a good
investment.
5. Counseling Services- Larger churches might feel comfortable launching a counseling center for a variety
of needs ranging from drgu addiction, to domestic abuse, to even psychological disorders.
If the church was too wary of the liabilities it might be better to simply subsidize visits
to another local counseling center. An effective way to do this might be by offering
financial aid to low income applicants in need of counseling.
6. Group Therapies- Alcoholics Anonymous and other support groups have always found a welcoming home
in the church. Encourage a local group to use your funds and facility.
7. Homeless Shelter- Pricy but necessary.
8. Community Redevelopement- Churches in run down or dilapidated communities might feel called to
engage in programs centering on community renewal. This could take the form of
church members fixing up community houses one by one, grants to homeowners
and businesses, or adopting areas of the community to clean and beautify.
9. Meal Ticket- A weekly or monthly free meal open to the community.
10. Preschool- Financial aid to families in need who wish to enroll their children in preschool. This can be
either in the form of a church subsidized discount in a preschool operated by the church or in
the form of a check to the preschool of choice if the church does not have a preschool program.
The Requirements
Even though these are badly needed ministries not every church should praticipate. Here are some thoughts on what churches might need to get started and remain successful in any such ministries.
A. Congregation- More than fifty regulars makes the whole process easier from every angle. With this
size congregation or larger you are beginning to have more discretionary funding
and enough members to support the required work level of launching such a ministry. To
be sure, there are more sacrifices for a small church to make.
B. Involvement- Ten percent of the congregation or more needs to be involved with any outreach local
missions ministry. Why? That way the ministry is the church's ministry and not "Ted's Program"
or "Betty's Thing". This also will encourage continuity long after the current pastor leaves. If
the congregation isn't involve it becomes much easier for the incoming minister to discard a
much needed outreach to pay for the new sound system.
C. Need- Why begin a local missions program for the homeless if you live in small town, USA? Tailor your
ministry to need. Something like a Chrisis Pregnancy Center would be a great ministry anywhere.
Just make sure someone else isn't already doing it.
D. Funding- Although this seems obvious I'd better state it or someone will leave a comment about it. If funds
are low try partnering with other local churches.
E. Revival- The church must have been recently revived by the Holy Spirit or have been on fire all along.
Spiritual maturity for both leadership and the congregation is probably the most imprtant factor in
the success of a ministry of this kind.
F. Spirit- There must be a general support from the congregation, rooted in the Holy Spirit's leading. If this does
not exist you may try and push ahead, but do so with caution. It is far better to fail to establish an
outreach for a time than to tear the church apart at its' seams trying.
Conclusion
Well, admittedly, this blog is not as moving as last weeks. To the contrary it is rooted much more deeply in the concrete. However, it is no less rooted in my heart. I firmly and passionately believe that every church needs a local missions program that encourages its members to service in the community. This is the very essence of what we as Christians are supposed to be about. Just as Jesus himself said in Matthew 5:42 "Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." Go forth to serve.
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