Transcript Church Partnerships - The Fuller Center for Housing

Church Partnerships
Opportunities in challenging times
Kirk Lyman-Barner, Director of U.S. Field Operations
and pastor of Praxis United Church of Christ-Americus
Our thesis…
In a challenging time for churches with a
growing number of people leaving and selfidentifying as “spiritual but not religious,” we
have a great opportunity to be true to our calling
as a Servant to the Church by encouraging
church leaders to use our housing ministry as a
mission outreach and evangelism tool. We will
discuss success stories and explore strategies for
partnering with churches to turn the houses we
build and repair into sermons of God’s love.
The number of
Americans who claim to
have no religious
affiliation is the highest
it has ever been since the
1930s.
1930
1990
2013
*Pew Research Center
“Oh, I believe in God. I
just don’t go to church.”
“I still love Jesus. It’s his
followers I just can’t
really stand.”
5%
8%
20%
October 2013
Introducing the “Nones” or the
“Spiritual But Not Religious”
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In 2012, overall church giving
decreased by $29 billion
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In 2011, overall church giving
decreased by $431 million
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Per capita giving $763 per
person
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Total membership in top 25
churches: 145,691,446, down 1.15
percent.
“Cynicism
becomes
self-fulfilling.”
*Yearbook of
American and Canadian
Churches 2012
Shrinking congregations and a
tough economy result in smaller
mission budgets.
What is the impact on The Fuller Center for Housing?
2010-2012%
2013%
Armenian
7%
8%
Baptist
29%
6%
Catholic
1%
1%
Church of the Brethren
0%
6%
Disciples
0%
0%
Episcopal
3%
0%
Independent
12%
7%
Lutheran
2%
2%
Mennonite
2%
0%
Methodist
13%
11%
Presbyterian
14%
4%
United Church of Christ
18%
56%
100%
100%
Church giving to The Fuller Center for
Housing home office is up 73%
For FCH home office, our church giving is connected/motivated by the
following in this order (greatest to least):
1- Disaster projects (sometimes U.S., sometimes international)
2- Mission Trips (Global Builders or US Builders)
3- International projects
4- Pass through to local CP's
5 - Misc. (Campaigns such as 40 Years in Africa, a few outright gifts,
Bike Adventure churches, etc.)
Our international office’s appeal for #'s 1-3 is because we really bring
something to the table to help them do something the church can't do
without us.
The increase in donations was due to a growth in our US and
International Builder programs and Hurricane Sandy
The local covenant partners’ appeal is that we can create meaningful
service opportunities to help people in need right under the shadows
of the steeple of the local church. Think about neighborhood
revitalization stories.
A new narrative to combat
cynicism….
We continue to
demonstrate that no
matter how bad the
economy gets, God will
not go bankrupt.
How to work with
churches at the local level.
“Spiritual But Not Religious
is Not Good Enough”
-Rev. Lillian Daniel
According to Lillian Daniel the
answer to “Spiritual But Not
Religious” is community. People who
feel allergic to institutions and are
tired of church politics still long for
community.
Churches need to return
to building community
The rhythm of community life within the
church is more than Christmas, Easter and
worship rituals and alter calls.
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Birth
Baptisms
Christian Education
Community Service and Mission Work
Weddings
Visiting the Sick
Funerals
Community Service and Mission Work
are some of the best opportunities for
church evangelism to the unchurched.
The definition of evangelism.
The Greek word εὐαγγέλιον (pronounced
ev-an-GEL-i-on ) originally meant good news
εὔ = "good“
ἀγγέλλω = "I bring a message"
The Fuller Center for Housing ministry is an
excellent opportunity to not only do good
work, but also to bring good news to the
unchurched and reintroduce them to a church
community.
"This is the greatest illustrated sermon I have ever
preached,"
~Pastor Derek Vreeland
Each year the Fuller Center Faith in Action Weekend
is held the second weekend in October.
Two recent challenges church
leaders are struggling with
Helping
Agatha Fry, she made a pie
And Christopher John helped bake it
Christopher John, he mowed the lawn
And Agatha Fry helped rake it
Now, Zachary Zugg took out the rug
And Jennifer Joy helped shake it
Then Jennifer Joy, she made a toy
And Zachary Zugg helped break it
And some kind of help is the kind of help
That helping's all about
And some kind of help is the kind of help
We all can do without
~by Shel Silverstein
“Now you don’t have to read the book Toxic Charity.”
~Shane Claiborne
The Fuller Center Model
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Local leadership
Asset Building
Sweat Equity
Partnership between
the poor and the nonpoor
Affordable
Capital not charity
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Construction and
Financial skills training
Cultural Education
Public accountability
Replicable
Sustainable
Independence, not
dependency
Christian evangelism in its purest form:
“We bring a message of good news for both the poor
and those who have been blessed with abundance.”
