Every Table An Altar ...

Last week I shared an experience of spending a week in Amsterdam, learning about their social ministries and mission model. I wanted to continue to share some observations that I think are incredibly important as we fight forward towards a changing missional landscape. I would say that much adaptation will be necessary due to widening intercultural gaps. These gaps mean that the values, beliefs, and practices of the emergent generation are wildly out of sync with current missional practices. That is not to say that the message changes! Absolutely not; the issue is centrally around the methods. The way of repentance, confession, and regeneration is not up for debate. *Disclaimer over.

So remember Majoor Bosshardt, from last week? Talk about an impact. Would you believe me if I told you her hand is cast in bronze at Madame Tussaud's Amsterdam museum, next to Stevie Wonder and Jon Bon Jovi? It is! 

Millions touch her hand every year as they pass by.

Talk about Salvation Army famous!

So what can we learn from her today? As she integrated The Salvation Army's mission into the red light district of Amsterdam, she utilized The Goodwill Centers or 'Centras' in Dutch. These became the living rooms of the neighborhoods, and as people gathered they found both physical refuge and spiritual refuge as well. 

See my last post here if you want to learn more.  

https://outreachinghope.blogspot.com/2020/07/grote-hoop-en-doel.html

Grote Hoop En Doel

Can I share an example of transformational change?

Would you take a journey with me to Amsterdam?

Around a year ago I got to spend the day with this Great Heart, Majoor Alida Booshardt. She started the Salvation Army's work here in the red light district in Amsterdam and made an impact that decades later is still reaping a harvest. This bench and statue is a big tourist stop in Amsterdam, and folks line up to get their selfies with the good Majoor. There is even a bike manufactured in her honor 'The Majoor'; black with scarlet-walled wheels. You can check out the museum if you are ever there. It is worth a visit.

https://www.legerdesheils.nl/museum

Majoor Bosshardt made an incredible impact preaching the gospel in the red light district, but I think there was something that she recognized and used that uniquely met the needs of this neighborhood. She pioneered, among many things, the Goodwill Centers, which acted as the 'Livingroom' of the neighborhood. Everyone was welcome and these Goodwill 'Centras' became a transforming influence wherever they popped up. You could come and have a cup of coffee, connect with neighbors, and find community. Many lives, through these 'livingrooms', were impacted and won for Christ. In fact, an entire nation was impacted by this work. Members of the royal family would dress incognito and come walk through the neighborhood with Majoor Bosshardt.

It would be easy to just admire the work done almost 75 years ago and visit the museum, but if you were to walk around the various Corps', shelters, and ministry units you would notice something. The Goodwill Centras are alive and well. In fact, they are transforming neighborhoods and lives now.

 

This is a modern 'Goodwill Center', or as they are called now, 'Bij Booshardt', which translates to 'Be Bosshardt'. In the Netherlands, every Corps', Social Center, and every building that has a shield on it has been challenged to reimagine mission, and develop their spaces to become again the living rooms of their neighborhood. This is significant and, I believe, one of the most relevant expressions of integrated mission on the planet. This challenge, spearheaded by Territorial Commander Hannelise Tvedt, has shown an incredible impact through the integrated mission model, and thousands of people are participating throughout the 13 neighborhood livingrooms 'Bij Booshardts'. 

I had the privilege to spend a week here in Amsterdam and experience this ministry first hand. I will share more on this later but wanted to share why this particular expression of the mission was so impactful. 

What I saw was this ... in each Corps' or Center, the question was asked, 'What are the needs of our neighborhood?', 'Are we currently meeting those needs?', and 'How can we offer our available spaces to connect neighbors with each other, meet human needs holistically, and offer the opportunity to know Jesus. 

It is important to note that this process is not done by 'us' deciding what the neighborhood needs and reimaging programs for them. It looks like spending time in the neighborhood, getting to know our neighbors, and finding solutions together. 

An important part of developing an integrated mission approach is to recognize that when the maintenance of programs within our buildings takes more time and resources than being part of the community there is a net negative missional effect. No matter how much we improve programs, we may not see a transformative impact on the lives of our neighbors and neighborhoods around us. This isn't to say that there are no programs, rather programs are reimagined with our neighbors. 

This assumes another key factor; that we see people with the capacity to be contributors and stakeholders in a community. 

Let's imagine that food insecurity is an issue for low-income neighbors. Sometimes we can lean on traditional models of programming, say, 'Let's open a food bank'. There is nothing wrong with making sure families have food. But imagine if we spent time with those neighbors and developed a solution for food insecurity that worked to solve the issue, with the neighborhood participating in the solution.

I spent the morning with 'Tim' who as a neighbor helps to plant the food grown that is then used to feed the community. As a person unable to work, this gives him purpose, and as he expressed "grote hoop en doel" - Great hope and purpose. As the community begins their day there is intentional time spent around tables with the 'Master Gardener' Daan who teaches agriculture, life skills, and is a chaplain to these neighbors. He has actually written a book on the parallels of gardening and rebuilding your life in Christ.  

