final days forum

Is Your Church a Good Neighbor?

Welcome, originally uploaded by alborzshawn.

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

My North Oak Cliff Grocery Store Angst

Already frustrated by the national health-care debate and its connection to the food-delivery system -- so much so I wrote about it on PoliticsDaily.com -- the last thing I wanted to notice in my  North Oak Cliff neighborhood grocery store were fleas flying over tomatoes in the produce bin and a bug crawling on the conveyor belt in the check-out line.

After days of hearing about shouting matches at town hall meetings anchored in misplaced fear about government-run health care and in selfishness that if a broken system works for a few, that's OK -- I'm convinced that meaningful health care reform must start from the community up.

Lobbyists are pouring into Washington, D.C. while the debate rages throughout the country. Will enlightened observers address the connection between quality food delivery and preventative health care? Do national grocers like the one in my neighborhood wonder why the look of their store varies from one section of Dallas to another? If the national chain I visited offers one kind of food delivery in Plano (where I used to live) and another one in North Oak Cliff,  don't they have a problem with that? If they have more organic offerings in Plano than in North Oak Cliff, are grocery chains searching for ways to remedy this?

While I wait for that, I'll keep getting adjusted to my new neighborhood and hoping that today was just an aberration in customer service (it wasn't that way on an earlier visit). But I still intend to send a note to the grocery manager. Excellent service should not be limited to a few.

Why churches should join forces

Wolfville Baptist Church in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, the oldest continuing Baptist church in Canada. Photo by Bill Porter

What if neighborhood churches attempted real, stand-up-and-mean-something collaboration? Like sharing office space or the resources of a benevolence ministry? Maybe one sacrificial church can point a donor toward a needy congregation instead of swelling its own coffers. Others could share administrative staff, pricey computer software or a production studio. Three or four could start a credit union and host job fairs and offer career counseling.  Another team of churches could collectively provide temporary housing for people who've lost their homes.

Certainly this kind of cooperation is happening, but what if local churches made this kind of community-focused work the high-profile norm?

Call me an idealist; I accept the charge. Churches often operate in mini-spheres of particular doctrines, administrative structures and purposes. Fifty zillion bureaucratic, legal, business and cultural reasons argue nonstop against cooperation, but if a congregation claims the name of Christ and no other -- they are his. We will be held accountable for how we treat the sheep and shepherds of God's earthly pastures, even if we say:

"We were unequally yoked theologically. Not about Jesus. Just other stuff."

"They allow women to preach."

"That church is in a bad neighborhood." 

"That church is not like us."

"They speak in tongues."

"They don't speak in tongues."

"Their choir doesn't sing our kind of music."

"They can't be saved. They don't vote the same way we do."

"We can't work with that pastor. He's arrogant."

"We've got our own faithful tithers. Let them get their own."

Beyond steering clear of spiritual leaders and congregations corrupted by greed and other sins, and definitely beyond linking arms with leaders who are sketchy about who Jesus Christ is -- where authentic agreement about Christ emerges, ample opportunity exists to express cooperation laced with supernatural power.

The church is as effective as we are loving. People who do not share our convictions can sniff out phony affection like rain before a Texas storm. Unexpected and undeserved grace grabs their attention -- without a single placard raised in protest or one sarcastic segment on talk radio.

Judy Howard Ellis

Obama is not the messiah, but...

So far, President Obama's ability to communicate galvanizes people, particularly the young. Many young people crave inspirational leadership because they long for a compass that directs them to reach above their circumstances instead of being swallowed by them.

Obama's power to influence this generation may be the most annoying trait for critics; this may be why the accusation of "messianic"  is pasted to him with an apocalyptic wink.

Such criticism forgets that men and women throughout the ages were gifted with voices that spoke to their generation. Sometimes those voices fueled changes that  led to massive empowerment. At other times, those voices generated despair and sowed destruction. 

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

We may all be better served if we study the responses of people to Obama -- consider the crowds in Strasbourg, France today -- and learn something about the hunger for inspirational leadership. It may inform us of the core shift not only in America, but in the world. It may reveal to us our place of crossroads, a term which the city of Strasbourg has as part of its name.

Inspirational leadership in every sector of life is key. The dour news today about the unemployment rate makes me think about the economy. Banks that refuse credit lines to small businesses because they fear going under should revisit their commitment to being "community leaders." Businesses that lay off because of grim economic forecasts should return to their profit-and-loss sheets and choose not to be economic pundits, but human beings who understand they can say nothing when their epitaphs are written. Think of this tombstone message: AS CEO, I KEPT MY ENORMOUS SALARY WHILE MY FORMER WORKERS STRUGGLED TO LIVE.

