Just last night I gave a woman holding a sign some loose change. I did. I never do stuff like that, but she got to me. I have worked at Rescue Missions and I always give to them because they know the real story, they meet the Spiritual and physical need, and they move people towards self-sufficiency. I broke my own rule last night. I couldn’t help myself. Have you ever felt this way? It was a compassion-driven impulse (or perhaps the Holy Spirit).

As I was thinking about Lupton’s words in the third chapter of Toxic Charity, I am captivated by this thought: “if giving is going to be redemptive, it is not simple.” It’s so true. I gave a woman some change on my way from the theater, but I never asked her name, I didn’t hear her story, I didn’t engage her. Because, to be honest, I was in a hurry. Stopping to talk was just too inconvenient. Kind of embarrassing—it’s been haunting me.

My actions last night reinforce Lupton’s point that mercy ministry alone is really insufficient. “Mercy is a force that compels us to acts of compassion. But in time mercy will collide with an ominous opposing force. Injustice. Against this dark and overpowering force, acts of mercy can seem meager.”

We’re familiar with the passage in Micah (6:8) that reads “O people, the Lord has already told you what is good, and this is what he requires: to do what is right (act justly), to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Acting justly speaks to fairness and reasonableness in decision making and loving mercy speaks to acting in forgiveness, compassion and kindness—especially to our subordinates.

The marriage of mercy and justice is powerful. It leads to:

• Immediate care with a future plan
• Emergency relief and responsible development
• Short-term intervention and long-term involvement
• Heart responses and engaged minds

My prayer is that God would continue to challenge me to live a Micah 6:8 lifestyle. Will you join me?

This is obviously a key area, and again will vary by church.  Many churches  are already infused with an energy and desire to serve.  Others are in different places in their local outreach paths.  An objective assessment in this area will drive your plans for communication and who you will equip to serve. 

Some key questions to consider are:

• Will our entire congregation serve together?
• Will our small groups serve together (Sunday school, lifegroups, etc)?
• Will our internal ministries serve together (children’s, youth, greeters)?
• Will new attendees, members,staff,elders serve?
• Will guests be encouraged to serve (neighbors, co-workers, etc)?
• Will families serve together (what ages are appropriate)?

 WHO will lead?

As with any core value of a church, it is imperative to have someone who is the catalyst for the vision, evaluation, and forward movement of that value.  Serving outside the four walls of your church should be a part of your core values.  It is still crucial to have someone who has a passion for local outreach to commit to the overall value.    

Some key questions to consider are:

• Will it be a Pastor, Director, Administrator, or Volunteer? 
• Which ministry leadership will it fall under in your church structure? Local Missions, Discipleship, Benevolence, etc.
• Is the person empowered and equipped to carry out the outreach mission of the church effectively?

 WHO will we serve?

There are many, many opportunities to serve outside the four walls of your church.  Determining the people groups you are being called to help, the community ministries you partner or will partner with, and the ability to serve individual families in need are a significant part of the organizing and preparing your church to serve.     

 Some key questions to consider are:

• WHO needs to be served in our city?            

                                      Homeless                                 Public Schools                   Healthcare

                                      Less Fortunate                       Youth                                   Families

                                      Disabled                                    Business                               Orphans                    

• What community organizations/ministries are providing services AND the gospel of Christ?  Do we currently partner with any? 
• Do we want to focus on specific needs and community ministries? OR Do we simply want to give an “open window” to our members to search and fill community needs?
• Do we have the ability within our congregation to provide for the physical and spiritual needs of individual families in the community?
• Do we want to find the needs of families in the community for our members to adopt? OR Do we simply want our members to see and fill the needs as posted by other organizations.

We encourage you not to duplicate what is already being done, but direct your members to serve the many needs of the community through agencies that are already serving the people in need.  Churches and minsitries should be united as one body to make more of impact in Jesus’ name.

Just as there is a purpose in going in taking a class of students on a field trip, there should be even more purpose in transforming lives into a lifestyle of serving.  The intent and motivation of WHY we are serving brings the end result to the forefront.

Service is the ultimate growth model for a church.  The best church growth plan was the first church plan in Acts.  It was about healing, feeding, and selling all they owned to help those in need.  It wasn’t focused on top notch worship or the most inspirational and relevant sermons.  Demonstrating God’s love is far more powerful than just hearing or talking about it.  It was well said by Saint Francis of Assisi “Preach the Gospel at all times – if necessary, use words”.

Jesus knew people often can’t see past their physical needs to even think about their spiritual  needs.  He knew He had to meet them right where they were.  That’s why Jesus almost always met a need before He told them who He was.  He fed, healed, or counseled those in need (i.e. the woman at the well in John 4), then He told them He was the Son of God.

We should be building a relationship with people through serving their physical needs and then tell them where that love comes from and why we are so compelled to share it with others  – Jesus Christ.

