Church on the Street

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Outreach Ministries

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The Center for Practical Theology

Church on the Street is commissioned as a ministry of the church to reach out and care for the poor and homeless and to provide opportunities for the church to reflect on its relationship with its homeless neighbors.

Who We Are and What We Do

Introduction

In the city of Atlanta there are over 12,000 people that are homeless every night.  Serving this population are many diverse ministries and social services, such as shelters of differing sorts for differing needs, feeding and food programs, worship services, and drop-in centers designed to connect the homeless with the many different programs and social services developed through government agencies, private institutions and faith-based organizations to help the poor and homeless.  Over 2,000 of the nightly homeless in Atlanta stay in emergency shelters or out in parks, parking lots and under bridges.  Many of these approximately 2,000 persons, making up only 10-20% of the entire homeless population, are commonly known as the long-term or chronically homeless.  These are the people who often fit the caricature of the homeless.  Yet these persons do not wake up one day and find themselves in extended bouts with homelessness, rather they have gone through a long history, sometimes a lifetime, of struggling with poverty, social problems, mental illness, addictions, inadequate or unemployment, injustice, crime and occasional stints as homeless.  These persons have become isolated and disabled by their own sin, the sin of others, and the sins of society.  For many of these, the programs and services designed to help them overcome these difficulties go largely untapped.  This is due in large part to being divided from others and society for so long that they have become jaded and their minds have fixated on hopelessness, death and division.  This is the point of contact where Church on the Street understands its commission.  First, instead of creating new drop-in centers, shelters or food services, our task is to go to the parks, street corners and bridges where the chronically homeless “live” in order to develop consistent, loving, unconditional relationships and community through which one’s self-understanding and dignity of being part of the human family is reclaimed.  Then, perhaps, through our many partnerships with other ministries and social services, we can direct those that are willing to further assistance.  This first task we refer to as “Outreach Ministries.”  Second, we contend that when it comes to concrete interaction with the poor and homeless, the church has far too often resigned itself to simple answers, political ideology and the answers of social-scientists without sufficient theological reflection.  Thus we propose providing space where the church’s activists, pastors, students and academics can gather to think together and give voice through various media about these paramount theological issues related to poverty and homelessness.  This we refer to as the “Center for Practical Theology.”

Church on the Street Outreach Ministries

There are a plethora of ministries and social services for the poor and homeless. These services include emergency shelter, food, clothing, restrooms, showers, and assistance with such things as identification, work, substance abuse rehabilitation, low income housing, etc.  There are generally enough organizations to care for the basic needs of the poor and homeless, but not enough resources to meet all of the needs.  But there is a segment of the homeless population that typically remains unreached in any meaningful way.  These are the chronically homeless.  This is so because it is this sub-group that is almost universally substance dependent and/or mentally ill.  They are therefore less likely to seek out the help needed.  They may take advantage of basic services, like food and clothing, but they are often resistant to other forms of assistance.  In an attempt at outreach, some organizations will go to popular gathering places for this group to ask them if they would like help.  Beyond this, understandably, there is not much of a sustained effort to reach them.  This is because they are a difficult people to reach out to: they often do not want the help offered, they are known to deceive to exploit one’s kindness, they are sometimes dangerous, and with limited resources, it is often decided that efforts are better served elsewhere.  The type of service that is needed by this sub-group is not only basic sustenance, but also, and primarily, due to their engrained isolation, hopelessness and skepticism, consistent relationships with persons who care for their well-being unconditionally, are willing to be with them, and will speak honestly to them.  This takes great patience and time.  Church on the Street Ministries provides this type of outreach and compassionate ministries to these poor and homeless persons.  This is accomplished in a variety of ways, including incarnational and pastoral ministry, meeting immediate physical needs, reconciliation with estranged family, and cooperating with other institutions that serve this population. 

Church on the Street Staff and Voluntary Missionaries as well as volunteers, students, mission teams, and work teams sustain these ministries year round.

• Staff Missionaries are full-time missionaries to the poor and homeless who serve under the authority and oversight of Church on the Street and who develop, carry-out, and lead ministries in keeping with the ethos of Church on the Street.

• Voluntary Missionaries are local, part-time volunteers who, with the assistance and training of Church on the Street, develop new outreach ministries or take on an extended role in a current ministry.

• Volunteers are those who assist Church on the Street and its partners in serving the poor and homeless, but do not take on central or extended responsibilities.  All volunteers with Church on the Street are thoroughly trained before working hands-on in our ministries.  They also receive ongoing training throughout their time working with our ministries.

Church on the Street Center for Practical Theology

We believe that there is a general disconnect between local church communities, the academy and activists in the area of poverty and homelessness.  This is often due to the lack of seriousness with which one takes the other.  The academy sees the others as unreflective; activists see the others as irrelevant; and local church communities see the others as lacking Christ.  We believe that each needs the other. Thus there needs to be an intentional space where these sometimes disparate groups can come together to reflect with and learn from the others to better serve the church and the world through their respective vocations.  The Center for Practical Theology serves this need by providing an ecumenical and non-partisan forum for pastors, students, academics and activists to intentionally reflect together theologically on issues, public policy and church practices that relate to poverty and homelessness.  This task begins with the concrete questions that arise out of problems encountered in daily life with the poor and homeless.  Rigorous theological reflection on these questions will draw attention to the theological themes and social patterns that run through these problems in order to try and understand more deeply the significance of the Christian faith at this locus.  The aim is to help clarify the ways by which God guides His church to recognize its neighbors and thus practically transform its manner of living.

The Center has two primary tasks:

Ø  rigorous theological reflection

Ø  applicable practical education 

It accomplishes these tasks through several programs:

Ø  Speaking/Training/Consulting

Giving talks, seminars and sermons to churches, universities, seminaries and ministries about particular issues dealing with the church and the poor/homeless.  We also provide training and consulting in reaching out to the poor and homeless in local communities.

Ø  Research and Reflection

Providing scholars, pastors, students and activists opportunities to participate in hands-on ministry with the poor and homeless while pursuing collaborative theological research on related subjects. This research may take such forms as academic books or articles, position papers, popular books, sermons, essays, and editorials.  It may be presented at local churches, ministries, seminars, public lectures or conferences, and may be published on the Church on the Street website, e-journal or other appropriate journals or periodicals.

Ø  Conferences/Seminars/Public Lectures

Events to educate pastors, church leaders, academics, government officials and the public on various issues related to the poor and homeless, the church and ministry.

Ø  Internships/Practicums

Intensive experiences of supervised education, training and participation in poor and homeless ministries.  Year-long, semester and summer programs are available.  Each program offers classes, supervision, training, hands-on work and research opportunities.

Ø  Mission Teams

Intensive mission programs for one to seven days that offer hands-on personal ministry, manual labor, training and education.  These teams help support Church on the Street ministries and partner ministries as well as learn about poverty and homelessness while acquiring skills that can be used in their home churches and communities.