Abstract
Holistic ministry is now the standard across global missional practice, and one manifestation of integral mission is Entrepreneurial Church Planting (ECP). This occurs when business entrepreneurs and clergy members launch spiritually and economically integrated communities of faith. While it may be conceptually inviting for spiritual and business forces to comingle in reaching the lost, ECP activities need to be evaluated as to whether they are accomplishing the goals of the Great Commission and the Creation Commission. In-depth study is needed now to consider outcomes relative to goals. To that end, this study will examine the unique data trends that emerge in the case study of Kentucky-based Meridzo Ministries. Grassroots insights from case-study research will then be applied to Clemens Sedmak’s kinship model in order to posit three proxy indicators based upon interviewee data. This article argues that rather than measuring success of missions economically or spiritually, success should be gauged on the grounds of holistic relational transformation.
Keywords
Introduction
Hudson Taylor, a well-known missionary of the nineteenth century, understood missions as being primarily rooted in saving souls; yet, experiences with the hungry, the weary, and the sick eventually expanded his missional scope to include physical care (Walls, 2002: 241). Missions have developed in ways that Taylor never anticipated, and many practitioners are now in agreement that holistic ministry is required to share the gospel by “word and deed” (Sider, Olson, and Unruh, 2002: 64). However, some questions are still taking a backseat in many discussions on holistic missions (LaBreche, 2014: 434): How does one determine when a given mission’s approach has produced a good return? How does one measure that success (Collins, 2005: 5–9)? Very few practitioners have described identity markers for holistic ministry success, and ministries have tended to bifurcate goals based on a spiritual–social continuum (Lee, 2016a: 57). While some organizations measure success based on evangelistic outcomes such as conversion rates (Johnson and Rundle, 2009: 25; Eldred, 2005: 202), others go in different directions with a focus on societal impact or financial stewardship (Yamamori and Eldred, 2003: 287). What is needed is a metric that unites the two ends of the continuum in order to offer a model more in sync with the theological vision of holistic missions.
One expression of holistic missions is Entrepreneurial Church Planting (ECP) (Lee, 2016b: 327–45). This approach to Christian mission utilizes a combination of economic strategies along with church planting to engage the marketplace. 1 Meridzo Ministries (MM) is one example of an ECP that may serve as an analytical jumping-off point towards the development of a holistic metric. MM, started by a missionary couple in the late 1990s, emphasizes spiritual renewal, relational flourishing, and social impact in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains.
Due to the lack of an existing metric, this study will advance a possible grassroots definition of success rooted in relational transformation. This will be accomplished through examining the unique data trends that emerge in the case study of MM. Based on this, the study will present a new way of framing metrics rather than revising metrics currently being used to determine effectiveness. The thesis of this article is that rather than measuring success of missions economically or spiritually, success should be gauged on the grounds of holistic relational transformation. To that end, this study will review what MM did and why that ministry might be instructive in thinking about outcomes in light of the quality of relationships. Specifically, this article will begin with a brief exploration into the history and current praxis of MM. It will then progress into methodology and an analysis of respondent data and missional praxis, including a reflection on MM. This will be followed up by an application of Clemens Sedmak’s kinship model to this case study. Finally, three proxy indicators based upon interviewee data will be developed in order to describe measurable outcomes reflecting holistic transformation.
Historical overview of Meridzo Ministries
In the heart of the Appalachian Mountains lies the city of Lynch, Kentucky, located near the convergence of Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. In the 1940s, the United States Steel Corp hired over 4,000 workers from 38 countries who lived in the area around Lynch to work in the coal mines. 2 However, after the coal industry’s demise in the 1960s, a large proportion of the skilled populace migrated, leaving in their wake a multitude of poor, illiterate, and broken people. 3 Economic deterioration in the area bred hopelessness and dependency that served to lock the citizens of Lynch in perpetual destitution. The chronic inability to find and keep jobs resulted in a poverty rate of 31% in 1960. Also lacking were successful role models in the community. The disorganization of their communities had also taken a moral and spiritual toll on residents. 4 Lynch once boomed with over 10,000 city dwellers, but had now dwindled to about 700 people. 5 In light of this desperation, many residents of Lynch began to cry out for God to hear the pleas of the downtrodden.
