What if…. Multi-Housing Ministry Ideas
Yesterday we held our annual Multi-Housing ministry roundtable on the Northshore. Thanks to Jeff Cook for leading us in the great dialogue about ideas for engaging a vastly unchurched population segment. By the numbers:
- 24%, or 47,611, housing units on the I-12 corridor are mobile homes or multi-unit dwellings. That doesn’t include the 1,300 dorms at Southeastern, and the multitude of institutional settings like nursing homes and retirement centers. Get our full report on Multi-Housing on the Northshore.
- 2%-3.5% of Multi-Housing residents do not attend church.
- Experts say that 4% of the people in a multi-housing complex can be reached by going and inviting them to your church. 30% can be reached by taking your church to them through Bible Studies, Kids activities, congregationalizing inside the complex or park.
How do I start ministering to a multi-housing complex. 3 Tips:
- Get to know the Management. Ask them, “How can a church help?” Then get ready to respond to needs.
- Think Incarnationally. How can we bring our church/VBS/Sunday School/etc. to them?
- Pole your church and see who is already living in local multi-housing complexes. Then work toward commissioning them as missionaries to the park.
- Look for needs. Be creative. Start Small. Ideas: Block Parties on site, beautification projects, outreach to the vulnerable (elderly, widows, single moms), activities for kids, benevolence ministry.
A few “shovel ready” ideas and resources I’ve heard about:
- Trailer Park Weatherization Clinic
- Tutoring ministry for kids.
- Outdoor Movie Night. Blow up movie screens can now be purchased for $200 or so. The Northshore Baptist Association has one in our Block party trailer.
- Affinity classes on site: Parenting, Financial Planning, Marriage, Addiction Recovery, etc.
- One of my favorite books in this regard is an oldy – One Church, Many Congregations by Tim Ahlen.
- Check out this video on Francis Chan’s new mission of starting congregations in high rise apartments in San Francisco. It’s called Adopt A Building.
What if every multi-housing complex or park had a church adopt it for prayer, activities, and ministry?
Posted on January 26, 2012, in Northshore Baptist Associations, What if.... Bookmark the permalink. 1 Comment.
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