Are you and your church making a difference in your community? Are you meeting needs in a positive, proactive, and loving way? Too often when churches are presented with a need outside their walls, they operate on the principle of "Say no unless you have to say yes." Don't want that to be your church's legacy in your community? Drawing on more than 30 years of service to the community surrounding Faith Church in Indiana, pastor Stephen Viars shows you how to develop a dynamic, giving relationship with your community, one in which your natural response to needs is "Yes! How can we help?" No matter the size, location, demographics, or issues in your community, the approach found in this practical book will help you improve people's lives, draw them into productive conversation about the hope you have in Christ, and glorify God.

A current ministry concern is mobilizing and engaging the congregation in service projects throughout the immediate and surrounding communities to spread the love of Christ and build the kingdom of God. The purpose of this project is to examine and shed light on an approach or approaches to effectively transform service beyond the walls of the congregation to intentional, appropriate, and relevant service within the community. This subject matter has the potential of transforming congregations from a predominant notion of interaction with self to interaction with organizations and individuals who are part of the church's mission field. In addition, there is the potential for greater and stronger neighborhoods and churches. Research of books, journals, articles, biblical passages, and data from surveys and questionnaires will be utilized in establishing past and present tendencies and in offering guidance for future movement.

There has been a surge in the desire for people to connect with their communities in a more intimate way. Some of this is due to the political climate in the world today and some of it has to do with our new awareness of the environment and global warming. We realize that in order to feel safe we need to know our neighbors and surroundings more intimately. How can we reach for peace and sustainability if we can't get along and enjoy what we have in front of us every day in our own communities? Negative conversations about where we live have held many of us back. Often we are not even conscious of how what we say impacts those around us and ourselves. In continuing to emphasize what we don't like or want, we make sure that nothing changes for the better. Fall In Love With Your Community Workbook is a tool for transforming our conversations, and for propelling us forward into a new future, a future packed with possibilities, vision, alignment, personal responsibility and leadership.

Discover a boundless love for your Black Neighbor with this inspiring and actionable guide to moving toward racial healing. “Griffin’s work invites us to embark on a transformative journey toward a more inclusive and loving Christian community.”—J. W. Buck, PhD, author of Everyday Activism Jesus calls you to love your neighbor, and in the fight against racial injustice, that call includes your Black Neighbor: your Black colleagues, the Black congregants at church, the Black family in your neighborhood. Yet maybe you’re unsure of how best to show your love, or maybe you fear either saying or doing the wrong thing. In Loving Your Black Neighbor as Yourself, Chanté Griffin equips you to see and love your Black Neighbor with God’s deep, holistic love. Using Black Love Lenses birthed from African American cultural values, you’ll learn meaningful ways through which you can see and care for your Black Neighbor: • Intimacy: cultivate intentional closeness and community • Honor: show overflowing respect and love • Stand Up: use your voice and influence to advocate • God’s Gifts: allow God’s resources to flow through you • The Spirit of Love: love lavishly through intercessory prayers Through guided readings, prayers, and heart checks, you’ll undergo a spiritual and relational transformation that grows a deeper love for your Black Neighbor and yourself. Are you ready to answer Jesus’s call?

Do you want to love your neighbor as yourself but don’t know where to start? This practical, accessible guide to bridging the dividing lines of politics, race, and economics, both individually and as the church, will help you amplify Jesus in your community and build God’s kingdom. When asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus gave a two-part answer: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” and also “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love God. Love others. Jesus’ simple command to love your neighbor can feel overwhelming when your neighbor looks, lives, and votes differently than you do. Racial and economic tensions across the country have resulted in deep dividing lines that seem really intimidating to cross. Docusen breaks down these lines in approachable chapters, including topics like these: how to actively seek out people you can benefit and encourage, what it means to find a diverse and supportive community that fulfills needs, examples of real-life experiences, including highlights and missteps of Docusen’s ongoing journey, and how churches can teach on difficult topics with grace and truth. Neighborliness is a practical guide to bridging those dividing lines and learning to recognize and amplify the beauty of God in our communities. Backed by David’s speaking and training through the Neighborliness Center, this book will help individuals and churches reach out to their neighbors, love them through Christ, and build God’s kingdom.

The subtitle of the book is an actual quote from one of our City Council members. I was asked to make a presentation to the City Council one evening on all the projects we as a church, had partnered with the city on to provide social services to our community. One of the reasons for the report was to introduce the newest partnership, in which we as a church would become the citys official graffiti abatement team. After everyone on the City Council took an opportunity to thank our church for the services we were providing to the community, one of them said, Because of all that The Fathers House is doing in our community, the city is a better place to live in. This is how a church in the community became the communitys church.

The Hamm Rules on Relationships, Leadership, Community, and Love By: Leonard Hamm The Hamm Rules on Relationships, Leadership, Community, and Love Workbook is the complementary workbook to the book titled The Hamm Rules on Relationships, Leadership, Community, and Love Teacher Manual. It is designed to get the reader to consider solutions and different responses that build leadership and develop trust between the community and the police. Each section will encourage you to answer questions and list possible solutions. It is a workbook that will inspire discussions amongst the police, school leaders, and the community. Read this book to help you build a successful life for yourself.

You have a passionate desire to take the church outside its four walls and make the love of Jesus practical, visible, and lived out in daily life. But how? How do you put into action what is stirring in your heart? Indispensable Church provides you and your church real-world, hands-on steps to create a revolution of service to your local community in the name of Christ. By exploring the life of Jesus and the strategic ways he modeled serving the people around him, pastor Chris Sonksen shows you how to put love into action in your neighborhood and your city. The step-by-step instructions, biblical challenges, and teaching resources will help you take love to the streets and make an impact right where you live.

Churches over the past generations have been weakened by a failure to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of their communities. Many have adopted a narrow vision, focusing on only one aspect of ministry. But in today's environment of faith-based opportunities many Christians are eager to start reaching out to their world with both Good News and good works, and therefore they are searching for appropriate ways to integrate both into their ministry. In Churches That Make a Difference, best-selling author Ron Sider and his coauthors give those involved in community outreach a comprehensive resource for developing holistic ministry--a balance of evangelism and social outreach. Illustrations and helpful organizational tips detail the how-to's of an effective holistic ministry. Case studies that show how different churches across the United States reach out to their communities provide a variety of ideas and practical applications. User-friendly tools are included as well for congregational studies, surveys, evaluations, and community assessments. The authors draw on extensive experience with church ministries and faith-based organizations as they share the life-changing vision and biblical mandate for living the whole gospel. Church leaders will be encouraged in their process of developing and maintaining a holistic ministry, and local churches will rediscover a passion for loving the whole person the way Jesus did.

TRUE STORIES OF PRIDE AND POWER! This collection features 25 inspiring tales of proud members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Read about how these women, girls, and nonbinary people broke down barriers, honored their identities, and lived authentically no matter what anyone else said. Find your voice with Janelle Monae. Play for equality with Billie Jean King. Protect your community with Marcia P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. And organize joyful celebrations with Dr. Lady Phyll and Molly Pinta. With a foreword by Elena Favilli, this book pairs inspiring, easy-to-read text with colorful full-page portraits created by female and nonbinary artists from all around the world. Plus, scannable codes let you listen to longer stories on the Rebel Girls app!