Feb
18
Written by:
host
2/18/2009 7:00 AM
From time to time, I work an overnight shift at the homeless shelter in my community. I've noticed something striking: it's a "Drop and Go" site for many people who support it. By that, I mean that it is quite common for individuals to drop off donations and immediately leave. (Some even simply leave the items on the porch and do not even pause long enough to ring the doorbell.)
Far fewer are the folks who have deeper, more meaningful interactions with the residents there, or with the problem of homelessness in general. I am glad so many people in the community give generously to the shelter and to other service-oriented organizations, but I firmly believe that discipleship calls for ever deeper involvement with the poor.
I invite you to engage in an exercise with other youth leaders, church staff members, the missions committee, or just a group of friends from your church. Make a list of all of the ways your congregation is involved in missions (which, for simplicity, I will define as "individual and collective activities that are the fruit of transformed hearts, involving love and service of one's neighbor"). Then, categorize them as fitting most closely into one of the following types:
- Drop and Go - activities which stress donations, giving money or items, and little more than that
- Work and Bond - activities which are hands-on, and which promote the growth of community between those participating
- See and Learn - activities which stress interaction with a particular group of people, such as homeless persons, immigrants, or working poor, for the purpose of learning and mutual understanding
- Advocacy and Justice - activities that stress specific actions to promote social change, political policy, human rights, and other significant movements toward a more just world
The breakdown for your congregation will tell you a lot about where your efforts as an educator are most needed. If, for example, you are weak in Type 3 activities, you may wish to plan some lectures, forums, or classes about and with the people you want the congregation to engage. If your congregation is weak in Type 4 activities, you may need to encourage a pastor to do a sermon series on justice, or join with others to form a local chapter of RESULTS. ~ Tim Gossett