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The Church has left the building

Faith in Action is a 4-week, church-wide campaign that creates in your congregation an outward focus and a heart to serve. Faith in Action culminates in a Sunday where regular services are cancelled and the entire congregation engages in service projects in, and with, the community.

Biblical Principles for the Church's Outreach Ministry

 

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Inspiration for Faith in Action: Imagine Your Church...

The first of Steven Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is: “Start with the end in mind.” So imagine: What would it look like to “BE the church?” What might be possible?

Imagine what your church would be like if its entire life was consumed by finding ways to live out its faith and mirror God’s love, as taught and modeled by Jesus.

Imagine your church, filled with God’s spirit, being of one mind and one body as it brings its life into line with God’s great dream of restoring the world under the lordship of Christ. Imagine every one of your church’s members fully committed to seeing God’s dream become a reality.

Imagine your church having one central objective for every Sunday-school session, small group and committee meeting: to equip its members for living and sharing more effectively God’s love in the world.

Imagine your church joyfully recognizing and putting to full use the gifts and capacities God has given you. And imagine members desiring nothing more in life than to develop those gifts for the purpose of offering them back to God in passionate, life-long witness and service to others.

Imagine your church taking a bold step of faith into ministry … and then another … and another, until an ethos of outreach is deeply woven into the fabric of your congregation.

Imagine your church being so welcoming of sinners, so filled with compassion, that word of your love and care spreads throughout your community, and even around the world.

Imagine your church being sought out by those experiencing injustice, because you have become known for insisting on just relationships and fair treatment of those who are most vulnerable, and for loving your enemies.

Imagine your church so connected with people – both within and outside the church – that you begin to reach their deepest hurts and needs, offering healing to the broken and extending open arms to people of diverse racial, cultural and economic backgrounds.

Imagine your church designing and conducting worship experiences that celebrate what God is doing in your neighborhood and around the world, and that regularly invite each member to explore and expand their participation in these God-inspired initiatives.

Imagine your church being committed to daily intercessory prayer for your neighbors, your co-workers, your family and friends, and your nation’s leaders.

Imagine your church being the best window that seekers have into the life God intended.

Imagine your community becoming a better place to live, and a little more like heaven, because your church is in it. Imagine that if your church left the community, you would be missed.

Imagine your church sharing this vision and experience of new life in Christ with a neighboring congregation. And you discover that you are both hatching a desire to reach out together. And you link with a third church, then a fourth. You learn, share and grow together. This community of churches begins anointing people from among you to share God’s mission in neighborhoods both near and far.

Imagine … and BE the church!

Adapted with permission from Becoming a Church That Makes a Difference CD-ROM, by Heidi Unruh and Phil Olson (Word & Deed Network, 2006), www.esa-online.org.Original source: James Krabill, “Does Your Church ‘Smell’ Like Mission?” Reflections on Becoming a Missional Church, MissioDei #2 (Mennonite Mission Network, 2003).

Guide to Prayer-Walking and Observation in the Community

What is prayer-walking? One simple definition: “Praying on-site with insight.” The purpose of prayer-walking is to seek God’s guidance, mercy, and transforming power—both for the community, and for ourselves as God’s servants in the community.

Become more aware of what you see while you walk and pray by connecting prayer-walking with structured observation (see the guidelines for community observation on page 3). The discussion questions in the observation guide can help participants “debrief” after a prayer-walking experience.

Prayer-walking and observation can be a valuable tool for identifying needs and partners for Faith in Action service projects, becoming more familiar with the community you will be serving, and preparing project teams spiritually for the outreach.

Guidelines for prayer-walking

  • Meet at an assigned time and start with group prayer.
  • Walk in groups of two or three. Plan your routes ahead of time to cover as much of the area as possible.
  • Pray aloud in a quiet, conversational voice, if you feel comfortable doing so. Or pray silently, letting your prayer partner(s) know what you are praying about. Don’t call attention to yourselves. As the Waymakers website puts it, “You can be on the scene without making one.”
  • If anyone asks what you are doing, be prepared to respond: “We’re praying God’s blessing on this neighborhood. Is there any special way we can pray for you?”
  • Although it is not the primary purpose of prayer-walking, be open to opportunities to interact with and bless people that may grow out of your experience. The Waymakers website explains the connection between prayer-walking and faith in action:

As you pray God’s promises with specific homes or work sites in view, you’ll find that hope for those people begins to grow. You’ll begin to see people as God might view them. You’ll likely find yourself becoming more interested in the welfare of the people you are praying for. … Watch for the ways God impresses you to display his love in practical acts of kindness.

  • Plan to walk for about half an hour. If anyone in your group is not comfortable with walking, they can prayer-drive around the neighborhood instead.
  • Afterwards, gather to share your prayers, observations and experiences. What did you learn about the neighborhood? How was God manifest in this experience?
  • Encourage people to continue praying for the community during the week.

How do you pray?

Here are some pointers:

  • Pray for discernment — Seek the gift of seeing the community through Christ’s “lens,” and to discern what God is already doing there; ask God to show you how you can pray with greater insight for the people, events, and places in the community.
  • Pray for blessing – Pray over every person, home and business you encounter; for God’s intervention in each life, so that each one can be fruitful in God’s kingdom; for God’s will to be done in this community “as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).
  • Pray with empathy — See and feel what residents live with every day; offer intercession for those things that express brokenness and grieve God’s spirit, and give thanks to God for the blessings and gifts that exist in the community.
  • Pray from Scripture — Prayers based directly on God’s word can be especially powerful. You may want to bring a Bible with key passages highlighted, or copy verses onto note cards.
  • Pray in God’s power — allow times of silence for God’s spirit to speak to you, or through you (Romans 8:26). Ask with confidence in the power of Jesus’ name (John 14:12-14). Like the disciples sent out by Christ, we are empowered to push back the darkness (Luke 10:17-18).

(Read more about prayer-walking and download detailed guides at www.waymakers.org/prayerwalking.html; also see Jay Van Groningen, Communities First [CRWRC, 2005], pages 30-31)

Guidelines for community observation

Even if you have been in a community for a long time, you can learn to see the familiar with new eyes, alert to indicators of need as well as signs of God’s reign.

