Let’s be honest. When churches talk about “reaching out across socio-economic boundaries,” they are talking about middle class (and higher) people reaching out to poorer folks. You don’t see many run-down churches in economically depressed areas starting outreach programs for Volvo-driving soccer moms who live in housing developments with names like “The Pines at Oakbrooke Gables.” I don’t know, maybe they should.
In any case, a lot of churches find the socio-economic barrier to be the most difficult one to overcome in their evangelism. Ethnic barriers, by contrast, are more obvious, and mature congregations will sensitively work to ensure they don’t create division in the church. But so-called “class” differences can be subtler. People from different socio-economic backgrounds might look the same and speak the same language but still have a very different experience of daily life.
A Few Lessons
Here are a few things that I’ve learned from leading a church that is trying to reach out to folks from different backgrounds.
1. We’re Not All That Different
First, we’re not all that different. It can be intimidating to try and build relationships
To continue...read the full-length post originally published on this site.
