Weekly Opportunity to Share With the Poor

An essential ministry we have here at Grace Church in West Philly is ministering to those who struggle daily just to have a healthy meal. Rarely a day goes by at Grace Community Center without our meeting someone face to face who has a material need. Often our concern for those tangible needs opens the door for conversation about their need of the gospel.

We would like all who worship at GCP to participate in ministering to the poor by bringing with you each week some canned food or other non-perishable food items or items that assist with personal hygiene. We will have a basket available each week where we will collect these items and then make them available to those in need.

Thank you for hearing the cry of the poor.

Blessings in Christ Jesus our Lord,

The Leadership of GCP

Acts 4:32 (ESV) Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.  33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.  34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.  36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus,  37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Mercy Ministry and Evangelism: The Necessary Interdependence of Grace and Deeds of Justice

[Above is a modified reproduction of Ferdinand Hodler's (1853-1918) "The Good Samaritan."]

The following is adapted from an upcoming presentation to Christian students on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania:

We live in a day of radical skepticism toward the Christian faith. People question biblical Christianity for numerous reasons and with numerous motives.

I do not intend here to exhaustively address all of the assorted reasons and motives as to why people, fairly or unfairly, reject Christianity.

My purpose is to attempt to lay out a possible remedy that should strip one particular group of skeptics of their rhetorical and emotional weaponry in their battle against the church.

You’ve probably heard it said by those who reject Christianity that their rejection is due to the presence of all the judgmental hypocrites in the institutional church who profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

By such skeptics it is claimed that of the many Christians who proclaim Jesus Christ, there appears to be very few whose lives appear to be genuinely impacted by Him.

And so it is that Christians are labeled as “hypocritical,” and “insensitive,” and “judgmental.”

It is not so much that many outsiders have rejected the gospel message as they have rejected the messengers, namely: us.

Researchers at the Barna Group recently concluded a multi-year study that asked outsiders to describe “present-day Christianity.”[1]

85% of outsiders described Christianity as “hypocritical – saying one thing, doing another.” Eighty-five percent!

87% of outsiders described Christianity as “judgmental.”

70% of outsiders described Christianity as “insensitive to others.”

72% described Christianity as “out of touch with reality.” Read more »

Guidelines for Mercy Ministry

The following are recommendations and guidelines for participation in any and all mercy ministry outreaches and events through Grace Church of Philly:

Motive for Service:

Christians do not serve the poor out of obligation or guilt or some kind of religious duty. We do not serve others to gain something for ourselves (Titus 3:5; 2 Tim. 1:9).[1] Our service is a self-sacrificial act of love that emanates and flows from the love of God displayed at the cross and the empty tomb. This gracious love, which has been poured into our hearts at salvation by the indwelling Holy Spirit of God (Rom. 5:5), empowers our service and compassion to the poor. This love is a creative force, making acts of mercy appear in the lives of saved individuals who were formerly enemies of God, dead in spirit and alienated from Him. Christians don’t have to serve in this manner; we get the blessing of serving in this manner; we get the blessing of participating in the love of Christ. Read more »

John Leone on The Gospel and Mercy Ministry

The Gospel and Mercy Ministry

At Grace Church, our desire is that everything we do and say and think would be informed and driven by the gospel of Jesus Christ. And “everything” necessarily includes our ministries of mercy.

In other words, we don’t want mercy ministry to become an end in and of itself. We are very concerned that it never becomes detached from Jesus and His saving gospel.

Missionary Lesslie Newbigin speaks on the danger of reductionism in the life and thought of the church: Read more »

Barriers to Serving the Poor – Partiality

It is my firm belief that service to the poor is not some special spiritual “calling,” but a normative part of the Christian life, just like attending church or praying or reading your Bible. So why aren’t more Christians involved in caring for the poor? One reason I’ve encountered is ignorance. We discussed this point previously.

Ignorance tends to breed stereotyping, which breeds prejudice, which breeds partiality.

Partiality is the practice of favoritism. It is an act of the will that transcends the stereotypes and prejudices of our mind.

Let’s see what partiality looked like in the first century church:

James 2:1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.  2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,”  4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?  5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?  6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?  7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?  8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.  9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

In our time, we also have “dishonored the poor man” (v. 6). This “dishonoring” manifests itself in the omission of regular and consistent acts of basic Christian compassion toward others who are in great need of such ministry.

In this, we too are guilty of “committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.”

Like the early church, we also are guilty of showing partiality toward our weaker brothers and sisters by refusing to do what we can to come alongside them and encourage them in the Lord. It seems that Christians are frequently too busy disputing amongst themselves over minor and relatively obscure points of doctrine, or too busy pouring all of their energy back into their own congregations to help their poor brothers and sisters who remain outside the walls of our oases of Christian sanctuary.

