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RESTORATION FIELD GUIDE

BUILDING A CHURCH-BASED COMPASSION AND JUSTICE MINISTRY

KIRSTEN STRANDSHANNON WENTZ

2 RESTORATION FIELD GUIDE


AuthorsKirsten Strand and Shannon Wentz

Community 4:12www.community412.org

Community Christian Churchwww.communitychristian.org

The Restoration Field GuideCopyright © 2015 Community Christian Church

For other COMMUNITY resources, visit www.bigidearesources.com

All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or any other - except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of Community Christian Church or NewThing.

Design: Sherry Gossman

CONTENTS

3RESTORATION FIELD GUIDE

FORWARD 5 1-INTRODUCTION 7

2-RESTORING GOD’S DREAM FOR THE WORLD 9

3-POVERTY IN THE WORLD 11

4-RESTORATION PRINCIPLES 17

5-STRATEGIES FOR ENGAGEMENT 23

Begin With Prayer, Listen and Eat 23Get to Know the Community and Its Assets 24Determine Your Three Level Engagement Strategy 33Casting the Vision - Mobilizing People 36Long Term Funding and Sustainability 39Evaluate 41

6-CONCLUSION AND RESOURCES 45




FORWARD

After becoming a Christ-follower in my early 20’s, I was inspired and challenged by the 2,000 verses in the Bible that talked about God’s heart for the poor. Then in 1997 when I read Ron Sider’s, Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, I knew God was calling me to be a voice and advocate within the Evangelical Church for the poor and marginalized in our society. That began a journey that led to the founding of Community 4:12, the compassion and justice ministry at Community Christian Church. Community 4:12’s mission is Uniting People to Restore Communities, and our purpose is two-fold:

• One - to address poverty and injustice in low-income, mostly Hispanic communities of East Aurora and Joliet, just minutes from some of our our mostly white, relatively affluent campuses.

• Two- to raise awareness about the plight of those living in poverty and to educate our congregation about how to serve and work with the poor in a responsible, dignity-inspiring way.

As our work in East Aurora grew, so did my passion for fighting injustices like educational disparity between low-income and affluent school districts and immigration laws that separated families and left children living in fear that they might come home from school and find that mom or dad had been suddenly deported. Fighting poverty and justice moved from being a “ministry” to a “lifestyle” for our family. My husband quit his job in corporate America to become an elementary school teacher in East Aurora. We moved from Naperville to East Aurora and put our two boys in East Aurora schools when they were in 3rd and 4th grades. We moved despite warnings from friends and



family that we were sacrificing our children’s safety and education; not because we wanted to “save” East Aurora, but because we wanted to “save” ourselves and our children from materialism and economic/cultural segregation.

Eight years later, in 2015 our boys are a sophomore and junior at East Aurora High School. Their friends are mostly Hispanic and Afro-American and many live in one or two bedroom homes even with large families. Despite attending schools with less than 40% of students meeting state standards, they have thrived academically and learned life-lessons beyond anything they could have experienced in Naperville. We have been richly blessed by living in East Aurora.

Since the founding of Community 4:12 in 2003, we have made many mistakes and learned much about living and serving with the poor. And while few will be called to relocate to an under-resourced neighborhood, we can all make engaging with the out-casts and marginalized of society a priority in our lives. We can all be a voice against unjust systems and structures that prevent people—our neighbors—from experiencing the abundant life God desires for all of us. I hope this guide will encourage and facilitate your efforts to join God in restoring His dream for our world.

Kirsten StrandCommunity 4:12 DirectorCommunity Christian Church


1 INTRODUCTION

THE JESUS MISSIONAs followers of Christ, we believe we are blessed to be a blessing to the world by reaching people who are far from God, restoring God’s dream for the world, and reproducing the mission in others. To truly accomplish the Jesus Mission, we must engage the world in all three ways.

One way to do this is through the B.L.E.S.S. strategy . . .

BEGIN WITH PRAYER—discern where God is at work and how He is calling you to engage with Him.

LISTEN—seek to understand the needs and passions and stories of those around you.

REACH RESTORE

REPRODUCEJESUS

MISSION


INTRODUCTION1

EAT—Share meals and life with those to whom God has called you.

SERVE—As you get to know people, you discover opportunities to meet felt needs.

STORY—After building relationships and earning trust, you may have the opportunity to share the story of how God has worked in your life.

The more we get to know and experience people and places and see them through God’s eyes, the more our heart breaks for the things that break God’s heart. We hear the challenge in Micah 6:8 to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God,” and we long to be a part of helping to restore God’s dream for the world.

But what does that really look like? How do we tackle the challenges associated with material poverty? How do we help restore broken families and relationships, restore lives that are broken from addiction or abuse? Can we have a hand in restoring dignity for individuals with physical or intellectual disabilities or mental health issues? Ultimately, what is our role in restoring broken systems and structures in society that lead to unjust discrimination or marginalization?

In this guide, we hope to provide scriptural background and practical resources for joining God in restoring His dream for our world, based on our experience at Community Christian Church (COMMUNITY). We hope it will be helpful for church planters andpastors as they develop a vision for restoration work, and for leaders of compassion and justice ministries as a practical implementation guide.


2 RESTORING GOD’S DREAM FOR THE WORLD

WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN AMAZING STORYIt begins with God creating His dream world. It ends with God fully restoring that dream. And in between, evil seeks to extinguish that dream through pain and suffering, death and decay. But evil will not have the final word, and as Christ-followers, it is our responsibility to bring hope to our broken world that sin, shame, and death will not prevail.

