The Church that Takes on Trouble
Description:... Chicago's historic LaSalle Street Church is THE CHURCH THAT TAKES ON TROUBLE. Situated in an inner-city nieghborhood, the church has turned its attention to the poverty, violence, and crippling needs that surround it, and has grown to meet those needs. While many other white congregations have slipped away to the safe suburbs, Pastor Bill Leslie and many faithful members have adopted this maxim: The church is for people, not programs; ministry to the present, not the past. When an activity becomes ineffective, it's time to make changes or cut it off. When circumstances force us to stop, we should look to see what God is teaching us. Sometimes it's neccessary to take one step backward before we can take two steps forward. Turning from the overemphasis on mass evangelism, Leslie decided that the true ministry of the church is to disciple--not hundreds or thousands--but those whom God places in our trust. LaSalle St. Church began to seek out problem areas and then create church ministries that would help alleviate them. Today LaSalle's programs are numerous and vital: legal aid, tutoring of neighborhood children, counseling services, aid for the elderly. And the church has designed new worship techniques that put the emphasis on peoples' true needs--and God's availability and power to help. THE CHURCH THAT TAKES ON TROUBLE is a chronicle of a small body of beleivers seeking better ways to serve God and people--those inside and outside the building's stone walls. This is also a useful study guide for the modern urban church; a testimony to the possibility of new life in desperate situations; a tale of courage and a fresh application of the spiritual gifts available to all Christians. JAMES and MARTI HEFLEY are a husband and wife writing team. Other books they have written include: WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT THE BIBLE, CHRIST IN BANGLADESH, IN HIS STEPS TODAY, and THE LIBERATED PALESTINIAN.
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