your church can be relevant in your community

People want to make a difference, corporations often want to be known for being philanthropic as much as for their product, and churches, while continuing to preach Jesus, want to be relevant. Relevant to the people they are trying to reach for Jesus, relevant in their local community, known for loving the least of these. 

Probably anyone, any corporation, or any church, if asked how they were doing in that regard would speak highly of themselves. But others might not have the same impression. So, Stephen Viars’ book Loving Your Community: Proven Practices for Community-Based Outreach Ministry (Baker Books, 2020) seems especially useful and relevant for those churches wanting to be seen as relevant.  Don’t hear what I’m not saying: just because some of these programs worked for Faith Church in Lafayette doesn’t mean that they will work for your church of Anytown, USA.

But there are some great examples here of what can be done when there is a true heart for believers into your church to listen to a praise band, a sermon, and an altar call, oh, and let’s not forget 0hte offering. No, Faith Church invites the community to tell them what is needed, and then looks for a way to meet those needs. While meeting the needs, they look for other ways to share Jesus.

And it seems to be working for them. Viars documents some of the methods that have worked for them, simple things like opening the facility for use by groups and organizations that meet when there is no church activity happening  or offering classes that help people rise above the level where they seem to be stuck, and making sure that others are included in everything that the church does. Or how about a residential treatment program that happens to be Christ based.

There are lots of needs in every community and this book does a great job of sharing how you can discover some of those needs, and then perhaps find a way to color outside the lines, to think outside the box, and find a way to meet one of those needs in a way that also gives hope to the hopeless and provides opportunities to share the love of Jesus.

I participate in the publisher’s bloggers program, and received a copy of this book for that purpose. I was asked to provide an honest review.

5/5