Aaron Ivey has a great post asking what value your church has in your community.  Or more specifically, if your church did not recover, but closed its doors, would anyone outside your congregation notice?

What value does your church add to the community?  Why would the city continue to grant you tax exempt status, in that you “earn” that right by providing some amount of community good?

We’re not asking if you add value to the Kingdom.  That’s a different question.  That asks how long it’s been since your baptismal pool was filled.  It asks how many neighborhood kids come to VBS.  That question wants to know the total hours spent in prayer for the community’s citizens & leaders, for missionaries, for Gospel purposes.

he question here is whether your congregation adds any community value?  Do you run a food closet? teach reading or parenting? give the kids something to do after school or in the summer?  open your property to community recreation?

I was part of a church in New England that opened its doors to provide day camp to the community every July.  We passed out water at the town’s fall festival.  We sponsored the graduation Baccalaureate.  And we prayed for our community.  When we built a new building, we went out of our way to hire local contractors and construction workers, which put an extra half million into the economy.  When we were faithful, new members came to grow the church.

Maybe you start small.  Community fun festival.  Spaghetti supper and free movies in the air conditioned fellowship hall.  Preschool soccer on the front lawn.

Just do something!