Grasp the Needs of Your Community ...
Thinking Like a PastorPreneur.
© Dr. John Jackson 2004
After you have Gripped God's calling on your life, the next step to thinking like a PastorPreneur is to "Grasp the Needs of Your Community". Since Jesus called us to "Love God with all our heart and love our neighbor as ourselves" and He told us that our neighbors are those in need, how should we then live? Here are some exciting challenges to help develop your Grasp on the Needs of your Community:
  • Robert Schuller says "find a need and fill it, find a hurt and heal it ... and you'll never lack for ministry opportunity". He's right.

  • Bill Hybels says that it is a tragedy that the average McDonalds owner knows more about our communities than do the Pastors ... and all they want to do is sell a burger and fries.

  • You can go to "Anytown USA" and attend Chamber of Commerce meetings, community forums, school gatherings and ask 3 simple questions: 1) What do you think is the greatest need in our community?, 2) If you were to go to a church, what would you suggest that church focus on in order to meet the needs in our community?, 3) What one factor might make you consider attending church?
  • According to George Barna, about 2/3 of the unchurched people in the United States call themselves Christians. However, when drilling deeper, their worldview is not at all consistent with Scripture. How can you reach your community and understand what they believe?
Meeting needs in the name of Christ opens the door to community impact. Christian business leaders and entrepreneurial pastors can transform a community with the power of God through need-meeting and innovative impact strategies.

When we see the needs of the people in our community, our heart should break. Not just because of the needs, but the reality that so many are seeking to have those needs met outside a relationship with Christ. We in the church know that the only complete answer to the questions of life is a vital union with Jesus Christ. Pastorpreneurs learn to think like Christ by seeing the needs of people as an opportunity to extend love and grace and open doors to conversation with neighbors who don't yet know God in a personal way.

Dr. John Jackson



Dr. John Jackson
is the Senior Pastor
of one of America's
fastest growing
churches & President
of VisionQuest
Ministries. His book,
PastorPreneur will
help you move your
church beyond
"business as usual".



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