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

Insiders Need not Apply

(Based on a true story). A young family whose bread winner, husband, and father had a chronic drug abuse problem found itself without money or support. Because of the waste of the father, and the depletion of all funds and monies, the young mother and her three children found themselves without food, aid, or prospect of paying for rent or necessities. Desperate, the young mother came to a Christian care agency asking for support. During the interview, it was learned that she was an active member of a wealthy mega-church with over a dozen ministers on its pastoral staff. While she had mentioned her predicament to her small group leader at the church, she had neither received any aid from the church, nor had she informed any of its leaders of her need. Part out of shame, and part of the belief that the church would do nothing for her, she in desperation had come to the Christian missions organization for aid. In your judgment, what is the responsibility of the various characters in this drama of care giving, i.e., that of the church to this dear Christian sister, the responsibility of the missions agency, and the responsibility of the young mother and her family during this struggle for aid? Be specific in your answers. Anyone who has ever served the needy and the hurting in the city knows that the sheer volume of the problems, the vast numbers of hurting and confused people and families, and the deep complexity of the situations that brought them to their need is overwhelming. Many stories could be told of bright-eyed Christian workers who come to a needy urban environment with ideas of immediate and dramatic change, who left later both cynical and discouraged. The needs are so great and numerous that they were overwhelmed, and all their confidence in changing the city was washed away in a flood of difficulty, despair, and in some cases, even the deaths of those whom they have befriended and served. What are the truths covered in this lesson which might offer hope and encouragement to those urban Christian leaders and workers who are on the verge of giving up because of the lack of change they have seen for all their labor? Give Scripture in your “word of encouragement.” The Work Simply Never Ends

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