May God give us eyes to see our weaker brethren as He sees them. May this motivate us to love and service and the elimination of partiality in our midst, by the power of His Holy Spirit.

Barriers to Serving the Poor – Ignorance

It is my firm belief that service to the poor is not some special spiritual “calling,” but a normative part of the Christian life, just like attending church or praying or reading your Bible. So why aren’t more Christians involved in caring for the poor? One reason I’ve encountered is ignorance.

The less you know about something, the less involved you will be with that something. We manipulate our lives in such a way that we know virtually nothing about the thousands of poor and homeless living all around us.

Knowing nothing gives us an excuse not to care.

Knowing nothing helps to perpetuate our prejudices and stereotypes about poor people, which hardens our ignorance.

Knowing nothing keeps us safe in our nice, little Christian comfort zones.

Knowing nothing also keeps us from spiritual growth through Christian service to others.

In talking to Christians about homeless people, I’m simply amazed at how many of them have such strong opinions and emotions regarding this subject.

I’m also amazed by the fact that almost none of these Christians actually know or have had a real conversation with a homeless person in their lifetimes. With little or no personal experience whatsoever, these highly opinionated people are self-proclaimed experts regarding homelessness and poverty.

Personal experience and factual knowledge helped to destroy my presuppositions about poverty. While I can’t give you personal experience (you have to get that on your own), I can provide you with some facts:

Every year, more than three million people experience homelessness. This number includes 1.3 million children.

One-third of the homeless population is composed of families.

Almost half of the homeless population is employed. However, they do not earn enough money to pay for housing. [1]

Housing affordability is the main issue for homeless with low incomes. Estimates indicate that there are twice as many low-income families searching for homes than there are affordable units available.

Although many homeless apply for government assistance, frequently they end up waiting for upwards of six years on subsidized Section 8 housing lists. Due to government inefficiencies, others find that they simply cannot even get on such waiting lists.

Over 30 million people live at or below the poverty line. There is currently no jurisdiction in the United States in which a full-time job at the prevailing minimum wage provides enough income to rent a one-bedroom home.

A significant number of the homeless population is mentally disabled, but never receive the benefits to which they are entitled. Further, the de-institutionalization policies of the 1960s and following have left many such individuals abandoned to a life on the street with no means of support.[2]

Some studies have shown that only 20% of the homeless population can be considered “chronically” homeless.

In this past year ministering on the street, I’ve been surprised to find that, contrary to popular Christian belief, a significant number of homeless are believers. Many not only know the gospel, but can actually recite verses entirely from memory as well as discuss intricate theological and philosophical issues.

Of course, some Christians refuse to believe this, saying that if someone is saved, then it is unthinkable that they could wind up on the street. Among other things, I would merely reply that these skeptics possess a very low view of sin and a low view of the influence of the powers of the world that entice men and women to engage in patterns of life-dominating sin.

Should we not be diligently ministering to restore our fallen brothers and sisters who find themselves locked in a vicious cycle of sin and poverty?

1John 3:16 (ESV) By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.  17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?  18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

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[1] “Homelessness and Poverty in America,” National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, http://www.nlchp.org/hapia.cfm, Accessed 14 November 2009.

[2] http://www.nlchp.org/hapia_causes.cfm.

Barriers to Mercy Ministry

Prepared for a Grace Gathering of Grace Church of Philly:

In Matthew 25:31-46, our Lord Jesus Christ clearly and unambiguously states that those who belong to Him will demonstrate this fact by ministering to the “least of these”: the poor, the hungry, the sick, the naked, the prisoner, the stranger.

Just as the new birth event produces evidence of its occurrence like church attendance, Bible reading and study, a prayer life, and a thirst for spiritual things (frequently called the “fruit” of salvation), Jesus indicates that the fact of your new life in Him necessarily manifests in a life of service to the poor and needy.

Many within the American Christian community have erected an intricate and artificial network of barriers that prevent them from living out their faith commitment by serving the poor and homeless.

In the coming days, Lord willing, we will be investigating and discussing these barriers and their ultimate illegitimacy.

My desire in so doing is to create in us a sense of Holy Spirit-induced urgency to live out our identities in Christ in a fuller way by ministering to the poor as a regular part of our Christian existence. It is my firm belief that service to the poor is not some special spiritual “calling,” but a normative part of the Christian life, just like attending church or praying or reading your Bible.