In the beginning, God created the world and everything in it to be filled with his life and goodness. (Gen.1:4,10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31) Then evil entered the world, and now everything bears the marks of sin, shame and death. (Genesis 3:13-19)

Between the beginning and the end of God’s story, sits the climax. Here,

“9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.” - 1 John 4:9-12

The promised conclusion of God’s story includes God making all things new, finally realizing His dream of unhindered life. (Revelation 21:1-7)

Today we stand between the life of Jesus and the fulfillment of God’s dream. God invites us to join Him in the work of restoration


RESTORING GOD’S DREAM FOR THE WORLD2

by embracing His work within us so that we can participate in His work in the world around us. (Ephesians 2:10; Romans 8:18-21, 23-25; 1 John 4:19)

We recognize that only God can ultimately restore His dream for our broken world. But, we believe He invites us to join Him in the work of restoration by reflecting the love and hope we have in Him through the power of the Holy Spirit to that broken world. That iswhy we believe that working for restoration must be a lifestyle that all Christ-followers embrace, not simply a church ministry or program.


POVERTY INTHE WORLD3

WHAT DOES POVERTY IN THE WORLD LOOK LIKE?Often the word poverty is used to describe people who simply lack financial resources. However, poverty is far more complex than just lacking this one necessary resource. Poverty often occurs because there is a deficiency in multiple areas. Ruby Payne, author of A Framework for Understanding Poverty, defines poverty as, “the extent to which an individual does without resources.” Some of those necessary resources can be grouped into four broad categories:

SpiritualPhysicalEmotionalRelational

Wemustbeginbyrecognizingthatweallsufferaspiritualformofpoverty. Spiritual poverty results from our sin that separates us from life-giving relationships with God, ourselves, others and creation. ALL of us experience spiritual poverty because of our sin.


3 POVERTY IN THE WORLD

Our life here on earth is a journey of restoration as we find our way back to God, through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe . . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 6:22-23)

“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a taxcollector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” ‘But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” ‘I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’ (Luke 18:9-14)

• Financial:Being unable to purchase necessary goods and services.

• PhysicalandMedical: Lacking physical health and mobility, without access to medical care.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was ill and


3POVERTY IN THE WORLD

you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” ‘Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison and go to visit you?” ‘The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:35-40

“Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are ill-treated as if you yourselves were suffering.” (Hebrews 13:3)

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” (Luke 4:18-19)

“Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? Inthe same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:15-17)

• Emotional: Being unable to choose and control emotional responses, particularly to negative situations, without engaging in self-destructive behavior.



• Mental: Lacking the mental abilities and acquired skills (reading, writing, computing) to deal with daily life.

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”(Romans 12:15)

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”(Philippians 2:3-4)

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:3-12)

“This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David. The very next day, in fact, a tormenting spirit overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave like a madman. David began to play the harp, as he did whenever this happened. But Saul, who had a spear in his hand, suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall.” (Samuel 18:8-11)


3POVERTY IN THE WORLD

• SupportSystems:Unable to access friends, family, and backup resources in times of need.

• RoleModels:Without access to adults who are appropriate and nurturing or who participate in constructive behavior.

• Homogeneity:Living without diverse relationships that break down assumptions and stereotypes that exist across races, cultures, and economic differences.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:10-12)

“For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”(Galatians 5:14-15)

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, butseventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21-22)



“Jesus replied: ‘“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”(Matthew 37)

“‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 37)

The poverty that we encounter along our journey often results in suffering, pain, and brokenness. When we witness or experience the undesirable effects of poverty, let it serve as a reminder that we are not yet living within God’s dream for the world—but with the power of the Holy Spirit we are all invited to be part of restoring God’s dream for the world.


RESTORATIONPRINCIPLES4

At COMMUNITY, we believe the foundation of all restoration work is relationships and ensuring the dignity of everyone.

When God called Abraham to bless him, and to bless all the nations through him, he employed the notion of ‘Shalom’. This Hebrew word, in time, came to mean everything good you want for yourself and wishing that same quality of life for your neighbors and friends. We have been called to be a blessing to the urban poor, a blessing that includes everything that is good and wholesome. Our notions of Christian community development will look different from place to place, but some of the essential blessings we are called to bestow up on the poor include dignity, power, education, employment, health, security, recreation and beauty. The world will run to a church that loves in such a wholesome manner as this. —Dr. John Perkins, Beyond Charity, p. 102

For that reason, we have embraced the principles of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) in our approach to working with the poor and/or marginalized.

The most effective restoration work is done by, and in partnership with, the people living in the community. If you feel God is calling you to work in a particular neighborhood or among a particular people group that is not in your community, He is probably also calling a few people within your church to relocate to that community. It is possible to do restoration work in a community where you don’t live, but that makes it much more difficult to build relationships and to include people from the community in all aspects of the work you are doing.


4 RESTORATION PRINCIPLES

As we work to restore God’s dream for the world, we know that His desire is that all people would be reconciled to Him and to each other. So, we must do the hard work of identifying and breaking down the barriers that divide socio-economic classes, races, cultures, religions, and all other divisions that prohibit the formation of mutually beneficial relationships.

COMMUNITY’s Romeoville Campus is in a particularly diverse community, and the campus works hard to reflect that diversity. During the emotional charged season following the killing of a number of African

American men by white police officers in different parts of our country, the campus pastor, knew that he could not ignore the tensions people were politely masking. While many churches remained silent on the topic because of the strong and often polarizing views people had about the issue, he spent time during weekend services talking about racial reconciliation and the need for all of us to try and understand the different stories and perspectives that led people to have the strong feelings they did. He intentionally reached out to an African American pastor in the community and they brought their congregations together for a time of prayer and fellowship. Conversation and prayer alone will not solve the injustice of discrimination, but creating safe places for people to share life experiences and talk openly about racial issues is part of the hard work of racial reconciliation.

Material poverty is often associated with poor education, crime and violence, and teen pregnancy. Redistribution brings new skills, new relationships, new resources, and new opportunities to an under-resourced community to empower residents of the community to help break the cycle of poverty through such means as developing jobs, improving schools, increasing access to health care and homeownership.

