Wow. Cheer on the compassion and hard work of a church in the third world and a lot of folks say “Amen.” Talk a little smack about a big plastic whale and quite a crowd gathers to leave their two cents.
95 people left comments on a recent post of mine called Our Witness about a pastor in Kolkata, India whose church is caring for hundreds of children in its neighborhood because, he said, “Our witness is our service.” 95 attaboys for this Indian congregation or stones thrown at our allegedly more self-absorbed churches in the West.
One of those comments stood out to me more than the others. I kept coming back to it for hours after I first read it. Jared Wilson, a complete stranger but apparently a pastor here in Nashville, said in part, ”…the Bravo’s ring hollow to me. Put up or shut up, is what I say.”
Ouch.
Like I said, I don’t know Jared. I don’t know everything that’s behind those words but I wondered if he was a tad irritated, if he’s pastored Christians more apt to criticize shabby work and cheer excellence than roll up their own sleeves. “Put up or shut up,” he said. So I did something to prove that the comments on that post weren’t just hollow words and well wishes. No, I thought, if they’re simply asked I bet most of these commenters are ready to get to work meeting the needs of their neighbors themselves, if they’re not hard at it already. They’ll put up.
So I posted the My Witness Challenge. I spread the word about it through Twitter and Facebook – rallied all the troops I could. I asked everyone to dream a little and share their plan for meeting the physical and spiritual needs of those around them. I asked everyone to write down their plan and send me the details or a link if they blogged them. I promised I’d compile everyone’s great ideas and post them here today so we could all be inspired and bring some more of that good work we all loved in India back home where we live.
*crickets*
Are we all talk?
Then, a trickle. A tweet here. An e-mail there.
-Stretch Mark Mama posted 10 Marginally Interesting Ideas
-Matt Cleaver posted quite a few of his own.
-Lindsay posted some things we can and could do.
-So did Happy Geek.
-Misty wrote about what she’s already doing to serve female prisoners.
-Molly wrote about her work in Belize.
-Cheri wrote about what she’s doing with the Haitian community.
-And several people just left their ideas in the comments of the My Witness Challenge post.
And there may be more out there. If I missed yours, let me know and I’ll add it to this post.
This is a great start! This is plenty to get us all inspired and thinking a little more clearly about how we can each serve our communities like that little church in India did.
But, at the risk of sounding ungrateful or discouraging, I’m a little disappointed really. 95 people applauded one church’s great work and booed American Christianity in general but only a handful of people were enthusiastic or disgusted enough to do more than leave a comment?
And, you know, I’m being hard on us, really. Unfair. I know. I know. We’re busy people. We have jobs and families and soccer practices and whatnot. There’s not a lot of time left for homework like this. And some of us just need more time to ponder before we go off dreaming up some big plan and writing it down for all the world to read. I get all that. But still, I just wish there were as many people contributing as there are criticizing and cheering the contributions of others.
Didn’t have time to blog it, but I’d love to share it. We are initiating a “foster care respite day”. Foster parents can bring their kids in and take some much needed time off. No strings attached. Prayerfully, we will do this once a month and grow from there. We are new to our building and I am praying that we can live up to “our witness is our service”.
If I may now take the defense of the other side, my guess is that more people personally have ideas (or actually practice personal service or generosity) than have any corporate influence in their churches. Maybe they just don’t know how to get their churches to play along.
On a corporate level, the evangelical church in the West just isn’t interested in this stuff. (That’s a huge generalization, I know.)
But the powers that be are notoriously hard to reach. They are shut off from the common folk, too busy visioneering or whatever. Nobody goes to conferences to find out how to give most of their church’s money away.
I still say that most Christians, including the ones who were cheering on your post, in practice prefer to go to churches that are insulated and dedicated to self-preservation over selflessness. But I also think that there are quite a few folks in those churches who would like to see things change but have no idea how to go about seeing change happen.
(But I think if we all backed up our admiration of other churches that do that sort of thing with our money, our time, and church attendance/investment, we might see it.)
