When I was a local pastor, I often asked my congregation if anyone would miss us if we disappeared? Good question to ask of any group or life for that matter.
I believe strongly that churches could have a huge impact on the life of a community like Dallas. Over the next several days and weeks, I'll throw out a few ideas that may sound a bit unorthodox, but have great potential, at least as I see it.
For example, what if your church "hired" one of our attorneys as an urban missionary?
Attorney, as in lawyer?
Exactly.
Here's what our lawyers at Central Dallas Ministries' LAW Center do:
- Represent abandoned, abused women in Dallas courts
- Represent abandoned, neglected, sometimes abused children in the Dallas courts
- Represent some of the weakest, poorest, most disabled of our citizens before the Social Security Administration
- Represent marginalized, weak and poor neighbors in consumer, tenant and probate matters
- Protect the health and integrity of poor families in Dallas courts
- Represent very poor persons who need to argue cases in court, but who have no money to do so
A church who "hired" or who provided funding for one of our lawyers, would transform that attorney into a highly skilled urban missionary who on a daily basis is representing the voiceless in Dallas courtrooms.
At the same time, the church would have an open door from our public interest law practice directly into the lives of countless men, women and children who need the loving care and compassion that great churches are famous for providing.
If you are looking for your church to find real, concrete significance, I think we should talk.