The progress inspirational leadership brings advances slowly, painfully, and sometimes unseen. It makes this type of leadership problematic for some. But for me, that is what makes inspirational leadership fascinating to watch. The fruit may not blossom for long periods of time, but the words of the leader either feed anger or motivate people to recover. I prefer the power of the latter. As Proverbs says, there are words that can be "fitly spoken."

Obama is flawed like everyone else. History will record his every mistake and misstep. But perhaps something else is at work during the Obama era, if we could but grasp it. Maybe now is an opportunity to point people to the true Messiah, the greatest inspirational leader of them all.

When that inspirational leader saw a man trapped in his circumstances, it was the leader's words that motivated the man to catch a vision of what could be. That inspirational leader said: "Do you want to get well?"

The man gave his reasons why he was still sick. Certainly they were acceptable conclusions for he was plagued with a 38-year condition. But the inspirational leader was after something else, something deep within. With a forceful, healing love I can only imagine, this inspirational and transformational leader said: "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk."

All of us must be inspired to look deep within -- past our frightfully limiting circumstances. All of us must decide now whether we will walk or sit.

Judy Howard Ellis

Links courtesy of msnbc.com, wikipedia.com, cnn,com, biblos.com, studylight.org

A recession antidote: servanthood (Part 2)

vintage cafeteria scene, grandmother, originally uploaded by freeparking.

Fear marches across the land as a ruthless army of giants, but congregations nationwide can be fearless havens of peace. Churches are perfect hubs to generate amazing innovations that serve society. Sure, we can pass the potato salad and pour the coffee, but we can also share ideas and principles that will transform the generations.

Within the church lies boundless imagination. Unfortunately, some congregations lost their spark and their treasures were buried beneath the refuse of the cultural wars. Let's recover that imagination in every church house where Jesus is glorified as King!

Think of the seniors who fill the pews. We absently insult them with our condescension. We don't seek their wisdom or the direction they offer. With our youth, some congregations isolate them instead of letting young people blossom at the church's epicenter. Are we so weary we have forgotten the promise of youth? Unbridled aspiration prevents their hopes from being submerged by cynicism. Speaking of hopes, consider church members who have toiled for years at dead-end jobs for little pay. Churches can do more than accept their tithes and assign them to random ministries because warm, working bodies are needed in the ranks. Tap their creativity! Unimaginative bosses may ignore their contributions, but the local church never should.

The point is, churches, like no one else, can harness strengths like these and shape them into a powerhouse of influence. I mentioned five steps to do this in yesterday's post. Here are five more:

1. Tackle the needs of homeless people, on some level, in local areas. Churches can start by making sure every member in their church has shelter. They could work with nonprofit organizations and link homeowners with those who need to rent rooms. They could hold free seminars for those facing foreclosure. They also can support local shelters and raise awareness about their efforts.

2. Create a community hub for the arts. Perform the classics, not just Bible stories. The best of the classics have redemptive elements that offer a fresh way to share truth with those weary of of Bible-thumping, but hungry for biblical living. A strong arts presence reveals the artistic glory of the church and communicates truths that stick for a lifetime.

3. Create a hub for entrepreneurs. Support the self-employed and encourage others to generate multiple streams of income. Offer free workshops and seminars that train and motivate entrepreneurs. Invite successful entrepreneurs in the church to mentor and train those seeking to start a business.

4. Host lots of free events. Congregations certainly must practice fiscal stewardship, but they should not fear financial loss because they want to protect their bank account. This can include national speakers, concerts, health fairs, town hall meetings and food-related events. A local congregation need not go broke hosting free events, but it should increase its profile by providing activities that add value to their community's. A congregation's  resources are never determined by the financial mutations on Wall Street.

5. Increase customer service. Congregations should work hard to ensure that every usher, parking attendant, pastor, receptionist and ministry leader offers the best service. What people will remember when they visit a congregation is how they were treated. Customer service also extends beyond the sanctuary. How does the surrounding neighborhood view the congregation? Is the parking on Sundays a mess for drivers? Do the neighbors wish the church offered child care? What about ESL classes? Talk with the neighbors and find out.

Judy Howard Ellis

A recession antidote: servanthood (Part 1)

Hands, originally uploaded by John-Morgan.

This severe recession continues to reveal itself as an agent of equality. Everyone feels the crush of the economy, although the wounds from it may vary, depending on our financial condition. Still, there is an element of democracy to the crisis, and therefore an opportunity to serve other as we go through it.

No place is this more true than for the church. I know, I know. I often call the church to task to do better and be better. I do that because church folk have not always shown the deeply loving side of our Lord, although we have self-righteously claimed to do just that. We have pummeled the world with our words, but have our hands been the instruments of his power?