A part of how we approach selflessness as a church at Element is explained here:
http://gospeldrivenchurch.blogspot.com/2008/07/elements-bold-as-love-initiative.html
Shaun,
Interesting that I am a first time reader and consequently this is my first comment as well. I have traveled to the Dominican Republic and Haiti a few times over the past couple of years. My eyes were opened not only to the plight of people in that part of the world but also our own. Last year while I was there God began to deal with me about rallying people to start to affect change. Long, long story short I believe God led me to start a blog I call The Difference. I literally just launched it 2 or 3 days ago and have only put up one post but I believe it is God inspired and I am extremely excited about seeing what He is going to do. Everyone is invited to take a look and post and ministry ideas they might have.
http://thedif.wordpress.com
I am so proud of my sister in law, Helen, for for starting “Because I Can” which raises money for International Justice Mission (http://www.ijm.org) through in home fundraising events. Helen even co-wrote a song called “Because I Can” with Elizabeth Hunnicutt, paid to record it in a studio, and is donating 100% of the proceeds to IJM. My husband and I had the privilege of hosting an event which with admission and a silent auction raised $2400.00 in ONE evening, 100% of which went directly to IJM. (http://www.becauseicanevents.org)
Because I Can
We exist to glorify God by raising money for International Justice Mission through in-home fundraising events
See Extended Info
Donations Go To: International Justice Mission
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit
Positions: God is not indifferent to injustice
God has a plan to address injustice
As a Christian, I am the plan
I can do all things through Christ
Called by Christ to rescue the oppressed, I will because I can
PS There is a link above to our blog with pictures from our event on 2/5/09. Great evening!
Like a previous commenter said, I kept your challenge post open on my computer for two days, wondering what I might be able to do in response.
Honestly, I rarely think outside my own family’s needs. With three children aged four months to four years, it’s easy to make excuses about that.
I just figured out what I can do.
Fortunately, I think my church “gets” this service thing quite well. We have a ministry called Potter’s House that serves the underprivileged in our community–providing mentors to kids, life skills, rides to church, necessities, and so many other things I’m not even aware of. So tomorrow, I’m going to contact the leaders of this ministry and ask what I can do to help.
Thank you for challenging me to be more like Jesus.
I’ve been setting up sponsorship Sundays at my church for the last 3 years, but it seems like that market is getting to the saturation point. My technique needs to change or I need to find new communities to share with. Each year fewer people sponsor kids.
I’m trying to set up a Shaun Groves led worship session at a homeschool conference with perhaps a workshop on integrating the child sponsorship experience into the various subjects like geography, social studies, economics, art, etc (assuming you go for it).
I tried doing a child sponsorship gig with coworkers. We got the first year and a half worth of funding together, but it didn’t work out too well on the correspondence/writing side of things.
My wife and I are trying to build up a lending library of science lab equipment for homeschoolers to use. My wife and I have also taught various classes for homeschoolers like Algebra, chemistry and public speaking.
As our family grows, though, and my kids get older, it becomes more difficult to do things that don’t actively involve them. Coaching soccer isn’t bad, because we have to be there anyway, but things that take away from family time become hard to justify. Perhaps as they get older (current ages 0, 3 and 6), we will be able to involve them in service activities, but right now I don’t see much they can do other than draw pictures and hang out.
MB
Shaun, I think many people that have good ideas are doing them. For instance I work with an after school program in Chicago. It was started by the president of a small advertising company about 9 years ago. She saw the need for kids in the Cabrini Green Housing project (the one Good Times was based on) to get more educational help and the gospel. She started with herself and one CG mom and 20 kids. There are now about 600 kids at four sites and a $4 million a year budget. They go to the worst neighborhoods in the city, take the worst performing schools in the neighborhood and ask the principals for the worst performing students at those schools and then love them and their families while giving them additional educational help. They have four kids in college right now. When they started the program there were 20 people in the entire CG housing complex (over 6000 people) that had a college degree. An in 9 year, they have four students that are in college. (That is 4 of the 5 students that have finished their program. The fifth started college but dropped out and will probably re-start at another school in the fall.)
