What’s the equivalent in a congregation to the things in our homes that always disappear? You know what I’m talking about – socks, bobby pins, chargers, staplers, and the list goes on.
Community outreach programs are often the things that go missing in local churches, unnoticed until it’s too late.
A youth ministry that was established in the 90’s might very well still be in existence today. But the local community strategy or food drive of last summer? It’s probably long forgotten by now. It’s interesting that our missional efforts are events that are so short-lived, but it is not entirely surprising. You see, if we do not build something with the aim of it lasting a long time, it won’t.
Missional is a buzzword right now and very few people actually take the time to learn its (true, full) meaning. It’s time for Christians to get serious about designing community outreach strategies that last. Without it, we will struggle to connect with people in the community, communicate the gospel effectively, demonstrate compassion to the needy or promote social justice through faith.
This post will discover three key community outreach strategies for Christians that wish to challenge the norm and build long-lasting and effective modes of mission.
The benefits of local community outreaches
In most settings, it is true that the main difference between a mission trip and a community outreach program is the timeline. While a mission trip usually lasts a week or two, we expect a community outreach program to become part of our weekly routine. After all, we want to be a people who do not only talk about the things of God… We want to have spaces to practically live our faith out.
Trevin Wax wrote the following in a Gospel Coalition post: “When you’re living on a mission field, your goals are further out. Your every minute is not stressful. You don’t just parachute in and out of the society you’re in. You become a part of it.” He was writing this from the perspective of someone who went from going on a short-term trip to becoming a full-time missionary, but the same can be said for your local community outreach too. These are the 4 main benefits of what you’re trying to do:
- You are living on the mission field – right where you are!
- You get to have longer-term goals!
- You can embrace a slower pace!
- You could become deeply embedded in the community you’re serving!
So, how do we do it? How do we get away from creating yet another “disposable” outreach strategy? The answer is simple and it can be summarized in three steps: Design, Implement, and Oversee.
#1 Design
This is very important: It starts with your personal discipleship relationship with Jesus… your soul care. In essence, missional living is about: Looking around you and discerning where God is, what He is doing, and how He is inviting you to join Him. What will your community outreach do? Is it redemption, reconciliation, restoration, or renewal?
Secondly, it is essential at this first step in the process to make sure your community service project is aligned with the mission of God. Then, you will move on to finding a strategy that brings a team around you. At this stage, you also want to learn about the cultures and worldviews of the people to whom you’ll be ministering and the context you’re working with. Do you understand their needs and know how to effectively share the Good News with them? It is a great idea to engage youth, students, or senior adults in community outreach projects since they generally have more time and availability for things like this. However, the primary role of the family in mission should not be underestimated. One idea is to create a prayer and intercession team whose sole purpose is carrying the mission in prayer.
The best community service ideas
There is wisdom to be found in partnering with what God is already doing in your community, rather than starting a new thing on your own. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. A great place to start is by building partnerships and collaborating with existing organizations. If you have the platform or the budget to launch an outreach, but you don’t have the idea, why not support existing projects? You can promote projects through various channels, like participating in a local church or non-profit’s existing outreach program or posting about them on your social media. Imagine what an effective community outreach could take shape if many Christians in your area linked arms and worked at it together…
#2 Implement
At the implementation stage, it is important to focus on volunteers. They need to be recruited, trained, and supported too. We don’t talk enough about volunteer management in the religious or faith-based sector. You need to develop the skills of planning volunteer events, fostering team-building and relationship growth, and working with their strengths. But, most importantly, you need to learn about discipleship and walk that kind of relationship with your volunteers.
I want to caution you to not call this step in the process a “launch” or make a big splash about the new mission beginning. Sometimes we think that the first day of outreach, when the community is engaged in a new way, marks the beginning of our mission. However, when we do that, we imply that all the planning up to that point was secular and not part of the goal. But even worse than that, we imply that the previous community outreach efforts are void. A more holistic approach would be to see this new community outreach strategy as building upon what came before it.
One of the reasons why local community outreach programs often fizzle out is because they are tied to a single individual. It is their vision; their calling; their dream.
It is necessary to build a network of people who can not only do the work but also for supporting and championing the mission. A program coordinator may work closely with the leadership of local churches and other Christian organizations to ensure that the program aligns with their focus and the direction the Lord is leading you in right now. A byproduct of this is that when the key individual leaves or becomes too busy to continue, the mission does not have to be abandoned completely because there are other people who understand what’s going on.
#3 Oversee
However successful an outreach strategy might be, these kinds of things need to be managed. Dedicated, compassionate project coordinators are needed who can lead, manage, and maintain the program. An essential facet of this part of the journey is assessing the program’s impact through data collection and the creation of feedback loops.
Keep seeking God and dream with Him about what the outreach program might become. He always has fresh manna for each day; He won’t let you chew on stale bread. If something is not working, do not be afraid to change it. In mission, we need to be flexible and open to the Spirit’s leadership. It is when we become too rigid and stuck in our ways that our community outreach programs become a heavy burden dying a slow death.
Final thoughts
If you still feel unempowered and perhaps ill-equipped to start a community outreach in your community, you could consider joining our programs in Missional Practice and Missional Praxis at MU. Both of these programs will equip you with the theological training to be able to do mission well – but even more than that, you will be given the tools necessary for tending to and developing your passion for community service further. Read about our courses today to find out how you can make a meaningful impact in your community for the Kingdom! As we like to say in the School of Missional Practice: “Every sphere of influence and field of interest can be aligned with God’s missional purposes; enabling Christian believers to align their lives with the purposes of God.”
“But the Holy Spirit will come to you, and he will give you power. The Holy Spirit will make your spirit strong. Then you will tell other people everywhere in the world about me. You will do that in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria and in places far away.” Acts 1:8 (Easy Version)
Eljoh Hartzer is combining theology and art to nurture faith journeys across generations. She is a masters-level practical theologian with the University of Stellenbosch. She is also a writer and editor in the niche of Christianity and children’s content and she illustrates children’s books. Eljoh resides in the Swartland area in the Western Cape province of South Africa. She is a staff writer at Missional University focusing on missional theology and practice.
