"It is one thing to come and talk about things such as human rights, religion, and democracy. This only builds a foundation; people must have their needs met. What do rights and democracy mean on an empty stomach? People listen better when their stomachs are full and their basic needs are met." -President Kagame of Rwanda.
"Today it is very fashionable to talk about the poor, but it is not fashionable to talk with them." -Mother Theresa
Two years ago, Bryan and I got involved with a ministry in Memphis, TN. Brinkley Heights Church sits in the Binghampton area of Memphis. This is one of the roughest, most crime laden areas of Memphis. As the crime and poverty rates grew in the area, rather than move to a safer, more attractive area, they embraced the community. They have made it their mission to take back the neighborhood and enable the people of that community to make a difference.
The people of Brinkley Heights were the first ones I thought of when I read the quotes above. Yes, they know that Christ is the answer for their community, but they also know that they can't just walk up to the crack houses or the substandard housing developments and shove Jesus down people's throats. These people are an incredible example to anyone wanting to truly make a difference in their community.
Brinkley Heights has food ministries, clothing ministries, and educational ministries (among other things). The people of Brinkley Heights go to their neighbors and offer them groceries and shoes for their children. They offer after school tutoring and even private schooling for the children. They offer a free safe place for children, teens, and even adults to play sports. They offer them free summer child care that includes free food for the children in their very own neighborhoods.
When they become aware of needs, they bring the family to the ministry center, get their information, give them the needed food or clothes, offer them budgeting and financial planning help, and share the gospel with them. They don't walk in the door and get preached to, they get what they need and before they leave they are enabled to help themselves, and then they are prayed for and the gospel is presented. They know that most of these people will never walk through the doors of their church on a Sunday morning or Wednesday night and they don't hesitate to meet their needs. It is not about growing the numbers of the church, but meeting the physical needs of the community.
These people understand that when the physical needs are met, the people are seeing Jesus in action. They are presenting the gospel just as Jesus would have. Just as people couldn't walk away and not be changed in some way after meeting Jesus, neither can the people of Memphis. It takes a lot of faith and courage to reach out to drug dealers and gang members and the people of Brinkley Heights do it everyday. They don't discriminate, they don't judge, they just meet their needs. They are filling stomachs and meeting needs. They aren't talking about the poor, they are talking to them. They are taking back their neighborhood!
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