Germantown Church of the Brethren: A Church In, Of, and For its Community Germantown Kirke af Brødrene: en kirke i, af og for sit Fællesskabet

Germantown Church of the Brethren: A Church In, Of, and For its Community Germantown Kirke af Brødrene: en kirke i, af og for sit Fællesskabet

In 1723, the first Brethren church in America was founded by a small group of German religious refugees. I 1723, den første Brødrene kirke i Amerika blev grundlagt af en lille gruppe af tyske religiøse flygtninge. For over two hundred years this congregation thrived. I mere end to hundrede år denne menighed trivedes. But by the 1950s, as many white members dispersed to the suburbs, the church sadly discontinued Sunday worship services. Men af 1950'erne, som mange hvide medlemmer spredt til forstæder, kirken desværre afbrydes søndag gudstjeneste tjenester. Then in 1989 a denominational officer met Richard Kyerematen, and together they agreed to give the church another chance. Så i 1989 en konfessionel officer mødte Richard Kyerematen, og sammen enige om at give kirken en anden chance.

A visionary, energetic native of the African nation of Ghana, Rev. Kyerematen's arrival at Germantown Church of the Brethren heralded a change in the church's relationship with the community. En visionær, energisk oprindeligt fra den afrikanske land Ghana, rev Kyerematen's ankomst til Germantown Kirke af Brødrene indvarslet en ændring i kirken's forhold til samfundet. The church already had a legacy of providing social services, including a day care, a feeding ministry for homeless people, and a food and clothing bank. Kirken allerede havde en arv fra leverer sociale tjenesteydelser, herunder et dagtilbud, en fodring ministerium for hjemløse, og en mad og tøj bank. People in the community viewed the church as a place that cared about their needs. Mennesker i samfundet betragtes kirken som et sted, der er ligeglad med deres behov. However, according to a long-standing church member, the previous pastor had "never invited people to come into the church." Men ifølge en lang stående kirke medlem, den tidligere præst havde "aldrig opfordret folk til at komme i kirken."

Rev. Kyerematen invited everyone he met. Rev Kyerematen inviteret alle han mødte. He desired that the church provide its neighbors not only with services, but with a spiritual home. Han ønskede, at kirken giver sine naboer ikke blot med tjenester, men med en åndelige hjem. He preached the Gospel on the street, in housing projects, and at homeless shelters. Han prædikede Evangeliet på gaden, i bolig-projekter, og på hjemløse krisecentre. Within about six months, the church had grown from 10-15 church members to almost 75 in attendance-about a third of these the fruit of an outreach encounter. Inden for omkring seks måneder, kirken havde dyrket 10-15 kirke medlemmer til næsten 75 i deltagerlisten-omkring en tredjedel af disse frugten af en opsøgende støder på. "In spite of the traumatic changes that came over the course of the centuries," the church's brochure proudly states, "the Germantown Congregation has remained as firm as a rock. Today a community-oriented, interracial, inter-generational congregation is passing on the promise." "På trods af de traumatiske ændringer, der fulgte i løbet af århundreder," kirken brochure stolt hedder, at "Germantown menigheden har været så fast som en klippe. Dag en community-orienterede, Interracial, mellem generationerne menigheden er at videregive den lover. "

Rev. Kyerematen notes that residents have also tended to think of the church "as a white church, because when most black people moved into this neighborhood, they didn't feel welcomed here." Rev Kyerematen bemærker, at beboerne har også en tendens til at tænke på kirken "som en hvid kirke, for da de fleste sorte mennesker flyttede ind i dette kvarter, de ikke føler, hilses velkommen her." Slowly the congregation is gaining a new image as a family that embraces all cultures and economic backgrounds. Langsomt menigheden er at få et nyt image som en familie, der omfatter alle kulturer og økonomiske baggrunde. The church's answering machine greets callers, "Welcome to Germantown Church of the Brethren, where our family can be your family!" Kirkens telefonsvarer opkald, "Velkommen til Germantown Kirke af brødrene, hvor vores familie kan være din familie!" A church member affirms, "The outreach programs and the open doors, it's like a big welcome sign on the outside. And people get a lot of love when they come here." En kirke medlem bekræfter, "Den opsøgende programmer og åbne døre, er det som en stor velkomment tegn på ydersiden. Og folk får en masse kærlighed, når de kommer her."

