Keeping a Passion for Mercy
Last year, 125 PCA men and women participated in the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) conference, representing the largest contingent from any denomination. And at least that many are expected at this year’s CCDA conference, October 22-26 in Miami, “which speaks well of the PCA,” said Randy Nabors, senior pastor of New City Fellowship in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Nabors, who also serves as coordinator for urban and mercy ministries for Mission to North America (MNA), said the PCA has made significant strides in reaching out to people in need, “but we are still light years from where we should be.”
Unlike many predominantly white, middle-class PCA congregations, New City has a sizable African-American minority, along with a number of Hispanics, Asians, and other ethnicities. New City has been intentional in its ministries of evangelism, discipleship, and mercy to the surrounding African-American community, says Nabors.
The task can be daunting. “In the PCA, the main focus remains on church planting,” Nabors pointed out. “All church planting is difficult, but working among the poor in America’s cities—that’s even harder.
“In cross-cultural or ethnic work, it takes a long time to build a self-sustaining church. A middle-class church takes three to five years to become self-sufficient; an urban church takes at least 10 years. When New City started, we were told we would never make it, but we have.”
Nabors, who also serves as coordinator for urban and mercy ministries for Mission to North America (MNA), said the PCA has made significant strides in reaching out to people in need, “but we are still light years from where we should be.”
Unlike many predominantly white, middle-class PCA congregations, New City has a sizable African-American minority, along with a number of Hispanics, Asians, and other ethnicities. New City has been intentional in its ministries of evangelism, discipleship, and mercy to the surrounding African-American community, says Nabors.
The task can be daunting. “In the PCA, the main focus remains on church planting,” Nabors pointed out. “All church planting is difficult, but working among the poor in America’s cities—that’s even harder.
“In cross-cultural or ethnic work, it takes a long time to build a self-sustaining church. A middle-class church takes three to five years to become self-sufficient; an urban church takes at least 10 years. When New City started, we were told we would never make it, but we have.”
Even for congregations thriving in white suburbs, the call to mercy ministry remains clear, according to Nabors. “Some people still think mercy is an option. I don’t see how you can follow Jesus and believe that. Starting His earthly ministry, He declared, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor … to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed’ (Luke 4:18-19).
“We are called to worship with and love the poor, to be mentors and models without condescending—being servants to them.”
So participation in a conference like CCDA’s is valuable, even though it presents a cross-section of Christian viewpoints.
“Our members and leaders can learn from people who work in very tough, challenging situations. It helps us learn the difference between charity (giving in an emergency) and development (taking people with problems and leading them to solutions so they can take care of themselves).”
Too many churches are inward-focused, according to Nabors, failing to recognize their responsibility to the surrounding community. There is a simple test for that, he said:
“If your church left the community tomorrow, would anybody know you were gone?” If we’re serving as we should, Nabors said, the people in our neighborhoods would weep if we ever left.
Despite the tragedy and devastation it wreaked on the Gulf Coast, Hurricane Katrina provided a wake-up call for many in the PCA, Nabors said. “It showed that the PCA has a very loving and generous heart in responding to people in need. It was an opportunity for members to take part in hands-on mercy ministry. The challenge is to keep that kind of passion alive.
“I think it starts with our pastors. We must lead, by the grace of God, to transform our congregations into servant communities that bless the poor and change the culture. The world isn’t going to change until Jesus comes back, but we can still be the salt of the earth and light in the midst of darkness. We are called to change the world we are in, as much as we can, by His grace and power.”
“We are called to worship with and love the poor, to be mentors and models without condescending—being servants to them.”
So participation in a conference like CCDA’s is valuable, even though it presents a cross-section of Christian viewpoints.
“Our members and leaders can learn from people who work in very tough, challenging situations. It helps us learn the difference between charity (giving in an emergency) and development (taking people with problems and leading them to solutions so they can take care of themselves).”
Too many churches are inward-focused, according to Nabors, failing to recognize their responsibility to the surrounding community. There is a simple test for that, he said:
“If your church left the community tomorrow, would anybody know you were gone?” If we’re serving as we should, Nabors said, the people in our neighborhoods would weep if we ever left.
Despite the tragedy and devastation it wreaked on the Gulf Coast, Hurricane Katrina provided a wake-up call for many in the PCA, Nabors said. “It showed that the PCA has a very loving and generous heart in responding to people in need. It was an opportunity for members to take part in hands-on mercy ministry. The challenge is to keep that kind of passion alive.
“I think it starts with our pastors. We must lead, by the grace of God, to transform our congregations into servant communities that bless the poor and change the culture. The world isn’t going to change until Jesus comes back, but we can still be the salt of the earth and light in the midst of darkness. We are called to change the world we are in, as much as we can, by His grace and power.”
Comments
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Mary R
Boise
We must extend grace as our Lord has to us. We have to begin to reach out to people even if they are different from us. It is important to separate works, service, salvation, and sanctification, and then get busy doing things with the right motives and Godly based expectations.
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Art
Peoria, IL
Serving is essential; church planting is essential. But a part of imitating Jesus is also befriending the poor, the homeless, the ethnically different. Developing a close personal relationship with someone different from ourselves is not only kingdom-building, it is also very enlightening. It costs, but it is most rewarding.
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TE Brian Carpenter
Sturgis, SD
Would somebody be kind enough to make the scriptural case for "mercy ministry" as it is currently practiced to me?
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TE Ken Christian Jr.
Virginia Beach, VA
I'd be really interested in reading an answer to Mr. Carpenter's question above.
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Ted Hamm
Sarasota, FL
Hi Brian, Mercy Ministry is just a label for our desire to reflect the heart of God and to practice what he has called us to do in his Word. Here are some verses to look up: Deut 14:29; Ps 146:9; Jms 1:27, Deut 24:19, 26:12, 10:18; Ps 68:5; Prov 14:21; Is 1:17; Jer 7:6; Zech 7:10; Lk 7:22; and Gal 2:10. You might challenge someone's model for how they live that out, but this is a major theme that runs throughout Scripture which has largely been neglected by the Bible believing Church in the last 75 years. I'm excited to see a surge of interest, especially in the younger generation, that wants to live out their faith in word AND deed.
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TE Brian Carpenter
Sturgis, SD www.thehappytr.blogspot.com
Ted,
Thanks for the response. If the moderator will permit a more involved discussion, I'd love to have one. If not, any interested parties can migrate to my blog for discussion and we won't trouble the moderator any further. The address is above in the "Location" box.
Thanks for the response. If the moderator will permit a more involved discussion, I'd love to have one. If not, any interested parties can migrate to my blog for discussion and we won't trouble the moderator any further. The address is above in the "Location" box.
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Erin
Maryland
If anyone is still following this thread, I have an issue to pose related to mercy ministry and community outreach. Our church has made extraordinary progress in reaching out to the local community in the last several years. However, it seems to be at the expense of shepherding communing members, and maintaining a spirit of reverence and fear of the Lord within the congregation. Has anyone else experienced this, and what was done to address it? Thank you.
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sylvia
USA