In 1998, Lonnie and Belinda Riley visited Lynch, Kentucky to resolve issues related to Belinda’s mother’s estate. Belinda was born and raised in Lynch. While there, the couple witnessed the deep poverty and hopelessness in the town. After returning to their home in Mississippi, God showed Lonnie a verse upon which his entire ministry in Lynch would be based: Isaiah 41:20. 6 The verses reminded them of the poor and needy in Lynch, but also the assurance that God was equal to the situation. Lonnie and Belinda were convinced that God was calling them to Lynch to satisfy the spiritual thirst of the community, even though it would mean leaving a well-paying, secure job as a pastor in Mississippi. The Rileys responded and moved to Lynch, despite no promise of a job or any income (Riley and Riley, 2010: 20–21).
In 1999, they arrived in Lynch and launched MM, where Meridzo was derived from the Greek verb for “to care” (Riley and Riley, 2010: 78). This initiative began by the Rileys getting reacquainted with the people of Lynch. Four months later Lonnie and Belinda, along with 250 others, participated in a powerful city park prayer meeting that set the course for ministerial fruitfulness. Lonnie encouraged the people to ask for God’s forgiveness for their misplaced trust in both the coal industry and in the government rather than in God. In a display of raw and cathartic emotion, people wept and prayed for two-and-a-half hours. 7 Lonnie later realized that the prayer meeting in the city park marked the beginning of the transformation of Lynch. 8
Despite the positive start, there were no new initiatives from God (Riley and Riley, 2010: 24), prompting simple obedience to their previously received word (Isaiah 41:17, 20), Lonnie and Belinda continued to serve the needs of the community through simple acts of kindness: hedge trimming and cookie give-aways (Riley and Riley, 2010: 23–36). After they found out that some families did not have enough to eat, they launched a food bank through Bread of Life, supplied by surplus food from other state sources. Gradually, Lonnie and Belinda were able to obtain by donation several buildings, opening the door to establish different businesses and ministries in the community.
Description of Meridzo Ministries
MM is divided into two branches: non-profit and for-profit. 9 The non-profit branch offers many outlets for proclaiming the gospel, such as a functioning local church and Heaven’s Door Chapel. Included also are two facilities used to host children’s camps. The for-profit branch contributes to community development by creating businesses such as Lamp House Coffee Shop, Black Mountain Exchange gas station, Faithfully Fit fitness center, and Agribusiness Center. The Agribusiness Center is notable for its development of new industries and job opportunities. The Center discovered that the shower rooms originally built for coal miners provided the perfect environment to grow shiitake mushrooms, and potentially other vegetables. Along with the for-profit ministry, Lonnie and his team helped establish a lumber company that both provides employment and sells lumber at a reduced price for home repairs. A candle factory and a sewing company were also established as sources of employment. Overall, the for-profit branch reflects a commitment to community development (Riley and Riley, 2010: 105).
Renewal associated with Meridzo Ministries
Over the 18 years of their ministry, Lonnie and Belinda have seen a change in Lynch. One aspect of transformation that has occurred in Lynch is spiritual renewal and connection. For example, “over 1,500 people in the area have given their lives to Jesus, and 40% of the people in Lynch are now believing Christians.” 10 Additionally, five new churches have been started in Harlan county. 11 As a result, spiritually, the climate is different in that a renewed sense of hope has permeated the once desperate tri-city area (Cumberland, Benham, and Lynch).
Another significant change is the pride residents manifest in their community. Residents have been inspired to take pride in their area by taking care of their property. Belinda said, “We have a lot of blighted properties belonging to people who have just moved away and not taken care of their abandoned real estate, but yes, we have seen a change.” 12 Another resident informant said that MM is a key resource for the town, and the ministry sees its mission as helping people economically and physically (through job creation and welfare services) as well as spiritually (through evangelism and discipleship). In this way, MM is a good example of how people can be transformed by Community-for-a community. 13 Overcoming a few obstacles on their way, MM has endeavored to make local communities healthier by addressing the actual issues local people were facing and creating relational networks of mutual support and accountability in view of covenantal loving relationships. This relational ministry has taught people about hope in God that results in hope to people.