Ask yourself as a church. “Are we serving to . . .”

            connect our members together?

            lead more people to a decision of salvation? 

            bring people to Christ with a plan to disciple them? 

            fill the physical needs of those less fortunate? 

            encourage people to come to our church (increase membership)? 

            serve with other churches and ministries to  unite the body of Christ?                                                                                                                           

More than likely, the reason why you are serving is more than one reason above.  Based on your answers, articulate WHY your church will serve/or is serving others in the community.  Have a purpose statement just for your outreach is a great foundation to leading your members to move in the community.  It could be something as simple as

Serve, Love, Have Fun . .. Share Christ!  

Next blog we will talk about WHO will serve, WHO will lead, and WHO will be served.  Would love to hear from you! :)

I get burned not by those I’m helping—they are generally appreciative and kind. I get burned because serving doesn’t always produce the results I hoped for. Often we put our needs and the needs of our Church ahead of the needs of those we are helping.

The Church wants a three-hour Saturday morning mission experience in the inner city. The Church wants a 7-day trip to Africa to build a well. I want to scoop mashed potatoes onto a plate and peer into the eyes of a hungry child and feel good about it. Face it. It’s true.

What the inner city mission really needs is tutors on Thursday nights, and the village in Africa needs a micro loan program to build sustainable business so they can build their own well, and maybe that hungry child needs a parent with a living wage. I’m not sure—but, I never took the time to find out. I just did what I thought was best.

I’m a “religious tourist.” I’m a “social worker,” not a neighbor. I like to “do things for” other people rather than “do things with” other people. I want a short-term feel-good experience and am not always interested in a long-term investment opportunity.

I have a hunch I’m not alone.

Are you with me? What are we going to do about it?

-These are reflections from Robert Lupton’s recent book Toxic Charity. Christianity Today recently shared this article about the topic.

Whewww… I’m done, another year in the bag. This is the  story for many of us every year on this day. We get so caught up in the formality of the holiday that we forget just that.. This is a “Holiday” or  to pull from the etymology of the word “Holy Day.” Yes people, the word holiday has the derived meaning of  a day representing a holy/religious celebration.

      Hmmm, religious Valentines Day? What is  the correlation to God. Well in-keeping with the universal theme of “love” which is what this day is all about right? I have posted 7 ways that God has shown love to us. So tonight when you’re at that 5 star restaurant or just having a candlelight dinner with your significant other, I challenge you to to speak about the love of God.

Provided by: Biblestudyplanet.com

God loves us with Atoning love.

“God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (Jhn 3:16-17)

God loves us with Redeeming love.

“God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Rom 8:3-4)

God loves us with Justifying love.

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” (Rom 3:23-25)

God loves us with Sanctifying love.

“We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Heb 10:10)

God loves us with Glorifying love.

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:1-2)

God loves us with Adopting love.

“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”” (Rom 8:15)

God loves us with Calling love.

“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Pet 2:9)

 

So many of us have good intentions. America is in the midst of a ‘compassion boom’ and serving others is pretty popular today. We give and give and give (feeling pretty fulfilled along the way) and often don’t examine the outcomes. Are we creating dependency? Are we destroying any personal initiative or responsibility to provide? Are we disempowering communities or people groups?

Immediate relief is not bad, but Lupton shares in his book Toxic Charity that “when relief does not transition into development in a timely way, compassion becomes toxic.” I’m not really interested in being a part of toxic charity. However, giving a hungry child a hot meal is a lot easier than helping his single mother figure out how to keep a job (with a living wage), have adequate transportation, and not shack up with another abuser. It’s hard. And, really complicated. Oh, and often pretty personal. It involves investing emotion, prayer and long-term commitment. I mean, it’s so much easier to be ‘toxic!’

Bottom line, are we investing in communities and individuals in such a way that we are moving them towards health and self-sufficiency? Or, are we perpetuating the cycle of poverty by providing physical needs without ever addressing the root issues that have led to their cry for help?

Doctors abide by the Hippocratic Oath. Lupton suggests those of us in ministry abide by the Oath for Compassionate Service. Give this some thought today:

(1)    Never do for the poor what they have (or could have) the capacity to do for themselves.

(2)    Limit one-way giving to emergency situations.

(3)    Strive to empower the poor through employment, lending and investing, using grants sparingly to reinforce achievements.

(4)    Subordinate self-interests to the needs of those being served.

(5)    Listen closely to those you seek to help, especially to what is not being said—unspoken feelings may contain essential clues to effective service.

(6)    Above all, do no harm.

Some questions to consider that will help determine a vision and lay the foundation for successful service outside the four walls of your church are:

          WHY are we serving?

                          WHO will serve? Who will lead?  Who will we serve?

                                        WHERE is our membership in terms of current service?

                                                             WHAT are the needs of our community?

                                                                                 HOW will we mobilize our staff and members? 

                                                                                                   WHEN do we begin this transformation?

The answers to these questions should not be taken lightly.  We will explore these questions further over the coming weeks to lay a foundation in your church for a change in culture, to a lifestyle of serving.

It’s so exciting to see how ordinary everyday families can truly make a difference in the lives of those in need in our world!  I wanted to share an inspirational story of one such family, the Block Family who through joyful obedience to God are being the hands and feet of Christ today.  The above quote forms the header on their BLOG page where you will find many amazing stories of real people whose lives are being touched in the name of Christ.  Check it out at:

 http://buildingtheblocks.blogspot.com/

We tend to think in our mindset of what’s relative to us – our comfortable homes, churches, schools, doctors’ offices and so on, and we easily forget or even have no idea that the majority of people in the world are nowhere close to our level of comfort.  How often do we walk several hours each way to attend church?  How often do we wash our laundry in a metal tub in the back yard?  How often do our family members die of infections that could easily be treated with inexpensive antibiotics?