This is not to knock you or your blog, I think both are great. But people that have good ideas and the passion to carry them out, do them. They don’t read a bunch of blogs. The woman that started the program volunteers her time. She works 60 to 70 hours a week to make it happen. She also had a very supportive church and pastor (Moody Church in Chicago, headed by Pastor Erwin Lutzer) that helped provide money and volunteers in the early years. Find out more at http://www.bythehand.org
Jared,
My husband and I attended a large church here in our area. We started a prison ministry and were so excited to get our church’s support. We went to the pastor, associate pastor, the counseling pastor, the small group pastor, the worship leader, etc and tried to get the word out so if others wanted to join in they could. In the end…the word about the prison ministry was put no where – not on our bulletin, not on our reader board, not on the screen of ‘anouncements’ at the beginning. We were told that the only things that they will ‘advertise’ are things that are related to the whole congregation. Our thoughts are, well, isn’t serving SOMEWHERE related to the whole congregation?? The things that were put on these things were…worship ministry, childcare, things INSIDE the church. What about outside the church??
We have ladies and men in the jails that need Bibles, all the time. They come in with out a Bible, come to church and need one. There are about 12 of us who go regularly and often we pool our resources together to buy Celebrate Recovery or Life Recovery Bibles for these people that so many have forgotten about. Unfortunately, we can’t afford to buy ALL that need a Bible one. It is heartbreaking to hear a woman ask me for a Bible and know that I can’t buy her one for another month and she is probably not going to be there at that time. All of us ladies that go in there have given our own Bibles away countless times! We asked our church (about 3000 members) to set up an account so that if others wanted to give for Bibles that they could do so through the church. It didn’t happen…so, we rely on ourselves which isn’t much. We are just a few normal people, normal jobs trying to do the best that we can in what God has called us to do.
All this not to put the church down, it is an awesome church and doing some good things but this is to say that we didn’t let that stop us. We printed out flyers ourselves and stood outside the doors before the services and handed them out. We handed them out at the small group leaders meetings, we put them in the small group leaders boxes. Just to get the word out.
So, the fact that no one (the church) will stand behind us is not an excuse to not do something. I realize that the prison ministry is not where God has called everyone. But He has called everyone to do something, somewhere for someone…even if it is small in our eyes. The truth is that when we serve God outside the building, no matter how small it may seem to us, it is huge to the person we are serving.
We have to start where we are with what we have.
Misty
Jared Wilson said:
If I may now take the defense of the other side, my guess is that more people personally have ideas (or actually practice personal service or generosity) than have any corporate influence in their churches. Maybe they just don’t know how to get their churches to play along.
On a corporate level, the evangelical church in the West just isn’t interested in this stuff. (That’s a huge generalization, I know.)
But the powers that be are notoriously hard to reach. They are shut off from the common folk, too busy visioneering or whatever. Nobody goes to conferences to find out how to give most of their church’s money away.
Shaun, you aren’t being hard on us. God did not create us to enjoy our ‘things’. He created us to serve Him. I think that is something that we all need to hear, especially me. I can be very selfish with my time and that is something that I need to sacrifice for God. Sacrifice my time, my money…and get focused on what I need to be focused on.
Thanks for challenging me Shaun. I need it.
Misty
And, you know, I’m being hard on us, really. Unfair. I know. I know. We’re busy people. We have jobs and families and soccer practices and whatnot. There’s not a lot of time left for homework like this. And some of us just need more time to ponder before we go off dreaming up some big plan and writing it down for all the world to read. I get all that. But still, I just wish there were as many people contributing as there are criticizing and cheering the contributions of others
Hey -
I am leading a team from my church to the D.R. this December. We lived in the D.R. for almost 5 years. We moved back to the States last May. My heart is still in the D.R.
While we lived there we had the privilege to become involved with a missionary couple working in La Romana and Punta Cana. They are amazing people living out the gospel daily. We are going to support them in their work. I can not wait!
Holli
I agree with Misty and some of her comments. I don’t think you are being too hard on us Shaun. You are not only challenging us to think and evaluate our lives but I know from reading your blog that this is a personal challenge for yourself. How to witness, how to serve. We need to challenge each other and support each other. I had the same thoughts as Misty did when I approached our parish councils about Child Sponsorship these past months. I told them God was calling me to speak up and let people know about this. However I realize that God calls us all to do different things and it is important to take time or be challenged to take time to reflect and figure out if you are attempting to do this. I told them my message was not going to be just about child sponsorship but to ask people to look at themselves and see if this is something God wanted for them. If is wasn’t I would ask them to pray for me to continue to do what God was asking of me. I would pray that maybe their part in all of this was knowing about an opportunity to speak about child sponsorship. I would pray for those who have servant hearts and are following God’s call in whatever ministry. Lastly I would pray for people to take time to check in with God, assess and see what it is they can do. If we are aware we can be doing ministry on soccer fields, at dance recitals, high school theatre productions, or walking down the street with a smile. God Bless all who are doing, thinking, being families and challenging.