Once the food is grown, it then provides meals for the several social centers around the city and also provides produce that is then used in a restaurant that provides culinary training to people that are program participants. The vocation training programs are referred to as 50/50, which implies that there is a partnership between the community and the social ministry units.

It was incredible to experience these communities and see lives impacted. It was overwhelming to meet so many that had no home that have now found a home; both in Christ through repentance, and through the care of salvationists in livingrooms, who are being Booshardt - 'Bij Bosshardt'. Out of the thousands of people that come into the livingrooms each year, 60% said that they had no friends, and wouldn't have seen or spoken to anyone else that day. This encourages me to think deeper about my own neighbors.  

Some questions that I am pondering as I think through this time ...

Am I spending more time maintaining and resourcing programs than being a part of the community?

I wonder what reimaging available space could look like? 

What thigs are my neighbors concerned about?

How could we work together to find solutions to these concerns?

Let me know your thoughts?   

OUTREACHING HOPE ...

OK, so recently Heather and I have been transferred to Atlanta, and now work out of The Salvation Army's Territorial Headquarters as Territorial Mission Specialists.  Folks keep asking us "What is that?"and "What will you do?" Our first and best response is to say "Let's win the world for Jesus starting in the South!"

We wanted to use this forum to share a little bit of life as we enter this new season. We covet your prayers and and are hungry for your thoughts as we all - together - move forward in winning the world for Jesus, starting on our local fronts.

So lets start!

How? GET OUT THERE!

This morning on my drive into the office I began to rundown the mental list of all the things I need to get done. You know, that one that seemingly grows larger the more you think about it?

But then a radical thought occurred to me.

I want to be a witness for Jesus AND a transforming, missional presence in my community. So even with all the feelings of 'I have to go to the office to do my work'  or "'They' will think I'm lazy if I don't show up at ___ and work till ___" or  'I don't really have time right now' or 'The city is huge, I don't know where to start'... I just decided to do it. To begin. To GET OUT THERE.

So here I am writing to you from a café in Atlanta.

So then what? How is this missional? How is the world going to be won by me having coffee?

14So The Word became humand and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.e And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. (John 1 - NLT)

So the Gospel goal, our soul saving why, all reaches its fullness at the cross. We get that. But even that moment begins in mission. A systematic theology of mission would point out that mission began 'in' The Trinity, with the mission of God bursting forth from the foundations of the universe. Then the need for salvation being confirmed in the fall of humankind, and the remedy for a sin sick world coming to fullness in the atonement between God and man. 

Again, so what does this have to do with me having coffee?

Well, Jesus came, He actually showed up in person. He made it personal.  Although He held within Himself keys to unlock eternity, we see that He still made time to have a campfire and grill some fish for/with His friends. He stopped for the one in front of Him, and this is the gift of incarnation. Mission reaches fullness in incarnation.

So lets incarnate on our local front, in the community where God has planted you.

Let's talk about some practical tips:

1. MAKE IT PERSONAL - What are you passionate about? Is it possible that God wants to use your passions, when sanctified, to reach the world for jesus? Maybe you hate coffee, so don't go to a coffee shop. Maybe you love reading, so it's off to the library for you; Maybe you love fitness, so hit the gym. But just GET OUT THERE! God doesn't want your mission to be dreadful. We are to be salt. Salt adds flavour. Keep it salty.

2. STOP, DROP, AND LISTEN - Don't show up to these places with all the answers. Stop for a moment; pray and ask God to show you where He is already at work. We don't have to show up with all the answers, or even with any answers. Just be you. Also - and some may disagree - don't start by inviting someone to a program. I know we all feel like we have to get people to come to our programs, but I wonder; are the people there for the programs - or are the programs there for the people? (hmm...let's chew on that). Let's DO invite people into community, to church, and yes, to our programs. This is good. Just maybe not effective as the first conversation.

3.  A-B-C (ALWAYS BE CLOSING) - Although I'm big on not forcing an invite, and attraction rather than promotion, it's important to recognize that people don't just ask questions randomly.  If someone is asking a spiritual question, or a Jesus question, go for it. As you get to know someone, and they start asking deeper questions, be bold. If your librarian says they have had a rough week, and feel overwhelmed, that's the moment where you say ... 'I believe in the power of prayer - let's pray'. When one of the dads on the little league team you coach shares their marriage is in trouble; that's the moment to ask if they would like to feel a greater sense of peace about where they are at in life, and naturally lead them into that prayer to receive peace ...

THEN INVITE THEM TO THE PROGRAM! (Or Church)

Church doesn't get people saved - people get people saved - yes, people enabled by Holy Spirit. But God has chosen YOU to share His Good News! With the world! Starting with the community you are in!

So day one ...

- I bought coffee
- I found out my barista's name
- I intentionally prayed and listened

PRO TIP - You can get the servers name on the receipt!

I'll be back. Also, when they asked me if I was a pilot, I got to have a great conversation about 'our' neighbourhood.

What are YOU going to do next week to get into YOUR community? GET OUT THERE!

The World For God!