Empowerment
PRO-grace Community Development focuses on recognizing and creating conducive environments in which we—individuals, churches, and communities—rely on the power of the Holy Spirit, understand our own gifts and resources, and work together with our neighbors in their gifts and resources for the development of our community.
Often times, PRO-grace ministry, particularly in marginalized and low-status communities, creates dependency. The Bible teaches empowerment, not dependency. All people have inherited dignity by being created in the image of God. Many times, charity demeans a person and strips him or her of dignity.
The principle of empowerment affirms a person’s God-given dignity and allows that person to use their giftings to contribute to the flourishing of the community.
Church-Based
At the heart of PRO-grace Community Development is the church, the body of Christ, fully engaged in the process of transformation. The church is uniquely equipped to affirm the dignity, gifts, and skills of individuals and communities. One problem today has been that the church is not involved in developing its communities. Often, the church has been an unfriendly neighbor in communities across our country. Churches are guilty of being open only on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights and being almost irrelevant to the needs of the people around them. PRO-grace Community Development sees taking action as the role of the church in working towards the development of its community.
It is the responsibility of the church to evangelize, disciple and nurture people in the Kingdom. Yet, from the command of Jesus, it is also the responsibility of the church to love their neighbor and their neighborhood.
Churches should be seen as lovers of their community and neighborhoods. It is out of the church body that ideas and programs should emerge.
Lastly, probably the greatest sustaining power of community development is the community building of a local church. Christian community is based on people living in the community and having a local church to worship together. It is the church where people gather to be rejuvenated and have their personal needs met. The church helps people to understand that each person has gifts and talents and all must utilize those for the greater good of the community. A worshipping church breaks down many of the barriers including racial, educational and cultural barriers that often separate people in communities.