Loved the stories about the prison ministry, the bibles, and the person that started a blog a few days ago. Keep going strong!
Shaun,
Our church is currently doing Saddleback’s “40 Days of Community.” While I may not be a fan of “fads” like “Purpose-Driven” (can’t you see the marketing possibilities? Purpose-Driven, the toilet paper! Purpose-Driven, the flame thrower! ooooooo!), I have to admit that good results can come from it. One of the things each small group is supposed to do is plan an “outreach” project. Rick Warren recommends that we attempt to do something crazy and impossible and big and see how God provides. Most of the groups I’ve heard of are doing things like bringing baked goods to police and fire stations in the area, having a “backwards yard sale” where people bring things to give away, having a Mother’s Day party for some single moms in the area, and collecting toiletry items for those in need.
Our group has had a couple of false starts, but I think I’ve finally got an idea that meets the needs of our “neighbors” – those in need, both near our homes and far away. This is my idea, and I haven’t discussed it with the group yet (we’ll meet on Friday), but if it doesn’t happen with them, I’ll make sure it happens with my MOPS group or someone else.
We’ll do a clothing swap – people bring clothes they don’t need anymore, we’ll sort them according to gender and size, then we’ll offer them free of charge first to our church body (Friday night), then to the community at large (Saturday). Leftovers can be donated to local charities, possibly including our local crisis pregnancy center. At the same time, we’ll conduct a canned food drive for our local food bank. Then Saturday night we’ll have a free concert featuring an artist maybe you’ve heard of – Shaun Groves – who will talk about Compassion, International. Hopefully he’ll stick around and talk to our Sunday morning services as well to catch those who might not come to the concert.
It’ll (potentially) be a huge undertaking, but I’m confident that God’ll provide. Now to convince everyone else…
But hopefully your booking agent will be getting a call soon. I’ve gotta get the ok from our small group, then find an open-ish weekend on the church calendar.
Princess: my church in Chicago used to do clothing swaps about twice a year among the women. It was a small church, but they just told people to bring clothes that didn’t fit or they didn’t wear and they put them up on racks as they came in according to size and then they shopped around. It was single sex so that they didn’t have to worry about changing rooms so much. But people spent less money on clothes, it helped the women in the church that didn’t have as much money and was a great community building time. All extra clothes were donated to good will.
You know….it IS dissapointing to not have answers and plans. I wish I could contribute more, but right now,the best I could come up with is to share my heart about WHY I’m not ready with a great plan.
http://worshipfan.net/2009/05/my-witness-or-how-to-feel-better-about-my-apathy/
I’m still on the journey…
I’m kicking around an idea of refurbishing slightly older computer equipment, loading it with free open source software, and then getting it out to people who could really use them. I was doing research and planning to see if it was a feasible idea, but got sidetracked by life in general.
Our small-town (pop 10,000) church holds a Back-to-School Bash every August for those in our town who can’t afford new clothes or school supplies. We give away tons of free clothing (used and new) and school supplies. Last year we gave away over 500 Kits for Kids and this year our goal is to give away 1000.
We also hold a Thanksgiving meal for anyone in the community who has nowhere to go.
We also have a Benevolence Fund and through this pay electric bills, rent, etc. for those who come into our church needing help.
