We are always listening for critical issues that face our churches. The five primary conference streams at Thinking Shrewdly V: The Gospel and Your Church (coming up in May) are representative of what we heard from you as we visited ten Canadian regions. Not everyone can come to the conference but everyone can participate in the conversation. We welcome discussion, even debate, as we look for wise, effective and possibly diverse conclusions that honour God and his people.

Read a reflection on the "Show Compassion and Fight for Justice" stream by Edmonton hospital chaplain Jessica Baker. Then join the conversation on Facebook or leave comments on the VMC blog:

Show Compassion and Fight for Justice
Jesus set a very high standard for compassion and justice. His reputation attracted many and his cause threatened major upheaval to the status quo. What would it take for us to have a similar impact and reputation? Should we start new ministries as churches or encourage people to work in existing ones in the community?
Jessica's response:
Showing compassion and fighting for justice should be done both inside and outside of the church.  As a hospital chaplain, I can think of many examples where churches have started compassionate health care ministries that are not really “new” but have proven quite successful in other settings.  Providing parish nursing, counselling services and a variety of support groups are examples that immediately come to mind. 

However, of these two choices, I gravitate most strongly towards encouraging people to work in community based programs.  And this does not necessarily mean faith-based programs.  There is a lot to be learned when you step outside the walls of a church and beyond the safety of Christian culture.  It is invaluable to explore different communities and contexts and to get to know and care for individuals within their own space and environments. Connecting with people in their own settings means learning about their beliefs, passions, emotions, and deeply rooted spiritual convictions and recognizing that they too want to be loved, listened to and treated with respect.

Community work is a time to assess our agendas and underlying motivations.  It makes us look at, interact with and find ways to love people who might never step foot anywhere near our church doors.  It forces the question of “if compassion means entering into the suffering of others, then how am I going to enter into the suffering of people who don’t fit into my church culture?”  Often it means putting to rest the desire to change other people, and instead, allowing change to occur within us.

Read Jessica's complete response in the special 12-page magazine edition of Thinking Ahead that will be delivered in May and handed out at the conference.
 
Jessica Baker is a chaplain with Covenant Health in Edmonton, Alberta.  She’s an endorsed chaplain through Vision Ministries, has a M.Div. from Tyndale Seminary, and is a certified Specialist in Spiritual Care with the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care.  She’s passionate about the intersection of spirituality, mental health and trauma care.  

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