Community Outreach

Community Outreach helps churches and believers love their neighbors with practical compassion and gospel clarity. Explore Bible-based articles on serving local needs, building relationships, partnering with community organizations, and creating outreach ministries that are sustainable and effective. You’ll find guidance on evangelism, mercy ministry, hospitality, and engaging your city with wisdom—so outreach is more than an event and becomes a way of life. Whether your church is starting new initiatives or strengthening existing ones, these resources equip you to serve your community in Jesus’ name.

July 5, 2009

Christian Standard

It”s Simple: Why We Partner with Civic Organizations to Serve the Community

  By Luke Erickson and Tom Moen  Attend a community council meeting and you quickly discover what”s important to the people in your county. What some people call “bellyaching” sometimes tells you the most:  “We don”t have enough programs for our kids.” “The shopping center is run-down and poorly lit. It attracts gang activity.” “The homeless are tracking through our property to get to the liquor store.” To address concerns like these, our community council naturally looks to its members, local law enforcement, and a host of civic organizations. While these groups may not be explicitly Christian, they are already

June 14, 2009

Christian Standard

Collaboration Makes It Happen

By Ellen Hollcroft The opportunities for ministry in Glen Cove, New York, were undeniable. The question was, could a small church do anything to help with such profound problems? Local newspaper articles told the story. “¢ “He apparently drank himself into a stupor that night, the coldest of the season. Passed out from the alcohol, he fell into the creek. His companions pulled him out, sat him up and wrapped him in their blankets. At dawn, they found him still in that position. The police said he had frozen to death” (New York Times, 26 January 1997). “¢ “The City

June 10, 2009

Christian Standard

Through the Ages and Around the World

By Mark A. Taylor Where would the world be without the church? Good question, but it”s far too general. Where would Glen Cove or Tonawanda, New York, be without the church? Or Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania? Or Everett, Washington? Or Mesa, Arizona? The stories we are posting this week offer answers to the questions. We tell the stories of Christians in each of these towns, everyday believers like you and me who are helping their neighbors and bettering their communities in Jesus” name for God”s glory. As Mark Moore said in his article we published April 5, “The notion that our churches care

June 7, 2009

Christian Standard

What I”ve Learned While Serving Single Moms

  By Nancy Karpenske It”s what the church is supposed to be doing. It takes longer than you think. Their backgrounds and situations are not all similar. Their problems are large and expensive. Their hurts are deep. Their children are their priority. Many have little knowledge of God”s plans for marriage and family. Many have little grasp of God”s love and grace. Many have been turned away from their church, either because the small church can”t meet their financial needs or because that church punishes those who get divorced. Many have a hard exterior that covers a wounded heart. Many

June 7, 2009

Christian Standard

The Bible Mandate for Single Mom Ministry

  By Nancy Karpenske “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27)*. In today”s society, homes led by single mothers are one significant expression of “orphans and widows.” In Acts 6, one of the first problems in the early church centered around neglect or unfair treatment of widows in a basic necessity: daily food. The apostles” response shows it was important to respond to the need and care for these individuals and families. The apostles invited the church to select seven of their best

June 7, 2009

Christian Standard

A Single Mom”s Story

  By Nancy Karpenske What are they like, the single moms who participate in Surviving & Thriving as a Single Mom, LifeBridge Christian Church”s ministry to single moms? Here is a composite sample: J.C. is the typical single mom. She is nearing 40. Her husband found someone else and left. He is supposed to pay child support but rarely does. J.C. was a stay-at-home mom. Her job skills are limited. She works at a preschool so her younger child can be with her. She works 9 am to 3 pm so she can pick up her older son from elementary

June 7, 2009

Christian Standard

“˜You Made Me Feel Like I Matter”

  By Nancy Karpenske Margie came because a friend insisted she give us a try. She told me, “I always felt a total failure as a wife and a mother. When I came to the group, I found a whole room of women like me. I realized the very first night that there”s nothing wrong with me.” Lisa said, “I never knew what a normal marriage was supposed to look like until a small group from church started coming over to do repairs at my house. Watching the way the husbands and wives interacted with each other and with my kids

June 7, 2009

Christian Standard

Resources for Single Mom Ministry

  Compiled by Nancy Karpenske Books Help! I Can”t Pay My Bills: Surviving a Financial Crisis by Sally Herigstad (Macmillan, 2006). She”s Gonna Blow! Real Help for Moms Dealing with Anger by Julie Ann Barnhill (Harvest House Publishers, 2005). One Tough Mother: It”s Time to Step Up and Be the Mom by Julie Barnhill (Revell, 2007). The Fig Leaf Conspiracy: Sexuality as It Was Meant to Be by Jimmy Evans (Gospel Light, 2008). Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling Women by Patricia A. Miller (Baker Books, 2002). Billy Graham Christian Worker”s Handbook, Charles G. Ward, editor (Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 2006).