I almost posted a response the other day when I first read this post, but then chickened out. I’m really not fond of feeling like I’m bragging about myself. However, I’ll share what I feel like my husband and I are doing to give back and be a witness in our own community. We decided a few years ago that we wanted to adopt, and our immediate thought was to do an international route because that is kind of the way it seems most people go…but through the process we discovered this just wasn’t right for us because there were so many kids in the foster system right here in the US waiting for families. So, we became licensed foster parents. Right now we’re doing foster work…if we eventually end up adopting one or more of our foster children that would be great, but if we only ever foster that will be fine with us as well. There is really a need to be a positive influence on these kids, who are all in the foster system for a reason and have most likely had few, if any, positive role models in their lieves. We believe this is the path God has led us down. Yes, it is a sacrifice in that you may never have any to keep with you forever, and yes it is sad when they leave your home, and yes sometimes you are disappointed and hurt by the system…but those are all selfish things to protect your own heart. We have had to get to a place of being able to put these kids needs ahead of our own and keep our eyes on the bigger picture. If you had asked me even 5 years ago if I’d ever be doing this I would have thought you were crazy…no way. For us, it was a matter of us making our plans and then God directing our steps to refine that plan. By starting out with a broad direction, He then narrowed it down into something we never dreamed possible and have become passionate about.
A few twaughts:
In a “have it now” culture it is ridiculously easy to get ANYTHING right now, but hard to find an outlet to give/serve (other than $) right now.
*RT – After actually thinking for myself and not letting the Marketing Dept think for me I realize that although there isn’t a hungry person within sight of me to feed at the moment, there are always people around me that could use some #compassion (hug, smile, community).
@Professional Christians – We(I) need to stop working for God and start working with Him.
Define Success – I beat myself up with this a lot, what does successful witness look like and how as part of humanity that is obsessed with hierarchy do I find contentment?
Loren: I would disagree with your assertion that it is hard to find somewhere to give and serve. Virtually every school in the country could use volunteers. Almost every community has a food pantry or soup kitchen or homeless shelter. Poor in the US are almost evenly divided now, 1/3 in suburbs, 1/3 in cities and 1/3 in rural areas.
All of that is not to minimize that people need compassion, no matter what there income.
i.e.
on my way home from work today I will be offered many services and products, but I won’t be offered the opportunity to serve, purely from a commercial view.
So to serve the school, shelter, pantry. I have to find it, administrate it, schedule it, and do it. Basically I have to care, and that is not what I(People) are used to doing.
Well then yes. If you don’t care, then you won’t serve. But even serving is commercialized. That is in part what the compassion is doing by the blogger tours, they are making it easier to find out about and give money to. Also virtually every week there is some opportunity given at my church to serve (either internally or external). I know that is not the case with every church, but I guess I still don’t get your point.
The point of service is to get you out of your house/car and doing something. If you are unwilling to get out of your house/car then you won’t serve. But then I would say that you probably aren’t growing spiritually either. Cause growing requires at least a little bit of work.
Exactly,
If you have seen the disney movie Walle, there is a great caricature of americans of the future, on their moving barca-loungers with a tv in front of them they don’t have to leave the chair for anything and thus they can’t even walk anymore.
As a culture I think we are already half way (if not more) there. how do we get people off the couch and Christians out of the pews?
Responding to Misty:
I think it’s awesome that you didn’t let your church leaders’ lack of support dissuade you. Beautiful.
I think it’s sad they didn’t support and expose the opportunity to the whole church.
This is why parachurch ministries are kicking the church’s butt right now when it comes to service. There’s no laity/spectators to appease. No church politics or fishtank mechanisms to protect.
On the other hand—and this is important too—nobody goes into the farthest reaches of the world to heal, feed, clothe, and preach good news like Jesus’ Church, which has been doing it for hundreds of years without benefit of camera crews and popstar fundraising concerts.
Here’s what I’m doing:
my witness.
Just want to add: there are several people in our church who are working through this entire process together, and certainly there are things that God is calling one person to, while He calls another to something completely different. That doesn’t mean we still can’t support each other, in prayer, in encouragement, and even occasionally with money and manpower.
I’m sure there are many Christians who just want to enjoy their Sunday-only faith and not put feet to the gospel, but I think the bigger problem is that we’re waiting for someone else. We so oftentimes lack initiative – we’d rather follow someone else than follow God’s unique calling for our lives. Or we bring an idea up to “church leadership” and expect them to take over the work, instead of just getting it done ourselves. Maybe we think that this way, it’s not our pride, our success, our faith on the line?
And I think the second most common problem is that we just make service too hard. If you want the feed the homeless, you don’t have to set up an elaborate program – just slap some sandwiches together, walk down the street, and hand them out. We’re too often paralyzed by our own complications.