The Father is extremely practical. He fed a prophet through a raven, he used a field of lentils as the cushion for a warrior to fight off enemies, he fed millions through a true organic food that was delivered daily, and he used the ambition of ancient Rome to build roads that were used by an infant church to spread the good news about his son, Jesus.

Why can't we serve the world around us that way? I've mused about this for weeks, and here are five ways I bet we can serve with divinely inspired practicality:

1. Offer free WiFi on our campuses. Instead of just hogging a block full of parking space for our weekly worship services and Bible studies,  help tear down the digital divide, offer a solution for those who do not have access, and build community with our neighbors. Prestonwood Baptist Church here in Dallas, for example, offers free WiFi on its campus.

2. Offer a free, or heavily discounted financial course. My husband and I are participating in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. The House of Hope in Cedar Hill sponsored the course we are taking.  Ramsey's course is one of many that hold us accountable for our financial stewardship as believers. It's a great trainer or a refresher on financial truths.

3. Offer free Bible training.  I've mentioned this in an earlier post, but it's worth repeating. People are hungry for the Word. They desire a transcendent perspective and the church is filled with learned men and women who know how to rightly handle the truth of God. Instead of charging for DVDs, books and online courses, focus on providing understanding to a perplexed world. God will take care of your expenses... One of the ways he may do it is by building a loyal audience. When the economy turns, they will come back and be willing to pay!

4.Increase activities for families. Help ease the stress on parents and kids. Gear budgets and funds to help families and cut down on extras that have less impact. Work hard to engage singles and seniors with the work of families instead of isolating them.

5. Emphasize marketplace ministries. The church was never intended to be an isolated edifice. And Christian service was never limited to the clergy. With plenty of input from the congregation, explore ways to elevate the role of serving outside of the church building. Encourage church members to host family potlucks in their own neighborhood. Encourage families who live in apartments to reach out to their neighbors instead of living disconnected from people in their complex.

Tomorrow I will list five more ways today's church can serve during the recession.

Judy Howard Ellis

Seeing the light of success, despite the darkness

Waiting for dawn, originally uploaded by James Jordan.

Today I was at Starbucks chatting about business with a colleague from my reporter days. He talked about the power of the entrepreneurial hustle, and his voice carried the authority of a person who had experienced success. A business-minded person doesn't emphasize the lack or the hopelessness, but is captivated by the light of opportunity. A business-minded person, my friend went on, possesses the knack to close the deal, not just dream about it.

One of the parables of Jesus extols the savvy steward who knew how to multiply his money. Instead of clinging to the little and the certain, the exemplary steward reached for the impossible and was praised for it. Could it be that the "ceilings and walls" that seem to imprison us during this economic crunch have more ways out than we think? Could it be that God's miracle workings in our lives lie not in the unexpected check in the mail, but in the engine of our ingenuity?

I read Psalm 8 today, a passage God takes me to often. I've wondered why and today I mumbled when that passage came to mind. Psalm 8 again?! C'mon, God, can't we do better than that today? I've got major things to deal with and I need a "word." Patiently, God allowed me to see that "the word" was that I was not operating in my dominion. Not dominion over people, but as Psalm 8:6 says, God made men and women rulers over the works of his hands. In other words, the work of the planet.

I believe God is expecting us to prayerfully tap our imagination, study our environment, employ our gifts, determine the needs, and spring forth in the areas where he has given us leadership. That puts the economic downturn in another perspective altogether. Instead of a hopeless field of play, we see an obstacle course we are destined to conquer.

Judy Howard Ellis

The undertow of disappointment

Nieves, originally uploaded by Steven Fernandez.

During the holidays, disappointment often is painfully conspicious. Tough economic times also prompt disappointment to surface.  Guard against disappointment, the dull knife that severs hope.

We may not consciously acknowledge that life saddens us because the way we live is not the life we imagined as teens. We may never utter a word when our employers, lawmakers, spouses, family members or spiritual leaders disappoint us.  We may grieve because our best friends and hang-out buddies are not who we long for them to be.  We resist acknowledging the inner pain of disappointment, but our emotions seep through in every way conceivable. Our voices rise and fall with frustration. We eat to silence screams. We party heartily to drown out the noise of loneliness.

High, unrealistic, and just plain ol' unfulfilled expectations fuel our inner turmoil. The huge letdown ushers in regret, restlessness and silence, a perilous state that hinders positive steps toward fresh, and maybe unexpected, success. Believe  it; disappointment is real, but don't befriend it. Exorcise disappointment from the wells of  your heart.

One word of encouragement if disappointment tries to seduce you during this holiday season: Keep expectations in the right place. Don't carry expectations in your pockets like loose change or trade them with your friends like baseball cards.  Let expectations remain in the bosom of God, the only person who can do something about all of our hopes.

