Seminar by Randy Nabors
Pastor, New City Fellowship
Coordinator, Urban and Mercy
Network for Mission to North
America
2424 E. Third St, Chattanooga, TN 37409 (423) 629-1421

This will require wisdom

The Development of…
•
PRINCIPLES
•
METHODS
•
AND SKILLS

1. An attribute of God.
2. Heart of the Gospel
3. Action with attitude
4. Proof of love
5. How the church responds
Mercy is...
Not simply a feeling
Not simply an action
Not earned, in essence…
It is a Gift!

And what it Needs to be Effective
1. Glorifies God 2. Seeks faith
3. Responds to circumstances
4. Needs direction 5. Leads to self-help
6. Needs analysis of scope, intensity, and depth.

•
R = Readiness. Prepared to take action
• A= Attitude. Willing and eager to act.
• W= Wisdom. Knowing how to act.
Suggest: The filling of the Holy Spirit.

B. Priority of Old and New Testaments
1. Household of Faith
2. Widows, Orphans, and strangers
C. Love the one in your path
But there are problems:
1. Inconvenience 2. Race and culture
3. Fear 4. Overwhelming circumstances.

WHY WE NEED MERCY
• God’s sovereignty
• Acts of Providence
• Acts of injustice
• Acts of wickedness
• Some is temporary
• Some is generational
• We don’t all start at the same place
• Hunger can help
• The poor are not happy.
• Values need to change
• Law, government, society, the Church, and individuals all have a part to play.

D. Do good to all men
E. Prioritize
F. Help the wicked
G. Program
H. The Church as an institution…*
• Preaches
• motivates, identifies, and trains
• uses widows
• uses the family
• connects solutions
• believes

THE CHURCH AS AN INSTUTION PROVIDES A
UNIQUE STRUCTURE FOR MERCY: THE OFFICE
OF DEACON!
It is the duty of the deacons to minister to those who are in need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress. It is their duty to develop the grace of liberality in the members…,
To devise effective methods of collecting the gifts of the people, and to distribute these gifts…
Book of Church Order,
9-2

• Doesn’t neglect the “weightier” matters of the law. Justice and Mercy:
• Learns how to love mercy and act justly.
• Preaches mercy and justice as life-styles.
• Learns how to train Deacons
• Leads the congregation by articulating a vision of mercy ministry.
• Teaches mercy with grace, as grace.

2. The Church’s members
(Individuals)…
– a. see the need
– b. act and represent
– c. pursue creative strategies
– d. refers to church organization.

A. Every Christian is an agent of Mercy
B. Use immediate charity for incidents or events of need,

REQUIRE SYSTEMIC
SOLUTIONS.
1. System to analyze
2. Program
3. Create Structure: a. Deacons b. Sub-committees c. Groups/categories d. Staffing e. CCDO f. Deacon Banks,
Presbytery Mercy
Committee.

• Survey of congregational needs.
• Survey of community.
• Demographics of community
• Data bank of …
1.Church widows
2.community widows
• Data bank of…
3.Single parents
4.Fatherless children
• Access survey for disabled.
• Questionnaire
• Info line

• AIDS Ministry
• Sick and Shut in
Visitation
• Tutoring
• Elderly and Shut in
Bible Studies
• Girls of Excellence
• Mentoring/rites of passage
• Single Parents
Organization
• Auto clinic for Single
Parent Moms
• Mothers Day Out
• Widows Prayer Group and fellowship.
• Parish Nurse/Health
Education&Prevention

Mercy Infrastructure
Session
Deacon sub-committee
Facilities
Transportation
Deacons
Moderator
Deacon sub-committee
Adminstrative
Full time Deacon
Referrals to...
Deacon on call
Other agencies
Deacon sub-committee
Projects
Programming
Small Groups
Parish areas
Skill bank admin
Data
Case Load
Assignments
Member needs
Community
Representatives:
Deacons Bank
CCDO
Liasons
Seasonal
Disaster
Events

THE WEB OF MERCY
Coalitions:
Churches, Para-church
Government
Neighborhoods
The Local Church
Nothing Should replace it.
Presbytery
Mercy Committee
Deacons Bank
Members
External Ministry
Deacons
& Members
Internal Ministry
Deacons
External Ministry
Local Ministries Support
Target
Demographics
Community
Development
Corporation
Political
Community
Involvement

1. Protect the family
5. Set Standard
Operating Procedure*
2. Protect the church
3. Steward
6. Capitalize-seek development not dependency.
4. Don’t help sin
7. Don’t stigmatize.
Guard the dignity of folk.

