When Faith Based Falls Flat
Seems like the wind is out of the national “faith based” sail. If you read the recent list of grant awards for the Compassion Capital Intermediary Fund, you will find only about 10% of these “faith and community based grants” are going to organizations that have any faith orientation. That tells me two things– 1) the political wind has shifted, and the committees in congress are pushing this fund their way and 2) the political value of “faith based” has been downgraded to a “sell” or at best “hold” by the political advisors.
What was the motive behind faith based? Someone believed in us, because they knew the power of spiritual transformation through Christ. Some believed in us because they believed it could get them elected or promoted.
This policy will continue to get some play in the upcoming election cycle, but the professional social service groups have gotten a firm hand back on the money that was out of their reach for a while. There are certainly some gains from the effort, but if we fail to realize what was really at work here, there could be some very big losses.
So if the air is out of this balloon– what do we do? We remember that this is our ride. National political leaders will not stand in our place when we account for the fruit of our efforts.
We were called back into the social arena. The call has been out there for some time, with notables like John Perkins leading the way for church involvement in community transformation for many years, and historic examples of real servants like the Salvation Army. The catalytic moment came for many when our current president began to voice his belief that our involvement matters. In many ways, he voiced a call that I believe came from somewhere much higher. I am not sure why it took a public figure to voice this call– but for many it did.
The real question is not “does Washington DC support faith based?”, but rather, are we in fact called to this arena? Do we believe in out capability and calling to serve in our communities? Can we afford to retreat to expressions of church life that occur solely within the four walls? Not if we believe the reports about church decline.
I believe that the momentum for service “rooted in faith” has just begun. Perhaps now that we are aware to this ministry approach, it is not so bad for us to have some of the politicals step out of the way. We have a hundred years of slumber to shake off, and a lot to learn. I think we are going to find that community ministry fits in every growing church in an important and unique way.
Here are some lessons that I have learned during my journey in this community service “rooted in faith”.
Refuse to secularize your focus. Remember– that is what turned us off to social engagement in the first place– the social gospel! Social work without spiritual life. We cannot elliminate the very curative factor in our work for the sake of money. This also does not mean that we need to go back to our previous strategy– disengagement and isolation. I am convinced that effective social work that is linked to redemptive relationships will continue to yield dramatic results. If you are working in or even running a non religious program, that does not mean that you become secular people. You can run a program that provides totally secular services (banking, automotive repair, health care), and retain a focus on spiritual transformation that accompanies these practical services.
Be up front about your spiritual approach. The inclusion or option for spiritual elements of your program can be presented in a positive and natural way, but it should never be hidden like a lost leader or bait and switch.
Community services raise your public profile. When you are serving public goals or using public money the scrutiny will be much higher than what you are used to. Even though you should be ensuring high accountability in your finances and operations already, you must run a very tight ship if you are engaging in community service.
We need to get smart about funding and outcomes. The money that has been promoted as “faith based” was already available, we just didn’t know how to secure it. We have to build our own skills at building economic engines, including grants and other sources, to support social services that we operate. We also need to learn how to track and report our outcomes. These skills can be learned, but we have to apply ourselves. These two areas are greatly enhanced when we start with a needs assessment (see http://www.compassionbydesign.org/church-planting.html)
Discipleship makes the difference. The most effective impact will always be made by people who are contagious and winsome in their witness. A religious program operated by people who are not discipled to walk out their faith will be for inneffective methods that fall short of best practices. Work to improve the practical value of what you offer.. People are always the bridge irrespective of the program. You really cannot automate faith, it is transmitted from one person to another. And we certainly cannot be effective in helping with significant life transformation if our leaders and workers aren’t both skilled and fully discipled.
Demand the best in social work in your own services and those you support. Don’t settle for ineffective methods that fall short of best practices. Work to improve the practical value of what you offer.
Raise up an army of compassionate believers who are “compelled by the love of Christ” and who have the skills to either lead social services or to serve within the social sector without loosing their edge.
Build Service into the DNA of church life. This will work best when we build compassion right into the DNA of our new and growing churches. The emerging generation expects to see a community service ethic in any credible organization (including churches), and we have some very clear mandates to make this a part of our spiritual life (such as the parable of the good samaratin, the book of James, the example of Jesus and the weight of God’s concern for the poor expressed through the scripture–to name a few).
Pay attention to your partners. The organizations that you partner with represent very important relationships. If their values don’t match yours– you need to know that in advance. If you choose to work through or with them, you will need to expect that the redemptive effect of your involvement will also push them to improve or change–and that the transformation will not only occur with the “clients.” And just like life changes in clients, organizational changes take a long time. You should anticipate the same long period of rapport building with them, that you expect with those you are serving. Be careful of “pretenders” who have learned the faith based lingo, but don’t understand our real values or commitments. They are different than just straight- forward community agencies, they are playing a game that will cause us both to lose.
Hope you are committed to continue walking this path along with me. I think we should call this something else– instead of faith based, how about “community oriented ministry (COM)” or “community services motivitated by a historical and vibrant faith, rooted in redemptive communities of faith? (CSMHVFRRCF)” That last one might be a little bit too long–but you get the idea.
2 Responses to “When Faith Based Falls Flat”
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I like your approach. I am not too discouraged. I’ve learned much in the last 4+ years of this funding. It’s always nice to get paid for good work. I like the CSMHVFRRCF as a descriptive name.
Thanks for the insightful and forward-looking article. Administrations in Washington, D.C., come and go and the political winds shift. But the church remains, as does God’s word, which tells us that faith without works is dead.