 

Judy Howard Ellis

P.S. Chuck Pierce writes about a similiar theme today on The Elijah List. He says this about God's view of our lives now: "Declare a season ended. Declare old thoughts to be pulled out. Declare changes in alliances. Let go of losses. Let go of bruised expectations. I have new assignments. Flow to a new shore!" 

 

Dreaming about a radical church

Sleep, originally uploaded by Steven Fernandez.

What would happen if we no longer practiced church as usual?

Close your eyes and dream with me:

1. What if the church pursued welcoming, loving conversations about Jesus on social networking sites like Twitter, Plurk, and Facebook?  What if we saw opportunities on the Web to share Jesus, much like he seized chances to talk about his Father on the roads of Galilee?

2. What if the church didn't make God seem spooky, remote, and weird? Why not talk with people like we were regular people instead of robotic clerics agitated by our itchy hair shirts?

3. What if we took Jesus' words about the Holy Spirit seriously? The Bible says the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. What if we moved aside and watched the Spirit do his job?

4. What if the church did not act like the fashion police? Wehy can't we get our praise on even when the multi-pierced, the ghoulishly Gothic, the skimpily dressed, and the completely tattooed sit next to us in church?

5. What if we treated all sin as sin and didn't act as if lying, cheating, gossiping, backbiting, adultery, meanness, and gluttony got a pass in the Bible? Ahh. Jesus' words to the folks who wanted to stone the woman caught in adultery: He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.

6. What if we gave people food and bill assistance just because they asked for it? Some people will take advantage of our benevolence, but a lot of other folks would just love the church for helping them out during a rough time. Seems worth the risk to me -- just to see how God touches people and answers their prayers.

7. What if all the televangelists who typically ask viewers to "sow" into their ministry never asked for another dime? What if they urged viewers to sow into the church where they actually attend?

8. What if we actually believed in the expansive power of prayer? We could ask the Lord to heal and prosper our country instead of writing nasty, mean-spirited stuff on the Web and loudly protesting outside of people's homes?

9. What if we love people, regardless of how they vote in this presidential election? Think about it: civility the day after the election. And the church could offer the most civil environment of all.

10. What if we treated people with the grace God gives us? Unconditional love is wonderful to receive. Have we learned how to share it?

What are your dreams for the church?

 

Judy Howard Ellis

 

Share the mind-wealth, fight the poverty

Donations for the poor, originally uploaded by szlea.

 

Some major American ministries have long ago caught the vision about feeding the hungry. Slick advertisements depict hungry children either in the United States or abroad in an effort to tug at the emotions of potential donors.

Rarely have I seen those same ministries show the adults whose lives are whittled away by physical need. Poverty deepens in its visual impact when you witness adults struggling to feed their families and keep them sheltered. Poverty aches when you watch a grown, healthy man search for employment or try to build a small business just to feed his kids. This is the real face of poverty: The distress of an entire family.

If we are serious about combating poverty, then our approaches must rise above just shoving a few bucks in a can for a homeless person or sponsoring a child overseas but never connecting with the youngster's family. Perhaps a more effective way to crush poverty is reaching out to people with a multi-generational approach. And we shouldn't just share our money, we need to give of our mind-wealth. By mind-wealth I mean skills, resources, compassion, creativity, experience, and wisdom.

Americans are generous, but the nation's current economic pain may help some of us finally grasp why  global anti-poverty efforts must reach the whole family and include the vast resources of our collective creativity. Every day on national and local television, Americans can see how it's not just the kids who need care in America's urban, suburban, and rural areas.  Their parents, adult guardians and relatives need to be empowered. These adults need housing relief, jobs, incomes that grow instead of shrink, medical insurance that actually covers what they pay for, affordable education for their children, and access to work with their employers and local governments to improve the plight of their communities. 

If you are so blessed and so wise to have survived this financial meltdown, share your mind-wealth, don't hoard it. Do the same in conjunction with anti-poverty efforts overseas. Offer to assist the poor as they pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. Offer technology that has benefited your life and can benefit theirs. Be humble to set aside your social agendas and let those facing hardship develop their own. That's what I heard today when I listened to a segment on Blog ActionDay  hosted by Easton Ellsworth on BlogTalk Radio, and what I read on one of my favorite blogs, Skelliewag.org. Skellie wrote a great piece about"30 Ways to Battle Poverty with Technology." 

When I use the term mind-wealth, don't think that I worship the human mind. However, I have learned that a mind infused with God's ideas can be a compassionate instrument to accomplish great things. That's the message ministries should send when soliciting support for anti-hunger programs. Real people are hungry and dying every day. Yes. Whole families are being destroyed because of it. Yes and yes. But impoverished imagination and selfish ambition guarantee that the fierce enemy of poverty will win the war.

Judy Howard Ellis