Walk through as much of the community as you are able; if the area is far-flung, or if the weather is bad, a driving (“windshield”) survey is another option. If possible, ask a resident to give you a guided tour of the neighborhood.

Open your observation time by asking God to allow you to see with his eyes of love and discernment. You can combine observation with more in-depth prayer for the community and/or with a neighborhood survey (see the sample survey on the Faith in Action resource CD). Consider completing this exercise more than once, with a different focus for your observations and prayers each time.

Use the categories on the next page to organize your observations. Respect the dignity of community members by recording your notes as unobtrusively as possible. Be present as servants, not tourists!

After the visit, take time as a group to compare notes and reflect on your observations. Discuss the following:

  • What positive qualities, opportunities and benefits does the community have to offer? What are signs that God is already at work in the neighborhood? Identify potential partners (people, churches, organizations) that the church could come alongside in serving the community.
  • What needs and concerns are in evidence? What do you see that might detract from people’s quality of life or hinder people from developing their potential? What challenges are people likely to face as they go about their daily life?
  • How might community residents view your congregation? Would you be perceived as allies, foreigners, friends, helpers, annoyances, or simply irrelevant?
  • Take note of your own response to what you see. What kinds of “vibes” do you get from your encounters in the community? What feels familiar or strange? Safe or dangerous? Friendly or hostile? Happy or sad? Pleasant or uncomfortable?
  • Do you sense any barriers to “fitting in” between yourself and the community — language, culture, class, ethnicity, age? What stereotypes about people and places might you have to address to build healthy relationships with people here?
  • How is the Good News of salvation through Christ relevant here? What might it look like if God’s kingdom were realized “on earth as it is in heaven” here in this community? Imagine how your congregation, working alongside members of the community, might participate in helping the neighborhood experience God’s design for a good life.
  • Did your prayerful observations spark any ideas for your Faith in Action project or ongoing ministry in this community? Identify how you could follow up with organizations or individuals in the community.

Close with a time of prayer for the neighborhood and for your congregation’s witness and service there.

Community Observation Guide

Look for evidence of the following:

  • People groups: Who is standing at bus stops, hanging out on street corners, going into businesses, playing in the park, waiting in line at the store? Note ages, ethnicities, languages, and apparent economic status. How much do you see people interacting with one another?
  • Places of activity: A pizza joint crowded with youth, a shopping plaza, a heavily trafficked intersection, playgrounds, school zones
  • Structures: What are the types and conditions of the structures (homes, businesses, roads, parks)? How much “free space” is there in the community? What is the mix of private and public space?
  • Services: Where can people go to shop, eat out, get an education, worship, and receive assistance? What appears to be the quantity and quality of available services? Who is providing services, and who is receiving them?
  • Signs of change: Note which businesses are opening or closing, and if housing is under construction, for sale, or being demolished. Check for languages added to shop signs, and buildings used in ways different from their original purpose. Overall, do conditions appear to be getting better or worse?
  • Signs of hope: Where is there evidence of God’s grace and God’s people at work? Look for churches and nonprofit organizations, playing children, uplifting artwork, Christian symbols, social gatherings, and gardens. Look especially for local assets that could be connected with neighborhood needs.
  • Signs of need: Look for evidence of hardship, hurt or injustice. Is what you see specific to particular areas or affecting the neighborhood as a whole? Be aware that marginalized people and social problems are often hidden, especially in communities that appear well-off.

Adapted with permission from Community Study Guide: Understand Your Church’s Context for Ministry by Heidi Unruh (2007), www.urbanministry.org.

Networking Interviews

The purpose of networking interviews is to learn from people who are knowledgeable about the community, and to make connections that can lead to fruitful service projects and ongoing ministry partnerships. Information from community leaders can help you plan Faith in Action projects that have the most strategic impact.

People to interview may include leaders of local nonprofit agencies, schools, police, churches, civic clubs, neighborhood associations or other groups, and local government. Also seek to identify and contact “unofficial” community leaders like long-time residents.

Interviewing is best done in pairs, with one person asking the questions while the other takes notes. As an alternative to personal interviews, bring a group of leaders together for a panel discussion. Invite representatives from your church’s leadership and the Faith in Action team to be present.

Begin the conversation by identifying yourself and your church. Explain the purpose for the interview (e.g., “Our church is exploring new ways of serving the neighborhood, and we’re interested in learning more about the community and about your role here.”). Afterwards, follow up with a thank-you note to show appreciation for people’s time. You may also invite your contact to join in your Faith in Action events.

Be sensitive to the spiritual and personal concerns of those you contact. Be on the lookout for hidden “family“—brothers and sisters in Christ working for secular organizations. As it seems appropriate, offer to pray for or with people.

The following questions are suggested for meetings with community leaders. However, be sure to allow freedom to let the conversation move “off script.” Use the Networking Log on the next page to keep a record of your contacts, opportunities for partnerships, and follow-up ideas.

Questions for community contacts:

  1. What are the greatest assets and strengths you see here? What gives you hope when you think about this community and its future?
  2. What are your main concerns about life in this community? What do you see as the major social, economic, or cultural challenges here?
  3. What kinds of changes have you seen in the community? Overall, are things getting better or worse?
  4. Finish the sentence: “The most important thing for people to know about this community is …”
  5. Finish the sentence: “This community will be stronger and better for everyone when …”How have you and your organization been working to improve life in the community?
  6. Our church is considering ways to serve this neighborhood. Do you have any suggestions? Are there ways we might support the work of your organization, or partner with you to serve the community?
  7. Can you recommend two other people or organizations that you think we should talk to, to help us learn more about this community?

Networking Log

Record information about each networking visit. Note ideas for service projects, potential partnerships, prayer requests, and follow up.

Date of Contact

Name of Contact Person

Institution

Address

Phone #

Name of Networker(s)

Notes / Follow-up Ideas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adapted with permission from the Becoming a Church That Makes a Difference CD-ROM, by Heidi Unruh and Phil Olson (Word & Deed Network, 2006), www.esa-online.org.