PRINCIPLE 3 REDISTRIBUTION


4RESTORATION PRINCIPLES

The stability of a neighborhood, high school graduation rates, and percentage of people going on to college is directly proportional to the level of home-ownership in that community. Low-income communities have a

particularly high percentage of rental properties. Rick and Desiree Guzman founded the non-profit, Emmanuel House, to change that reality in Aurora. There were many hardworking families who were able to pay rent every month, but they were never able to save enough to make a down-payment to purchase their own homes. Emmanuel House provided an opportunity for wealthier individuals or churches to “purchase” apartments. Those apartments were then rented to qualified low-income families, but the majority of the rent they paid each month went right into a savings account. After 12 – 18 months, a family had built up enough savings to purchase their own home and experience all the opportunities and benefits that come with homeownership. This “redistribution” of resources provided a dignified way for families to begin to break free from the generational cycle of working class poverty.

Too often service in a community involves bringing in leaders from outside of the neighborhood to do restoration work. However, when we make a long-term commitment to a community we can identify and work alongside existing leaders in the community, and also help train and develop other leaders from within the community. These internal leaders with connections and ties to the community will be the most effective agents of restoration.

When COMMUNITY felt called to plant a campus in East Aurora, it would have been easiest to identify a leader from within the church to build a launch team and start a campus they way we had in many

other communities. However, East Aurora was 80% Latino, mostly Mexican immigrant. In this case, the “easiest” and most familiar strategy for launching campuses was not going to be most effective. It took almost two years, but then we found Obe

PRINCIPLE 4 LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT



Arellano, a Mexican immigrant himself who came to America as an elementary aged boy and had experienced the same poverty and cultural acclimation challenges that was the reality for many in the community. Obe came from a Hispanic, Pentacostal church background that was very pastor focused. The culture and style and language of COMMUNITY was as foreign to him as the United States had been when he first came. But we believed in him and made the financial and time investment to apprentice and coach and develop him to be a campus pastor. It was not easy for him, or for COMMUNITY, but the investment paid off immensely when we launched a bilingual campus that reflects and respects the community where it is located.

PRINCIPLE 5 LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY

As outsiders to a community or people group, we often make assumptions about what they need. And, we often assume they don’t have the tools required to address that need. When we take the time to really listen, we can better discern the needs of the community as well as some of the strengths, assets, resources that could be part of the solution to those needs. We call this Asset-Based Community Development—focusing on the strengths and assets of a community as much as on the needs or challenges.

Swift Specialty School in Chicago faces all of the same challenges that other high-poverty, low performing schools do. When COMMUNITY began a partnership with the school, we could have assumed that the

biggest needs would be educational supplies. Instead, by listening to the staff and parents we learned that an updated auditorium was needed. Swift, fine-arts focused school, is filled with talented children who love to perform. Performances are held in a 100-year-old auditorium that has the original seats and inadequate staging and lighting. The principal of the school shared that her dream was to provide a new auditorium that would allow Swift School to showcase their students. As a result, Friends of Swift was created to raise the $50,000 needed to renovate the auditorium



PRINCIPLE 6 CHURCH-BASED

Churches are uniquely suited to evangelizing and discipling peo-ple in their walk with Christ. They are also uniquely suited to loving their neighborhood and the world. While we believe in building strong partnerships with other organizations and groups, our res-toration work requires the investment of the local church.

At COMMUNITY, we formed an auxiliary non-profit called Community 4:12 that serves as our community development ministry. However, 90% of the funding and volunteers for our work comes from the church, and

we are clear that we do what we do because of our relationship with Jesus. We will serve and work with anyone, but when there is interest and openness to learning about Jesus and the reason we do what we do, we have a local church to come alongside people and walk with them on their spiritual journey.

PRINCIPLE 7 WHOLISTIC APPROACH

There is never a simple solution to the complex challenges and issues associated with all aspects of poverty. Yet, the church can’t do and be all things for all people. It is only through partnerships and collaborations that we can help be a part of wholistic restoration work that addresses physical, emotional, relational and spiritual poverty.

One of the fundamental values of Community 4:12 is partnership. We know we can’t effectively provide a wholistic approach to development on our own. We also strongly believe that if another church or

organization is doing something well, the most impactful way to serve is not by duplicating services, but by coming alongside and supporting others. Instead of starting our own ESL program, we provide volunteers to World Relief. Instead of running our own



feeding program, we provide donations and volunteers to Hesed House Homeless Shelter and the Interfaith Food Pantry. This allows us to focus on building partnerships with schools and providing educational support to students and teachers, while being a part of a network of organizations that can help support families in many other ways.

PRINCIPLE 8 ASSET-BASED

Instead of focusing exclusively on the “needs” in a community, we try to take an “asset based” approach to community development. That means we begin by asking questions and listening to people in the community. Our goal is to help them become better stewards of their own gifts and resources . . . rather than assuming we must bring everything to them. Simply asking the question, “What talents and skills do you have?” reaffirms a person’s dignity and empowers her to contribute to restoration efforts. Identify the strengths and resources of the community, and whenever possible utilize those before bringing in outside help.

East Aurora, IL is a heavily Mexican immigrant community. It is also a community with high rates of poverty and poorly performing schools. COMMUNITY’s Naperville Campus—just 15 minutes

away geographically, but a world away in terms of cultural and economic demographics—felt called to engage with their East Aurora neighbors to address poverty and education. One of the first things they noticed was that the community was hard-working, and also loved to gather for events and celebrations. The church built on those assets by hosting an annual Christmas Giftmart. Giftmart allowed families to enjoy food, games, activities and to buy donated toys for their children at reduced prices. Hundreds of families attended Giftmart, raising thousands of dollars that was all donated to the local schools to help fund library books, supplies, computers. Not only did the event provide a dignified way for low-income families to give gifts to their children at Christmas, but it reinvested thousands of dollars from the community into education.


