Just got off the phone with Jerry from Compassion International‘s office in Colorado.  Jerry is working hard to help pastors talk about poverty in their churches and let Christians in churches know what they can do (with Compassion) about child poverty.  This is called ”church engagement.”

Jerry was a paid church staff guy for years himself so he knows about budgets and denominational politics and deacons and elders and the hassle that trying new things and talking about poverty and money and finding the time to start new stuff can be sometimes.  So his empathy alone is quite appreciated by the pastors he talks to I’m sure.  But beyond empathy, Jerry is able to offer something new as of late – he can customize a church’s partnership with Compassion these days.

For example, let’s say a church is really gung-ho about fighting AIDS in Africa.  Jerry can come up with a plan for partnering with Compassion that involves stuff like fundraising for an AIDS orphan program, buying drugs for pregnant moms with HIV, sponsoring children in an AIDS afflicted area, taking church folks on trips to work on a church ministering in an AIDS affected area and on an on.

This hasn’t always been the case. In years past, if a church was interested in partnering with Compassion somehow, about all they could do was talk about COmpassion one Sunday and pass out sponsorship packets…which is GREAT! but a lot of churches want to do more.

And, sadly, there are a lot of churches that want to do nothing.  One mega church comes to mind.  It has tens of thousands of members (no joke) and NO GLOBAL MINISTRY OF ANY KIND I recently discovered.  They don’t fund one missionary.  They don’t give to a denomination that spends time and money overseas either.  What is this church collectively doing for the rest of the world? Nothing.  Nada. Zilch.*

Jerry’s job is tough in such a case – a job I couldn’t do, to be honest, having seen what I’ve seen.  Jerry loves these pastors. He empathizes.  He listens. He understands. He kindly, gently even, asks them to let Compassion be any part – even the smallest part – of their church’s ministry to the world.  He provides them with information, theology, customized opportunities – whatever’s needed – and then waits. 

I don’t wait well.  I don’t wait on self-absorbed pastors spending millions to broadcast themselves to “video venues” while spending NOTHING (literally) on the those outside their slice of suburbia well. I call them things like self-absorbed pastors spending millions to broadcast themselves to “video venues” while spending NOTHING (literally) on the those outside their slice of suburbia.  I’m not a good person.  I’m working on it.  It’s harder for me to love the rich sometimes than it is the poor – and I’m supposed to love them both.

Thank God for Jerry.  Really.  Thank God.

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BUTT COVERING: This paragraph – and this entire post – is all me.  This is a mega ginormous church I KNOW, not Jerry.  It’s info I GOT, not Jerry.  This is MY opinion/criticism/judgmental attitude and not Jerry’s.  Nothing in this post represents Compassion International or Jerry or Jesus or any other members of the Trinity.  And thanks for reading.

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