Church With A Mission
Southland Christian Church, one of Kentucky's largest churches, is big on reaching out to the poor and needy outside its walls
Southland Christian Church in Lexington, Ky., has always been a mission-driven congregation, generously supporting numerous Christian missionary work in America and around the world.
Recently, Southland took the time to refocus its missions program "so that we could do a few things well and have a greater impact on God's kingdom," according to Mark Perraut, missions director. Perraut says the refocusing of the church's missions priorities meant visiting back with individual partners and organizations - many of whom had been partners for many years - and disengaging with quite a few of them.
"It's hard to tell people "no" when you know they're out there trying to do their best and they're serving the Lord," says Perraut, "but if you get spread too thin, you can';t help anybody."
Perraut says when it comes to missions work, the priorities for Southland Christian Church are: church planting; teaching and training; and taking care of the poor, widows and orphans.
A Time Like No Other
With a more defined focus, inspired largely by Southland's senior pastor Jon Weece, who served as a missionary to Haiti for four years, Perraut says "we are right now at a time like no other in the history of our church."
Perraut cites as an example the partnership of Southland and Food for the Hungry in Mozambique. "Never before in the 52-year history of Southland Christian Church have we supported a project at this level."
Perraut is referring to the church strengthening program that Food for the Hungry implements in Gorongosa, a district in Mozambique. The program was launched in 2001 to meet the need of local pastors for biblical training and leadership development. Pastor Tomas Zefanias, a Mozambican Bible teacher, spearheads the work and brings together many community pastors from various denominations.
To help Pastor Zefanias with the task of equipping the local pastors for holistic ministry, Southland Christian Church commissioned a missionary couple, Stefan and Sharon Kern, to walk alongside church leaders in Mozambique and help them become more effective shepherds of God's people. The Kerns served in Gorongosa for as long as God allowed them, and they were instrumental in laying the foundation for the church strengthening program.
Southland supports projects not only by sending dedicated people to the mission field. In Mozambique, Southland also stepped up its financial support by committing to fund the church strengthening program in Gorongosa. Perraut visited the area last June and asked the people these questions: "What do you think your community needs?" "How can we help you?" "How can we come alongside you?"
"We never want to just give them a handout," says Perraut. "Instead, we want to give them a hand up. Not just give them fish, but teach them how to fish,"; he adds.
In May this year, some of the elders at Southland will go to Mozambique to see the progress of the work as well as conduct some leadership training with the pastors. On the end of that trip, Perraut says the group will take a look at the work of Food for the Hungry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and see if there might be an opportunity for a new initiative.
Reaching The World Around Them
Food for the Hungry" partnership with Southland Christian Church started more than 10 years ago when the church adopted a community in Bolivia where Food for the Hungry works. Subsequently, Southland sent short-term teams to work out smaller projects in the community. The church also sent long-term missionaries, called ";Hunger Corps" by Food for the Hungry, to develop programs that have a more sustainable impact. One exciting program is called Project REACH (Reinforce and Encourage All Children's Hopes), an ongoing teacher-mentoring initiative in one of the communities in Bolivia. Ruby Owiny, a Hunger Corps who helped develop the program (with another missionary, Christine Knowles) was a member of Southland Christian Church.
Southland also works with Food for the Hungry in Shangri-La, China, conducting a three-week English camp for children every summer.
In Indonesia, Southland Christian Church supports a Food for the Hungry staff who is in charge of the educational program. Southland's involvement in God's work in Indonesia began after a team from Southland and Southeast Christian Church (in Louisville) took a trip to the towns that were hard hit by the 2004 tsunami.
"We went to see how we might be able to partner with Food for the Hungry in helping the people rebuild their communities," says Perraut. "And we always ask the organization that we're working with how we can help, because it's the people on the ground who know what the real needs are."
Moreover, Southland is careful that all the communities they're helping don't become dependent on the funds that the church is giving. "Just like Food for the Hungry, we want people to develop solutions among themselves, and when we move on, they will be able to carry out the programs by themselves," Perraut explains.
As a result of the Indonesian trip and with the recommendation of Food for the Hungry, Southland decided to support the education program in Meulaboh, Indonesia. An offering of $271,000 in one Sunday was collected to help the victims of the tsunami.
The education program involves teaching English to Indonesian children and helping them improve their literacy skills. "We're just so thankful that the Lord allows us to be a part of His work in places where there is great need," says Perraut.
While Southland funnels a large percentage of its missions dollars into meeting needs in impoverished countries, it also makes sure that the physical and spiritual poverty in America is addressed significantly.
Jon Weece, the 34-year-old senior pastor of Southland Christian Church is very focused on doing ministry outside the church walls, loving people of all backgrounds and nationalities. Since joining Southland in the summer of 2000, initially as a teaching pastor, and then stepping up to the senior leadership plate three years later, Weece's passion for the poor and the society's outcasts has rubbed off on the members of his church so much so that volunteers have come up with ministries that intentionally and strategically serve the homeless, single parents, homosexuals, physically and mentally handicapped people, undernourished children, and the elderly in Kentucky.
Southland also works with an organization that helps the people in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky. And recently, Southland planted a church in Bonney Lake, Wash., where Perraut says there are less than 7 percent Christians.
Every year, Southland Christian Church works with Food for the Hungry organizing and supporting golf events in Kentucky as well as in Phoenix. Money raised through the golf events fund many Food for the Hungry programs in developing countries.
"Working together with an organization like Food for the Hungry allows us many opportunities to be in places of great need and helps us learn how to walk alongside the people in the communities," says Perraut. "It just makes it more joyful, and we can help each other and do so much more and be focused on the same thing."
Core Values at Southland Christian Church
Value 1 - The Bible is our authority for life.
Value 2 - God speaks through His Word, prayer and worship.
Value 3 - The home is the best place for discipleship.
Value 4 - We believe that life happens best in community.
Value 5 - Every believer is gifted to serve others for the building up of the Church.
Value 6 - All believers are commanded to use their influence in the world for Christ.