A City Full of Hurts

This post was inspired by a conversation between Steven Furtick and Dino Rizzo. The statement that got my attention regarded making the hurts of his community become the hurts of his congregation. In many of the books and blogs I have been reading the authors speak of a growing disconnect between congregation and community. I think this issue of shared felt needs is central to that disconnect.

The question that arises is, "What are the felt needs in my community?" I cannot just read the latest servant evangelism book, pick three projects I like, and think that I will connect with my community. It takes a little more effort than that... though not much more. Amazingly enough when you ask people, "Is there anything I can pray for you about?" they will often tell you.

In fact, I fully expect that if a local congregation got serious about discovering the felt needs in their community they would seen be overwhelmed at the sheer number of needs revealed. That is what happened when my church started looking at what our community needs. We soon realized that the need was bigger than us. I am convinced that this is God's plan, because it drove us to pray that He would raise up His Church in our city. We began to pray that God would bless other churches in our area and in our city; that He would call more laborers into the harvest and that He will unite us and help our local body become a working part of His Body in our city.

Then a City full of Hurts can finally meet a God full of Healing.