Is Your Church a Good Neighbor?

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Let's say your church has been in a certain neighborhood for five, 10 or 15 years. Maybe it's been there for much longer and boasts stained glass windows where long-dead members donated to forgotten building programs. Whatever the age of your church, it has become a fixture in the community, a landmark people can identify.

Your church ministry today may have a popular radio program, TV broadcast or website, but have you studied the impact of your congregation on the surrounding neighborhood? Have you met the people in the houses you rush by when you're late for Bible study? Do you wonder how many neighbors come to your nationally advertised conferences featuring well-known ministry leaders?

Like never before, the tangible impact of the local church is critical. Effective local influence ripples outward to bring national change. The Great Recession has plagued many families and their communities, but has your church worked on the front lines? Have you unwittingly settled for a tepid ministry that lacks transformational power?

As you start your week, how about praying about these questions regarding your church and its influence in the larger community:

1. Does your church offer language courses so that you can interact with people in the surrounding neighborhood?
2. Do you seek opportunities to share pulpits with congregations that are smaller or larger than yours?
3. Is your church building open 24/7 or is it limited to scheduled "ministry" programs?
4. Have you surveyed the surrounding neighborhood to learn how they view your church as a neighbor?
5. Have you used social networking tools to reach untapped populations in your community?
6. Has your church used its grounds for a community garden that helps people buy produce locally and more cheaply?
7. Has your church offered literacy-related activities for youth?
8. Have you offered free leadership and career reinvention training for the unemployed and struggling businesses?
9. Has your church encouraged members to sacrifice one Sunday meal at a restaurant and use that cash to fund a local reputable nonprofit which helps people pay utility bills or locate housing in your area?
10. Does your prayer team pray as a group about local environmental issues that affect your neighbors?
11. Who would feel uncomfortable coming to your church and why?
12. Is your church recognized for its affiliation with specific political views or for its tirelessness in carrying out the mandate of God's kingdom?

What questions would you add?

Judy Howard Ellis