Urban Ministry events teach valuable lessons

By Rachel L. Toalson
Managing Editor
The Holy Boldness Urban Ministry Academy has opened at least one church’s eyes to involving the membership in reaching out to the community around them.
St. John’s UMC, San Antonio, has sent a team of people to all three urban ministry events, said Tami German, church secretary and one of the team members. They have learned valuable information about what other churches are doing that’s working, what they can do themselves and what might make a difference, she added.
But perhaps the most valuable piece they’ve taken back to their church is the importance of engaging members in the church’s mission.
It’s what led them to try Bean Sundays.
Team members and church leaders decided the church’s food pantry was an important part of the church’s overall mission—but not many members were involved in it or even knew about it.
So they organized a lunch with only bean recipes and announced to members that every second Sunday of the month, individuals would be encouraged to bring a bag of beans and place it in a bushel basket at the altar. The beans would be added to other food items distributed through the church’s food pantry program.
“We’re an inner city church that is struggling with finding ways to involve our congregation in our mission,” German said. “We have a wonderful food pantry that has blossomed into something more than just distributing food.
“It’s small, but beans are a staple food for the people who live in this area, and it doesn’t cost a lot of money. You ask people for a dollar, and they would rather go buy a bag of bean. This provides a neat way for the congregation to help, and it’s a starting point of getting them involved in what we’re doing.”
Church leaders invite members to help out with distribution days every first and third Tuesday of the month, German said. The food pantry reaches out to about 150 families each month. Some church members are recipients of the pantry, and most of the recipients are seniors.
During the singing of the first hymn every second Sunday, those present are invited to place their bags of beans in the bushel basket, German said. Those who have forgotten to buy or bring their bags are invited to “give a buck” instead of leave a IOU that is called in afterwards, in love and fun.
The church collects clothes in addition to food, German said, and one of the volunteers is a Mary Kay representative who sometimes puts treats for women in their food pantry deliveries.
For Easter, they gave all the kids Easter baskets, German said.
“We’re always doing something,” she said. “it’s just one more thing that we can do. We’re not just slapping food in a bag.”
German said they hope the foot pantry mission can develop into something great for the church.
“We’re hoping this will blossom into something more,” she said. “We’re not just bringing them into the church to nurture them, but we’re going a step further out of the church. We want to let them know that we’re welcoming, that we still care.”
The Holy Boldness Urban Ministry Academy is a two-year academy designed to show clergy and lay leaders ways to transform congregational life. It covered seven Holy Boldness themes in its first year. Themes were offered in three sessions, the first one Sept. 28-30, the second one Jan. 18-20 and the third March 28-30.
More sessions are planned for later this year and early 2009.