What's Working?

During my first week on Sabbatical, in addition to getting settled at the Fuller Guest House and enjoying Southern California, I had the opportunity to sit down for ministry-related conversations with two people.  The first was my good friend Matthew Krabill.  I knew Matthew from our days at Eastern Mennonite University, and then we both found our way to Fuller.  Matt is currently working on his Ph.D studying immigrant congregations in Los Angeles.  The second was my boss/mentor when I worked at the Center for Anabaptist Leadership, Jeff Wright.  Jeff, in my opinion, is hands down the best urban Anabptist missiologist around.  Jeff is now the pastor at Madison Street Church, a Brethren in Christ church in Riverside, CA.

Among other things, I asked both of them a very simple question related to the churches and ministries they are in connection with:  "What's working?"

When I asked Matthew this question, he told a story from Wholicare Community Church, a congregation made up of Congolese immigrants affiliated with the Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference where Matthew is a member.   Wholicare is a Congolese congregation, but recently a Latino man began attending.  The reason he started to attend is because he worked the night shift with a member from Wholicare and they ride the bus home together.  When they get off the bus together in Pasadena, the Wholicare member then often helps this man find a ride the rest of the way home.   After working all night Saturday night, the bus drops them off soon before Wholicare's church service begins.  The Wholicare member goes straight from the bus to church.  So soon enough the Latino man started going along to Wholicare, partly because it was something to do while waiting for his ride the rest of the way home.

This isn't an example of a church-growth strategy.  It's not an official program of the congregation.  It's simply a point of intersection between a person from the congregation and a fellow employee/bus mate.  And more than that, it's the awareness to not just remain in one's individual silo while riding the bus, but to make a connection, strike up a conversation, and make an invitation.

When I asked Jeff the question, "what's working?" being a strategic-thinking urban missiologist, he began to talk about flexible congregational structures and empowering lay leadership.  One of Jeff's mantras is "We invest in people, not programs."  He then told a story of city worker/beach-bum-at-heart member of the congregation who has a passion for biking.  This member always saw his passion for biking as separate from both his job and his faith.  But Jeff began to encourage to ask how he could use his passion for biking on behalf of God's Kingdom at Madison Street Church.  Out of this grew the idea to hold a bike clinic/workshop.  So one Saturday in Riverside, this member with others from the congregation offered free bike repairs and instruction for anyone from the community that came to the event.  They have held more of these events, and through this the congregation has gained a reputation as the church that cares about their community.

Two things strike me about these stories.  First, both have a theology of place (even if not explicitly articulated as such).  Having a theology of place is the understanding that God is at work in the places that they live, work, commute, and recreate.  Not only in a spiritual, big-picture sort of way, but the understanding that God is at work in the particulars of our place.   And then given that God is at work in our place, God calls us to join in God's redemptive work in those places.

Second, both are examples of the gift economy at work.  Both started by giving something.  In the example from Wholicare, it was a ride.  In the example from Madison Street Church, it was free bike repair and instruction.  It's easy to get caught up in the mindset of consumerism where it's all about getting.  But the Kingdom of God operates on the economy of giving.

So what's working?  Bottom line from these first two congregations: faithful men and women with eyes and ears and imaginations open to the work of God in the places they live joining in the work of God through small acts of generosity.  Lot's to think about in both those stories.  

Instutions Can do Kingdom Work Too

For those of us who tend to be skeptical of institutions - especially church institutions - I think it's a good practice to acknowledge when they actually do serve the Kingdom of God and call people to radical discipleship. Below is a letter from the Mennonite Church USA calling congregations to re-think how they will use the upcoming tax rebates. Will we simply consume more luxury goods or will we put the money toward kingdom purposes? MCUSA isn't the first or the only voice to call for this type of action, but as far as I'm aware they are the only denomination officially encouraging its membership to take counter-cultural actions. Are there other denominations doing that as well?

Tax rebates offer witness opportunity

This spring, many Mennonite Church USA households will receive a tax rebate as part of the U.S. government’s economic stimulus package. The goal of the rebate is to encourage spending in an effort to boost the national economy.

Mennonite Church USA invites members to view this rebate as an opportunity to do kingdom work, rather than making consumer purchases. If we redirect all or part of our tax rebate to meet any of the needs listed below, we could demonstrate to the world an alternative vision of how to use unexpected financial resources.

The rebate is an opportunity to put our money to work for the kingdom, like the woman who anointed the feet of Jesus with her expensive perfume, rather than keeping it for herself or the young boy who put his lunch in Jesus’ hands and fed the five thousand.

Congregations may want to work together and pool their rebates. A congregation of 30 households could receive as much as $25,000.

Projects for redirection of tax rebates:

· Motorbikes for Mennonite pastors in Congo. There are as many Mennonites living in Congo as in the United States. Because of poor roads, transportation is often difficult. Their pastors have indicated that motorbikes are their greatest need. With $2,000 one pastor can receive a motorbike.

· Young people who attend a Mennonite college or university are more likely to stay in the church. Many congregations have student aid or scholarship funds that assist students attending a Mennonite college or university. The schools match some of these funds. $500 is the typical scholarship/aid per student. Check with your congregation for details.

· Instituto Bíbilico Anabautista (IBA) offers leadership courses for Spanish-speaking Mennonite leaders. $250 covers the cost of one course.

· Mennonite Voluntary Service is the longest running voluntary service program in the Mennonite church. MVS is a life-changing experience for many participants. A $200 gift helps keep this program active for participants of all ages.

· Anti-racism is one of the four denominational priorities for Mennonite Church USA. $300 helps provide resources, training and coaching as we work to become an antiracist church.

· Check with your congregation regarding urgent needs within the congregation or your local community.

All tax rebate gifts can be made and sent to Mennonite Church USA, P.O. Box 347, Newton, KS 67114, with the project clearly designated. Or you can give online with a debit/credit card at giving.MennoniteUSA.org. Gifts to your congregation or area conference should be sent directly to them.