Clarence Jordan
“It has also become clear to us that as man
has lost his identity with God he has lost it
with his fellow man…. We must have a
new spirit—a spirit of partnership with
one another.”
“What the poor need is not charity but
capital, not caseworkers but co-workers.
And what the rich need is a wise,
honorable and just way of divesting
themselves of their overabundance.”
-October 1968
Millard Fuller
The “theology of the hammer” is a term
Millard Fuller used to explain the idea that we
cannot just talk about our faith. We must put
faith and love into action. Faith must be
incarnated. It must be acted out.
This theology also is about bringing together a wide diversity of people,
churches and other organizations to build houses and establish viable
communities.
It is about acknowledging our differences: political, religious, philosophical,
theological and cultural, while finding common ground in using a hammer to
manifest God’s love.
The theology of the hammer is the belief that we are called by God to care for
the poor.
Finally, this theology is about the realization that sufficient resources exist for
solving the problem of poverty housing and homelessness. With God, all
things are possible.
Pope Francis I
“These days there is a lot of poverty in the world,
and that's a scandal when we have so many riches
and resources to give to everyone. We all have to
think about how we can become a little poorer.”
7 Steps to Start the
Conversation
1.
Begin with an attitude of
service. Churches are not
ATMs
2.
Meet with the pastor or
mission committee and ask
about their story and their
needs
3.
Share the Fuller Center story
4.
Ask if they have elderly
members, shut-ins or
caregivers that may have
housing repair needs
5.
Ask them to prayerfully
consider engaging The Fuller
Center to help make the repairs
6.
Encourage the congregation to
use the project as an evangelism
opportunity to invite friends of
members who are part of
“Spiritual but not Religious”
crowd.
7.
Ask prayers from the
congregation and for help
spreading the word about The
Fuller Center through their
newsletter, minutes for mission
during the worship service and
other opportunities
7 Steps for Engagement
1.
Be very prepared and very
specific about the scope of
the project
2.
Make sure that the family
selection and family
partnership team has
prepared the family
3.
Help the congregation think
through fundraising ideas if
they have no available funds
from their mission budget
4.
Think about opportunities to
maximize the story within
the congregation and
throughout your service area
5.
Make sure tools, materials,
and adequate supervision
are on site on the day of the
project
6.
Don’t forget to plan for
safety orientation and allow
time for volunteers to clean
up the job site and put away
the tools
7.
Ask for help from the church
at the dedication services
Being a community organizer requires being organized.
7 Steps for Follow Up
1.
2.
Visit with the mission leadership
team after the build to discuss
what went well and what can be
improved
Share with the congregation
specific needs for help on your
board and committees
3.
Continue to communicate with
the congregation through
newsletters, emails and other
communication tools
4.
Invite the congregation to all
future house dedications
5.
Explore the possibility of
connecting the church with
another area congregation to
take on bigger projects
6.
Introduce them to our
Global Builders program
7.
Interview and seek
permission to share the story
of any new members who
joined the church family
because of this mission
project. Their stories may
inspire others.
7 Really Cool Church Stories
Each one demonstrates examples of ways
The Fuller Center for Housing is fulfilling
its calling to be “a servant to the church.”
1. Bossier First United Methodist Church
2. Atlantic City and Haiti – UCC Partnerships
30 houses funded in Haiti!
Shawnee and Portland Prayer Warriors
Weekly prayer breakfast with area non-profits and churches in the
neighborhood they are serving. The group has grown to 36 people who
are committed to transform the neighborhood and restore hope.
“What a great thing to see how Christ our Lord is truly with us, leading
the way for all of us to serve him in so many ways.”
-Steve Marrillia
3. Louisville, KY
4. World Changers – Hammond, LA
5. First Presbyterian Greenwood, MS
Last year we constructed a Haitian style home right on our own front
lawn at Main Street Church in downtown Amesbury. Each cement
block purchased brought us closer to Haiti. Well we did it again...and
raised $1,800.00 throughout the evening. Thank you for donating
towards our ongoing efforts to send the next team to Haiti.
4 Trips to Haiti!
6. Main Street Congregational, Amesbury, MA
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High Schools
Colleges like Mercer
University Women's
Basketball Team
Denominational
Programs like Southern
Baptists World
Changers
Intentional Christian
Communities like
Koinonia Farm and The
Simple Way
7. Church Affiliated Organizations
Q?
A.
Can a mission service
project, be used as
an experience
that might attract the
religiously unaffiliated?
“I think the answer is
YES. As a matter of fact,
it's probably the best
evangelism/outreach plan
for these folks.”
Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove
David Snell, President and Co Founder
“The church is at the
heart of the success of
The Fuller Center for
Housing.”
Questions? Stories to share?
Thank you