A New Kind of Expression
To live out the Great Commission is to live out our Christianity beyond the Sunday morning church service. Bearing witness is to embody Christ and publicly testify to him everywhere we find ourselves. But witnessing is not enough—we are called to make disciples, to actually help in the furthering of God’s Kingdom on earth by growing more Christians (followers and worshippers of Christ) and we are called to do this in all nations. The Greek word used for “nation” is ethnos which means race or tribe.
Jesus is saying that this gospel is to be shared beyond the boundaries
of Jerusalem, to wherever people are, regardless of their race or
tribe. For the In, For, and With Community Church Network, the Great
Commission’s expression takes on some unique forms, one of which is the
Community Liaison program. |
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A community liaison can be an In, For, and With the Community Church participant or a neighbor who is not a Christian but lives in our local neighborhood. Their goal is to have a designated number (say 10) “listening conversations” during the course of a month. These conversations are held with neighbors and the purpose is to find out what that neighbor is interested in seeing different in the neighborhood and how they’d like to participate in making that difference happen. There are three questions asked of the neighbor: if you could make one good thing happen in the next year in this neighborhood, what would it be; what skills, strengths, assets, or abilities do you have to contribute to making this one thing happen; and if there are others in the neighborhood who desire to see the same thing happen, would you work with them to fulfill that good thing. This community development practice calls neighbors into action for the good of the community and has tremendous implications on the neighborhood. Here the church does not as much “do for” the neighborhood as it really acts as a catalyst for what is already in the neighborhood. This may not be direct disciple making per say, but it does call the church to “go” and for the community liaisons who are not Christians, it calls them to recognize the church as valuing the very places they “go” to. In a sense, for the church to develop and operate a community liaison program is to practice theologies of place, neighbor, and community with no strings attached thus our love for God and neighbors is personified in community development work. For information on Roosevelt Community Church visit their website by clicking here. | |
