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Five
Suggestions
by Captain Cate Shanks
Captain Cate Shanks
- Shanks
started a Corps many years ago in Melbourne Australia that she
led for a long time.
It continues to mature.
1.
Gather a team of like-minded people
who identify with the Army’s first calling to partner with God
in his “great business of saving the world”; People who
have a specific call to work among ‘the last, the lost and the
least’;
loving the ‘unlovable’, and befriending those who have no
friends.
Make sure your team members are all on board with The
Salvation Army’s mandate
to care for people, transform lives, make disciples and
re-form society.
Spend time developing
a community in mission mindset.
One where your team is equally concerned about their own
spiritual development as they are about their mission to share
faith, hope and love with their neighbourhood. In this
way responding to the two calls of Christ; “Come to me” and
“Go into the world.” “These two calls are in relation to
each other, like breathing in and breathing out. To engage in
one to the exclusion of the other is the way of death. To
engage in both is the way of life.” (Community in Mission,
Needham).
2.
Make the new area your home.
In order to make a real difference in the lives of people you
have to be right there, alongside them. Do not operate
on a commuter model, living in nicer areas and driving in and
out to ‘help the poor’. Instead commit to living in your
neighbourhood making it your primary community. Make
your homes and lives available for the benefit of your
neighbourhood.
3. PRAY
and read the gospels!
Pray
individually and as a team. Prayer walk your
neighbourhood. Find out what God is doing and how He
wants you to get involved. Offer yourselves to God’s
Kingdom work. You are not in new territory to build The
Salvation Army or your own empire, you are there to partner
with others to build God’s kingdom. Be aware that
building God’s Kingdom can look very differently to building a
church or congregation. Read the gospels as a team –
really go deep into what Jesus did, how he did it, why he did
it… what would Jesus do in your neighbourhood? Who would Jesus
be hanging out with in your neighbourhood?… let these
questions inform what you will do…
4.
Connect with local
schools
and offer your help to fill any gaps they may have.
Young people are a key part of the transformation of a whole
neighbourhood.
5. Start
a youth group
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Aim to help young people achieve their God-given potential,
introducing them to Jesus and providing opportunities to
flourish in education, recreation, relationships, health and
faith. From here, opportunities to care for whole
families will arise.
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