November 29, 2011
Churches will often say that they are looking for ways to connect with and serve local residents, workers, and businesses. What does this look like? In particular how do you seek ways to connect and seve local businesses?
Some do’s and don’ts in connecting & serving businesses:
- Pursue mutually beneficial partnerships - Don’t exploit local businesses. Often churches only approach businesses to get something out of them or assume they ‘should’ help churches out and donate to our cause or allow us to put posters up … but what do they get in return.
- Seek their prosperity. Think of things that might bless them, help their business to thrive. What things can you do to help them build new connections, clients or customers. (This can still be ‘beneficial’ to your church also – wait for the next post in this series for an example.
- Lead the way on important issues. Demonstrate to your community how we ought to repsond to tragedy, disaster or poverty around us. Although our motives my be different, I think it is good for the church to be the leader in mercy activities. Help unbelievers care about other people and perhaps include them in to your already established structures that contribute to those in need
- “He must also have a good reputation with outsiders” – 1 Tim 3:7
- Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” – Jeremiah 29:7
- “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” – 1 Thess. 2:8
- “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back” – Lk 6:33
AND…..
Things like this connects local business with with more Christians.
The more local Christians use the local business, and they more the local busineees knows more and more Christians, the world gets just a little smaller. My hope would mean genuine community is built, locals know each other better… and Christians have even more opportunity to share our lives with them 
Doing things in partnership will mean your church ‘brand’ keeps being put in front of people, not only the owners or employees of the businees that you are dealing with but also their cliental. If it is a local business servicing, then you have access to the demographic you should be trying to reach within your parish: locals.
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