-
Do not Grow Weary in Doing Good
“When I first met Karen, she was staying in someone’s attic. When we walked in, she was howling like a wild animal, filled with alcohol and despair.”
I had asked the Christians Against Poverty (CAP) staff member, Stuart, to tell me a story to illustrate why he does what he does, and how lives are changed by CAP’s ministry.
“Five years later,” Stuart told me, “Karen is renting her own home, working, going to church and even helping with the church’s ministry to the elderly. The turning point for her was when she went on a women’s retreat run by CAP and attended a pampering session. I don’t know what happened, but she suddenly saw herself as lovely and worth something for the first time.” Stuart’s eyes filled with tears as he related that up to that point she had always worn her hair in a curtain over her face because she was so ashamed of herself. “She’d been abused as a child,” he explained.
CAP was one of more than a dozen charities which had brought literature stands to the Jubilee+ Churches that Change Communities conference in Milton Keynes. Four hundred people had eschewed the glorious sunshine and gathered instead to focus on the deeper needs in their communities.
The keynote message, seminars, worship and ministry combined to paint an inspiring, and very hopeful, picture of the opportunities for churches to make a difference in their communities.
The various projects represented by the literature exhibition gave an insight into both the range and variety of the needs and the range and variety of the possibilities for addressing those needs. From financial advice to work with ex-offenders, and from emergency food provision to ministry during the Olympics, a common thread ran through the diversity: these ministries did not focus simply on meeting people’s physical needs, but sought – where it was appropriate – to also minister to their spiritual needs.
This was a key focus of the conference – that meeting physical, financial and social needs, without addressing the spiritual aspect of the whole person will only bring limited success. As Christians we are called to share the love and the grace of God “that knows no limit to where it could be applied”.
In his keynote message, Martin Charlesworth, leader of the Jubilee+ team, highlighted three reasons why social and community action are especially important right now:
Firstly, the political tide and mood are changing. The competence of any Government to resolve social and economic problems has been called into question, at a time when the resources of the Government are undeniably diminished. Those in the corridors of power are more open than ever to accepting the help of organisations on the ground, and are quick to acknowledge that churches are far and away the best-placed to meet many of the social needs.
Secondly, our social fabric is crumbling. Although the recent riots were for the most part carried out by those on the lower end of the social scale, many commentators put the blame on the upper echelons of society; while banks, politicians and billionaires are exposed for their greed and recklessness, how can they criticise the poor for following suit?
Thirdly, despite some fierce opponents, and much negative press, the influence of the church is growing. With social capital at an all-time low, and little moral leadership from anywhere else, many people are looking to the church for guidance on how to build strong and stable communities.
This is, in short, a time of great opportunity, when what the world needs and what the church has to offer are undeniably matched. “Many people are worried,” Martin concluded, “But we have the key. We have the mandate.”
Of course, stories like Karen’s above, while real and encouraging, are not always the daily reality for volunteers working with society’s most vulnerable and broken people. These are the ‘splashes of joy’ that sometimes seem few and far between. For every person whose life gets turned around, there are countless others with whom we see no fruit for many years. In those circumstances even more than in the successes, the right focus can make all the difference. If our goal is to solve all the problems, or even to serve all the needy, we will quickly be disappointed and discouraged. Our focus needs to be on serving the Lord, and seeking to honour Him. When we do that, Martin assured the delegates, “At Christ’s coming, he will remember your compassion and will commend you, even if no-one else does. So don’t grow weary in doing good.” Whatever we do for the least of these, we do it for the Lord.
To learn more about Jubilee+, visit their website, or read this post by Martin Charlesworth giving his reflections on the conference. -
About the author
Jennie Pollock is editor of UK communications for Newfrontiers and is studying for an MA in Philosophical Studies. She attends ChristChurch London, where she’s learning and growing all the time, and loves London above almost anything else. She reads voraciously to learn lessons from the past and drink deep of the wisdom of today, and longs to see words and the creative arts used to bring about a shift in the norms and assumptions underpinning Western culture.
Comments
By Claire on 07/10/2011 at 11:06
Great article - really wish I could have been there as it sounds like it was a fantastic time. Thanks for providing a flavour of it Jennie!