• We want to move people beyond the need for mercy
• We seek development of individuals and families.
• Capitalize people so they can be selfsufficient.

• Who has priority in receiving help?
• What kind of help will you give?
• What structure will you use for members?
• What structure will you use for strangers?
• What kind of help will you not give?
• What is the limit of your help?
• Who makes decisions on exceptions?
• When do you call in the Elders?

A. Use the Gifts
1. Mercy
2. Administration
3. Leadership
4. Encouragement
5. Helps
6. Discernment

1. Be Cheerful
5. Teach and witness
2. TQM
3. Empathetic listening 7. Long suffering
4. Pray for them
6. Show humility

D. Use problems to create opportunities
E. Praise and reward workers
F. Do a few things well, stress success.
G. Professionalize to mobilize, not replace.

1. Interview
5. Protect members
2. Know resources
3. Add data
4. Delegate
6. Prepare
7. Refer
8. Think systems

Prepare Polices
Prepare People
Prepare Resources

• Keller, Tim,
Ministries of Mercy , Grand
Rapids, Zondervan, 1989 (Now in Second
Edition).
• Sherman, Amy L.,
Restorers of Hope ,
Wheaton, Illinois, Crossway Books, 1997
• Christian Community Development
Association, (773) 762-0994
3827 W. Ogden Ave. www.ccda.org
Chicago, Illinois 60623

• Joni and Friends
• P.O. Box 3333
• Agoura Hills, California 91376
• (818) 707-5664
• www.joniandfriends.org

• Perkins, John
With Justice for All.
Ventura, California. : Regal 1982
• Deacon Manuals and Polices
Redeemer Presbyterian Church
271 Madison Ave. Suite 1600
New York, NY 10016 212-808-4460

• Priority of Assistance • Standard Operating
Procedure
• Principles in giving assistance.
• Adoption Grant policy
• (See notes for details)

Appendix A: continued,
Principles in Giving Assistance.
1. It is legitimate to ask questions to determine the reality and depth of the need.
2. It is OK to help some cases before they ask.
3. It is right to give counseling when needed.
4. It is proper to refer to the Elders in case of sinful conduct by members.
5. Sometimes you have to say, “no.”

Appendix A, continued
Principles in giving assistance,
6. Determine assistance limits for all cases.
7. Stay in your budget, ask for more if needed.
8. Assign cases to specific Deacons and teams
(Teams add resources of skills, knowledge, and prayer support).
9. It is better to say “no” quickly than to leave people waiting to no purpose.

Appendix A, continued
Standard Operating Policies
• Food Distribution • Tuition assistance?
• Shelter
• Meals for members
• No phone bills
• Work required?
• No loans
• Anonymous gifts
• Voucher policies
• No cash

Appendix A, continued
Standard Operating Procedure, continued
• Deacons empowered to a certain limit.
• Con artists
• Confidentiality
• Record Keeping
• Security

Appendix A, continued
Adoption Grant Policies
• Presbytery has a • Grants of $500 per matching grant child. $500 from a program.
church gets $500 from the Presbytery.
• Local churches help their own members.
Presbytery matches what a church gives.
• Special needs adoptions are stressed, but exceptions are allowed.

Appendix B: Description of Hope For
Chattanooga.
• A 501© 3 organization
• Christian Community
Development organization.
• Community focused
• Economic development
• Church approves
Board members.
Programs:
1. Tutoring/children
2. Jobs Partnership
3. Lawn Care company.
4. Housing program.
5. Summer teams.
6. Interns.
7. Medical program.

1. Consider equality with other churches.
2. Consider starting from where you are.
3. Consider your own community.
4. Consider learning from others.
5. Consider sharing with others.
6. Consider networking.

Credits and Thanks
I would like to thank my mom, and all the little people (oh, this isn’t the Oscars)…
Thanks really to Westminster Seminary for some structure to my studying, to Calvary
Gospel Church and New City Fellowship, to
Mission to North America-Urban & Mercy
Network, and those who practice mercy who keep teaching me. Thanks for your interest. Glory to God!