Congregations, Neighborhoods, Places

by Mark T. Mulder

Congregational community engagement is so widespread in the United States that it is best described as a congregational norm . Both congregational leaders and attenders, in fact, expect to be involved in community activities simply as a matter of course. Moreover, people in need assume aid from congregations is natural and normal. Beyond that, most congregations want to be involved in their communities--they see neighborhood participation as a natural product of their mission. And congregational social activity also tends to spur other studies show that individuals who attend congregations in which there is a strong and clear priority on community care are more likely than others to be civically engaged outside the congregation. In other words, congregational activity has ripple effects that are hard to even measure. Congregations interested in community engagement, though, should prepare to accurately assess both their limits and capacities in addressing community issues. There exists no step-by-step formula for congregational engagement that simply translates to all communities/neighborhoods. This book, however, offers a brief overview to stimulate congregational thinking about community engagement in a manner that includes insights regarding social science and local context.

116 pages, Paperback

Published March 15, 2018

Reviews

[Rachel B · Rating 3 out of 5]

"... churches should remember that loving our neighbor is a radical decision. It requires - perhaps counterintuitively - more than creating relationships. It also demands addressing the systems and the places people inhabit." p 103

"... lifestyle choices can have an influence, but they are less important to the perpetuation of poverty than larger systems." p 54

So these quotes pretty much sums up what Mulder says throughout the whole book: Individual change is great and all, but he believes that "systemic" change is more important.

In my opinion, it's more 50/50 than most Christians want to believe. Because in reality, most of us individuals are gifted in only one of these areas; addressing both of these at the same time seems overwhelming for us, especially because it requires actually collaborating with other Christians who have the gifts we lack.

Currently, the idea of being "missional" and social-justice oriented is very popular in the Church, yet many local churches still don't have the relationship bit down yet. That is the first step. First, you get to know people. Then, you will know them well enough, and will have (hopefully) earned enough of their respect, to get involved in their problems and go about meeting their needs. And if you have a true relationship, then these people will also have a hand in meeting your needs.

This book would probably be best used in a small group/committee setting, which would ideally spark discussion of more hands-on, practical engagement of the local church within the neighborhood.

[Dale Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Mulder describes the activity of urban and suburban churches through the lens of a sociologist. The truth of the matter is that there are a lot of people in need of different types of help from financial assistance to afterschool tutoring to help with career development. Churches cannot satisfy all the needs of the communities they are located in, but for many of these needs, churches may be best at addressing such needs. Mulder encourages churches to look at their resources with fresh eyes to see if the resources needed to help their neighbors might actually be within their membership.

This book reads quickly and has an inviting tone. I encourage church leaders to read this short book because it is very encouraging as well as honest about the limitations of church service within their neighborhoods.

[GARY WILMHOFF · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a booklet that gives an overview of some of the challenges of the church engaging its community.
Offers some basic concepts but recognizes that their are no cookie-cutter solutions.