We often times get caught in the untruth of “My contribution makes little difference”, so we don’t do anything.  The Block Family gave up their American comforts and now live full time in Guatemala giving their lives for children in need there.  Imagine if they had said “My contribution makes little difference”?  They are living proof that it does!

Tomorrow, February 3^rd the Blocks’ teenage daughter Addisyn is challenging everyone to give up their lunch and donate the money they would have spent on lunch for this one day to go to their family’s ministry in Guatemala to fund school scholarships.  So…..a few people giving up their lunch money won’t make a difference right?  You tell that to the children at the Adami Tulu Preschool in Ethiopia who last year were the recipients of Addisyn’s lunch money challenge that raised over $6,000!  One person’s lunch money combined together when the body of Christ takes action can make a huge difference!

Even if you never combine your contribution with others it can still be “KINGDOM HUGE”.  Just buy a person you see on the street this week a lunch, or visit the nursing home and take a few minutes to listen to a resident, or help organize clothing donations at your local pregnancy crisis center and you will BE making a difference.  It all counts for God.  And that is NEVER in vain.

When I skip my lunch tomorrow I’m going to take that time to stop and pray for blessing for the Block Family, for their work, for the children and families in Guatemala.  I’m going to be more satisfied tomorrow knowing I am making a difference than any slap-up lunch could offer!  Where is God calling you this week to make a difference?

-Jason

Within 5 years God moved me to Ohio (another story for another day) where I experienced the tremendous joy of living and working in the inner-city. I spent over a decade in Cleveland—half of which was living and working in the midst of extreme poverty and urban decay. During this time I grew to understand God’s heart for the poor like never before. And, the real needs and experiences of city dwellers. I was part of a local church staff team for several years while in graduate school, and then went full-tilt into fundraising for The City Mission. Cleveland taught me: churches don’t need buildings to impact their community, millionaires can drive used Fords, racism and poverty are still real, God is able to provide for all of my needs according to His riches and glory, recovery starts with Jesus, lake effect snow is a force to be reckoned with, and there is a man on the planet crazy enough to ask me to marry him.

Marriage has brought me to Florida and I am excited to continue the journey. Work with Metropolitan Ministries continued to sharpen my passion and skill in the area of rescue ministry and resource development. And, now, Meet The Need is providing an opportunity to mobilize the local church for national impact.

I look forward to journeying together through Robert Lupton’s most recent book Toxic Charity in the coming weeks. It’s a great read—and has challenged me again to focus on true community impact which prioritizes long-term investment and relationships over quick ‘feel good’ outreach events.

ANNNt…ANNNNNNT….ANNNNNT..aNNT …Annnt….ANN…Crash!!!!

So I woke up this morning as my alarm clock hit the floor at 6:02am and sat on the edge of my bed. Out of nowhere God  started to deal with me about the  limitations of faith, so I thought this was a lesson that  I would share. How many times do we go to church, attend ministry meetings, go to work , attend board meetings and listen to our expectations in life, work, and in our walk with God.

We listen to our leaders (pastors/board members)  talk about our goals and application of  our organizaition’s mission to bring about some sort of change. Whether it’s monetary growth/fundraising, increasing profit margins and generating exposure ,to increasing member outreach and bringing in more bodies to fill the seats in a sanctuary.

We get so focused on increase that as leaders in the ministry and/or corporate America  we sometimes forget the importance of understanding our current levels of success. God dealt with me about understanding the rules of stewardship and  faith and how it has  the answers to growth in life. Where ever you are in life ,ministry growth or in your corporate career you first must understand the reward and merit of what you currently have.  We often times have our hands out  saying “Please sir, I want some more”  and “Lord I’m faithful in doing work but I want to see the efforts of my labor.”  We ask where is the increase?

Faith as quoted in the bible,  Hebrews 11:1  is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  So in actuality faith is believeing in the unknown outcome. Stewardship is really understanding that what God has already given us is just as important as my expected increase. If we aren’t good stewards of God’s smaller rewards can we really expect to appreciate growth, or more importantly will we even notice it when it happens?

So the question is, can you have effective faith expectations if you don’t understand stewardship?

To have truth faith is to challenge God and put him to the test.  And I know you’re probably thinking “hold on, i’m not challenging God on anything” as you run from lightening bolts that might strike you down. lol..  but notice, I didn’t say to just question him but to challenge. In challenging God you use his word as tools of merit for your faith-actions.  What better way to show God that you have a grasp of his teachings and have enough faith in him then to hold him accountable for his word.

Think about it……

Helpful Scriptures:

Job 8:7 (KJV) says: Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

Job 42:12 (NLT) says: So the LORD blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.

 Quote: ” Worring Paralyzes Faith” – Anon

Relating post:http://blog.meettheneed.org/?p=432