After much prayer and thought, I feel that the Lord has lead me to organise a ministry that will serve the homeless, the poor and the marginalised in the Outer East of Melbourne. Not a community meal, or another agency, but a focal point for the community that provides advocacy, educates and agitates the community (and church).
So, at this stage, I seek your prayers as I formalise the legal side of things and seek a board to support the ministry. Further more, I would love to have some help with funding to cover the costs of formalisation, as well as start-up costs such as stationery, web presence etc. So, please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry. I believe that such a ministry is needed that walks beside people and seeks out ways to support and encourage folk in their journeys.
Yes, there are the community meals and churches that provide food parcels, clothes etc. And then there are the agencies that are there to help these folk. This ministry will seek to partner with these agencies and churches to be a link, a conduit in the Outer East that can partner folk for the journey ahead and seek to share the Gospel by action and community. A similar ministry is Project 614 in Melbourne City run by the Salvation Army.
If you have any questions or wish to discuss this with me, please contact me.
Financial support can be made on the support page.
{ 11 comments }
hey Neal – great work!. Just wanted to make a comment on langage…I wonder how people might feel to be labelled as 'the poor' and the 'marginalised'… I think often if we aren't careful – we can, by the language we use, and what that implies, further 'marginalise' people! I read a great quote last week about an artist who "often draws people who could be seen as society's downtrodden. Mills however prefers to see them as spirited survivors. 'I like to represent that little superhero in everybody'. That to me seems to represent the upside down Kingdom of God – that often those who are de-valued by our society are those that can teach us so much about God.
Jessica… my goodness. You have expressed how I feel every day about my fellow human beings and how we treat each other. Well done! By the way I am in no way religious.
Thanks Jessica – I really appreciate that. I guess my language is very "churchy" and I think that it still has that us vs them mentality. Thank you for pointing it out. I will make some changes in the AM.God Bless! Love to read the article that you reference too.
cheers – it was actually just one of those profiles in the Good Weekend – but the theme has sat with me very powerfuly this week. Thanks for receiving the feedback with grace….
It's a tough one isn't it because part of the work is explaining to others what we do or in this case what our vision is. To do this we need to use language that is understood while not labelling people negatively. The flip side is of course if we use a "churchy" language that is based on an us and them thinking we may draw people with an us and them way of thinking. If we can find language that communicates the upside down view of Christ that he has chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith, maybe we will draw the kind of people we really need.Having said all of this, I find myself very much guilty of the same language that you have used Neal and am very much challenged by what you wrote Jess.Thanks
hey Neal – great work!. Just wanted to make a comment on langage…I wonder how people might feel to be labelled as 'the poor' and the 'marginalised'… I think often if we aren't careful – we can, by the language we use, and what that implies, further 'marginalise' people! I read a great quote last week about an artist who "often draws people who could be seen as society's downtrodden. Mills however prefers to see them as spirited survivors. 'I like to represent that little superhero in everybody'. That to me seems to represent the upside down Kingdom of God – that often those who are de-valued by our society are those that can teach us so much about God.
Jessica… my goodness. You have expressed how I feel every day about my fellow human beings and how we treat each other. Well done! By the way I am in no way religious.
Thanks Jessica – I really appreciate that. I guess my language is very "churchy" and I think that it still has that us vs them mentality. Thank you for pointing it out. I will make some changes in the AM.God Bless! Love to read the article that you reference too.
cheers – it was actually just one of those profiles in the Good Weekend – but the theme has sat with me very powerfuly this week. Thanks for receiving the feedback with grace….
It's a tough one isn't it because part of the work is explaining to others what we do or in this case what our vision is. To do this we need to use language that is understood while not labelling people negatively. The flip side is of course if we use a "churchy" language that is based on an us and them thinking we may draw people with an us and them way of thinking. If we can find language that communicates the upside down view of Christ that he has chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith, maybe we will draw the kind of people we really need.Having said all of this, I find myself very much guilty of the same language that you have used Neal and am very much challenged by what you wrote Jess.Thanks
That sounds like a great idea Neal. I hope it goes well.
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