May 17, 2009

Christian Standard

What Church Leaders Need to Know About Ministry to Aging Baby Boomers

  By Amy Hanson Chances are you”ve heard some of these statistics, but try to take a fresh look and really let them soak in: “¢ Americans 65 and older are the fastest-growing segment of the population. “¢ In the past century, the number of people in the United States under the age of 65 has tripled; however, the number of people over 65 has increased by more than a factor of 12. “¢ Today, there are approximately 78 million baby boomers in the U.S., with the oldest boomer turning 63 this year (2009). “¢ By the year 2030 there

May 17, 2009

Christian Standard

Leading Older Adults to Find Places of Service

  By Amy Hanson VolunteerMatch, an organization that helps to connect people with community groups, commissioned an extensive research study in 2006 and discovered that more than half of adults 55 and older are interested in volunteering. The challenge is that many of them are having difficulty finding the right way to share their skills and experience. As leaders, what can we do to help people in the second half of life discover their unique place to serve?   Connect people to God so he can lead them. A few years ago I met a man named Hal who was

May 17, 2009

Christian Standard

Helpful Resources for Older Adult Ministry

  Compiled by Amy Hanson “¢ Christian Association Serving Adult Ministries (CASA): A national organization that provides resources for church leaders who are ministering with people in the second half of life. See www.gocasa.org. “¢ Building Adult Ministries: A blog affiliated with Christianity Today and CASA that shares relevant articles regarding ministry with adults 50 and older. CLICK HERE. “¢ Churches Responding to the Age Wave, Creating New Opportunities for Older Adults to Serve, and Breaking Down the Age Barriers: These are concept papers by Amy Hanson available at www.leadnet/encoregeneration.org. These papers share insights and examples from a number of

May 17, 2009

Christian Standard

How Some Churches Are Ministering to and with Older Adults

    By Amy Hanson Today”s older adult ministries are much different than 30 years ago. There is no longer one single approach that makes a 50-plus ministry successful; rather, there are a variety of methods being used to reach this rapidly growing age demographic. Here are just a few of the innovative and effective strategies being used by churches across the country.   Small Groups as a Tool for Evangelism Community Christian Church (www.communitychristian.org), a multisite church in Naperville, Illinois, has a site at Carillon, a 55-plus living community. Earl Ferguson, pastor at Carillon, says small groups have been

May 17, 2009

Christian Standard

Dispelling the Myths

  By Bill Tennison   Want to be effective in your ministry with adults over 50? Then get rid of these commonly held myths about older adults.       Seniors think they have “done their time” and don”t want to participate in the life of the church.    “It”s a myth that senior adults no longer want to contribute,” wrote David P. Gallagher in Senior Adult Ministry in the 21st Century: Step-By-Step Strategies for Reaching People Over 50. “It”s equally untrue that senior adults don”t want to be actively involved. Senior adults do want to be involved.” In a

May 6, 2009

Christian Standard

Doing Good”“an Earmark of Our Times?

By Mark A. Taylor Could it be that cultural and sociological trends are supporting and energizing the church”s “external focus” that we seem to be seeing everywhere? Our weekly e-newsletter and semiweekly “Buzz” column are filled with stories of churches reaching out to their communities. Youth groups and seniors ministries and whole congregations are organizing themselves to feed the hungry, erect Habit for Humanity homes, tutor in the public schools, build playgrounds in urban parks, and serve in dozens of other ways. Last year”s National Missionary Convention rode this wave with its challenge to “Get Your Hands Dirty.” And we

April 5, 2009

Christian Standard

Half-Pure Religion and the Unpopularity of the Poor

  By Mark E. Moore Jesus” half-brother asserted, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27). A cursory glance at the Gospels suggests that Jesus would agree with his sibling. After all, he spent as much time doing good as he did teaching us about being good.  So why do our churches seem so reticent about compassionate ministries? Why have we allowed social awareness to be hijacked by secular liberals such as Oprah and Extreme

February 4, 2009

Christian Standard

Safe Streets, Saved Souls

By Mark A. Taylor This week we”re making good on our promise to keep publishing articles about elders even after our 2008 emphasis, “The Year of the Elder,” is finished. The three articles featured in this issue won”t be the last helps for elders you”ll find in our pages this year. Meanwhile, we”re continuing to develop issues around our 2009 theme, “Get Your Hands Dirty.” We”re gathering stories from around the world to show how Restoration Movement congregations and missions are redeeming broken bodies as well as lost souls. Timothy Keller, in his challenging little book, The Prodigal God, offers

December 17, 2008

Christian Standard

Interview with Jon Weece

By Brad Dupray In 2005 Christmas fell on a Sunday, so Southland Christian Church (Lexington, Kentucky) used the calendar anomaly as an opportunity for outreach. Canceling Sunday worship services to serve the community was a controversial decision, but it forever changed the way the church conducts ministry. Jon Weece is in his sixth year as senior minister at Southland and in his ninth year on staff at the church. After graduating from Ozark Christian College, Jon spent four years as a missionary in Haiti. He and his wife of nine years, Allison, are the proud parents of 6-year-old Ava and

December 14, 2008

Christian Standard

Disability Ministry in the Christian Church

By Jim Pierson For 25 years, the Christian Church Foundation for the Handicapped has influenced the disability ministry world. While CCFH”s influence has spanned faith groups, I wanted to determine its impact on Christian churches.  Established in 1983, the ministry”s board developed two goals: to provide residential care to adults and to develop disability ministry materials for churches to meet the spiritual needs of people with disabilities. I will discuss the influence of the disability ministry materials. In the 1960s while directing the East Tennessee Children”s Rehabilitation Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, I researched what churches were doing to minister to

August 31, 2008

Christian Standard

Parents Matter

By Curtis Booher and Phyllis Fox Parents matter. More than anyone””peers, teachers, youth ministers””the greatest single influence on a teen is his parents. That may shock some parents who feel like a discarded shoe when their children reach adolescence. Research proves parents have the greatest effect on their children”s choices, including their religious and spiritual practices. Teens long to be cared for and taken seriously and they need authentic relationships with their parents and other caring adults. Christian parents need support from the church and that means more than youth group and Bible studies. The alarming rate of teen church

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