One + One: One Way to do Good
“Do all the good you can.”
Good. What does it look like?
John Wesley posed to us a powerful proposition. Church-school partnerships offer us a decisive move in the direction of doing all the good we possibly can. Building on the foundation laid by movers in the Methodist tradition, we reach beyond our walls into the communities in our world. It is who we are. What better way to live into that call of serving beyond with our neighbors than through our schools in one-on-one mentoring? Our Conference-wide One + One Initiative offers an opportunity to do good. Wesley presented us with a definitive guide in doing all the good we can and here’s how:
“Do all the good”
The prophet Micah told us to do justice. Every opportunity to do justice lives within the walls of the schools in our communities. In North Texas 504,000 students are economically disadvantaged. Doing good looks like doing justice with economic inequality which impacts educational outcomes with students. Churches can live into the beauty of being with students for one-on-one reading, mentoring and bridging social inequities to help reverse the negative effects of poverty in the lives of students in our schools.
“By all the means”
Church-school partnerships lead us into pathways for discipleship in our communities. Families, hunger, poverty, and opportunity gaps all exist in our schools. That means every opportunity for partnership, serving and making disciples for Christ exists in our schools. One + One provides built in avenues for relationship and assists us in forming impactful partnerships with the marginalized.
“In all the ways”
The strategy of the CMO is to come alongside churches by supporting a community of pastors in Learning Cohorts as it relates to One + One.
Lean in. Listen Well. Learn Together. These three ways of doing good innately live in one-on-one mentoring. The power of learning together with colleagues as a result of each person leaning in and listening well, curates an excellent setting for deep relational work with our colleagues and in our communities.
“In all the places”
The CMO exists as a catalyst for local church missional outreach. Our ambition is to come alongside churches as they provide places of hope and light in their communities. The CMO commits to bringing pastors in the NTC together in Learning Cohorts to provide a safe place of gathering for encouragement, goal setting, strategic planning and accountability. What a place to be!
“At all the times”
The first year of the One + One Cohort pilot offers a time for pastors to commit to a community of affinity around One + One. As you build or deepen your One + One initiative in your local church, time with pastors walking along the same journey in Learning Cohorts provides an invaluable support system for the journey.
“To all the people”
One child. One adult. One church. One community. With One + One, a relationship with one child potentially reaches relationships with entire families and their communities. Our neighbors are “all the people” and they live where we are. We want to help you live into relationship with your neighbor in authentic and powerful ways.
“As long as ever”
The temporal time spent in community within cohorts in order to catalyze a movement beyond transactional to relational missions will yield untold riches. Your time impacts eternity.
What would it look like if every school in your community had a church partner? The CMO is excited about breathing new life into our One + One initiative and looks forward to working with your church.
For more information about how the CMO can help your church make disciples through beginning or deepening a church-school partnership, email Jurrita Williams.
Published: Wednesday, May 9, 2018