Responding to Jared:
Jared, I agree that the church (building) is doing a lot of good around the world. In my experience most of the service that the church (building) is doing is inside the building. Jesus said to go unto all the world teaching, making disciples and baptizing in His name. I love overseas missions more than anyone. If you read my blog you will see that my prayer is to one day be a full time missionary overseas.
However, I realize that another immediate need is right here in our own community. Just from the church (buildings) I have been to here in my own area very few are doing local missions. Very few are doing things to help out in the local community. Now, the church (people) individually are doing that but if the church (building) would get involved with those people a much bigger impact could be made. For example, if the church (building) would get behind the prison ministry we wouldn’t have an inmate with out a Bible. The prison ministry is just one example. We don’t have a huge financial need. There are ministries however, that DO have a huge financial need. If the church (building) would offer some support more of a difference would be made.
For example, Alpha House (which I mention in my blog today) has a huge financial need. Several churches have stepped up to offer some support such as each month buy their toiletries. It doesn’t even have to be a huge or a financial decision from the church (building). If the church would help get the word out there are others like us on here who would love to come along side an already established ministry and help.
Responding to Loren:
During your corporate day do you never see homeless people? I drive through downtown daily and see homeless people. My husband works downtown and encounters them often. He doesn’t often give the money but he does take them to lunch, buy them a drink and talk to them.
We don’t have to get far off the couch to see needs. My neighbor isn’t able to live in his home because his mother is sick and he is staying with her. My husband and I mow his lawn. I do my neighbors daughters hair b/c the mother is off on drugs. All we have to do is walk outside anywhere to see a need.
Success to me is…am I doing what God has called me to do? His two greatest commands are to love Him and He says the 2nd is just like this…to love others. Success=Loving people. Showing them God’s love. Does that always mean taking them through the ‘Romans Road’ (another post) no. It means loving them the way that Jesus loves them. Letting them know that they are important, they are cared for and they are special. If I do this…I am successful.
Well Said…
I grew up in the suburbs, I now live/work in the suburbs…the first time i saw a homeless person was outside the public library in my suburb, the police were called and 10 came lights blaring, my friends and I stopped our bikes and watched as they threw him off the public library land…I wonder how that formed my views of the homeless?
But no I don’t drive by homeless people, or see them. And I am trying to channel Joe and Jane American (which sadly includes me) of whom service is not even on their radar screen, and the only time they are exposed to an opportunity to serve or to poverty is a “sally struthers” infomercial, trying to bilk them out of “their” money.
Do you pull a rope? Push it? Throw water on it and freeze it? Turn it into a snake? A rope is not mean to move. If we as Christians are called to love God and others and we don’t do it…well thats kinda harsh and assumes a definition of love…good discussion!
Hi Shaun,
Thank you for your post.
This is the first time I’ve ever read your blog but I’m an avid follower of BooMama’s. So I do know about you. Our local church here in NC is actively involved in our community. The south side of town is very low income and every Saturday we have an outreach there, either the whole community or just certain neighborhoods. We’ve handed out pounds of coffee to people on the street there. We have organized a 3 on 3 basketball tournament and even had a former WNBA star come and play with the kids. We’ve delivered mulch to the neighborhood, mowed lawns, cleaned out gutters. Every Saturday we work at the homeless shelter either making a meal or painting a room. We also do devotions there. We take the van to the homeless shelter every Sunday and the people living there get credits if they come to church. My husband drives once a month. This Monday we, (our church) is hosting a Memorial Day picnic for this community in their neighborhood. We love how involved our church is in the community. Everyone in the church is encouraged from the pulpit to participate at least once a month in one of the outreaches.
I do have to agree with the Pastor’s comments about the church at large. There are pockets of churches doing outreaches, and pockets of people that are reaching out but overall the church needs a reformation from the core out. It is time for the ‘sleeping giant’ of the church to rise up and stand for truth and justice. Sorry, I’ll get off my soapbox.
I want to thank EJayjo for her comment on foster care! I can’t tell you how much foster families are needed. I work with children in the foster care system and there is a DESPERATE need for foster families. What happens when a child is removed from the home and there’s no place to place him or her? Ever wondered? It happens—all the time. Some states place the children in homeless shelters or women’s shelters.