Community Survey

This survey provides your church with a tool to gather information about your neighborhood and community. Conducting a survey can be invaluable if your church is unfamiliar with the community whether you are planning Faith in Action projects, considering ongoing ministry opportunities, or simply looking for ways to get to know your neighbors better.

Surveys are best conducted door-to-door by pairs of church members. This creates opportunities for your congregation to develop relationships and name recognition in the process. A survey can make a lasting impression–on those who conduct the survey and on those they visit. If most church members are not from the neighborhood, considering pairing a church member with a local resident who knows the people in the community. This helps to build trust and credibility.

You also can adapt surveys for use with those served by Faith in Action projects. For example, if your church helps serve a meal at a soup kitchen, invite (don’t require) participation from those who partake in the meal, as well as from regular soup kitchen volunteers. Not only do you get the benefit of the information, you also communicate a message of caring: “Your opinions and ideas matter to us!”

Although the primary purpose of the survey is not evangelistic, you can be sensitive to the spiritual and personal needs of the people you contact. If people have immediate needs, you can ask how the church might be able to help. If you offer prayer or aid, however, be sure you follow up and keep your promises! Enlist volunteers to pray for the needs revealed through the survey.

After finishing each survey, you can give participants an invitation card to join upcoming Faith in Action events. While the purpose of conducting the survey is to gather information, not to attract people to your church, survey participants may ask about your church. To help answer these questions, be sure to have a brochure or flyer that features your church programs and worship services that you can share with them. After each survey is completed, follow up with a thank-you note to residents who completed the survey to show your appreciation for their time. This gives you another opportunity to invite people’s participation in Faith in Action.

On the next page is a sample survey. The questions are open-ended, with space for survey-takers to write in people’s responses. You can adapt or add questions as appropriate. For example, you can list several possible initiatives that are being considered by the church and ask people which ones they think are best suited to their current needs. If you already have a service project in mind, you can change question #3 to ask: “Our church is considering doing …… in this neighborhood. Do you have any suggestions for how you’d like to see us do this?”

Adapted with permission from Becoming a Church That Makes a Difference CD-ROM, by Heidi Unruh and Phil Olson (Word & Deed Network, 2006), www.esa-online.org.

Ideas for Strengthening Community Connections

Faith in Action is designed to enhance your church’s community relations. As a complement to service projects, your church can strengthen this connection by building bridges of relationship and belonging.

Building Bridges of Relationship

In strong communities, people know one another and help one another out in neighborly ways. The key to building relationships is bringing people together around things that everyone enjoys or cares about. Following are some ideas for community-wide activities that can help your congregation get to know your neighbors better, affirm their gifts, and celebrate life together. Building bridges of relationship can be fun!

  • Block party with community pot luck or BBQ
  • Home dinner party exchanges
  • Family game nights
  • Town meeting to address a community concern
  • Community newsletter & coupon booklet
  • “Blessings Barter” goods and services exchange
  • Block chaplains / prayer partners
  • Community-wide yard sale
  • Talent show
  • Spelling bee
  • Appreciation service for public servants (teachers, police, garbage collectors, etc.)
  • Cultural heritage festival
  • “Mini-Olympics” or sports tournament
  • Community garden
  • Your idea:

For more ideas see the workbook Communities First: Community Strengthening by Jay Van Groningen (CRWRC, 2005).

Building Bridges of Belonging

How can your church cultivate a deeper sense of belonging to the community and a growing commitment to its well-being? Following are some ideas for helping the congregation to think about members of the community as “our people.” Notice that these activities can supplement service projects by strengthening connections with the people and organizations involved in Faith in Action.

  • Create a “community affairs” bulletin board with notices of local events, newspaper clippings relevant to the community, information about services, programs of benefit to the community, etc.
  • Encourage congregational patronage of the local economy by distributing lists of restaurants and shops, and by purchasing church supplies and services from community businesses. Start a tradition of eating together after church at a local restaurant once a month or so.
  • Bring a group from the congregation to attend cultural or sports events sponsored by the community.
  • Plan joint events with other local churches or organizations, such as a harvest party, softball game or Easter egg hunt.
  • Form a “crisis response team” that is ready to respond compassionately when tragedy strikes in the community — for example, by bringing meals to a family that has lost a child, organizing a prayer vigil at the site of a shooting, or donating household items after a fire.
  • Set aside a portion of the funds used for internal church care toward a related need in the community. For example, donate a portion of the building fund to a homeless shelter; the budget for children’s ministry may include items for a local day care; a fellowship meal can be combined with a food drive.
  • Offer the church building to host community meetings and events.
  • Encourage church members to report job openings in their place of employment, and distribute this list to local employment offices.
  • Move church events outside the church building, into the community: Sunday school class or committee meetings at a coffee shop, VBS in a local park, youth group at a rec center.
  • Organize “field trips” from the congregation to points of interest in the community such as a museum, tourist attraction, historical site, or entertainment center.
  • Include special events, volunteer opportunities and prayer points related to the community in the church newsletter, bulletin, and calendar.
  • If your church is partnering with a local organization for a Faith in Action service project, invite a representative to a Sunday service to share a brief introduction to their organization.
  • Host a “community forum” with representatives from service agencies and other community leaders (see suggestions for contacting leaders in the “Networking Interviews” tool on this CD).
  • Some communities have a directory of service organizations, cultural sites, government offices, and elected officials. If your community does not have this, consider working collaboratively with local contacts to create one. Make the directory available to the congregation.
  • Your idea:

Which three ideas seem most exciting, achievable, and attractive to your context?

Adapted with permission from Church Mobilization Guide: Equip The Church For Transformational Community Ministry by Heidi Unruh (2007), www.urbanministry.org.

Ministry Participation Survey

Survey Directions

This tool provides an overview of the congregation’s availability, interest, and resources for service. This information can be useful as part of the process of exploring ongoing ministry options after the Faith in Action campaign.

