What if the primary contributors to mercy ministry become the recipients of it instead? 

That’s the scenario many churches are seeing, especially as the faltering economy takes a toll on households across the country. And it’s a scenario that will be addressed in the PCA’s 2009 Mercy Ministries Conference, to be held March 12-14 in Chattanooga, Tenn.

“We’re seeing more and more that mercy ministry is about addressing the complicated needs of families,” says Jane Patete, women’s ministries coordinator for the PCA’s Christian Education and Publications (CE&P), a co-sponsor of the conference along with Mission to North America (MNA). “It’s time to focus on families in need within the church as well as outside of it.”

The 2009 Mercy Ministries Conference, entitled “The Church as a Community of Hope: Restoring the Family, Serving the Community,” will be hosted by Chattanooga’s New City Fellowship—a congregation known for being a pioneer of mercy ministry in that city. 

Workshop speakers will include Bob Burns, Randy Nabors, Julian Russell, Amy Sherman, and Tara Barthel, among others, speaking on topics ranging from divorce, aging parents, financial crisis, and grief, to adoption and unemployment.

“Need is a big part of who we are in the church,” said Patete. “It’s time to call the church to minister to those inside as well as outside, with the larger goal of equipping the church to serve in word and deed ministries.”

To learn more about the 2009 Mercy Ministries Conference, visit www.pcacep.org/mercy. The Women in the Church (WIC) Leadership Training Conference will take place in Chattanooga from March 10-12, immediately prior to the Mercy Ministries Conference. Visit www.pcacep.org/wic for more information.