Toolbox For Faith

I was talking to a friend recently who said, “When I have had problems with my congregation, it has always been when I stopped visiting.” As soon as he said it, I knew he was right. When I have been involved in a time consuming ministry, like expanding a building, and I have reduced the number of shepherding contacts I was making, I always experience more anxiety in the congregation. Whenever I return to a more normal shepherding pattern, things typically start to calm down. These days, whether it is personal visits, emails, phone calls, or text messages, shepherding is always at the top of my list of ministry activities for it lays the groundwork for all the other ministry God is calling us to do in the congregation.

According to Ruby K. Payne in her book “A Framework for Understanding Poverty,” there are three basic classes in America - poverty, middle class and wealthy. Each “individual brings with him/her the hidden rules of the class in which he/she was raised. Even though the income of the individual may rise significantly, many of the patters of thought, social interaction, cognitive strategies, etc., remain with the individual.” (pg. 3) Knowledge, or lack of knowledge, of these hidden rules helps identify someone as a part of a group. Payne illustrates these hidden rules using three checklists that assess your ability to survive in poverty, survive in middle class and survive in wealth. Here are samples from each list:
“I know where the free medical clinics are.” - Poverty checklist (pg. 38)
“I repair items in my house almost immediately when they break - or know a repair service and call it.” - Middle class checklist(pg. 39)
“I support or buy the work of a particular artist.” - Wealth checklist (pg. 40)

Payne sums up her discussion of the hidden rules by saying, “The key point is that hidden rules govern so much of our immediate assessment of an individual and his/her capabilities. These are often the factors that keep an individual from moving upward in a career — or even getting the position in the first place” (pg. 44).

As I read Payne’s work, I began to wonder what role these hidden class rules play in congregational hospitality. Do wealthy or middle class congregations understand how to properly welcome people in poverty? Many congregations provide assistance to people in poverty. I know our congregation, for example, interacts with several hundred people in poverty per year. Of all those people we meet, however, almost none become a part of the worshiping community. Even when I feel like we have made a solid connection with people we are helping, they still don’t seem comfortable in the community. Could it be that everything from style of worship to the attire of the congregation to the focus of the preaching is so grounded in the middle class rules, that people from poverty quickly and perhaps even subconsciously determine that they are out of place? The issue could also arise for a middle class family who visits a wealthy congregation. When it comes to hospitality, perhaps the question we should be asking is ‘Does our church exhibit the clear characteristics of a particular social class?’ and ‘Is it possible to create an environment that welcomes and includes people of all classes into a congregation?’

Our congregation needed a new pictorial directory, but none of our leaders wanted to work with a directory company. Having done directories in the past, they just didn’t want to deal with the appointment scheduling and the pressure to purchase pictures. We did a little research and found a service called “Instant Church Directory“. For $60, it gives you the tools to produce a simple, but nice looking pictorial directory. We had a volunteer take pictures before and after church and at a few church functions and had another volunteer enter family names and information. We will pay a little to have the pictures printed in color, but if you are looking to get a new pictorial directory without having to deal with an outside company, I think this is a great option.

The best part of election day for me was the end of all the political commercials and phone calls, but an author named, Kevin Hendricks, found a series of lessons that churches can learn from the politicians about how not to communicate the Gospel. You can read the article here: Lessons from Political Marketing.

For many years, I have had a sign by my desk that says, “God Loves You! Be at Peace! Have Fun! Say ‘Thank You!’” When I remember those four things I tend to be at my best in ministry and in life.

I read a wonderful article last week about the power of saying “Thank You” by Nancy Lublin the CEO of Do Something. She points out that saying “Thank You” is one of the most basic, most effective and, unfortunately, least utilized tools for any non-profit organization. You can read her article on Fast Company’s website: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/150/do-something-two-little-words.html.