The goal for mercy work is to provide for human care needs in a way that gives dignity to the recipient, while developing healthy relationships. Community development allows for an asset-based approach to work collaboratively to lift struggling communities out of their difficulties.
Community development is a holistic approach to addressing needs in communities. Employment, affordable housing, education, transportation, medical care, and neighborhood renewal are all needed for neighbors in communities to thrive together.
These resources have been developed to provide opportunities for witness and outreach through community development activities throughout the LCMS.
Index
Resources Available
Community Development and Caring for the Marginalized
This whitepaper begins with an understanding of what mercy is and then looks further into understanding the value, dignity, and freedom that mercy gives to the neighbor. It then looks at what role the LCMS has in community development. But to allow for this it requires a new face of mercy to go beyond providing aid for emergency needs to enterprising solutions.
Community Development Presentations
Multiple speakers from this conference sponsored by the Concordia Theological Seminary and LCMS UICM presented on how becoming an urban or inner-city missionary can be as simple as moving your Christian family into an urban community and being involved neighbors who have connections to a local church.
We Believe in the Resurrection
LCMS Urban and Inner-City Mission presents a documentary that recounts the nearly five-year journey of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Madisonville, Ohio, which persevered amid inner-city strife and socio-economic challenges.