Bringing Change

Posted January 8th, 2010 by Sarah

Posted in: Spiritual, Travel

This one is coming to you from Freeway Ford in Houston. We should have been on the road back to Missouri a few hours ago, but if you’ve ever taken a van full of people on a ridiculously long road trip… well, you know things never quite work out the way they should.

This week our plans have changed a lot, as they often do on trips like this. At times, I’ve asked, “Well, if I didn’t get to do what I thought I would be doing, why did I even come?” But, in the midst of it all, we’ve had many conversations that have been really helpful and equipping in ministry back where we live.

A pastor we’ve been working with is doing some simple, yet awesome ministry in some of the roughest neighborhoods, starting after-school programs and Bible studies in apartment complexes. Another ministry we worked with has a pretty long record of helping the homeless.

One question we keep asking ourselves is how we bring help that isn’t just one-time charity, but is also transformational. Not that giving something alone is wrong (I think it is commanded in scripture), but it’s not the end-all of what we should be doing. It doesn’t adequately reflect the gospel if we merely do drive-by handouts.

We’ve had lots of conversations with the team this week about how we can do more to meet physical and spiritual needs in the neediest places of our own community, but there is much to learn. I look forward to continuing the conversation as we keep learning how to better serve those around us.