STRATEGIES FORENGAGEMENT5

We have already mentioned how our strategy of wanting to B.L.E.S.S. our community gives us a good framework for engaging in restoration work. Let’s take a look at this in more detail.

BEGIN WITH PRAYERThe first step of restoration work requires prayerfully determining what aspect of the world’s poverty God is

calling your church to engage with. Individuals within your church may be called to a particular “mission field,” but your church as a whole likely also has a corporate call. Your church is uniquely wired it to use the collective gifts of the Body to help restore God’s dream. God is at work in your community and our world, and it is our job to discern where He wants us to join Him—individually and collectively. Take time to pray through the scriptures listed earlier in the guide and ask the Holy Spirit to help you see where God is at work and how you and your church may be able to join Him.

LISTENASSESS YOUR CHURCH ASSETS AND RESOURCES

What gifts, skills and talents are already present within your church that would be helpful to restoration efforts? Do you have a lot of stay-at-home moms who have some free time while their kids are at school? Do you have executives, lawyers, accountants, doctors, etc. who might be able to donate their professional services? Do you have skilled laborers— construction workers, plumbers, electricians who could assist with home improvement or rehab projects? Do you have people who speak multiple languages that could work with refugees or immigrants?


STRATEGIES FOR ENGAGEMENT5

LISTEN AND EATGET TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY AND ITS ASSETS

Explore the non-profit and civic organizations, businesses and neighborhood groups that already exist in your community. Determine which ones to visit and who in the community you want to talk with in order to learn what is already going on that you might be able to join and be a part of.

The “5-P’s” is one specific strategy we use for getting to know our community and discerning how God is inviting us to join Him as He is healing it. Rich Gorman describes those in his e-book, Just Step In: Joining God as He Heals Your City, portions of whichare included below.

In every city, town, village and workplace, five Kingdom dynamics are at play that we call the “5 P’s”:

• Power: Gatekeepers and power brokers have great influence and control.

• Pennies(Financial): There is an economy where capital is earned and invested.

• Parties(Culture): People love to engage in celebrations.

• Pain:Every community has areas of pain and brokenness.

• PeopleofPeace:God has placed people as gatekeepers to welcome you into each of these dynamics.

POWEROur neighborhoods and cities are filled with power brokers who can influence people or exert control. Understanding the power centers and the people who lead them is necessary, because they have a direct impact on the life of your community. Engagingwith the power centers helps transform unjust structures and the people who lead them. The key to transformed structures is


STRATEGIES FOR ENGAGEMENT 5

transformed people. God may be calling your church to engage in the power dynamics of your community to help His kingdom break through . . . both in the lives of its leaders and in the ways that power is utilized.

Some examples of power structures: city or local government; educational institutions; key investors or philanthropists.How do we discern what the POWER structures are?

Somequestionstoconsider:

1. What things come to mind when you think about your community’s “power center(s)”?

2. What is the official role of the power center(s)? (What are they supposed to do?)

3. What is the history of the power center(s) and how has it developed over time?

4. What are the specific mission/vision/values of the power center(s)?

5. What are the main goals and/or top priorities of each “power center”?

6. Who are the primary “players” in each power center?

7. How are the lives of people in your area affected by these institutions or groups?

8. How is power wielded in ways that reflect God’s kingdom?

9. How is power wielded in ways that work against God’s kingdom?

10. If these power systems/structures or people were transformed by the gospel to operate within the fullest Kingdom potential, what would that look like? How would it/they operate as a result? What would it/they do?



11. How can you personally engage to develop relationships, trust, understanding and compassion for them personally and professionally?

In Chicago, neighborhoods are broken into wards, and each ward has an Alderman that serves almost like a mayor of that community. COMMUNITY’s Edgewater Campus team made it a priority to attend community

meetings with the Alderman, learning about him and the things he was passionate about, and even volunteering in his office. They developed such a trusting relationship that the church became the first place for the alderman to see help when there is a need in the community. . . . from a block party to a community garden. He recently told a group of people that he wishes every neighborhood in Chicago could have a church like Community Christian Church.

PENNIESThe economy of an area can be driven by one major industry, but usually it is comprised of a myriad of industries or pursuits. Today, our economies are international and integrated, but they are still “local” because they impact the lives of people in a city and community. This is how people make a living, pay rent, engage in commerce and entertainment. Some examples of pennies or economy: coal mining, railroad or automotive industry, medical, military, university, sports, local business, service, technology, entertainment, real estate, tourism.

How do we discern where the PENNIES are?


1. What things come to mind when you think about what generates income in your community?

2. What do people spend money on within the community?



3. What is the official role of each economic sector? (What is each one supposed to do?)

4. What is the mission/vision/values of each area?

5. How are people affected, both positive and negatively, by these organizations, businesses or companies?

6. What is the percentage of locally owned and operated businesses versus businesses not locally owned?

Sometimes communities with high levels of poverty are the product of the collapse of an industry that fueled much of the economy, such as the decline of the railroad industry or closing of major automotive factories. In

these situations, a significant factor to restoring the community is attracting and building new businesses. In these situations, missional entrepreneurs can help revitalize a neighborhood. The Gravity Building in downtown Aurora, IL is an example of such a business. “The Gravity Building is a growth engine for knowledge economy jobs and businesses. It blends together a communications company, apprenticeships and strategic business partners in a collaborative, shared-space environment.” See www.gravitybuilding.com.

PARTIESThe “parties” of an area can be one of the most obvious and significant ways to engage the life of your neighborhood. We define “party” simply as things that people celebrate and love to do. Parties are not limited to events; they can center on any issue, topic or interest.

Some examples of parties: community festivals (often centered around cultural or religious holidays), artwalks, farmer’s markets or community gardens, protests or marches related to a specific cause (immigration reform, racial reconciliation, LGBT rights, etc.)