The church serves as a bridge between a predominantly white, middle class, rural denomination, and a predominantly African American, struggling urban neighborhood. Kirken fungerer som en bro mellem en overvejende hvid, middelklasse, landdistrikter pålydende værdi, og en overvejende African American, kæmper byerne nabolaget. The style of worship and special events such as an annual "Celebration of Life" Gospel Concert affirm the community's African American heritage. Stilen til gudstjenester og særlige begivenheder såsom en årlig "Celebration of Life" Gospel Concert bekræfter EU's African American arv. The friendly partnership between the pastor and the church's Social Services Coordinator, who is white, visibly symbolizes the church's commitment to racial harmony. Den venlige partnerskab mellem præsten og kirken's Social Services koordinator, som er hvid, synligt symboliserer kirken's forpligtelse til at race harmoni.

The congregation's diverse fellowship includes single mothers and two-parent families, recovering substance abusers and social workers, homeowners and homeless people. Menigheden forskelligartede stipendium omfatter enlige mødre og to-forælder familier, inddrivelse af stofmisbrugere og socialarbejdere, husejere og hjemløse. The church has focused ministry attention on two populations in particular: people with addictions, and homeless persons. Kirken har fokuseret ministerium opmærksomhed på to populationer i særdeleshed: mennesker med misbrugsproblemer og hjemløse. "When I came here," Rev. Kyerematen recalls, "the church was just going downtown and feeding people, which I call 'Sandwich Evangelism.' "Da jeg kom her," rev Kyerematen minder om, "kirken var bare downtown og fodring mennesker, som jeg kalder» Sandwich forkynder evangeliet. " Our desire, singly, has been to take people into the life of the church." Vores ønske, enkeltvis, har været at tage folk ind i livet i kirken. " The church transports homeless shelter residents weekly to church services, teaches occasional Bible studies, and organizes other Church of the Brethren congregations in providing a meal and devotional at a shelter. Kirken transporterer hjemløse husly beboere ugentligt i kirke tjenester, underviser lejlighedsvis Bibelen undersøgelser, og arrangerer andre Kirke af Brødrene menigheder i at yde et måltid og andgtig på et krisecenter.

Carl* was one of the homeless shelter residents who accepted a ride to the church. Carl * var en af de hjemløse husly beboere, der har accepteret en tur til kirken. He felt drawn to the congregation, but was sucked back into a life of addiction and homelessness. Han følte henledes på menigheden, men blev suget tilbage til et liv i stofmisbrug og hjemløshed. Many years later, after he had recommitted his life to Christ through a rehab program, he came looking for the church that had first shown him Christian love. Mange år senere, efter han havde recommitted sit liv til Kristus gennem en Rehab program, han kom på udkig efter kirken, der først havde vist ham kristne kærlighed. Although he wondered if people would accept him, he sensed in his spirit that this was the place he was supposed to be. Selv om han undrede sig, hvis folk ville acceptere ham, han fornemmede i hans ånd, at dette var det sted, han skulle være. "They have to love me," he told himself; and when no one chased him away his confidence grew. "De er nødt til at elske mig," sagde han til sig selv, og når der ikke er en jagtet ham væk hans tillid voksede. He found a job, remarried his wife in the church's sanctuary, and bought a home and a car. Han havde fundet et job, remarried hans kone i kirken's fristed, og købt et hus og en bil. Now he coordinates the homeless ministry. Nu er han koordinater hjemløse ministerium. When he tells other homeless guests, "I've been there," he means it literally. Når han fortæller andre hjemløse gæster, "Jeg har været der," han mener det bogstaveligt. His life embodies the church's message of hope. Hans liv er udtryk for kirken's budskab om håb.

