Walk Across Alabama

Last night was special! I missed it because of military duty, but it was something! Last night our summer staff for the camps arrived in Tuskegee. They will spend the next 10 days training here, then split to there sites for a week of setup before they begin hosting the youth work teams. So, what happened last night?

It was a down home party. Potluck dishes, a comfortable Alabama Spring afternoon, some live music-even a bit of line dancing and this was all organized by some of the families we have served with by repairing their homes. ARM is designed as a family based ministry. We do not view the families we serve with as “projects” or a number…they are, well, our friends.

Christ called us to be in ministry “with” people. Many times you hear people say we are going to minister “to” children in Africa or be in ministry “for” the homeless. Prepositions can say so much. If we are not in ministry “with” or participate in ministry “by” others…we could be a bit short sighted. Why is this? Ministry “to” has a paternalistic connotation and assumes people can do nothing of very little for themselves and need the advice and expertise of what we have to offer to them. It is the “savior on the white horse syndrome”. It can be extremely damaging. Ministry “for” is a bit softer and is more maternalistic. It tends to feel sorry for people, does not create opportunities for people/clients to participate in the actions and again sees people more as projects. The name of Christ or Immanuel means “God With Us”. We are actively engaged in Christ’s saving work and further expression of grace. Ministry “with” and “by” allows participation by all parties, sees us all as agents of change, and creates a more holistic approach being in mission together.

So, on Thursday night, we call came together and our families gathered with us to prepare savory down home dishes, pick some tunes on a guitar, and even have some spirited line dancing. This was closed in prayer. Our notion of fellowship was taken to a new level. Imagine these kinds of celebrations breaking out across our state. White, black, low income, moderate income, young, old, and much more just coming together to celebrate and share. That looks like the “party” that the angels could get excited about. All these things are another reason to walk! Just a few weeks away!

See you on the walk!