The survey can be adapted to solicit feedback on specific ministry proposals. You can also ask for a more detailed inventory of skills and availability related to a particular ministry (for example, home repair or tutoring).

One suggestion is to hand out the survey immediately following or during a worship service (doing it during the offering time would underscore the concept of offering our time and talents to God through ministry), and allow time for people to fill them out and turn them in. They can also be completed during the Sunday school hour, or distributed to participants at the last Faith in Action small group.

Recruit individuals to organize the information after the forms are collected, and write a report that summarizes the findings. Use the survey to create a database of volunteer information which can be updated as needed.

Adapted with permission from Becoming a Church That Makes a Difference CD-ROM, by Heidi Unruh and Phil Olson (Word & Deed Network, 2006), www.esa-online.org.

Assessing Your Church's Community Involvement

This exercise helps you assess how your church is engaging the community. An accurate picture of the church's strengths, weaknesses, and goals for outreach is useful in helping the church enlarge its capacity to serve its neighbors (see "Building on Faith in Action: Diagnostic Tool").

1. We address community needs primarily …

o Through church-sponsored programs, using our own resources.

o Through referrals to other agencies.

o Through programs operated in partnership with other churches and agencies.

2. Our church is primarily engaged in the community …

o Informally, through interactions by individual members

o Through occasional outreach events

o Through various scattered ministries with little coordination

o Through a few focused ministries with coordinated member involvement

o Other: _____________________________________________________________________

3. Check which of the following are true of the church's community ministries:

o The congregation understands the theological basis for what we do in the community.

o Our programs are grounded in an assessment of the community's assets and needs.

o We maintain a network of relationships with community residents, leaders and partners.

o We know how to develop assistance plans and walk alongside families who request help.

o We have a long-range vision for community transformation.

o We have a coordinated plan for adding new ministries.

o We have a process in place for evaluating and improving our community ministries.

o We offer restoration and hope in Christ to all who are open to spiritual guidance.

4. Our greatest challenges are … (check all that apply)

o We don't know how to connect with people who need help or with community partners.

o We sense our efforts to help people are often abused.

o We can only provide short-term solutions, not real transformation.

o We struggle to mobilize church support for helping people who are not members.

o The people we help don't seem interested in the gospel or in our church.

o Community needs are overwhelming; we don't know where to start.

o We aren't equipped to plan or manage community-oriented programs.

o We don't have enough resources to engage in substantial ministry.

o We are uncomfortable dealing with people from a different ethnicity, culture or economic class.

o Other: _____________________________________________________________________

5. Our church's vision for community ministry is … (check all that apply)

o To help meet the urgent needs of people seeking help.

o To see church and community members live transformed, spiritually vital, fruitful lives.

o To break the yoke of oppression in the form of generational poverty, addictions, and abuse.

o To help the community become a better place to live (better jobs, improved environment, etc.).

o To make improvements in community social life – how people interact and live together.

o To see churches and organizations working cooperatively to make life better for everyone.

o To help break down the racial, cultural and economic barriers that keep people divided.

o To unleash gifts in the community, helping neighbors work together on shared goals.

o To improve political and economic systems so that life is more fair and just for everyone.

o Other: _____________________________________________________________________

Adapted with permission from Ministry Inventory Guide: Assess Your Church’s Ministry Capacity and Identity by Heidi Unruh (2007), www.urbanministry.org. Original source: Jay Van Groningen, Communities First: Through God's Eyes, With God's Heart (Center on Faith in Communities, 2005), p. 4-5.

Building on Faith in Action: Diagnostic Tool

Your church is on a Faith in Action journey to "BE the church" in ministry to neighbors near and far. There are many potential paths you could pursue toward that goal. Which of the following action areas would most help your church expand its involvement in effective outreach? Take into consideration the current status of your church's external ministry (see the tool "Assessing Your Church's Community Involvement"), Try to identify two or three key priorities. Then follow up on the next page.

External orientation: embrace a commitment to outreach mission as part of the church's DNA, integral to the church's organizational structure

Spiritual foundation: help the congregation deepen their grasp of the biblical calling to faith in action and renew their spiritual commitment

Expand awareness: enlarge the congregation's understanding of the needs in our nation and world, the principles of transformational development, and stories of effective ministry models

Seed ministry: motivate the congregation through first-step service projects or mission trips that expose people to needs and to the experience of serving others

Transformational approach: reorient current ministries to move beyond giving material aid to nurture relationships with people in need; beyond individual needs to community-wide dimensions of social problems; and beyond "band-aid" relief to long-term development

Spiritual nurture: take steps to enrich the spiritual life of outreach staff and volunteers, and to provide spiritual care for those served by compassion ministries

Community connections: research needs and assets in the community to better come alongside the church's neighbors; network and build bridges of caring and solidarity

Ministry vision: move strategically toward practical ministry goals grounded in the desires of community stakeholders, the church's capacity and the Spirit's leading

Program development: organize plans for new outreach programs; expand knowledge and skills related to effective ministry strategies, activities and administration

Ministry partnerships: identify and build relationships with individuals, institutions and other churches with common kingdom goals

Ministry resources: develop a base of funds, volunteers, and other resources needed to implement a ministry vision

Volunteer mobilization: equip and energize the congregation to participate actively in the ministry vision

Invitational outreach: encourage the congregation to draw in unchurched friends and neighbors through the church's community ministry

Leadership development: equip current and emerging leaders to guide the church's ministry journey and effectively manage ministry programs

Best-practice mentoring: Seek to learn from other churches more experienced in holistic, transformational ministry

Other: (You describe here.)

Follow up:

What specific actions or resources can help you take the steps you have identified?

(contacts, curriculum, training programs, models, partners, consultants, conferences, volunteer resources, books, websites, retreat, prayer summit, ministry exposure trips, vision team, etc.)

 

See the list of "Resources on Church-Based Community Ministry."