Some of the artificial blockades to mercy ministry that we will be exploring in the coming weeks include: ignorance (about homeless people themselves, the homeless experience, and the causes of homelessness), suburbolationism (chronic, generational suburban isolation caused by the flight from and continuing purposeful avoidance of urban areas), recent conservative Christian church tradition, fear (of homeless people, of new situations, of outreach and evangelism), pride, sloth, an inchoate (rudimentary) view of the church and its mission in the world, a defective and dishonest hermeneutic of Scripture, and defective theology.[1]

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[1] This list is not exhaustive in nature, but is comprised of simple observations I’ve made as I’ve engaged with conservative Christians in the course of doing ministries of mercy over the last year.

Ministry to the Poor and Homeless in Camden, NJ

To get involved with our mercy ministries, please contact anyone on the leadership team.

Our Identity in Serving the Poor

The following was prepared for a Grace Gathering of Grace Church of Philly:

Last week we briefly covered our motivation for serving the poor: Jesus Christ and His gospel. We learned that Christ-centeredness and gospel-centeredness necessarily produces other-centeredness.

This week we’re going to look at another foundational aspect of our worship of God through mercy ministries: our identity in serving the poor.

“Never forget where you came from.” Have you ever heard someone say that? It’s frequently stated in the context of urging someone to remember his or her roots.

In the history of the American Church, there has been an unfortunate tendency for well-meaning Christians to “forget where they came from” while serving the poor, with the end result being a tragic loss of identity.

This loss of identity has wreaked tremendous havoc and done incredible damage within the Church. It has created much confusion and resulted in the loss of the gospel in tens of thousands of congregations worldwide, to the eternal detriment of millions of people.

Obviously, with the stakes so incredibly high, we want to steer clear of this kind of error and apostasy.

How do we avoid making the same mistake that those who have fallen away from the faith have made?

The solution in this situation is the same as it is in just about every other circumstance in the Christian life: we must recognize our identity in Christ and hold fast to Him.

We are Slaves of Christ

In Rom. 1:1, Gal. 1:10, Col. 4:12, 2 Tim. 2:24, Titus 1:1, Jam. 1:1, 2 Pet. 1:1, and Jude 1:1, various New Testament authors identify themselves or other Christian workers as “slaves” of Christ. The word “slave” (or, in some translations “servant” or “bond-servant”) is translated from the Greek δουλος (doulos).

In the New Testament, this referred to “a person [who was] owned as a possession.”[1]

Someone who is owned by another doesn’t have the luxury or the option of forgetting or ignoring his or her identity.

Someone who is the property of another doesn’t set about to go his or her own way in life, moving about as he or she sees fit. Instead, a slave does the bidding and will of his master.[2] In many ways, a slave is bound to his master.

As slaves of Christ, we are to be obedient to His teachings. He commands us to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matt. 22:37-40).

We love our God and neighbor by living out the Great Commission given by Christ: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20).

We live out this Great Commission in both word and deed.

Our identity is centered in our relationship to God in Christ. Because this identity is brought about through the gospel, it results in selfless relationships with others that are gracious, merciful, and loving.

We are Ambassadors of Christ

2 Cor. 5:20 – Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

“Ambassador” is from πρεσβευω (presbeuo), which means to act as a representative.[3]

In serving the poor, we’re not social workers; we’re not philanthropists; we’re not crusaders for justice; we’re not church members: we are representatives of Jesus Christ, bringing His message of grace to others in our words and in our lives, urging and imploring people to be reconciled to Him through Christ by means of the gospel.

Our identity is centered in our relationship to God in Christ. Because this identity is brought about through the gospel, it results in selfless relationships with others that are gracious, merciful, and loving.

How do we avoid losing our identity when we minister to the poor? By recognizing our identity as slaves and ambassadors of Christ and by cleaving to Him with all of our might.

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[1] Edward W. Goodrick, John R. Kohlenberger III, and James A. Swanson, Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999), Version 1.1, Accordance Bible Software 8.3.3, Oak Tree Software, Inc., 2009.

[2] An interesting observation on the term δουλος can be found in the First Edition Notes of The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C., 2005), Version 3.3, Accordance Bible Software 8.3.3., Oak Tree Software, Inc., 2009: “Though δουλος (doulos) is normally translated ‘servant,’ the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that ‘”servant” for “slave” is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished’ (BDAG 260 s.v.). At the same time, perhaps ‘servant’ is apt in that the δουλος of Jesus Christ took on that role voluntarily, unlike a slave. The most accurate translation is ‘bondservant’ (sometimes found in the ASV for δουλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force” (from note 3 on 2 Peter 1:1).

[3] Strong’s Greek Dictionary of the New Testament, Version 2.4, Accordance Bible Software 8.3.3, Oak Tree Software, Inc., 2009.