Integrating people on the socio-economic margins into the life of the congregation is rewarding, as Carl's story illustrates, but also challenging. At integrere folk på socio-økonomiske marginer i livet i menigheden er meget givende, som Carl's historie illustrerer, men også udfordrende. There are barriers to be overcome on both sides. Der er barrierer, der skal overvindes på begge sider. Rev. Kyerematen describes one little girl from a homeless shelter who wanted to join the praise team. Rev Kyerematen beskriver en lille pige fra en hjemløse husly, der ønskede at slutte sig til ros team. When they started to sing, she asked, "Is this the choir for the shelter people or is this the choir for the church?" Da de begyndte at synge, hun spurgte: "Er det her kor for husly mennesker eller er dette koret for kirken?" Her plaintive question reminded him of how isolated people in distress can feel. Hendes lidende spørgsmålet mindede ham om, hvordan isolerede mennesker i nød kan føle. The testimony sharing time, a regular feature of worship services, helps to build bridges. Vidneudsagn deling tid, en fast bestanddel af tilbedelse tjenester, hjælper med at bygge broer. As church members share their struggles and praise God for having brought them through, newcomers to the church from the community see that their stories are not so different. Som kirkens medlemmer deler deres kampe og ros Gud for at have bragt dem gennem nyankomne til kirken fra samfundet se, at deres historier er ikke så forskellige.

Germantown's efforts not just to serve but to identify with the community have signaled its intention to become a "neighborhood church". Germantown's bestræbelser på ikke blot at tjene, men at identificere sig med det samfund har signaleres, at det agter at blive en "nabolaget kirke". The leader of a community organizing nonprofit attests to the change in its reputation: "It's not just open on Sunday and people come in from outside the neighborhood. It's part of the community now." Lederen af et fællesskab organisere nonprofit attesterer, at ændringen i sit ry: "Det er ikke kun åben om søndagen, og folk kommer ind fra lande uden for nabolaget. Det er en del af samfundet nu."

Germantown Church of the Brethren's outdoor worship services, tent revivals, and door-to-door distribution of church flyers proclaim to the neighborhood, "We're here!" Germantown Kirke af Brethren's udendørs gudstjeneste tjenester, telt genoptagelser, og dør-til-dør distribution af kirken flyers proklamere til nabolaget, "Vi er her!" At the start of their youth ministry, they held an outreach crusade on a street crowded with kids. Ved starten af deres ungdom ministerium, så havde de en opsøgende korstog på en gade spækket med børnene. The crusade led to a Bible club in the home of one of the parents. Korstoget førte til en bibel klub i hjemmet af en af forældrene. After six weeks, they invited the kids to a Friday youth service at the church, and 70 youth came - far more than if they had not first gone to where the kids were. Efter seks uger, de opfordres børnene til en fredag ungdom tjeneste ved kirken, og 70 unge kom - langt mere, end hvis de havde ikke først gået til, hvor børnene var.

Rev. Kyerematen continually encourages the congregation to look beyond the walls of the church. Rev Kyerematen løbende opfordrer menigheden til at se ud over væggene i kirken. "I have a big problem when people go to church and say, 'I'm just in this church because it meets the needs of my family, because this church has these programs,'" he says. "Jeg har et stort problem, når folk går i kirke og sige, 'Jeg er netop i denne kirke, fordi det opfylder behovene hos min familie, fordi denne kirke har disse programmer," siger han. "What about the other children who don't have that opportunity?" "Hvad med de andre børn, der ikke har denne mulighed?" The church is reminded of its mission to the community in sermons, prayer times, and announcements of volunteer opportunities. Kirken er mindet om sin mission til samfundet i prædikener, bøn gange, og bekendtgørelser af frivillige muligheder. Information on various community programs, issues and resources are posted on a bulletin board near the church's entrance, alongside flyers for such church ministries as the summer camp, after-school program, youth activities, counseling ministry, and discipleship class. Oplysninger om forskellige EU-programmer, problemer og ressourcer er udstationeret på en opslagstavle i nærheden af kirken's indgangen, ved siden af flyers for en sådan kirke ministerier som sommerlejr, efter-skole-programmet, unges aktiviteter, rådgivning ministerium, og discipleship klasse.

Rev. Kyerematen invests significant time in community networking. Rev Kyerematen investerer en betydelig mængde tid i fællesskab netværk. He is well-known to local social service agencies, both for recruiting their participation in the church's ministries, and for offering his support. Han er kendt af de lokale social service bureauer, både for at rekruttere deres deltagelse i Kirkens ministerier, og for at tilbyde sin støtte. "When the community has a problem, [Germantown Church of the Brethren] backs the community and gets that problem solved," says a woman active with a local service organization. "Når samfundet har et problem, [Germantown Kirke af Brødrene] backs samfundet og får det problem løst," siger en kvinde aktive med en lokal service organisationen. "We work together to get things done." "Vi arbejder sammen om at få tingene gjort."

