Is that our mission?

This Monday is another Board meeting for LINC.  The most common point of discussion at our meetings is "Is that our mission?"  This is sometimes the most difficult question to answer for a church, organization, etc.  We have a very well defined mission, however, we operate on such a broad spectrum that it is difficult to precisely define whether a particular program or activity falls within the mission.  As a Christian organization, our ultimate mission is that of Christ "to seek and save the lost."  Our strategy is to attempt to transform communities by multiplying missional churches and leaders who work for the peace and prosperity of their own communities.  The grey areas include all the ministries that that strategy entails.

Our Mission is Not:

1.  Continuous Free Handouts

Following the basic pattern for our community development work, Evangelism - Relief - Development, we help a lot of people monthly through our churches (thousands.) We hope to change people's minds about how much God and his people care about them in their desperate situation.  In our haste to help people, we sometimes create dependency, and even though we try to eradicate this from our ministry, it continually creeps in.  Our mission is not to do for someone what they themselves can do.  Our mission is not to take away someone's sense of personal responsibility and entrepreneurial spirit.  We do, however, help someone (or some community) get past the point of need and back to self-sufficiency.  It's a fine line between helping and hurting.  Most of the time, the only way we can attract people to come for training is to offer some free incentive.  Part of our mission then is help move people from their point of need to a point of transcendence in Christ, through whom all their needs are met.

2. Doing good for the sake of doing good

We as a Christian mission organization and as a community development organization are caught in a vicious trap sometimes.  We represent God and His Kingdom (2 Cor 5:20), and  we want to represent Christ well to our community.  There are so many stories from our leaders who have helped someone in a crisis in their point of need, and that person has been able to overcome the situation, many times with newfound faith in Christ.  Our church struggles with compassion many times because so many of us haven't really known poverty.  When we followers of Jesus realize that we are Christ's ambassadors, it puts an extra burden on us.  We must resist the temptation to do good, however, just because it looks good.  I would venture to say that the majority of our "good" that is done is really for us, not for others.  Our good work in community should be done out of compassion, not self-interest.  Compassion leads us to go beyond giving a handout and actually seeking a relationship with those in need.  A relationship is time-consuming and difficult whereas a handout is transactional.  A relationship is not always glamorous, whereas a handout can make a good photo op for the church.  Many times, a relationship that we begin with those in our communities begins with providing something that they need.  Our mission goes way beyond that.

More ramblings to come about our mission.

Comments

[justified]

whats good for me and mine mentality. Pastor mark I agree that the focuse has shift to supply the need and thats enough well its not enough. People put walls around them selevs protection from the outside world a wolrd that has hurt them . Trust starts with building a relationship loving them past there pain. Not easy, Walls are for safety and those who never give up until they scale the wall are the ones who truly love me . Those who give up never really cared they were in it for them selves.This is how it is with some people.I know it well I was one who had a fortified wall .Many people tryied and gave up to scale the wall.(My lord) and My wife was the first one to get past it. Now when I have found my self on the otherside of the wall , I tell my self, if a relationship is to be built between me and a stranger it must start with trust. This is where the challenge begins, they will dodge you ,push you away, be mean to you, miss treat you ,talk about you, ignore you, but dont give up . One brick at a time. A Genuine heart reaching out to a hurt world . Hands and feet of christ.
I

[Gwen]

Some really good food for thought. That fine line is so hard to see, sometimes and we must be very careful. The goal - both ours and God's - is reaching the lost. The means to that goal sometimes includes the provision of much-needed services. NOT handouts, but services and training. HELPING those who need it move from poverty to self-sufficiency with a Christian mindset. Not doing it for them, but helping them figure out how to do it themselves and providing the tools, as we are able, to get them there.
God charges us in His Word to look out for the poor, the widows and orphans. It IS hard to really get involved. It takes time, energy, and money. It IS what our Lord has challenged us to do, though. I am guilty of taking the easy way out - giving material things - when the real need is for personal interaction and attention.
Thank you!