How do we discern where the PARTIES are?


1. What things come to mind when you think about your community’s “parties?”

2. What events do large numbers of people show up for?

3. Are there seasons of significant activity or celebration (summer or fall)?

4. What activities are celebrated in each season?

5. Who are the organizers of the events?

6. What do people talk about a lot?

7. How is the life of your neighborhood enriched?

8. What parties exist that reflect an aspect of God’s kingdom?

9. What parties exist that work against God’s kingdom?

10. How can you personally engage to develop relationships, understand and come alongside to help with these parties?

In many communities with high concentrations of immigrants and or minorities, there is a lot of passion around the issues of immigration reform and gun violence. Putting politics aside, it is important to gather

with peaceful protesters at marches and rallies to hear stories and understand the personal experiences that inspire strong emotions. We cannot understand feelings of marginalization and discrimination until we experience the “alternative” story of people who experience our legal system in ways different than we do. Joining the “parties” of a community is a great way to practice listening and learning.



PAINPain is anything that causes people to suffer. Usually, pain is easy to identify, but sometimes it is hidden within a neighborhood under a cloud of shame and denial. When pain is obvious, our instinct is to rush to focus on the challenges and meet immediate needs. Focusing on the challenges is not altogether a bad thing. The challenges of our world are real, and we need to acknowledge them. We should never simply accept that we live in cities where poverty is on the rise, homelessness is common, children are hungry and gun violence is a daily affair. Our hearts should be broken by these things. Jesus has sent His church to love people and address these issues for his Glory. But when we focus solely on the deficits, we undermine the mission on many levels.

For every deficit, there is usually an asset. It is sometimes hidden and hard to identify, but to be responsible and empowering followers of Christ, it’s our job to look for it. For every hungry child, there are people working to feed them. For every act of violence, there are people who are tired of it and want to see change. For every area of challenge, there areareas of great strength. Our job is not just to find ways to address the challenges, but also to uncover, connect and empower the existing strengths.

Some examples of pain: poverty, homelessness, disease, hunger, mental illness, gun violence, human trafficking, low performing schools.

How do we discern where the PAIN is?


1. What is/are the biggest challenge(s) in the community?

2. Who/What are the strengths and assets working to overcome those challenges?



Naperville, IL has been labeled as one of the best places in the country to raise kids. Schools are great, the economy is strong, the streets are safe. However, hidden in this outward appearance of utopia is a horrific

heroin epidemic. . . killing young people and wrecking families. The Naperville Yellow Box Campus of COMMUNITY partnered with a local organization, Parents Matter Too, to help educate parents and the community about this “secret” source of intense pain. They also helped provide safe places for parents to learn from and support others in dealing with the ravaging effect of this deadly drug on families, schools, and the community.

PEOPLE OF PEACEAlex Absalom, in his excellent eBook, The Viral Gospel: How Finding Your Person of Peace Accelerates Your Mission, explains that a Person of Peace is not a Christian, yet is someone who:

1. Welcomes you2. Receives you (and thus, probably unknowingly at first,

receives Jesus in you)3. Serves you4. Operates as a gatekeeper, opening relational doorways into

their network of relationships

Some examples of people of peace: a neighborhood “matriarch,” a community activist, a school board or city council member, a leader in a local synagogue or mosque, a business owner, a non-profit director.

How do we discern who the PEOPLE OF PEACE are?


1. Who is a “friendly face” you look for and gravitate to at community gatherings or activities.

2. Who knows and loves the neighborhood and is eager to see good things happen?



3. Who seeks you out?

4. Who are the “gatekeepers” to particular groups of people or networks?

When God led COMMUNITY to serve Joliet’s under resourced, we started by going to schools and introducing ourselves as a church that wanted to partner with them to serve families. The initial response

was less than positive. “We already have a church that helps us, but thank you.” However, at A. O. Marshall School, the principal took the time to listen. She seemed very cautious, and we found that that Ms. Scott was involved with every aspect of her school and was fiercely protective of her children. She had concerns that some well-meaning but also self-serving group would come into her building, do a quick service project, pat themselves on the back, and leave. Ms. Scott knew that her students, her families and even her teachers needed people who were committed, people who would get involved, people who would be there for the long haul… people who would care. Ms. Scott quickly became known as Scottie to us, but it was much longer before we knew how much she did behind the scenes to make sure we had success. We didn’t know the politics of the district but we were told when to show up for a board meeting to present what we were doing, and we learned to let her give permission to do something new so we didn’t have to wade through the bureaucracy of getting the district’s permission. When we started enrichment classes during lunch and recess, the children in those classes were magically the first ones in the lunchroom so that we could maximize the time we had with them. When we gave out Easter baskets or food during Easter break, those in greatest need were not only identified but they were reminded... and they showed up. Scottie also knew who didn’t have transportation and let us know so we could deliver. We came to the Joliet Schools with passion to serve but with ignorance about the practical day-to-day knowledge we needed to be successful. Scottie made sure we did not have to deal with school politics, she ensured that separation of church and state were not an issue, and she was quick to give advice on the nuts and bolts of making things work. Scottie has been our God-sent “Person of Peace.”



So, in summary, as you seek to discern where God is at work and where He is calling you to engage, consider these 5 questions:

1. Power: Who are the power brokers and what do they do?

2. Pennies: What is the economy--where is capital generated/invested, etc.?

3. Parties:What do people celebrate? What do they love to do?

4. Pain:Where is the brokenness and pain, and what contributes to that pain?

5. PeopleofPeace: Who are the people God has placed in your life to invite you in?



SERVE - DETERMINE YOUR 3 LEVEL ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR RESTORATION

Once you have identified the 5 P’s and the strengths/assets in the community where you are investing, we believe there are three primary ways to respond to the poverty and injustice you see. All three ways are essential to a comprehensive response. And all three ways require utilizing existing strengths in the community by partnering with other organizations, relying on community leaders and people of peace, and using resources within the community whenever possible. We call this approach a Three Level strategy.

