I spent 3 Sundays with a local church who wants to be more 'outside' in the community than 'inside' the 4 walls of their church.
They recognize that the Bible verse from Jeremiah 29:11 "for I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you
Plans to give you a hope and a future" is conditioned on the verses before: "seek the peace and prosperity of the city... pray for it..." (vs. 7). So, they are not looking to be blessed only but to also be a blessing for others.
We talked about how to understand that we all have a story, that every person has amazing gifts, passions and abilities and that we should not judge a person based on the page of their life we are walking into.
We worked through Asset Based Community Development Principles and Practices and learned new skills to engage with the community and work towards justice and God's Shalom in the community.
3 amazing weeks... new friendships and a desire to change the community!
Can't wait to see what happens.
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