Adapted with permission from Ministry Inventory Guide: Assess Your Church’s Ministry Capacity and Identity by Heidi Unruh (2007), www.urbanministry.org.

more

The Church has left the building

Faith in Action is a 4-week, church-wide campaign that creates in your congregation an outward focus and a heart to serve. Faith in Action culminates in a Sunday where regular services are cancelled and the entire congregation engages in service projects in, and with, the community.

Biblical Principles for the Church's Outreach Ministry

 

Read more

Networking Interviews

The purpose of networking interviews is to learn from people who are knowledgeable about the community, and to make connections that can lead to fruitful service projects and ongoing ministry partnerships. Information from community leaders can help you plan Faith in Action projects that have the most strategic impact.

People to interview may include leaders of local nonprofit agencies, schools, police, churches, civic clubs, neighborhood associations or other groups, and local government. Also seek to identify and contact “unofficial” community leaders like long-time residents.

Interviewing is best done in pairs, with one person asking the questions while the other takes notes. As an alternative to personal interviews, bring a group of leaders together for a panel discussion. Invite representatives from your church’s leadership and the Faith in Action team to be present.

Begin the conversation by identifying yourself and your church. Explain the purpose for the interview (e.g., “Our church is exploring new ways of serving the neighborhood, and we’re interested in learning more about the community and about your role here.”). Afterwards, follow up with a thank-you note to show appreciation for people’s time. You may also invite your contact to join in your Faith in Action events.

Be sensitive to the spiritual and personal concerns of those you contact. Be on the lookout for hidden “family“—brothers and sisters in Christ working for secular organizations. As it seems appropriate, offer to pray for or with people.

The following questions are suggested for meetings with community leaders. However, be sure to allow freedom to let the conversation move “off script.” Use the Networking Log on the next page to keep a record of your contacts, opportunities for partnerships, and follow-up ideas.

Questions for community contacts:

  1. What are the greatest assets and strengths you see here? What gives you hope when you think about this community and its future?
  2. What are your main concerns about life in this community? What do you see as the major social, economic, or cultural challenges here?
  3. What kinds of changes have you seen in the community? Overall, are things getting better or worse?
  4. Finish the sentence: “The most important thing for people to know about this community is …”
  5. Finish the sentence: “This community will be stronger and better for everyone when …”How have you and your organization been working to improve life in the community?
  6. Our church is considering ways to serve this neighborhood. Do you have any suggestions? Are there ways we might support the work of your organization, or partner with you to serve the community?
  7. Can you recommend two other people or organizations that you think we should talk to, to help us learn more about this community?

Networking Log

Record information about each networking visit. Note ideas for service projects, potential partnerships, prayer requests, and follow up.

Date of Contact

Name of Contact Person

Institution

Address

Phone #

Name of Networker(s)

Notes / Follow-up Ideas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adapted with permission from the Becoming a Church That Makes a Difference CD-ROM, by Heidi Unruh and Phil Olson (Word & Deed Network, 2006), www.esa-online.org.

Guide to Prayer-Walking and Observation in the Community

What is prayer-walking? One simple definition: “Praying on-site with insight.” The purpose of prayer-walking is to seek God’s guidance, mercy, and transforming power—both for the community, and for ourselves as God’s servants in the community.

Become more aware of what you see while you walk and pray by connecting prayer-walking with structured observation (see the guidelines for community observation on page 3). The discussion questions in the observation guide can help participants “debrief” after a prayer-walking experience.

Prayer-walking and observation can be a valuable tool for identifying needs and partners for Faith in Action service projects, becoming more familiar with the community you will be serving, and preparing project teams spiritually for the outreach.

Guidelines for prayer-walking

  • Meet at an assigned time and start with group prayer.
  • Walk in groups of two or three. Plan your routes ahead of time to cover as much of the area as possible.
  • Pray aloud in a quiet, conversational voice, if you feel comfortable doing so. Or pray silently, letting your prayer partner(s) know what you are praying about. Don’t call attention to yourselves. As the Waymakers website puts it, “You can be on the scene without making one.”
  • If anyone asks what you are doing, be prepared to respond: “We’re praying God’s blessing on this neighborhood. Is there any special way we can pray for you?”
  • Although it is not the primary purpose of prayer-walking, be open to opportunities to interact with and bless people that may grow out of your experience. The Waymakers website explains the connection between prayer-walking and faith in action:

As you pray God’s promises with specific homes or work sites in view, you’ll find that hope for those people begins to grow. You’ll begin to see people as God might view them. You’ll likely find yourself becoming more interested in the welfare of the people you are praying for. … Watch for the ways God impresses you to display his love in practical acts of kindness.

  • Plan to walk for about half an hour. If anyone in your group is not comfortable with walking, they can prayer-drive around the neighborhood instead.
  • Afterwards, gather to share your prayers, observations and experiences. What did you learn about the neighborhood? How was God manifest in this experience?
  • Encourage people to continue praying for the community during the week.

How do you pray?

Here are some pointers:

  • Pray for discernment — Seek the gift of seeing the community through Christ’s “lens,” and to discern what God is already doing there; ask God to show you how you can pray with greater insight for the people, events, and places in the community.
  • Pray for blessing – Pray over every person, home and business you encounter; for God’s intervention in each life, so that each one can be fruitful in God’s kingdom; for God’s will to be done in this community “as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).
  • Pray with empathy — See and feel what residents live with every day; offer intercession for those things that express brokenness and grieve God’s spirit, and give thanks to God for the blessings and gifts that exist in the community.
  • Pray from Scripture — Prayers based directly on God’s word can be especially powerful. You may want to bring a Bible with key passages highlighted, or copy verses onto note cards.
  • Pray in God’s power — allow times of silence for God’s spirit to speak to you, or through you (Romans 8:26). Ask with confidence in the power of Jesus’ name (John 14:12-14). Like the disciples sent out by Christ, we are empowered to push back the darkness (Luke 10:17-18).

(Read more about prayer-walking and download detailed guides at www.waymakers.org/prayerwalking.html; also see Jay Van Groningen, Communities First [CRWRC, 2005], pages 30-31)

Guidelines for community observation

Even if you have been in a community for a long time, you can learn to see the familiar with new eyes, alert to indicators of need as well as signs of God’s reign.