The church has been willing to get involved with community development projects without insisting on getting the credit. Kirken har været villige til at involvere sig med udvikling af projekter uden at insistere på at få kredit. Rev. Kyerematen relates, Rev Kyerematen vedrører,

The buildings across the street had been in bad repair for almost 20 years, and nothing could be done. De bygninger på tværs af gaden havde været i ond reparation for næsten 20 år, og intet kan gøres. The church kept at it for the last 12 years, and we finally were able to network with Greater Germantown Housing Development Corporation. Kirken holdes på det i de sidste 12 år, og vi endelig var i stand til at net med større Germantown Housing Development Corporation. They turned those buildings around. De vendte disse bygninger ca. ... The church doesn't own [the housing complex], but we see it as one of our strengths that we were the catalysts, that we were the ones that went out and found the owner and did the initial work, and provided the seed money. Kirken ikke ejer [boligmarkedet komplekse], men vi ser det som en af vores styrker, at vi var de katalysatorer, at vi var dem, der drog ud og fandt ejeren og gjorde det indledende arbejde, og forudsat, at seed-kapital .

One creative way that the church draws in neighborhood leaders, while promoting the congregation's awareness of the community, is its annual "Church/Community Award Sunday." En kreativ måde, at kirken trækker i nabolaget ledere, samtidig fremme menigheden bevidsthed i samfundet, er den årlige "Kirke / EF-Award søndag." The award honors persons from the community who have worked hard to make it a better place for its residents. Tildeling udmærkelse personer fra det samfund, der har arbejdet hårdt på at gøre det til et bedre sted for dets indbyggere. In 1999, for example, the award went to two men who were involved in starting the community market. I 1999, for eksempel, de gik til to mænd, der var involveret i at starte EF-markedet. Rev. Kyerematen asks other churches and community groups to nominate the names of people for the award, then selects the recipients. Rev Kyerematen anmoder andre kirker og samfundsgrupper til at nominere navnene på folk for tildeling, derefter vælger modtagere. The awardees usually bring their families, and often others from the nominating agencies will attend as well-giving the congregation an opportunity to build a relationship with people who might not otherwise attend church. Den awardees normalt sætter deres familier, og ofte andre fra at udpege organer vil deltage som godt give menigheden en mulighed for at opbygge et forhold til mennesker, som ellers ikke ville deltage i kirken.

The church's mission statement, printed weekly in the bulletin, includes a call "to be a beacon of Light, Love, Hope, Peace, and Service in our homes, church, community, and world." Kirkens mission statement, trykt ugentlig i bulletinen, omfatter et opkald "til at blive en ledestjerne for lys, kærlighed, håb, fred og Service i vores hjem, kirke, samfund og verden." The community service and revitalization projects give concrete expression to the church's mission. Den samfundstjeneste og revitalisering projekter give et konkret udtryk for Kirkens mission. But the church's relationship with the community is more than the sum of its many activities. Men kirken's forhold til samfundet er mere end summen af dens mange aktiviteter. Rev. Kyerematen explains that the church is "a spiritual, living community. Our influence has also come through just being here, being one of the neighborhood institutions that people could rely on and trust." Rev Kyerematen forklarer, at kirken er "en åndelig, levende samfund. Vores indflydelse er også kommet gennem blot at være til stede, hvilket er en af områdets institutioner, at folk kunne stole på og har tillid til." As the church has become invested-financially, relationally, and spiritually-in the holistic well-being of its neighbors, its very presence has become a beacon of God's Good News to the community. Som kirken er blevet investeret-finansielt, relationally, og åndeligt-i holistisk velvære af sin nabo, sin blotte tilstedeværelse er blevet en ledestjerne for Guds Good News for samfundet.

*Not his real name. * Ikke hans rigtige navn.

[Adapted from Churches That Make a Difference, chapter 7]. [Tilpasset fra kirker, der gør en forskel, kapitel 7].