Shalom Initiative – urban partnership of New Covenant UMC

שָׁלוֹםshalom:[shaa lṓm]   hello, goodbye; peace; completeness, contentment, soundness, wholeness, health, welfare, safety, prosperity, rest, harmony, rest safety, tranquility; the absence of agitation and discord

“the way things ought to be” ~ Cornelius Plantinga

Shalom – it is what we all are burning for deep down inside, for things to be the way they ought to be, for the world to be the way that God created it to be in the first place. As we participate in Kingdom service we are actually working towards shalom. Every time we work with the Holy Spirit to help reconcile people to God, and they in turn experience God’s transforming work in them and affect the world around them, shalom is established in that little corner of the world and the Kingdom of Heaven continues to be ushered in.

New Covenant, a hybrid church start, is working for shalom in the inner core of the city of Wichita, specifically in the Delano District.  The congregation is currently operating out of a store-front location in the Delano District. New Covenant is steadfast in its dedication and commitment to the Delano community. Delano is a diverse community that has a rich heritage and future plans for community development. A thriving business district, a college campus, along with a large area of family housing make up the community. As in any urban core area, many of the families are at-risk economically and deal with all that accompanies poverty-level living. There is tremendous potential for ministry in this area and this urban congregation would like to increase its outreach efforts to this community.

Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Luke 10:2).

This is true everywhere, but is especially true in the urban centers where life in general is more challenging, and thus so is ministry.

The leadership at New Covenant believes that partnerships between urban and suburban churches and organizations can go a far way in meeting these challenges that are specific to the urban community.  Many times the suburban church has resources that the urban church is lacking, including people and financial resources. There are people who have a real heart for the poor and underprivileged and would love the opportunity to reach out, perhaps in a way that is not available in their home church setting.

This is what the Shalom Initiative is all about … partnering for the Kingdom. New Covenant is taking applications for missionaries…those who will commit to just one year serving in their God-given capacity at New Covenant, immersing themselves into the life of the church and the community. The Worship Celebration is on Saturdays at 6:30 pm. This could allow you to be in partnership with New Covenant and still stay connected to your own church. After the year is up, missionaries are released to go back to their home churches. If becoming a missionary is more of a commitment than one can give at this point, there are ways to get involved as sponsors and donors as well. Missionaries to work with children and youth are high priority, however there are many other areas in which to serve including discipleship/leadership development, graphic design, and Life Support (literacy, addiction/recovery support, parenting, ESL, etc.)

If you would like to know more about partnering with this urban church, please contact Pastor Cathy Holley at 316-943-1884 or pastor@newcovumc.org. Cathy would be glad to also talk to mission boards and other small groups within the church. Together we can make a difference for the Kingdom! Shalom.