Grace's place is an excellent expression of effectively sharing the Gospel with people from the community. It's a wonderful initiative that is run at my Corps Placement, Moonee Ponds Salvation Army on Fridays, 10am onwards.
It is held in the back hall, which is considerably large in size. When the leaders first walk in, it is merely just an empty hall. But by the time the people start rolling in, it has been transformed into a beautiful sanctuary. A place that is a refuge for some, a happy place, filled with joy, love and acceptance. The lower and middle class are well represented. Many come through the doors who need Jesus, and whom the community has forgotten about or, rejected. This is not the case at Grace's Place. It's set up with round tables with brightly coloured tableclothes drapped over them. There's board games, crosswords, coffee, tea, biscuits..It's truly amazing. There are also some couches along of the walls near the Welfare Office - Anyone can sit there, but generally those who are at the Salvo's for Welfare sit there.
After 45 mins or so of good fellowship, There is an intentional discussion time, where the leader will write a question or phrase on the whiteboard and all those in attendance, as well as the leader explore the question or phrase further. The best part is that the Welfare clients join in as well. They love it. After half an our of discussion we share in a meal together. After that there is a Mini Worship service, where we sing some songs, read the Word and then have a short sermon/devotional.
I had the awesome oppurtunity to lead this last Friday, as the Corps Officers were on Holidays. For discussion time I wrote on the board "What is love?" The discussion time was wonderful. Lots of the welfare clients joined in, as well as the other people who were there for Grace's Place. All up there was about 25-30 sharing in discussion. A big pool of idea's, suggestions, views and experiences. It was wonderful. Discussion time finished and we then shared in a meal together.
For our worship session we sang some songs of Praise, thanking God for all He is doing! I then spoke about love and what the Bible had to say about it. The three Scriptures I used all had different dimensions of love, but they all led back to the same principle. To be like Jesus, we MUST love. The Scriptures were:
1st Corinthians 13:1-8 & 15
Galations 5:22-26
John 3:16
I thank God so much for the oppurtunity to minister in this way @ Grace's Place and Praise God for the lives changed because of Him. Read these verses and tell me what you think about what the Bible is saying about LOVE.
Miss you all - God Bless!
4 comments:
Cadet Stobes!
Gracies Place sounds awesome!! WOOO! 'grace' is everywhere hehe! Grace is a good thing!
God Bless YOU cadet!
xxoo
P.S I think i love you!! hahahaha =P
Aaron,
Gracies sounds like an interesting place, with lots of opportunity to minister to God's people.
Here is something to think about...
Do you think Jesus would have seen a lower or middle class or welfare people at Gracies?
When Jesus healed the lepper he held out his hand and touuched him. This was significant in Jesus' time as to touch a lepper was to defile ones self. By touching the lepper Jesus broke down the barriers.
When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well and asked her for a drink, just by speking to her Jesus was breaking down barriers.
We need to see people through the eyes of Jesus. No colour, race, religion or class. Just people who need to be loved with the love of Jesus. Lets not as followers of Jesus put people in pidgeon holes.
Thank you for sharing about Gracies, I will put the ministry on my prayer list.
Do you think you could share some of the discussion you had with the people on love?
Thanks for your thoughts Tweedle Dee!
In order for people to fully understand Grace's Place, they needed to know that it was not the same people who go to church on a Sunday. It was not intended to seem like I was putting them in 'Pigeon holes'. However, that being said, I think it is important when running different Ministry groups to cleary define who your target audience is. As Christian's the whole world is our target audience. For Grace's place the target audience is for people who see themselves as not fitting in anywhere else. These people were not grouped by me, but rather, themselves. You as them and they will tell you 'Oh I'm a welfare client' or, 'I'm from the lower to middle class of society' They understand that. As Christians, we are to break down those barriers. All people are equal in God's sight.
Thanks again for your thoughts Tweedle Dee, I'll post on the discussion we had on love soon. God Bless!
Aaron,
I understand that to fully understand Gracies one would have to visit it and maybe oneday I will. Yes...I also had a fairly good idea these were people who would not normally attend church and for them this is church. Awesome!!!
However, back to my point... It is the world that labels people and puts them into boxes. People put themselves in boxes but God sees them as his children whether they're from higher, middle, lower or welfare whatever. As God's people we need to see others as He sees them. Not with the labels they or the world put on them. They are more than a welfare clients.
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