LEVEL1Charity

LEVEL2Individual Development

LEVEL3Community Development

Most common form of response.

Less common form of response.

Very uncommon form of response.

Meet basic needs through “hand-outs”

Equip people in need to meet their own needs by providing a “hand-up”

Advocacy and community and economic development

Can be done from a distance

Requires building a relationship

Requires addressing societal systems/structures and injustices

Immediate results short-lived, no significant long-term impact

Results take longer to achieve longer lasting impact limited to individuals

Incremental results that effect significant long-term change for an entire community

Examples: Food and clothing drives, serving at soup kitchens, home makeovers, providing free Christmas gifts, disaster relief, global feeding ministries

Examples: Tutoring, job, parenting and life skill training, operating food co-ops, Giftmart, clothing resale ship, child sponsorship, equipping a community with clean drinking water or health care.

Examples: Micro-finance loans for start-up businesses, advocacy for equality in schools (Millennium Development Goals abroad and school finance reform at home), creating living-wage jobs, home ownership and higher education initiatives



LEVEL 1 - CRISIS OR CHARITABLE RESPONSELevel 1 activities are designed to meet basic needs, often through hand-outs, especially during a crisis situation. This type of response can be done from a distance, the results are immediate although temporary, and the impact on both the recipient and the giver is not as significant as when relationships are formed. These are great entry-level serving opportunities, or for families with children. Whenever possible, engage in Level 1 activities through organizations that follow community development principles as described above.

EXAMPLES Food or clothing drives, serving at soup kitchens or places like Feed My Starving Children, providing Christmas gifts through a Giftmart, or sponsoring fund-raisers to support a cause like human trafficking.

LEVEL 2 - INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENTLevel 2 activities are designed to equip people to meet their own needs. They require building a relationship and results take longer to achieve and are longer lasting. While these activities take a significantly greater commitment, the impact on both the person serving and those being served is exponentially greater. Only by spending regular, consistent time with the same person can we break down stereotypes and truly begin to understand another’s experience.

EXAMPLES Tutoring, mentoring, helping someone with physical or mental rehabilitation, teaching job skills, English as a Second Language (ESL) or financial literacy.

LEVEL 3 - COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT/ ADVOCACYLevel 3 activities are designed to address societal systems and structures that prevent people from breaking out of poverty or developing their full potential. They require a long-term investment and results happen slowly, but have the most far-reaching impact.



It is usually by engaging in Level 2 activities that our eyes are opened to some of the “injustices” that prevent people from breaking out of the cycle of poverty or addiction. As we become friends with people living within those broken systems, “their” problems become “our” problems, and we are motivated to challenge and improve those systems.

EXAMPLES Providing micro-finance loans for start-up businesses, relocating abusiness to a low-income community to provide jobs and economic growth, advocating for educational funding reform or mixed income housing communities, serving on a local school board or city council, supporting only stores and businesses that engage in fair labor practices or are environmentally friendly.

Here is a simple illustration demonstrating the importance of moving beyond Level 1 or charity work:

If you were standing by the side of a river, and saw a baby float by, what would you do? Hopefully, you’d take the baby out of the river! And if you saw another baby float by, you’d do the same. And then maybe a third or fourth, but at some point, you should start asking, “Why are so many babies floating in this river?” and head up-stream to figure out the reason there are babies landing in the river. Tackling the source of the problem in the long run will be much more effective then spending all of your time taking babies out of the river!

A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT ADVOCACYSome consider it to be “political” work and not something the church should be engaged with. However, we believe scriptureencourages us to be a voice for the marginalized and “voiceless” in our society.

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:8-9



As COMMUNITY prepared to launch a campus in the Edgewater neighborhood in Chicago, the staff spent time visiting local non-profits, meeting with the alderman, visiting the schools, attending neighborhood

association meetings, hanging out in coffee shops and local restaurants/businesses, and talking to the community. As they prayed through scripture, they felt pulled to the marginalized and neglected living in emotional poverty—particularly the forgotten population of elderly living with mental health issues. The city of Chicago has many low-income nursing homes and long-term care facilities that have sub-standard living conditions and are filled with isolated and forgotten people that are unable to advocate for themselves. Through other activities in the community, the Edgewater team attracted many young, single people who were filled with life, had a heart for social justice, and had time to give. The All American nursing home was within walking distance and welcomed the team to come in and talk with, play games with, have Bible studies with and just hang out with the residents. Weekly visits allowed them to develop friendships and relationships that led the campus to begin advocating for mental health justice issues as major component of their restoration work.

CASTING THE VISION AND MOBILIZING PEOPLEGod’s word is pretty clear about His heart for poverty and justice issues, so rely on the approximately 2,000 verses in the Bible (some of which are included earlier in this guide) to lay the foundation for why it is so important for God’s Church to lead the way in working to restore God’s dream for the world. And if we are to lead the way, we need to make restoration a lifestyle for every Christ-follower . . . not just a “ministry” of our churches.

While it is relatively easy to cast a vision for general restoration work, it is harder, but equally as important, to cast vision for the specific community, people group, or issue God is calling your church to engage. Some people are inspired by stories, some by statistics, and some by seeing others fighting for a cause. Try to incorporate aspects of all three to motivate and inspire your congregation. A word of caution, however . . . it is tempting to



build your message around the idea that “those ‘poor’ people need our help” and tugging on people’s heartstrings. That is not a healthy or accurate depiction of what restoration work is all about. As we talked about at the beginning of this guide, we are ALL poor in some ways. And we are ALL rich in some ways. Restoration work is mutually beneficial and reciprocal . . . we come along side you and we help you in your poverty, and you help us in ours. It is as important to cast vision about why your congregation needs restoration as much as those you aim to “help.”

