Back in the days when I was known to travel some, I loved finding new places that might only be known to the locals. Don’t get me wrong, I love my tried and true Chick-Fil-A, but there’s something wonderful about asking a local resident for a recommendation for a good place to eat. It rarely leads you to a chain or national brand. I would have never known about these dietary diamonds in the rough without the wisdom of someone who knew the local area well.
How well do you know your local zip code? I’m not talking about the culinary lairs that are often unnoticed by travelers and off the beaten path. How well do you know the place where God has placed you? How well do you know the place where you live, work and play?
Do you know what the biggest challenges are for your community leaders? Do you know what the graduation rate is in the local school system? Do you know anything about the local challenges that employers or employees are facing? How about the number of children placed in the foster care system in your area? Any guesses on what the biggest challenges that the social services network is facing in your community?
Sometime this past year I heard Len Sweet mentioned more than once that the future that is set before us will require us to know our own zip codes and perhaps even be experts on our own zip codes. There’s something about loving your neighbors, actually knowing their identities and having some understanding of their present struggles that is going to require us to learn more about the places where God has placed us – our towns, villages, communities and neighborhoods.
How well do you know your zip code? Do you have any sense of what’s broken and breaks God’s heart? Can you see where people are held back from the flourishing that God intends for His creation? It’s hard to play our part in the redemptive purposes of God when we may not know where we are needed most.
What person might be helpful in assisting you in understanding your own zip code? Is there someone in law enforcement who would give you some time to answer questions? Is there someone from social services or the local school district who could give you an accurate read on the challenges for children in your community? What about the physical neighbors who live in proximity to your church building or homes? When’s the last time you hosted a listening session to hear the hearts and concerns of your neighbors?
If you or your local church don’t have a good understanding of your local zip code, I’d like to humbly offer that you might want to start your ministry efforts in an abundance of listening and learning. Who can you reach out and converse with to understand where God is at work in your midst and how you and your community of faith might give yourselves to those efforts, to partner with the Heavenly Father in what He’s doing in the place where you live, work and play.
What do you know? Who do you need to talk with to understand more about your zip code? What’s one step you can take this week to do the missionary work of understanding your context.
Christ’s Peace,
Lance
CGGC eNews—Vol. 15, No. 22
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