Walk through as much of the community as you are able; if the area is far-flung, or if the weather is bad, a driving (“windshield”) survey is another option. If possible, ask a resident to give you a guided tour of the neighborhood.

Open your observation time by asking God to allow you to see with his eyes of love and discernment. You can combine observation with more in-depth prayer for the community and/or with a neighborhood survey (see the sample survey on the Faith in Action resource CD). Consider completing this exercise more than once, with a different focus for your observations and prayers each time.

Use the categories on the next page to organize your observations. Respect the dignity of community members by recording your notes as unobtrusively as possible. Be present as servants, not tourists!

After the visit, take time as a group to compare notes and reflect on your observations. Discuss the following:

  • What positive qualities, opportunities and benefits does the community have to offer? What are signs that God is already at work in the neighborhood? Identify potential partners (people, churches, organizations) that the church could come alongside in serving the community.
  • What needs and concerns are in evidence? What do you see that might detract from people’s quality of life or hinder people from developing their potential? What challenges are people likely to face as they go about their daily life?
  • How might community residents view your congregation? Would you be perceived as allies, foreigners, friends, helpers, annoyances, or simply irrelevant?
  • Take note of your own response to what you see. What kinds of “vibes” do you get from your encounters in the community? What feels familiar or strange? Safe or dangerous? Friendly or hostile? Happy or sad? Pleasant or uncomfortable?
  • Do you sense any barriers to “fitting in” between yourself and the community — language, culture, class, ethnicity, age? What stereotypes about people and places might you have to address to build healthy relationships with people here?
  • How is the Good News of salvation through Christ relevant here? What might it look like if God’s kingdom were realized “on earth as it is in heaven” here in this community? Imagine how your congregation, working alongside members of the community, might participate in helping the neighborhood experience God’s design for a good life.
  • Did your prayerful observations spark any ideas for your Faith in Action project or ongoing ministry in this community? Identify how you could follow up with organizations or individuals in the community.

Close with a time of prayer for the neighborhood and for your congregation’s witness and service there.

Community Observation Guide

Look for evidence of the following:

  • People groups: Who is standing at bus stops, hanging out on street corners, going into businesses, playing in the park, waiting in line at the store? Note ages, ethnicities, languages, and apparent economic status. How much do you see people interacting with one another?
  • Places of activity: A pizza joint crowded with youth, a shopping plaza, a heavily trafficked intersection, playgrounds, school zones
  • Structures: What are the types and conditions of the structures (homes, businesses, roads, parks)? How much “free space” is there in the community? What is the mix of private and public space?
  • Services: Where can people go to shop, eat out, get an education, worship, and receive assistance? What appears to be the quantity and quality of available services? Who is providing services, and who is receiving them?
  • Signs of change: Note which businesses are opening or closing, and if housing is under construction, for sale, or being demolished. Check for languages added to shop signs, and buildings used in ways different from their original purpose. Overall, do conditions appear to be getting better or worse?
  • Signs of hope: Where is there evidence of God’s grace and God’s people at work? Look for churches and nonprofit organizations, playing children, uplifting artwork, Christian symbols, social gatherings, and gardens. Look especially for local assets that could be connected with neighborhood needs.
  • Signs of need: Look for evidence of hardship, hurt or injustice. Is what you see specific to particular areas or affecting the neighborhood as a whole? Be aware that marginalized people and social problems are often hidden, especially in communities that appear well-off.

Adapted with permission from Community Study Guide: Understand Your Church’s Context for Ministry by Heidi Unruh (2007), www.urbanministry.org.

Inspiration for Faith in Action: Imagine Your Church...

The first of Steven Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is: “Start with the end in mind.” So imagine: What would it look like to “BE the church?” What might be possible?

Imagine what your church would be like if its entire life was consumed by finding ways to live out its faith and mirror God’s love, as taught and modeled by Jesus.

Imagine your church, filled with God’s spirit, being of one mind and one body as it brings its life into line with God’s great dream of restoring the world under the lordship of Christ. Imagine every one of your church’s members fully committed to seeing God’s dream become a reality.

Imagine your church having one central objective for every Sunday-school session, small group and committee meeting: to equip its members for living and sharing more effectively God’s love in the world.

Imagine your church joyfully recognizing and putting to full use the gifts and capacities God has given you. And imagine members desiring nothing more in life than to develop those gifts for the purpose of offering them back to God in passionate, life-long witness and service to others.

Imagine your church taking a bold step of faith into ministry … and then another … and another, until an ethos of outreach is deeply woven into the fabric of your congregation.

Imagine your church being so welcoming of sinners, so filled with compassion, that word of your love and care spreads throughout your community, and even around the world.

Imagine your church being sought out by those experiencing injustice, because you have become known for insisting on just relationships and fair treatment of those who are most vulnerable, and for loving your enemies.

Imagine your church so connected with people – both within and outside the church – that you begin to reach their deepest hurts and needs, offering healing to the broken and extending open arms to people of diverse racial, cultural and economic backgrounds.

Imagine your church designing and conducting worship experiences that celebrate what God is doing in your neighborhood and around the world, and that regularly invite each member to explore and expand their participation in these God-inspired initiatives.

Imagine your church being committed to daily intercessory prayer for your neighbors, your co-workers, your family and friends, and your nation’s leaders.

Imagine your church being the best window that seekers have into the life God intended.

Imagine your community becoming a better place to live, and a little more like heaven, because your church is in it. Imagine that if your church left the community, you would be missed.

Imagine your church sharing this vision and experience of new life in Christ with a neighboring congregation. And you discover that you are both hatching a desire to reach out together. And you link with a third church, then a fourth. You learn, share and grow together. This community of churches begins anointing people from among you to share God’s mission in neighborhoods both near and far.

Imagine … and BE the church!

Adapted with permission from Becoming a Church That Makes a Difference CD-ROM, by Heidi Unruh and Phil Olson (Word & Deed Network, 2006), www.esa-online.org.Original source: James Krabill, “Does Your Church ‘Smell’ Like Mission?” Reflections on Becoming a Missional Church, MissioDei #2 (Mennonite Mission Network, 2003).

