Search: Philip N. Olson, Document

PREPARING THE CHURCH TO MEET EMERGENCY NEEDS

Once word spread about Jesus’ miracles, he couldn’t go anywhere without being
approached by crowds of sick, lame, and demon-possessed people. Once word gets out that your church helps people in need, don’t be surprised when many people in need (including some from your own congregation) start calling on you for help. Unless your church has a system to handle requests for emergency assistance, you may quickly become overwhelmed and tempted to close your doors. Your church should have a plan in place for responding to people in crisis, before they throw you into a crisis. There are no hard and fast rules, but here are some guidelines, which are outlined in the attached document.

ORGANIZING FOR HOLISTIC MINISTRY

Warning Signs of an Unhealthy Organization

How healthy are your church’s organizational systems? There are three warning
signs that indicate a need to renovate your church’s structure.

Dealing with Fears: Counting the Cost, Looking for Treasure

As a church considers a call to holistic ministry, people will want to assess the price
tag. Some in the congregation will focus on the risks associated with any new endeavor:
to your membership, budget, personnel, property, facilities, or reputation. Leaders should
not ignore these concerns. Rather, leaders should heed Jesus’ warning and count the
costs:

CULTIVATE THE THEOLOGY OF HOLISTIC MINISTRY

Philippians 2:2 instructs us, “Be of the same mind, having the same love, being in
full accord.” Church leaders have to help the congregation become of one mind regarding
the theological foundations for holistic ministry.

Getting There from Here: Starting Compassion Ministry in Your Congregation

Like many Christians, you long to make a difference in the world. You believe in
God's plan to restore broken lives and rebuild troubled neighborhoods through local
mission that blends evangelism, relief services, advocacy and community development.
Whether you are a pastor, ministry staff, or lay member, you desire your church to become
a vessel for the healing, transforming presence of Christ in your community.

BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Overcoming the barriers to holistic ministry requires an intentional effort both to
welcome the community into the church, and to bring the church out into the community.
Here we give seven suggestions for cultivating an outreach-minded congregation.

1. Welcome whoever walks through your door.
A good place to start in cultivating the congregation’s commitment to reach out to
the community is by loving the people in the community who come to you. “We need a
theology of welcome to tear down the fences that have come to separate ‘church’ and
‘mission,’” asserts Kathryn Mowry.

QUALITIES OF HEALTHY PARTNERSHIPS

Most partnerships are organized around a shared commitment to address a need.
A common concern is not enough by itself, however, to make a collaboration work. The attached document describes how healthy partnerships have the following six qualities:

1. Healthy partnerships share a compatible core mission.

2. Healthy partnerships do not hinder the faith or evangelistic witness of the church.

3. Healthy partnerships are founded on mutual trust and respect. Bishop Robbins

4. Healthy partnerships have a sense of ownership on both sides.

Tool #5: What Is the Church's Mission?

What is the mission of the church? How are God’s character and saving actions expressed through your church in the world? Discuss your church's understanding of mission in terms of the three theological dimensions in the attached document written by Heidi Unruh, Philip Olson, and Ronald Sider.

Tool #8 Evangelism Types

Use this table as a tool to investigate your church's evangelism type and nature of evangelistic activity.

Tool #9: Assessing Your Church’s Evangelism

Are any of the following true of your church's evangelism ministries? Use the attached document to assess your church's evangelism.

Tool #11: Outreach Mission Types

When it comes to how and why churches integrate sharing faith and meeting social needs, the following document describes that there are five basic types of churches.

Tool #13: Strategies for Integrating a Spiritual Dimension Into Social Service Programs

Which type best describes your church's social ministries now? Which type should the church work
toward becoming?

Use the attached document to see where your church's ministries falls under.

OUTREACH AND IN-REACH

IDENTIFYING BOUNDARIES BETWEEN CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Tool #18: How Holistic is Your Church's Outreach?

How can you tell if your church's community outreach ministry is holistic? Looking through the attached document, consider the extent to which the following components of holistic mission are in place, and assess the level of commitment that exists
in the church for strengthening each component.

How might your answers suggest areas for potential change and growth in your church's outreach?