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First Presbyterian Church: Sharing Faith in a Cathedral of Consumption

First Presbyterian Church: Sharing Faith in a Cathedral of Consumption

The Burlington Center Mall Ministry (BCMM), founded by First Presbyterian Church, sees itself as a mission outpost station in a "jungle of materialism." Its goal is not to take the place of the local church, but to encourage people who would never set foot in a church to develop a relationship with God. The ministry creates an inviting atmosphere with comfort-tested living room furniture, free literature and lollipops that proclaim "Jesus loves you," a box for prayer requests, an electronic sign announcing current programming, and a friendly host who models God's hospitality.

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Ethical Considerations in Evangelism and Social Service

Ethical Considerations in Evangelism and Social Service


When and how is it appropriate for service providers to integrate a religious component?


The following attached document provides information on this subject with topics like:

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Obstacles to Holistic Ministry

Tool #23: Obstacles to Holistic Ministry

Reflect on what might hold your church back from deepening its commitment to holistic mission.
Which of the following sound familiar to you? (Check as many as apply in the attached document)

Budget Planning Worksheet

Use this worksheet to help plan the costs of the proposed ministry program.

 

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Embracing Change

Embracing Change

Holistic ministry means change, and change entails sacrifice and loss. People naturally fear and resist change, and so ministry often goes hand in hand with conflict and crises.

The attached document offers guidelines and advice for your ministry to deal with change.

Types of Partnerships

Types of Partnerships

Partnerships come in many forms, and reflect a variety of relationships between the church and the partner entity. The attached document highlights five types of cooperative relationships, with illustrations from partnerships between churches and nonprofit agencies.

Directions for the Ministry Inventory

Building a Ministry Vision Team

Where is God calling us? Discern a specific ministry vision for your church

Where is God calling us?
Discern a specific ministry vision for your church

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How do we develop ministry leadership? Stories

How do we develop ministry leadership?
Cultivate a team of visionary, transformational leaders

Stories

Guiding Principles

GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE MINISTRY JOURNEY

Emphasize passionate spirituality. "Step One: Love God with your whole heart, and your neighbor as yourself." Transformational ministry begins as we submit our whole lives to God as instruments of Christ's love (2 Cor. 8:5). Faith without works is dead (James 2:20); activity without devotion is hollow (1 Cor. 13:3). So integrate prayer, theological reflection, and worship at every step. Bottom line: transformation is God's work.

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Tenth Memorial Baptist Church: Effective Ministry Partnerships

Tenth Memorial Baptist Church: Effective Ministry Partnerships

"Whenever you partner with anybody, make sure that their mission and their objective complement yours, so that you don't get absorbed or side-tracked by what somebody else wants to do," advises Rev. Bill Moore. This is particularly essential when churches undertake to collaborate with government.

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Who else is on the journey? Why?

Activity: Explore & Connect

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How Do We Overcome Obstacles to Mission?

How do we overcome obstacles to mission?
Confront interia, fears, and conflict

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Life in Christ Cathedral of Faith and Media Presbyterian Church: Forging an Urban-Suburban Partnership

Life in Christ Cathedral of Faith and Media Presbyterian Church: Forging an Urban-Suburban Partnership

For thirteen years, inner-city pastor Dickie Robbins prayed for a cross-cultural partnership. He participated in several joint church projects, but each one fell through. In one case, he befriended a white pastor who offered to help Life in Christ start a food ministry. The partnership ended, however, when the member of the Anglo church who coordinated the program died, and the person's church stopped supporting the ministry. The partnership had never become central to that church's vision.

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Toolkit

Pursue spiritual power for mission

Learn about the local mission of the church

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Processing the Community Study Report

PROCESSING THE COMMUNITY STUDY REPORT


Many churches that undertake a community assessment do the study, write the report, file
the report, and forget about the report. But a community study is not information for
information's sake; it is gathered for the purpose of equipping the church to share the good
news of the gospel in word and deed. Keep this goal in mind. If you allow your study
committee to get bogged down in statistics or overwhelmed with details, you will end up
with "paralysis of analysis."

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Why Partner?

Why Partner?

Partnerships are risky. Partnerships take energy and time. It may not be easy to look
past the challenges of organizing your own congregation for ministry to see the potential
in collaborating with others. Nor is it always easy to adjust to a partnering agency’s different
methods and priorities. Is the effort worth it?


Few churches can carry out effective holistic ministry without entering into some
form of partnership. The attached documents describes that this is true for seven practical reasons and three theological reasons.

How do We Strengthen Our Commitment to Outreach?

How do we strengthen our commitment to outreach?
Become a mission-focused church and build bridges to community outreach

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