Reflections on Community Ministry
The Community Catalyst SPE peer group shares the lessons they learned about community ministry from visits to churches in the U.S. and abroad.
- Community ministry is ministry “with” and not “to” the community. It is a partnership. Community members should play a role in planning and carrying out the ministry.
- Congregations must allow “our” church to become “their” church. The new partners in ministry must feel as though the church is theirs as much as the original members do.
- Community ministries offer an opportunity for members to put their faith into action and develop a more holistic spirituality.
- The impetus for engaging in community ministry varies widely, from the threat of closure to a listening process aimed at discerning local needs, concerns and issues. Whatever the precipitating event, church members should establish the ministry on the understanding that they are the Body of Christ, called to serve.
- To ensure funding and long-term support, the church must be able to build broad partnerships with other churches and secular organizations such as social service organizations, food banks, health care providers and others.
- Long-term, committed pastoral leadership is necessary, but it’s not the pastor’s job alone. Indeed, pastoral leadership can become stifling if the church doesn’t also develop committed lay leaders.
- Pastoral leadership of community ministry requires skills that are rarely taught in seminary: demographic analysis, community organizing, grant writing, community development theory and practice, the art of one-on-one conversation, listening to the community, discernment of gifts and needs, identifying community resources, midwifery of the ministry dreams of others and working in an ecumenical context.
- Community ministry often emerges through lay leadership and commitment. The congregation needs to be careful to ensure that vitality is not lost or diminished if it chooses to hire paid staff to take on the work.
- Discipleship is built upon relationships, and so is successful community ministry. Evangelism and community ministry go hand in hand.
- Ongoing spiritual disciplines such as prayer, retreats, Bible study and peer support groups are essential to sustain energy and vitality for community ministry.