One of the key motivations behind Kirsten and Scott moving from Naperville (predominantly white, upper-middle class) to East Aurora (predominantly Hispanic, low-income) was to give their kids the opportunity to

grow up with a deeper understanding of a different culture and economic lifestyle. What they didn’t expect was how deeply they themselves would be impacted (and helped) by relationships they would form in East Aurora. Kirsten began meeting regularly with a new friend, Maria, to help her learn English. English lessons quickly became extended coffee dates where they shared parenting challenges and personal struggles. Kirsten witnessed Maria’s work-ethic (holding down four jobs to support her kids), her faith in God’s provision and goodness, her generosity in the midst of poverty, and her emphasis on relationships over schedules and tasks. Maria may have learned a little English from their time together, but Kirsten learned about faith and gratitude and grace and love in ways she never would have had she remained in her comfortable and rather isolated neighborhood in Naperville.

Beyond casting a compelling vision for WHY the church needs to and will engage in a particular type of restoration work, it is important to have the infrastructure to support mobilizing volunteers. If you are successful in inspiring people to action, it is vital that you create a positive experience for them as they engage.



Herearesomeprocesspiecestoputinplace:• How do people respond to the call to action? (i.e., email a

coordinator; sign up online; sign-up in the lobby—make it as easy as possible)

• Who is the point person for any call to action that will manage follow-up, plan execution, details that often go over-looked?

• Once people respond, what does follow-up look like? (i.e., should be quick and involve a human touch)

• What process do people need to go through to get involved? (i.e., application, background check, reference checks, training)

• How do you keep people informed about current and future opportunities? (i.e, website, print or electronic newsletters, social media, weekend bulletins, stage announcements, brochures, info station in the lobby)

• How do you appreciate and recognize volunteers?

• How do brand your restoration work so it is easy for people to find and recognize? (i.e, name, logo, website presence, weekend lobby presence)

• How do you educate people and provide on-going training about engaging in effective, healthy restoration work? (i.e., small group discussion guides/books/videos, outside speakers/conferences, regular inclusion in weekend messages and sermon series)



PLAN FOR LONG-TERM FUNDING AND SUSTAINABILITY

While human resources are vital to restoring God’s dream for the world, we can’t underestimate the financial resources required to do significant and high-impact work. Some of the costs to consider as you integrate compassion and justice work into the DNA of your church include:

STAFFINGOne of the on-going tensions churches must manage is how to balance time in the community with the reality that “Sunday is coming.” Every week. The demands of weekend and mid-week church programming often mean that the “urgent” takes priority over what most everyone would agree is the “important” work of restoration. Having a dedicated staff person, maybe just a small stipend position in the beginning and then progressing to part-time and even full-time staff ensures that the restoring aspect of the Jesus Mission remains as important to the church as reaching and reproducing.

The logical but often faulty assumption is that it will be easier to fund this position as a church grows. The reality is, it is easier to make a staff position a long-term funding priority if you build it into your budget from the beginning—even if it is just a portion of another staff role.

If it is just not feasible to offer any financial compensation to the person responsible for leading restoration efforts, make the role an “un-paid” staff position . . . inviting and including that person to be part of staff meetings, making significant decisions, and team building/relational activities.

INSURANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE COSTSConsider compassion and justice as an integral part of church work, and plan to budget accordingly. What liability insurance do you need? What kind of background checks and training will volunteers be required to undergo? Where will funds for paper,



printing, postage, print and web-based marketing come from? Who will manage funds and donations designated specifically for restoration work? What kind of volunteer management system will you use? What does volunteer appreciation look like?

LEVEL 1 & LEVEL 2 PROGRAMMINGMany events, projects and programs can be done with donations of materials and space. However, if you are working with schools or non-profits, keep in mind that their budgets are minimal and if you are offering to do a project or activity, you should also plan to fund it, or play a large role in helping them to raise the funds.

LEVEL 3 INITIATIVESThe deeper you get into community development work, the more costly the work can become. Running housing or employment ministries or doing large scale advocacy work usually requires staff, office space, and includes programmatic expenses.

We know that God call us to compassion and justice work, so how do we not get derailed by funding issues? There are a variety of funding models/strategies to consider:

TITHING MODELIt is often said that a budget is a moral document. When we examine our church budgets, do they reflect a balanced focus on reaching, reproducing, and restoring? Some churches adopt the model of designating 10% (or more) of their budget to restoration work. As the church budget grows, so do the resources for engaging in significant work in the community.

INDEPENDENT 501- (C)3/GRANT FUNDED MODELFunding for charitable activities is available through grants and corporate donations. However, churches are often not eligible to receive that money. So, one strategy is to set up an auxiliary or completely independent 501-(c)3 not-for-profit organization or community development corporation that is closely tied to the church to prevent “mission drift.” Running a separate organization does inherently incur additional expenses, so this model is usually reserved for ministries that have grown to the size and capacity that requires significant funding and/or staffing.



CELEBRATION GENEROSITY MODELAt COMMUNITY after several years of providing minimal funding for our compassion and justice work, we knew that to go to the next level we had to find a way to expand the budget. Even though the church was going through a particularly challenging financial period, we really felt that God was asking us to grow, not shrink our local and global restoration work. And out of that was born what has become an annual event we call Celebration Generosity.

On the first weekend of our fiscal year, we take up an offering and give it all to furthering the Jesus Mission outside of the church walls. We spend weeks promoting the work and causes we support locally and globally and then on that weekend, everyone has the opportunity to designate what cause(s) they want their contribution to support. The first year we held Celebration Generosity, we raised over $250,000 in one weekend . . . by far our largest offering ever. Nearly every year that offering has grown, to the point that in 2014, we collected over $640,000 that went to support our local restoration efforts, our work in Haiti and the Philippines and NewThing,our church-planting network. In 2003, our local restore ministry (Community 4:12) had a $5,000 annual budget. Thanks to Celebration Generosity, that budget has grown to $160,000 that supports a full-time staff member, a facility, and a variety of level 1, level 2, and level 3 restoration initiatives.