Think about it. These are children who are in desperate, desperate need for stability and love.
I posted earlier about the need to reach out to the children in foster care. There is no national project/program for teens aging out of foster care, but there are ways you can make a difference. Ways that are working:
*Consider foster parent training
*Consider becoming a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) training (this is the organization I work with)
Not every person is called to this ministry, but there are ways you can help these children. And please DO NOT tell me that you just can’t do this because it would break your heart. Guess what, these children have broken hearts and broken lives.
As for that nation-wide program to help teens aging out of foster care—that’s a dream I have for these children. Every single child deserves a family—a family who loves and cares for them. Most of the time that’s the natural or adoptive family. The church has to step in when those families fail. We, the church, have a responsibility to our children.
That’s my dream, that the church become the extended family for teens aging out of foster care.
It’s a work in progress and one that is still a dream on paper, but I serve a mighty God and I know that He will do it if it’s in His will.
Until then, I’ll keep shouting the need from the rooftops and working with the foster children in my little peice of the world.
To EJayjo—thank you for your post on foster care. What a wonderful way to make a difference—one child at a time.
There are ways to change church, but I think my key is to remember I’m the church and so are you. It’s up to us not a pastor led group of visionary. Maybe God’s given you the vision.
Foster care is tough stuff. It takes putting your heart on the line—constantly. It’s being in the trenches day in and day out. It’s not a two week adventure, it’s a lifetime commitment.
I work with group that advocats for children CASA (Court appointed special advocates) and we work closely with foster parents. We NEED more foster parents—desperately. Have you ever thought about what happens when a child is removed from the home for abuse and there’s no place to put him?
In some states he’ll go to a homeless shelter. How sad that we remove this child for neglect and we turn around and place him in a homeless shelter.
Maybe you’re not called to be a foster parent or a CASA but please, whatever you do, don’t say this:
“I just couldn’t do that. I’d never want to give the kids back and it would break my heart.” These kids have broken hearts and broken homes.
My dream is to one day have a national project that attaches teens aging out of the foster care system and connecting them to a local church. The local church would serve as an extended family and help this teen get a decent start in life.
That’s my dream and while I’m dreaming I’ll continue to work on advocating for the children in our program.
While you’re waiting on your project / program to begin consider making a difference to a child through:
compassion
foster care
CASA
or however you’re led to do so, just do SOMETHING!
Shaun,
I’m really loving all these ideas. Any way we could keep this going? Would you consider a weekly post along the lines of “Works For Me Wednesdays?”
Only this one could be called “Ministry Mondays” and everyone could share their ideas for practical ways to minister to the community. I’d do it but nobody reads my blog. You already have a good following. Just a thought.
Hi Shaun…Boo Mama sent me – just thought you should know.
Too often we think ministry has to be formal, planned and ongoing – be at the same place, at the same time, on the same day every other week for the same amount of minutes. There! I’ve done my ministry for the month.
On the contrary, true ministry moves and breathes and changes as the needs around you present themselves.
Does a student in your class mention that only her younger sister got Christmas presents last year because someone sponsored her? MINISTRY: Anonymously provide Christmas for her family of 6 complete with gifts, tree and dinner in their cultural style.
Did you overhear a co-worker lament the fact that she had no money to buy the shoes her toddler so badly needed? MINISTRY: Anonymously give her a gift card signed, “ I saw your little girl needed shoes. Love, Jesus”.
Does your school often clothe students who have little or no clothing? Is their supply low? Is Mervyn’s going out of business? MINISTRY: Anonymously purchase bags and bags of clothes on the cheap and donate them to the school. The joy you will receive when you see a child who has soiled himself wearing the new clothes is indescribable.
Is there a 10 year old little girl in your class who is in foster care and has been in 5 different placements in 5 months? MINISTRY: In some way, become a constant in her life and mentor her – maybe even go so far as to foster her and love her like your own.
None of these opportunities to be Jesus are church based. They are Holy Spirit prompted in the moment.
Opportunity for ministry is everywhere if we choose to look and be used.