Community Survey

This survey provides your church with a tool to gather information about your neighborhood and community. Conducting a survey can be invaluable if your church is unfamiliar with the community whether you are planning Faith in Action projects, considering ongoing ministry opportunities, or simply looking for ways to get to know your neighbors better.

Surveys are best conducted door-to-door by pairs of church members. This creates opportunities for your congregation to develop relationships and name recognition in the process. A survey can make a lasting impression–on those who conduct the survey and on those they visit. If most church members are not from the neighborhood, considering pairing a church member with a local resident who knows the people in the community. This helps to build trust and credibility.

You also can adapt surveys for use with those served by Faith in Action projects. For example, if your church helps serve a meal at a soup kitchen, invite (don’t require) participation from those who partake in the meal, as well as from regular soup kitchen volunteers. Not only do you get the benefit of the information, you also communicate a message of caring: “Your opinions and ideas matter to us!”

Although the primary purpose of the survey is not evangelistic, you can be sensitive to the spiritual and personal needs of the people you contact. If people have immediate needs, you can ask how the church might be able to help. If you offer prayer or aid, however, be sure you follow up and keep your promises! Enlist volunteers to pray for the needs revealed through the survey.

After finishing each survey, you can give participants an invitation card to join upcoming Faith in Action events. While the purpose of conducting the survey is to gather information, not to attract people to your church, survey participants may ask about your church. To help answer these questions, be sure to have a brochure or flyer that features your church programs and worship services that you can share with them. After each survey is completed, follow up with a thank-you note to residents who completed the survey to show your appreciation for their time. This gives you another opportunity to invite people’s participation in Faith in Action.

On the next page is a sample survey. The questions are open-ended, with space for survey-takers to write in people’s responses. You can adapt or add questions as appropriate. For example, you can list several possible initiatives that are being considered by the church and ask people which ones they think are best suited to their current needs. If you already have a service project in mind, you can change question #3 to ask: “Our church is considering doing …… in this neighborhood. Do you have any suggestions for how you’d like to see us do this?”

Adapted with permission from Becoming a Church That Makes a Difference CD-ROM, by Heidi Unruh and Phil Olson (Word & Deed Network, 2006), www.esa-online.org.

Ideas for Strengthening Community Connections

Faith in Action is designed to enhance your church’s community relations. As a complement to service projects, your church can strengthen this connection by building bridges of relationship and belonging.

Building Bridges of Relationship

In strong communities, people know one another and help one another out in neighborly ways. The key to building relationships is bringing people together around things that everyone enjoys or cares about. Following are some ideas for community-wide activities that can help your congregation get to know your neighbors better, affirm their gifts, and celebrate life together. Building bridges of relationship can be fun!

  • Block party with community pot luck or BBQ
  • Home dinner party exchanges
  • Family game nights
  • Town meeting to address a community concern
  • Community newsletter & coupon booklet
  • “Blessings Barter” goods and services exchange
  • Block chaplains / prayer partners
  • Community-wide yard sale
  • Talent show
  • Spelling bee
  • Appreciation service for public servants (teachers, police, garbage collectors, etc.)
  • Cultural heritage festival
  • “Mini-Olympics” or sports tournament
  • Community garden
  • Your idea:

For more ideas see the workbook Communities First: Community Strengthening by Jay Van Groningen (CRWRC, 2005).

Building Bridges of Belonging

How can your church cultivate a deeper sense of belonging to the community and a growing commitment to its well-being? Following are some ideas for helping the congregation to think about members of the community as “our people.” Notice that these activities can supplement service projects by strengthening connections with the people and organizations involved in Faith in Action.

  • Create a “community affairs” bulletin board with notices of local events, newspaper clippings relevant to the community, information about services, programs of benefit to the community, etc.
  • Encourage congregational patronage of the local economy by distributing lists of restaurants and shops, and by purchasing church supplies and services from community businesses. Start a tradition of eating together after church at a local restaurant once a month or so.
  • Bring a group from the congregation to attend cultural or sports events sponsored by the community.
  • Plan joint events with other local churches or organizations, such as a harvest party, softball game or Easter egg hunt.
  • Form a “crisis response team” that is ready to respond compassionately when tragedy strikes in the community — for example, by bringing meals to a family that has lost a child, organizing a prayer vigil at the site of a shooting, or donating household items after a fire.
  • Set aside a portion of the funds used for internal church care toward a related need in the community. For example, donate a portion of the building fund to a homeless shelter; the budget for children’s ministry may include items for a local day care; a fellowship meal can be combined with a food drive.
  • Offer the church building to host community meetings and events.
  • Encourage church members to report job openings in their place of employment, and distribute this list to local employment offices.
  • Move church events outside the church building, into the community: Sunday school class or committee meetings at a coffee shop, VBS in a local park, youth group at a rec center.
  • Organize “field trips” from the congregation to points of interest in the community such as a museum, tourist attraction, historical site, or entertainment center.
  • Include special events, volunteer opportunities and prayer points related to the community in the church newsletter, bulletin, and calendar.
  • If your church is partnering with a local organization for a Faith in Action service project, invite a representative to a Sunday service to share a brief introduction to their organization.
  • Host a “community forum” with representatives from service agencies and other community leaders (see suggestions for contacting leaders in the “Networking Interviews” tool on this CD).
  • Some communities have a directory of service organizations, cultural sites, government offices, and elected officials. If your community does not have this, consider working collaboratively with local contacts to create one. Make the directory available to the congregation.
  • Your idea:

Which three ideas seem most exciting, achievable, and attractive to your context?

Adapted with permission from Church Mobilization Guide: Equip The Church For Transformational Community Ministry by Heidi Unruh (2007), www.urbanministry.org.

Ministry Participation Survey

Survey Directions

This tool provides an overview of the congregation’s availability, interest, and resources for service. This information can be useful as part of the process of exploring ongoing ministry options after the Faith in Action campaign.

