Monday, January 09, 2006

Working together

I am on a board of directors for an organization that works extensively in the inner city. Some of the projects that we are involved in are.

- Affordable housing throught the neighborhood home ownership program.
- A ten room house that provides mentering and support to single moms who are in school.
- Affordable rentals.
- A Male youth lodge. A place that provides support to troubled youth.
- Employment and training services.
- Small business mentoring.

Those things to name a few. We are in the process of getting a grocery store in the heart of the inner city. It is very frustrating driving out of my neighborhood to buy groceries.

Anyway when I go to these meetings I cant help but think about a christian's involvement in a secular establishment. Too many times we get into christian boxes and we can only relate in the christian spheres. I have been pondering lately what the heart of God is on this matter. I ask questions like 'what would it look like if christian organizations partnered with organizations like the one I am involved in'? I think that God can use non christian organizations to fulfill his purposes on this earth. His heart is to provide for us. His heart is to care for the poor. His heart is to see that his children have food and eligible housing. His heart is that people would be mentored in workmanship and budgeting.

I would love to see what God would do if christian ministries would partner with non christian organizations. I think that we would be a lot closer to the biblical model of being in the world but not part of it.

Think about it for moment. A ministry that feeds the poor has regular people coming in and they build a relationship with people. Then when they find out specific needs, they can refer as needed. Someone that visits the soup kitchen could get their own house by a simple referral.
There is something about this. I dont have it all together but Gods heart is that we would 'blend' in amongst the world.

I remember years back I had a huge heart to see the christian ministries in the inner city come together to minister the love of Jesus together. If you walk down the street in the inner city, count how many ministries are out there each block. That is good. However it is the heart of God that ministries would partner together. One ministry cannot provide everything. In a sense it would define the body of Christ. If one ministry gift is feeding the poor, they should do that well. If another ministries gift is preaching the word, they can do that well. There is something that the cities are missing by ministries not coming together.....how did I get on this?? Oh right, I want to see what God's intention is to use christians and non christians to work together to fulfill his purposes. We are called to be lights in the darkness...sheeps among wolves...gentle as doves, shrewd as snakes...
What that looks like I do not know but there is much relationship building that needs to be done. Wityh and without christians!


3 comments:

Princess Warrior said...

I really like this thought and completely agree with you. I hope one day I will be able to be a part of this sort of thing.

N said...

"We are called to be lights in the darkness...sheep among wolves...gentle as doves, shrewd as snakes...
What that looks like I do not know but there is much relationship building that needs to be done"


Perhaps it's not that christian organizations should partner with secular ones, but rather simply that christians volunteer with secular organizations. Faceless, nameless.

CWG said...

very good point my friend. Thanks:)