Listening Luncheon

What makes you weep, or pound the table, when you consider the needs in your community? we (HLIC) asked 60 guests at a Listening Luncheon at our warehouse in February. We needed to hear from those that best know the inner cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, know the needs of real people in those communities, and are burdened for Christ's regeneration to come to their neighborhoods.
So, over deli sandwiches and chips, the HLIC staff each sat at a round table filled with our urban ministry partners throughout our warehouse...and listened.
Two major themes emerged from their insights. Isolation is a grave concern. It seems to show up in two ways. First, individuals are isolated from one another in their neighborhoods. People do not know their neighbors, and it seems this both stems from and result in a lack of trusting relationships. Fear seems to be keeping people from each other - even within the Body of Christ, people are often ministering alone rather than partnering with churches and ministries around them.
The second major theme is the broken family system, and its many causes and effects. We lament fatherlessness, addictions, and other ensaring sin, children who feel beat up and lead lives if desparation just for survival, the de-valuing of education and lack of parental involvement in their kids' lives and learning, the complexity and multi-layered-ness of people's needs...
That Listening Luncheon was over two months ago, but the voices still echo in our warehouse.
This month our staff team is meeting several times to put together our annual ministry plan for the year ahead (which begins Sept 1). We consider the input of those we serve, our inner city pastors and ministry leaders, and we dream big dreams. Then we look at our financial and manpower resources... and we take leaps of faith, and delare to the Lord that this ministry belongs to Him, and ask Him to direct our plans.
Please pray for our team as we come together to "make plans" that would honor God and bless those we serve.