Neighborhood Transformation (NT) trains church lay-people how to enter a nearby poor neighborhood, develop relationships and identify assets already found in the neighborhood in individuals and groups. Building on these assets, the goal is to see the gospel bring true poverty alleviation over time.
Interested in making a difference or change in the lives of people
in your city...Milwaukee...or any city or town in the country?
What is Neighborhood Transformation?
Neighborhood Transformation is a strategy that helps
churches minister in a wholistic manner to people in urban poor
neighborhoods. It empowers people to take responsibility for their own
lives. It helps neighbors to help their neighbors and moves them from
welfare and relief to empowerment. It focuses on assets found in the
neighborhood, which fosters local ownership instead of being based on
problems that they expect outsiders to fix for them.
My prior blog post showed what non profit organizations are already doing to reduce poverty in Milwaukee and you can join them.
But another option is to start right now...right where you are...and
you don't have to wait for your church to get on board...you can start
alone and or with a friend!
You may already be heavily involved in your own ministry and may not
be able to take on a new ministry...but remember that Neighborhood
Transformation is a template of hundreds of elements that a person does
dependent on what they are already doing in a neighborhood.
Check out the links below to see what small elements you can add to
your current ministry...and then see how combining God's word and His
example of showing love to all people...and then helping them engage in
this ministry can lead to the extension of God's Kingdom! Talk about
multiplication!
Search the list below and pick out your top 3 most fun activities you and another person can do together!
Collaborative for Neighborhood Transformation helps people
in the neighborhood transform their lives and communities from the
inside out, resulting in:
People knowing, loving, caring and serving their neighbors
People taking responsibility and working to change their reality
A reduction in disease, crime, drug abuse, and alcohol addiction
People knowing Christ with healthy, growing churches
Improved employment and living conditions
Hope, health, and enthusiasm toward neighborhood life
Programs for poverty alleviation are good...but "without heart change,
money, healthcare, housing, and education do not meet our world's
deepest needs." "Apart from Christ, we might simply introduce the
problems of prosperity while we solve the problems of poverty. - Peter Greer
"The church should be the most creative entity in the world."
By "Church" I mean the people of God, not the physical building or institution.
You as an individual can use your creativity to bring glory and honor to the LORD!
