Family Life

05.07.09 | Emily Oliver

A heart to see the whole church taking the whole gospel to the whole city; that's what the City Reachers conference was about Monday in Syracuse. Several church and ministry leaders from Jamestown to Brooklyn met to navigate what has been unknown territory for too long...Pastors and churches working together to reach their communities for Christ. Topics of discussion included stepping out of the comfort zone, getting out into the community instead of sitting in the church waiting for the community to come in, and simply loving people.
Facilitating the conversations was Dr. Glenn Barth, Jr., whose mission statement is "to mobilize the church in cities and communities for the transformation of lives and institutions under the Lordship of Christ", and offering guidance and sharing from his own personal experiences was Dr. John Perkins. Dr. Perkins is a sharecropper's son who fled from his home in Mississippi at a young age when his brother was murdered by a town Marshall. Several years later Dr. Perkins accepted Jesus into his heart and began to understand the importance of community. So, he returned to his small Mississippi town and started a ministry called Voice of Calvary. This ministry was committed to sharing Christ as well as engaging in community development.
Why is it that we're so afraid to venture out into our communities? Is it because we're afraid of what we might find? Afraid of those we'll have to interact with, or afraid we might have to share in the struggles of someone else's life? Maybe we'll come face to face with the unlovables or maybe it's because we might be confronted with the sin in our own lives, when we realize we haven't obeyed the greatest command Jesus gave. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind and love your neighbor as yourself.
And so I ask, do you know your neighbor, like really know them? What's their favorite color or a hobby they love to do? Is there enough food on their shelves to make it through the week, does a single mom need a break, or does an elderly member of your community just need a listening ear?
When we step outside the comfort zone and are willing to serve and love the people God has placed in our path it's amazing how our hearts can be transformed.