by Pastor Richie Butler
Jesus modeled being in relationship with people as the foundation of healthy ministry.
Richie Butler is senior pastor at St. Luke Community United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas. St. Luke is a Prison Fellowship® Angel Tree church partner with a ministry to families impacted by incarceration going far beyond Christmas. This year they also hosted a “justice revival” to commemorate 91 years since their founding. They also celebrated Second Chance Month® to help raise awareness of the challenges faced by people with a criminal record.
I am a Jesus follower. When I look for a model for how I want to live, how I want to treat people, how I want to be in community, it is Jesus whom I look to. Jesus took 12 individuals, and He did life with them.
That’s what we’re called to do, as well. Jesus modeled being in relationship with people, and being in a relationship that is ongoing. I think this is where discipleship begins.
FAMILIES NEED YEAR-ROUND CONSISTENCY
Discipleship is not a one-time event. It is being rooted and grounded in the life of people. Our church has learned that as meaningful as it is to do Angel Tree® during the Christmas season, it is more impactful for families if we show them Christ year-round.
Children need people who are in their lives consistently. Sometimes we show up for events or a photo op, and we’re not connected with and walking alongside people every day. But this is not how it should be. Our church is committed to be in the lives of individuals and families on a daily basis. If there’s a need that arises, our families know that they can reach out to us, and they don’t have to wait for Christmas to roll around. We remain connected to them.
I think this is what’s going to draw people in, especially given the lack of interest and the lack of trust that some people have about the faith community. Sometimes people question our integrity, they question our sincerity, and they question our morality. But I think being present is one way we overcome some of the barriers that stand between us and reaching people. You don’t just drop something off and keep moving when you are in community with people. Our church is rooted and grounded in Dallas, so we’re a community, and that means we have to regularly show up in the lives of people in our city.
USING BIG EVENTS TO RAISE AWARENESS
There is a role for doing big, pronounced, flashy events. We celebrate Second Chance Month. We are hosting a justice revival as a part of our church’s 91st anniversary celebration. We host a big Easter celebration in our city that attracts thousands of visitors. Many of these people would never come through the doors on Sunday if it weren’t for big events like these. So these sorts of events have a role, but we can’t neglect the daily responsibilities of walking with people in their lives.
Part of being in people’s lives is also a call for social holiness. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, made the point that there is no personal holiness without social holiness. There are systemic issues, barriers, and evils that we simply cannot ignore or deny. We hosted a justice revival and a Second Chance celebration to speak into some of the issues of our time that are incongruent with biblical principles and teachings. We want to press for a movement of God that is not just in the Church, but it’s in corporate boardrooms and legislative chambers far and wide.
When I think about who we are called to serve, I’m reminded of something a fellow minister once told me. He said, “In the first third of my ministry, I thought I was on the mountaintop preaching down to those lowly sinners. During the second third of my ministry, I thought I was on the banks of the shore casting my net to bring people in and save them. But then in the last third of my ministry, I realized I was in the water with the people.”
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