Leading Your Church to Invest in Your Community

Three Characteristics of Community Investment:

  1. Biblical most important
  2. Practical must be hands-on
  3. Relevant know your context and meet people where they are

1. Biblical

  • Ephesians 4:11–12: You are being trained to lead others. Pour into others.
  • Jeremiah 29:7: Be salt and light to your community. Slow down the destruction that sin causes in your community.
  • Matthew 5:13–16
  • Matthew 22:36–40
  • Matthew 28:18–20
  • Romans 12:18 : Pray for your leaders and live in peace with others.
  • 1 Timothy 2:1–4

Leadership should reinforce the biblical foundation of City Investment in every aspect of the church’s ministry.

2. Practical

  • Evaluate your resources: God is not limited by our resources, but be smart and know what you have available
  • Materials: think outside the box
  • Budget: don’t let it limit your dreaming
  • People: Know your people. Success builds success. Give responsibilities appropriately.
  • Skills, strengths, and weaknesses

Try to create a balance between struggle and success. This is where growth occurs.

Ask the partner, ‘what needs do you have?’

  •  Choose your partners (you are not able to meet every practical need
  • Relief vs. development relief lifts an immediate burden; development is empowering for future change.

A balanced ministry will invest in the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of your community.

3. Relevant

  •  Know your city. Research demographics. Know the area around your church as well as the larger metro area.
  • Know the culture. The culture in the church and the city are often very different.
  • Know the community leaders. Work to build their trust. Take the time to build relationships to accomplish the goals together.
  • Do not make assumptions. Don’t feed the misconceptions. Don’t assume you know what the problem is and that you have the answers.
  •  “Your perception of me may not be my reality.”

Be willing to make long-term investments! Learn to give ministry away to be more effective. Use your influence where you are to create a culture of serving out in the community. –Center Church by Tim Keller