Finding Your Church's Niche
Myron Augsburger
Effective community outreach requires more than polished techniques. Meaningful outreach begins with a healthy attitude toward mission and the community.
—Myron Augsburger A desire to minister to the community doesn't automatically translate into effective community ministry. A few years ago, an organization was planning a major youth outreach in Washington, D.C. They were going to bring 25,000 young people to Washington and turn them loose to evangelize. Some of us who minister in the inner city met and agreed to send a representative to Chicago to talk with the planning committee. We cautioned them about thrusting thousands of young, white suburban people into an inner-city setting of 70 percent blacks; the cultural barriers are enormous. As a result, they modified the program to develop a more relational approach. What applies to grand mission projects applies especially to the local church. In approaching our neighborhoods, we don't want to do something foolish or insensitive, but effectively to bring the healing and saving love of Jesus Christ. Churches that seek to do this begin by asking two fundamental questions: "What should we be doing?" and, equally important, "What should we avoid doing?" Here are principles we've used to help answer those questions. Although our context is the inner city, the principles we use apply to churches in other settings, as well. Attitude Check
Effective community outreach requires more than polished techniques. Meaningful outreach begins with a healthy attitude toward mission and the community. Here are three attitudes I consider essential. • Serve others' needs, not our own. As we mature in faith, Christians feel increasingly compelled to reach out to others. Sometimes, however, in our efforts ...
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