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.
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.
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?
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?