The survey can be adapted to solicit feedback on specific ministry proposals. You can also ask for a more detailed inventory of skills and availability related to a particular ministry (for example, home repair or tutoring).

One suggestion is to hand out the survey immediately following or during a worship service (doing it during the offering time would underscore the concept of offering our time and talents to God through ministry), and allow time for people to fill them out and turn them in. They can also be completed during the Sunday school hour, or distributed to participants at the last Faith in Action small group.

Recruit individuals to organize the information after the forms are collected, and write a report that summarizes the findings. Use the survey to create a database of volunteer information which can be updated as needed.

Adapted with permission from Becoming a Church That Makes a Difference CD-ROM, by Heidi Unruh and Phil Olson (Word & Deed Network, 2006), www.esa-online.org.

Assessing Your Church's Community Involvement

This exercise helps you assess how your church is engaging the community. An accurate picture of the church's strengths, weaknesses, and goals for outreach is useful in helping the church enlarge its capacity to serve its neighbors (see "Building on Faith in Action: Diagnostic Tool").

1. We address community needs primarily …

o Through church-sponsored programs, using our own resources.

o Through referrals to other agencies.

o Through programs operated in partnership with other churches and agencies.

2. Our church is primarily engaged in the community …

o Informally, through interactions by individual members

o Through occasional outreach events

o Through various scattered ministries with little coordination

o Through a few focused ministries with coordinated member involvement

o Other: _____________________________________________________________________

3. Check which of the following are true of the church's community ministries:

o The congregation understands the theological basis for what we do in the community.

o Our programs are grounded in an assessment of the community's assets and needs.

o We maintain a network of relationships with community residents, leaders and partners.

o We know how to develop assistance plans and walk alongside families who request help.

o We have a long-range vision for community transformation.

o We have a coordinated plan for adding new ministries.

o We have a process in place for evaluating and improving our community ministries.

o We offer restoration and hope in Christ to all who are open to spiritual guidance.

4. Our greatest challenges are … (check all that apply)

o We don't know how to connect with people who need help or with community partners.

o We sense our efforts to help people are often abused.

o We can only provide short-term solutions, not real transformation.

o We struggle to mobilize church support for helping people who are not members.

o The people we help don't seem interested in the gospel or in our church.

o Community needs are overwhelming; we don't know where to start.

o We aren't equipped to plan or manage community-oriented programs.

o We don't have enough resources to engage in substantial ministry.

o We are uncomfortable dealing with people from a different ethnicity, culture or economic class.

o Other: _____________________________________________________________________

5. Our church's vision for community ministry is … (check all that apply)

o To help meet the urgent needs of people seeking help.

o To see church and community members live transformed, spiritually vital, fruitful lives.

o To break the yoke of oppression in the form of generational poverty, addictions, and abuse.

o To help the community become a better place to live (better jobs, improved environment, etc.).

o To make improvements in community social life – how people interact and live together.

o To see churches and organizations working cooperatively to make life better for everyone.

o To help break down the racial, cultural and economic barriers that keep people divided.

o To unleash gifts in the community, helping neighbors work together on shared goals.

o To improve political and economic systems so that life is more fair and just for everyone.

o Other: _____________________________________________________________________

Adapted with permission from Ministry Inventory Guide: Assess Your Church’s Ministry Capacity and Identity by Heidi Unruh (2007), www.urbanministry.org. Original source: Jay Van Groningen, Communities First: Through God's Eyes, With God's Heart (Center on Faith in Communities, 2005), p. 4-5.

Building on Faith in Action: Diagnostic Tool

Your church is on a Faith in Action journey to "BE the church" in ministry to neighbors near and far. There are many potential paths you could pursue toward that goal. Which of the following action areas would most help your church expand its involvement in effective outreach? Take into consideration the current status of your church's external ministry (see the tool "Assessing Your Church's Community Involvement"), Try to identify two or three key priorities. Then follow up on the next page.

External orientation: embrace a commitment to outreach mission as part of the church's DNA, integral to the church's organizational structure

Spiritual foundation: help the congregation deepen their grasp of the biblical calling to faith in action and renew their spiritual commitment

Expand awareness: enlarge the congregation's understanding of the needs in our nation and world, the principles of transformational development, and stories of effective ministry models

Seed ministry: motivate the congregation through first-step service projects or mission trips that expose people to needs and to the experience of serving others

Transformational approach: reorient current ministries to move beyond giving material aid to nurture relationships with people in need; beyond individual needs to community-wide dimensions of social problems; and beyond "band-aid" relief to long-term development

Spiritual nurture: take steps to enrich the spiritual life of outreach staff and volunteers, and to provide spiritual care for those served by compassion ministries

Community connections: research needs and assets in the community to better come alongside the church's neighbors; network and build bridges of caring and solidarity

Ministry vision: move strategically toward practical ministry goals grounded in the desires of community stakeholders, the church's capacity and the Spirit's leading

Program development: organize plans for new outreach programs; expand knowledge and skills related to effective ministry strategies, activities and administration

Ministry partnerships: identify and build relationships with individuals, institutions and other churches with common kingdom goals

Ministry resources: develop a base of funds, volunteers, and other resources needed to implement a ministry vision

Volunteer mobilization: equip and energize the congregation to participate actively in the ministry vision

Invitational outreach: encourage the congregation to draw in unchurched friends and neighbors through the church's community ministry

Leadership development: equip current and emerging leaders to guide the church's ministry journey and effectively manage ministry programs

Best-practice mentoring: Seek to learn from other churches more experienced in holistic, transformational ministry

Other: (You describe here.)

Follow up:

What specific actions or resources can help you take the steps you have identified?

(contacts, curriculum, training programs, models, partners, consultants, conferences, volunteer resources, books, websites, retreat, prayer summit, ministry exposure trips, vision team, etc.)

 

See the list of "Resources on Church-Based Community Ministry."

Adapted with permission from Ministry Inventory Guide: Assess Your Church’s Ministry Capacity and Identity by Heidi Unruh (2007), www.urbanministry.org.

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