EVALUATERestoration work can be multi-faceted, intangible and slow to produce results. So measuring and evaluating success is complicated. While it is important to dream big, set goals, and work towards a concrete and specific end, it is equally important to remember that process is as important as outcome.

Community development experts often claim that it can take at least a generation before you may see any significant measurable results when addressing poverty or justice issues. It’s important to set expectations early on that when you engage in restoration work, you are making a long-term commitment to a community, cause, or people group. God is responsible for the outcome—you



are responsible to be faithful and committed and to continually learn and evaluate whether there are different or better ways to approach your work.

At COMMUNITY, we identify a “restore metric” in the communities we serve. That metric keeps us focused on a long-term vision and encourages us to continually evaluate our programs and activities to ensure they align with that vision.

In East Aurora, our vision is to see graduation rates climb from 60% to the state average of 80%. We can’t accomplish that vision on our own so we collaborate with others and examine the factors that prevent

students from completing school and graduating, and focus our efforts on mitigating those barriers.

• Student mobility is a significant problem. Families move from neighborhood to neighborhood, chasing the lowest rent. So one strategy we’ve taken is to partner with a housing ministry to help increase home-ownership rates in the community. When a family owns a home versus renting, that contributes to neighborhood stability and significantly increases the likelihood that a child will graduate from high school.

• Children who are working below grade level at 3rd grade are significantly more likely to drop out of school and get involved in criminal activity. So, we have focused our tutoring and mentoring programs on younger grades.

• Parent involvement is another factor that contributes to student success. To help address this, we started a Parent Mentor program that trains and empowers parents to help in their children’s school.

• Students who participate in early childhood programs and full-day kindergarten are much more likely to work at grade-level as they progress through school. We tackled this by having some of our families who relocated to the neighborhood run for school board. As school board members, they helped institute a full-day kindergarten program and helped hire a new



superintendent with vision and commitment to ensuring every child graduates from high school prepared for college or a career.

After 10 years of working in the district, the graduation rate has increased 4%. We celebrate small successes and movement in a positive direction. We know that the process we’ve followed is a long-term plan—not something focused on quick, temporary results.

In addition to measuring and evaluating success based on the impact in the community, it is also important to consider the impact on the church congregation:

• How many people are engaged in serving and building relationships across racial and cultural and economic divides? Does that number increase from year to year?

• What are we doing to educate our congregation about poverty and justice issues and are more and more people participating in those learning opportunities?

• How often do we talk about restoration issues from the stage during a weekend service? Is that becoming core to who we are as a church?

• Are we moving people to focus more on level 2 and level 3 types of restoration and not just level 1 activities?

• How are we being intentional about partnering with others, listening to and empowering the community we work with?

• Does our budget and spending priorities reflect our commitment to restoration?

The bottom line is, you will focus your time and attention on the things you measure. There is no simple formula for gauging success, but it is important to define what success looks like for your restoration work and identify ways to evaluate and continually improve your efforts.




6 CONCLUSIONAND RESOURCES

The more we get to know and experience people and places and see them through God’s eyes, the more our heart breaks for the things that break God’s heart. We hear the challenge in Micah 6:8 to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God,” and we longto be a part of helping to restore God’s dream for the world.

Butwhatdoesthatreallylooklike?• Tackling the challenges associated with material poverty• Mending broken families and relationships• Healing lives that are broken from addiction or abuse• Affirming the dignity of individuals with physical or intellectual

disabilities or mental health issues• Challenging broken systems and structures in society that lead

to unjust discrimination or marginalization

It is easy to become overwhelmed by the poverty and brokenness around us. We can’t address it all, but we can be intentional about doing something . . . in our immediate community; in a community not far from us geographically, but worlds away in terms of race, culture, or economic demographics; in a community on the other side of the world. Depending on the size of your church, maybe you focus in just one of those communities, but there are great lessons to be learned from engaging in all three ways . . .we call it taking a “local, regional, and global” focus to restoration.

We hope the tools and strategies provided in this guide will help you as you seek to become a restoration focused church that “helps without hurting” by keeping dignity and empowerment as overarching goals. There are also a number of additional resources listed in the final section of this guide that you might find helpful as you seek to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.”


6 CONCLUSION AND RESOURCES

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

BOOKSCompassion, Justice, and the Christian Life by Robert Lupton

What Every Church Member Should Know about Poverty by Ruby Payne

Generous Justice by Timothy Keller

The Just Church by Jim Martin

The Dangerous Act of Loving Your Neighbor by Mark Labberton

When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert

Friendship at the Margins by Christopher Heuertz and Christine Pohl

A Heart for the Community edited by John Fuder and Noel Castellanos

Restoring At-Risk Communities by John Perkins

Disunity in Christ by Christena Cleveland

Walking with the Poor: Principles and Practices of Transformational Development by Bryant Myers.

Building Communities From the Inside Out by John Kretzman

The Invisible by Arloa Sutter

WEBChristian Community Development Association / www.ccda.orgForge America http://www.forgeamerica.comRestore: Video Sessions 1, 2 and 3 by LifeChurchTV

FormoreinformationaboutCompassionandJusticeworkatCOMMUNITY,contact:Kirsten StrandDirector, Community 4:12Community Christian [email protected]

COMMUNITY412.ORG

Documents

RESTORATION FIELD GUIDE - Squarespace · PDF fileRESTORATION FIELD GUIDE ... we can all make engaging with the out- ... I was in prison and you came to visit me.” ‘Then the righteous