Doing Justice and Loving Mercy: Compassion Ministries, Mentor's Guide, MG16

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D O I N G J U S T I C E A N D L O V I N G M E R C Y : C O M P A S S I O N M I N I S T R I E S

through direct oversight, to live in tension with the world, being in it but not of it, and finally to live as prophetic witness to the world in our model and proclamations. In responding to the world, the Church fulfills its biblical call to be neighbors, the salt of the earth, the light of the world, and a royal priesthood of God in the city. Prepare, Work, Review (PWR) is the name given to a simple but effective approach to manage our efforts to do justice and love mercy in urban neighborhoods. All efforts toward ministry and work is rooted in God’s character and work, in his being a God of purpose in accomplishing his will in the world, and as a God of wisdom, who carries out that purpose with perfect understanding, timing, and approaches. In the Prepare phase we enable our team to prayerfully clarify our identity and mission, brainstorm ways in which to meet these needs and challenges, and make plans and assignments to accomplish their tasks. In the Work phase we mobilize our gifts in an organized way to accomplish the plan. In the final Review phase we evaluate the results of our efforts in order to determine the next steps of God’s leading. As we follow the Holy Spirit, we can address the unique challenges of urban neighborhoods, and learn to persevere in our call to advance the Kingdom in the city. If you are interested in pursuing some of the ideas of Doing Justice and Loving Mercy: Urban Community and Neighborhood , you might want to give these books a try: Costas, Orlando E. Christ Outside the Gate: Mission Beyond Christendom . Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Press, 1982. Sider, Ron. Good News and Good Works: A Theology for the Whole Gospel . Grand Rapids: Baker, 1999. ------. Living Like Jesus: Eleven Essentials for Growing a Genuine Faith . Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1999. Snyder, Howard A. A Kingdom Manifesto . Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1997.

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