January 30, 2011 Outreach Workshop Conversations:
What drives your sense of outreach?
It is scriptural based.
It helps us to be connected, sympathetic, empathetic, and healing to others and ourselves.
Because we have been given much and we have been in need.
It combats our own isolation and is key to our personal happiness.
We are called to use our gifts given from God to help others.
What is the purpose of St. Paul’s Church?
To be an incubator for parishioners to become ministers to others.
To enable people to come to God and to seek God in their own lives.
To be a community of believers, healers, share our gifts, and be closer to one another and our community.
To demonstrate and experience the Love of God.
To share our light.
What is God’s dream for St. Paul’s Church?
To love one another.
To “Feed my Sheep.”
To share our light.
How can we accomplish the will of God for the church?
To prayerfully seek God’s will and be willing to “step outside the box.”
By being alert to the needs of others.
By being open and engaged in God’s Will.
By meeting people “where they are,” and not trying to convert them to “our way of life.”
For us all to act as ministers!
Who is our neighbor?
Who isn’t!?
EVERYONE!
Everyone, but we struggle with this idea in practice.
Do we know all of our neighbors?
No, but we share their humanity.
Why do we know some of neighbors and not others?
Because of the we/they dynamic.
Fear.
Distrust.
Ignorance.
Arrogance.
Lack of opportunity and inclination.
It’s too hard and too much work.
What needs lie close to our church?
Always changing.
Homelessness
Meth abuse and its consequences
Poverty
Intolerance
Lack of community
Concerns within our parish to our fellow parishioners
Fast-forward 5 years-the year is 2016- an anonymous donor has left 250,000 dollars to St. Paul’s Outreach Program. As outlined in the donor’s will the money must be spent exclusively on outreach within a 3-year time frame beginning immediately. How will we spend the money?
We’ll spend it on:
Preschool and/or elementary school for at risk children, i.e. children of imprisoned/addicted
Counseling services
Christian based residential treatment center for teens called “Sunflower Landing”
We’ll teach people to fish!
Elder care
Paid staff person for Outreach
Develop programs in the house across the street
Fast forward 10 years, the year is 2021- an “outreach review panel” representative of Christ-followers from all over the country has just marked St. Paul’s Outreach program EXCELLENT in all areas. What did they see that so impressed them?
We did our homework.
We were willing to take risks.
We were willing to give despite limited resources.
We listened to community needs.
Into what manner of outreach ministry do you feel you might be called to serve?
All the above.
To integrate all marginalized into community.
How do we know if we are “called” by God to serve in a particular way?
We need to listen.
We will feel joy, happiness, fruitful.
The priest will tell us!