Great thoughts Amy, on your article about God’s timetable. Several years ago, God led a group of people called Community of Celebration to our depressed and crime ridden area, with the express purpose of being a “ministry of presence”. I appreciate their model of living in community and not trying to change the world, but changing a row of run down houses and lives as God leads them.
I could also relate to the street presence in “Gracias”, as I feel called to build relationships. One of my favorite pastimes and ministry opportunities is to porch sit and we have a great community to learn the art. It is such a blessing to share stories and love and care for each other.
One word of caution, a lesson I learned the hard way. God led me to meet a woman, her street name was “k-k”. I porch sat with her again a week later and through several heartbreaking situations we grew to be good friends. She told me about some health issues and I was talking with her about her relationship with God. She let me know she believed in God, but did not want to stop having fun. I continued being there and tried not to be too forward. Then she disappeared and I could not find her, she did resurface one time and God allowed me to visit with her one last time, before she passed.
Experience has taught me to build relationships, keep showing up, being present and now, not waiting too long to let the Holy Spirit help me present the Good News of Jesus Christ in a winsome way. I love to share this with mission teams from around the country, so they can be better prepared to be present in their own community. If ministry of presence and relational porch sitting midst the least and lost is something you are blessed to do or if you want to learn, it would be great to have you join us for a week or weekend.
Posted in: Not So Fast: Practicing the Ministry of Presence
Great thoughts Amy, on your article about God’s timetable. Several years ago, God led a group of people called Community of Celebration to our depressed and crime ridden area, with the express purpose of being a “ministry of presence”. I appreciate their model of living in community and not trying to change the world, but changing a row of run down houses and lives as God leads them.
I could also relate to the street presence in “Gracias”, as I feel called to build relationships. One of my favorite pastimes and ministry opportunities is to porch sit and we have a great community to learn the art. It is such a blessing to share stories and love and care for each other.
One word of caution, a lesson I learned the hard way. God led me to meet a woman, her street name was “k-k”. I porch sat with her again a week later and through several heartbreaking situations we grew to be good friends. She told me about some health issues and I was talking with her about her relationship with God. She let me know she believed in God, but did not want to stop having fun. I continued being there and tried not to be too forward. Then she disappeared and I could not find her, she did resurface one time and God allowed me to visit with her one last time, before she passed.
Experience has taught me to build relationships, keep showing up, being present and now, not waiting too long to let the Holy Spirit help me present the Good News of Jesus Christ in a winsome way. I love to share this with mission teams from around the country, so they can be better prepared to be present in their own community. If ministry of presence and relational porch sitting midst the least and lost is something you are blessed to do or if you want to learn, it would be great to have you join us for a week or weekend.