We share how we live out the Gospel, through the story of Sun Ministries.
Two Gospels at play in the world: The personal Savior gospel and the Gospel of the Kingdom. One resembles the Gospel of Repentance preached by John, focusing on our sin and forgiveness, but also focuses on intellect. The Gospel of the Kingdom is about this community of believers, the children of God, the Body of Christ, living with and knowing this God.
We discuss Sun Ministries – God called us through Isaiah 61 to go to the inner city of St. Louis and lay down our lives and create opportunity.
- Opportunity Center – creating jobs, businesses, and skill
- Leadership Center – training leaders in reformation and inner-city ministry
- Narrow Gate – the pathway from hopelessness to walking with God
In seeking God, and being humble to learn from Him, He brought is into our prepared works
If you are going to ask God to show you what He sees, be prepared to be overwhelmed
God moved us to a place of laying down money and standing against the stronghold of poverty
We were holding on to a lifestyle, even after moving into a warehouse
What does the Opportunity Center do?
It creates businesses a varied types to create employment and skill-building opportunity, while also creating income so the ministry can become financially sustainable
Current businesses: sewing center, woodshop, cafe, maintenance services, lawn care. 2016 will see a retail space open.
Managing this is hard, because we’re walking the line between business management and God’s design and utilizing business as a ministry
Some of our businesses bring money from outside the community into the community
Challenges and lessons of the opportunity center:
- learning to managing
- consistently train
- not all about the work, not become a workaholic
- The truth of Christianity is that it is life – family/work/ministry is blended, not separated and one more important then the other.
- God uses physical things to address spiritual things
- We all agree it’s the hardest thing we’ve ever done
A romanticized view of ministry is predominant in America, but what happens after the “honeymoon” is over? Will your relationship sustain after the initial excitement fades? Do you require activity to sustain relationships?
Songs:
Brandon Heath – Give me Your Eyes
Robbie Seay Band – Up to the Mountain
This episode originally broadcast live on May 22, 2015 on KXEN 1010AM in St. Louis, MO
For more info:
http://www.sunministries.org
Theme music: “The Resistance” by Josh Garrels (www.joshgarrels.com) licensed by Marmoset Music (www.marmosetmusic.com)