I realize there are a lot of words on the screen, but it gives a concise explanation of the work CRM is doing.  If you would like to partner with us here in South Africa, please go here to join our finance team.  Otherwise, please contact Joe for more information.

One of our many local liquor stores

A church in our neighborhood sitting on prime real-estate

We don’t need any more liquor stores and churches in my neighborhood.” It would have been easy for me to dismiss these words but something about Jerry’s passion for the neighborhood caused me to wrestle with them.

You see Jerry is one of the more influential men in our neighborhood when it comes to urban renewal.  He has lived in the area since he was a boy (back when it was similar to South Central), but left to attend college at the “Harvard” of art schools.  He got his degree and then felt compelled to return to his neighborhood and advocate for its revitalization.  He is a rare breed. Many people of his education and expertise never return to the hood; they want to get out and live the good life.

Since that conversation, our team has done some research on the churches in our neighborhood.  Below are a few things we discovered.

1. Out of the 8-10 churches in our neighborhood most only have 6-20 members.
2. These churches sit on prime real estate that could be used in a variety of ways to bring life and renewal to residents.
3. Few, if any of the attendees at these churches actually live in the neighborhood. The result is that there is a lack of care and vision for the surrounding neighbors.

I deeply love the Church and want to see movements of fresh, authentic expressions of church embeded in neighborhoods across the San Diego area.  But something about Jerry’s expertise and passion caused me to wonder what type of church Jerry might consider an asset to the neighborhood.

Would he have put liquor stores and churches in the same category if he saw the following…

1. Residents attending the churches and therefore embodying a deep care for the neighborhood because it is their home.
2. Buildings being used for more than a gathering, but also an outpost for community development.
3. Churches making the Kingdom tangible by touching the very fabric of the neighborhood in which they reside.

This type of church just might make Jerry pee his pants with excitement (that might be a little over stated).  There is no doubt in my mind that he would at least see these types of churches as agents of renewal and positive change.

I would love to hear your thoughts.  How do you think the church can begin to have a positive change in a neighborhood?

First day of school (January 18, 2012)… also Malachi’s 2nd birthday!!!

A paragraph that he wrote really struck me:

All-or-nothing reformations and all-or-nothing revolutions are not true reformations or revolutions. Most history, however, has not known this until now. When a new insight is reached, we must not dismiss the previous era or previous century or previous church as totally wrong. It is never true! We cannot try to reform things in that way anymore.

I would describe myself as someone committed to and convinced that as a world, a country and a church we need reform (or even revolution) but I have also come to realise that what Richard Rohr says above is really true. This reform or revolution that needs to take place must also seek to preserve all that is good in that which has preceded this moment. The arrogance of saying that, ‘we have got it right and to hell with everything before us’ must give way to humble and generous reform. A reform that has ‘eyes to see’ and ‘arms to receive’  the gifts of people and generations that have gone before us.

At NieuCommunities we are committed to speaking openly and honestly about areas we feel need reform in Christianity and our society but we try our best (though admittedly we sometimes fail) to never fall into the ‘all-or-nothing’ reform that Rohr describes above. We want to be open and generous in everything we do, even our criticisms!

Lord have mercy.