MISSIONS AND COMMUNITY

All Sessions in Inman

The Missions and Community Track speaks to the work you’re doing in your own backyard. Working in your community requires deep roots and nourishment to sustain long-term ministry to your neighbors. Your work has long-term consequences, so good relationships with relevant groups in your community are key! This track should send you home with strategies for work that is relational rather than transactional, best practices for working with others and new ideas to leverage your facilities for your community’s use.

Facilities as Assets

Thursday, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

What if one of our biggest assets for outreach is already within our reach? Many congregations own under-used facilities, and utilizing our buildings might not mean the same today as it did 50 years ago. Hear from congregations who are using their spaces to meet community needs in innovative ways.

The Importance of Community Collaboration

Thursday, 3:00-4:00 p.m.

If churches are truly invested in impacting the communities and congregations that they serve, they must understand and value the importance of collaboration and partnership outside of the ministry. Churches must learn how to tap into and cultivate meaningful relationships with community leaders and organizations that are already immersed in the work, supporting programs and outreach efforts to help increase their reach and put the true meaning of God’s love into action.

Allie Osborne is minister of missions and children, SecondPonce de Leon Baptist Church, Atlanta, Ga.

Accompaniment

Friday, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Many congregations meet needs through ministries that are often more transactional rather than those that build a sense of relationship and belonging between the church and community. Other congregations may have a history of relational ministry but desire to move more deeply into justice and advocacy by walking alongside other community organizations. This workshop explores the significance of accompaniment as a model for ministry in which congregations are invited to practice intentional presence and focus on transformation through relationships versus predetermined outcomes.