Community Involvement
This week on our blog at The Hardy Group (http://thehardygroup.org):
Many churches do a lot for the community. And rightfully so!
As church leaders we have a responsibility to display the love of Christ to our communities, and that happens when we encourage our church members to get involved in community efforts…
… but doing stuff for the community can be less effective than you might think — and can even work against you!
That’s right! I know it sounds crazy, but I’m not kidding.
Your church can do more harm than good if you’re not careful.
On today’s blog at The Hardy Group I suggest doing things “with” the community instead of doing things “for” the community …
… because there is a difference, and one has the potential for a bigger impact.
As pastors, our tendency is to want to come up with our own church programs for community outreach, and sometimes there’s a need for that…
… especially when the community does not have much to offer.
But in many cases churches actually create competition with the community instead of working alongside the community.
As a result, community leaders get frustrated. And it can put a bad taste in the community’s mouth.
So this week on our blog we propose a different solution. If you worth WITH the community by combining efforts, your church has a greater chance of shining the light of Christ.
Not only will you impact the community … but as pastors, church leaders, and members of the church, you’ll have a profound impact on the community leaders. And that can be HUGE for your church’s influence!
For other resources from The Hardy Group, be sure to visit http://thehardygroup.org.