Kim, I loved and agreed with every word you said except this line: On the contrary, true ministry moves and breathes and changes as the needs around you present themselves
I don’t think “true ministry” is either/or: Either it’s planned, ongoing, church-based, etc OR it’s spontaneous, individual-based, etc. It’s both/and. Both can be “Holy Spirit prompted” right?
You described spontaneous ministry (also known as being an observant compassionate human being) beautifully. Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Shaun.
I’m new to your blog. I first came here when you were in India. I have been a “good christian girl” for many years. I lead worship, I serve when and where I can and I give my all when I do, I tithe, I do my best to live a life of integrity. But about 6 months ago I read a book by Francis Chan called Crazy Love (I HIGHLY recommend it by the way) and God used it to change my definition of “good christian girl”. There is a chapter in the book about what lukewarm looks like and I could say yes that was me on many levels. God challenged me through that book about what was enough for Him. It is no longer ok for me to feel good about where I’m at (I believe where much of the American church is at.) Chan’s definitions of lukewarm (every one of them backed by scripture) included someone who goes to church every week, serves in some capacity, gives financially… – in as much as it doesn’t get in the way of our own comforts. But that isn’t what Christ called us to. He called us to take up our cross and follow Him. And because I am a pretty typical American, I don’t have much margin in my life (time or finances) for God, beyond what I plan. SOOOOO self focused. I am humbled by the thought that 2,000 years ago 12 men went out and changed the world so why aren’t our churches, packed with Christians, making more of a difference even in our own communities. So I said enough is enough in my own life. I’ve started a photography business (something I have been vacillating doing for a while), only now that business if to create margin in my finances for God, not to give me more of an income. And currently I am sending my profits to Project Rescue http://www.projectrescue.com/ (after lots of prayer about where God wanted me to send it.) I’m also researching if or how I might be able to actually serve their ministry with my time and talents. I’m at the place where I don’t believe that sending a check off somewhere is enough (although it IS needed.) So I’m getting my hands dirty where I can. I am doing my best to be a lighthouse in MY neighborhood. I’m stepping outside of my doors and meeting my neighbors and finding out how I can minister to them. I can no longer use the excuse of not having enough time or energy to step beyond myself. This has resulted in me providing after school daycare at no charge for a single mom of 4 who lives by me. And that has opened the door for me to share Christ with them on many levels. And I want MY kids to grow compassion Christ like hearts at an early age, so I try to get them involved in as many ways as possible. We recently sponsored 2 compassion kids – one for each of my boys, ages 5 & 8, to correspond with and pray for. We plan on sponsoring one for my daughter when she is old enough to handle the responsibility. (They are excited about it. They made rules that we have to write a letter at least once a month and pray for the child at least once a day.) And we have started a family tradition at Christmas to give Jesus the first gift. After all it is His birthday we are celebrating. This past Christmas was our first year of this. We sat down and had a conversation about what kind of gifts Jesus might like and then the kids came up with what we would do. This past Christmas, before any other gifts in the house got opened, we got up, made fresh muffins and coffee, and took it (along with juice and new socks that we had purchased) to the homeless community in our city. There are soooooo many ways to get beyond ourselves for Christ. (There are even a couple of books full of ideas.) We just have to decide that it is time to “take up our cross and follow Him”. By the way, I LOVED your post about the pastor in Kolkata. Thank you! You blog encourages me to keep pressing on.
shaun…
i left my contribution here in the comments rather than blog it for a couple of reasons…
1) it seemed too much like bragging when i tried to compose it as a blog post
b) quite frankly, considering the recent traffic at my own blog, i’m pretty certain it’ll get more views here on yours
Our church has it’s share of attenders who come for the “programs,” but we started as a street ministry to alcoholics, etc.
Two of the things I love that are happening through our church are:
1.) A ministry to women who work as exotic dancers. Women from our church and a few others visit the clubs, sometimes just to sit and chat, and other times with a gift & gospel message. As we get to know the women, we help them in practical ways (child care, job interviews, help moving). We try to be the face of Christ in a dark place.
2.) We have reached out to a Muslim people group in western Sahara for the past 9 years. We started by running childrens’ camps there, and taking students into homes here during their hot summers (as an academic reward). Now we’ve built an English center, and are starting a garden project with them.
I love getting to be part of Christ’s work locally and globally.