Serving Your Community
by John Kimball, CCCC Director of Church Development
It’s human nature. The longer we live in a community, the more connected we become. The more connected we become, the less open we are to new connections. Think dots on a Lego block — everyone has a limited number of connection points in life: when we’re full, we’re full. And while each connection usually makes us feel more at home and adds value to our lives, they also often keep us so focused on our connected relationships that we miss the needs and changes in the rest of our community.
Never was this scenario more evident to me than in a discussion with an octogenarian in one of our congregations. We were talking about the huge influx of a certain ethnic group into his city from a new demographic report that the church had commissioned, when he adamantly proclaimed, “That is simply not accurate! I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve never seen them.” His “connected” world consisted of a few stores in town, his favorite restaurant, the church and a few neighbor families in his rural part of town. He was well connected, but had totally missed what ultimately proved to be a huge ministry opportunity in his city because of the changing demographic.
Over the years I’ve found that most Christians are less aware of the changing needs in their own towns and cities than they think. They are not bad people, but they have unwittingly allowed their connectedness to make them spiritually nearsighted. Ask them about the needs in their relationships and they can give great detail and, praise Jesus, they act on what they see. But when a congregation says they want to reach their community, town or city, then they must be purposeful in learning what the changes and needs are around them. And while demographic reports are helpful, the very best way to discover those needs is with personal investigation.
Churches that want to have fruitful ministry within their own communities make opportunities for their members to personally connect with the needs and people around them. They have relationships with other churches and ministries with which they partner for the greatest effectiveness (and when I say “partner,” I mean personal participation, not just financial gifts). They intentionally connect with those who see community trends they may have missed, and match their ministry efforts with the giftedness of their collective membership.
One church was at a loss to know how to reach a particular people group that was now a significant presence in their downtown section. For years, they actually lived in fear of the changes to their town but never attempted to engage these very different people for Jesus’ sake. When they were approached by another like-minded church (of a different ethnicity) that was active in the downtown section, everything changed. A beautiful partnership blossomed that linked the two congregations in Jesus. But even better, it continues to have a huge gospel impact on that new people group in town.
The point is this: every believer (and thereby every congregation) must take intentional steps to recognize the changes in their community and the ministry needs that surround them, or else they will only minister to the people with whom they already have relationships. There’s nothing wrong with ministering to people we know, but the Gospel requires us to make disciples of all peoples (all ethne)! Some are called to be missionaries, traveling to faraway lands with the gospel. But most of us are beginning to recognize that the nations are coming to us! We dare not miss the opportunities the Lord has placed right at our own community doorstep!
When you stop and really take notice of your own community, what do you see? What is the Holy Spirit whispering to you? What is one purposeful step you can take right now to serve in the changing context where you live?
