V. To Do:
- With a group of mutually-interested friends, including people from the target community, walk around the neighborhood, introducing them to information, research (from the responses of Nazarene research and other sources you may have discovered), impressions God has given you since your first walk in the first session of this study. From your conversations, information from this study, Bible study, and what God is telling you, compile a “mission” statement. What do you sense is the leading of the Holy Spirit as a next step?
- Evaluate this study, what it has accomplished, and what it has failed to do, in light of your needs and expectations. Email mstrat@nazarene.org, or call Susan Grube, 1-816-333-7000 with suggestions, critiques, and/or ideas.
- District licensed or ordained ministers in the Church of the Nazarene are eligible to receive Continuing Education Unites for this seminar, evaluated at 2 units. Request a CEU form from your district CE Coordinator.
VI. To Think:
First Corinthians 9 is a lengthy statement about Paul’s validation for ministry in the cities, recognizing that he had rights, but was willing to suspend those rights for the ultimate purpose of the gospel.
Among the rights he mentions are freedom, status, recognition, basic needs, companionship, adequate compensation, national and racial identity, and religious identification. By inference, we can add the right to privacy, cultural heritage, education, and leisure. Paul suggests these rights are real and to be enjoyed, but he celebrates a higher right—to suspend willingly and graciously any right which impedes the higher calling of reaching others for Christ. If the rights of cultural identity, religious association, privacy, etc., get in the way, then for the window of time I can reach this person for Christ, I step aside from claiming this right.
What rights do you fear you might lose while engaged in urban ministry? What is your attitude about surrendering these rights temporarily? Is it done joyfully, with anticipation of a higher goal? Or grudgingly, because you feel you are losing something important?
Continue with Session 6