Hello BRN Family!
Who is God? When posed with this question the writers of the Bible constantly used these words to describe God’s character… “COMPASSIONATE and GRACIOUS, SLOW TO ANGER overflowing with LOVE and FAITHFULNESS” (Exodus 34:6).
The very first word they used was “compassion.” Compassion was no doubt what so many people witnessed when they encountered the Lord Jesus. He never sent anyone away, and He always showed empathy and felt concern.
Therefore, Compassion Ministry is so vital to each one of us in our ministries and in our mission to tell the world about Jesus. It is the opportunity we have been given to both declare and demonstrate the Good News of the Gospel in our neighborhoods and communities every single day.
Compassion Ministry defined is simply “connecting the body of Christ (the Church) to the broken and needy (the world).”
Now, you and I can look around, and we can see there are many needs that exist in every community. But we’ve found three strategic pathways that have the potential for us to do the most good and produce the most fruit in each of our regions. They are in the arenas of Education, Food Insecurity/Poverty, and Triage/Trauma.
Each of these pathways have several ways that you, your team, and your church can mobilize to help meet the needs in your community.
For instance, there are a myriad of opportunities tied to the discipline of education, such as supporting local schools and their students, faculty and staff, teaching English to international residents, or offering computer classes for the disenfranchised.
Also, there are families around us who lack consistent access to enough food and other basic essentials. Churches can step up and meet those physical needs as well as their spiritual needs. And when a crisis comes (whether a natural disaster, a crisis pregnancy, or abuse), churches can be on the front lines to help through disaster relief, counseling, chaplaincy, and more.
There are three keys to having an effective Compassion Ministry in any community:
- Create Opportunities: Look around your community and see where the opportunities are for you to bring the power of the Gospel to bear.
- Connect People: Connection is the catalyst that unleashes the movement of the Holy Spirit both in our lives, in the church, and throughout our community.
- Cultivate Relationships: Relationships are essential to the success of the movement. Relationships take time to cultivate and may require sacrifices along the way. Look for ways to build those relationships and partnerships so that you can see the transformation happen.
Through the “SHOW” Phase of the #LovePASJ initiative, the Baptist Resource Network of Pennsylvania/South Jersey has produced three guides to help you start compassion ministries in your church. Included in each of these guides are some questions to prompt you to the discovery of your chosen Compassion Ministry opportunity or pathway.
You can view or download these compassion booklets at lovepasj.com. We do have a limited supply of hard copies that are available. Feel free to email the Help Desk and let us know which of the items would be helpful to you. We will either hand deliver or mail them to you as soon as possible. Thank you!
And we thank you for working together to help see the Gospel planted in the hearts of every man, woman, boy, and girl throughout Pennsylvania and South Jersey, as we seek Kingdom movement and God glorified through Compassion Ministry. Be the difference! That’s what we want to see.
