Church at Work
Christian International has undertaken the challenge to focus the Church on not just teaching and training in the prophetic and apostolic, but on using these God-given foundations to change cities, communities and nations. This is much more than just a new program or fad – it’s the Kingdom mandate Jesus gave to all believers.
The prophetic involves vision. To impact our areas we must see God’s desires for our communities and the people who live there. This includes their spiritual needs and practical and felt needs. The apostolic involves strategies and plans to build what we see by faith. And in both we need supernatural guidance – revelation, wisdom and the power of God to break through all hindrances and bring lasting change.
As CI Ministries focuses on how to help churches reform their outlook and structure to become agents of change in their communities, we are sharing our ideas, revelation and stories with one another as a network. Many CI churches have extensive experience in being salt – that preserves – and light – that invades the darkness – as Kingdom ambassadors. This week we will look at some of the dynamics of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida and how CI Family Church is impacting their community.
Santa Rosa Beach in northwest Florida is a rural area, with relatively low long-term population but a large number of snowbirds, vacationing families, and high-end tourists who come for the beautiful beaches. Local attributes that are a blessing include southern hospitality and small-town friendliness, strong local churches and a favorable attitude towards Christians in general, a dynamic Chamber of Commerce that has won national awards for their programs, a low crime rate, and the strong positive feeling among residents and visitors toward living a casual lifestyle among natural beauty. Challenges include a severe slowdown in real estate and related businesses such as lending and construction, a shortage of workers for low income jobs, lack of affordable workforce housing, lack of infrastructure for technology, no central incorporated municipality, and a distant county government guided by different demographics.
In order to address these needs, CI Family Church has formed a Community Transformation Taskforce involving approximately 20 people of different ages and backgrounds who are involved in the community in different ways. From these natural relationships – formed not between institutions but between living, breathing human beings – many avenues for greater interaction have arisen.
A key one of these is CI’s strong presence in the Walton Area Chamber of Commerce. For several years, CI staff and members have participated in the Chamber’s “Leadership Walton” program, and since then two were asked to help develop leadership programs and one is a member of the Chamber’s Board. Being involved with the Chamber means “having a seat at the table” when local decisions and plans are made. No longer isolated to the unknown status of “that church down the street,” since communication channels have opened CIFC is now often asked for help and involvement.
One strength that CI has to offer the local community to meet the community’s felt needs is a large building. CIFC has hosted Chamber luncheons, training classes, and outreach concerts and has served as a local voting precinct. Each interaction, whether on CI property or off, can tear down walls of division and build goodwill. This in turn allows for relationships on a personal level and for the ability to influence policy and direction on a corporate level. The community knows that CIFC people will help in efforts to improve the quality of life for families in the area – from opposing heavy industry in a residential area, to passing a no nudity ordinance for county beaches, to outlawing drinking at children’s sporting events – CI people have joined forces with the local community.
To address the felt needs of the local area, CI became involved in a drive to find solutions for affordable housing in the local area for workers in the retail and hospitality industries, the cornerstone of the tourist trade. No government help was available without data, so CI sponsored the printing of surveys to collect demographic data, and the eventual result was a $5 million grant from the state to build a housing village nearby. This was awarded to a developer in the community. Currently CIFC is working with the Chamber to sponsor a Financial Freedom Seminar designed to give people suffering from the real estate downturn hope and answers that could help them weather the storm.
While meeting practical needs is vital for a good relationship, people’s spiritual needs should not be neglected. Church members are coordinating with other local churches to have an off-site, church-neutral (that is, not held at one particular church so it is not seen to be pushing a particular denomination) regular young adult prayer and worship meeting. “The Gathering” will not involve food or preaching – just prayer and worship so that believers can cry out to God in unity and with passion. A community concert with Rick Pino, a powerful young worship leader, is also in the works, with the goal to raise funds for a new ministry moving into the area that helps teens recover from abuse.
This is just the beginning of ideas to bring community transformation along the Gulf Coast of northwest Florida. Your area has its own dynamics. We’d love to hear how God has inspired you to impact your area. Please email us.