Methodology and analysis of Meridzo Ministries
Now that we have examined the background of MM, we can consider the components of the ministry to assess missional effectiveness. Due to the absence of an existing method for evaluating ECP success, I investigated MM’ goals, activities, and evaluative metrics for their ECP outcomes by means of the case-study approach (Eisenhardt, 1989: 532–50; Yin, 2003: 23). Here are the specific steps I used in the study. I visited MM three times: April 15, 2017, June 6–11, 2017, and October 29, 2017. This allowed me to identify changes on both a short- and long-term scale. During my stays in Lynch, I conducted structured interviews with 14 people lasting about one-and-a-half to two hours each; interviewees were selected based on their position and knowledge of MM. Insights into MM’s accomplishments and effectiveness were gathered from these 14 informants. All informants were asked the same ten questions during the interview process that I created. The questions addressed five primary areas related to MM: (1) history, (2) motivation and goals, (3) theoretical metrics for evaluating success, (4) operational definitions of success in practical terms, and (5) performance assessment. Questions were asked in a logical and chronological structure, beginning with MM as a start-up on through the development of its various programs over the years. The interviews were recorded and then later transcribed to facilitate the processing of major themes and ideas. Chart 1 lists the specific characteristics of each informant.
Description of informants*
Demographic analysis of the respondents reveals both the strengths of this study and gaps for future statistical review. The respondents were all Americans between the ages of 28 and 60. Ethnically, all of the respondents were Caucasian; future studies should seek to broaden the ethnic scope of this study by analyzing the responses of African American informants.
Analysis of the information provided in the interviews was more difficult to compile. I grouped the answers of the respondents for each of the ten basic questions. I then utilized the following coding process suggested by Anselm Strauss and Juliet Corbin: (1) open coding, (2) axial coding, and (3) selective coding (Strauss and Corbin, 1998: 57). As a result, I transcribed all interviews. I then coded every transcription through line-by-line analysis. Next, I subcategorized codes into subcategories through constant comparative analysis. In the analytical process, I continuously looked for patterns and recurring themes across the respondents. At times I grouped the responses based on the relationship the individual had with the ECP: founder and primary organizers, heads of different components of the ministry, workers/volunteers and people outside the ministry, and compared responses. Consequently, I came to categorize ten subcategories into the following three chief themes: connection, participation, and identity transformation.
When it comes to the three main themes, 36% of the respondents note the emphasis on relational wholeness focused initially on spiritual awakening that overflows into reconciliation with one’s neighbors (connection). Some 28% of the informants comment on transformative networks for community revitalization, spiritual revival, and oikonomia (participation), while 36% of interviewees mention identity transformation or neighborhood solidarity as important. Each theme offers a pathway for three desired results leading to Community-for-a-community (MM’s outcomes). To elaborate, connection leads to communion formation, participation leads to community building, and identity transformation leads to oikonomia. 14 These three linking themes and their results reveal that human beings are created, saved, and transformed by Community-for-a-community. Chart 2 reflects a model for holistic transformation.
Evaluative components for assessing ECP success
Connection leading to communion formation
Our first theme for analysis is connection. Some 36% of the informants state that MM was birthed out of relational connectivity with God and neighbor and contributed to relational connection (Miller, 2013: 277). By “building incarnational relationship with people in the surrounding culture” (Halter and Smay, 2008: 127), MM has formed bonds of spiritual kinship with neighbors. This relational connectivity involved multiple layers of deepening intimacy leading to communion formation. For instance, MM instituted various practices in order to make contact and engage people in both their business arrangements and church initiatives. Expressions of relational connectivity include: (a) involvement in the life of the community through acts of service such as hedge trimming, cookie give-aways, attending community prayer meetings, and connecting people to communities of faith, and (b) creation of employment opportunities through job initiatives (Solomon’s Porch Retreat Center and Meridzo Agribusiness Center).
This holistic ministry of MM helped create links connecting people to people, people to God, and community to God. In other words, MM contributed to building networks (connection) for spiritual renewal (communion formation). Several comments prioritize connection leading to communion formation. For instance, Samuel suggests that MM “care[s] for the people and bring[s] hope back to them. We try to remind people that God loves them and that God has not forgotten them.” David observes, “It is through loving relational interaction with God and others that Meridzo Ministries manifests foretastes of the Kingdom God.” Jonah said, “the Rileys … made friends with the local people and sought to respond to needs and situations as they arose. From the contacts they made with Lynch townsfolk, they not only helped others in basic ways but they also deepened their awareness of systemic problems in the area, such as food scarcity.” These comments show that Lonnie, Belinda, and MM staff have attempted to connect themselves and their neighbors to “true Community such as the Triune God and Christian communities” (Lee, 2016a: 61). This spiritual connectivity (communion formation) prompted a new experience of hope and economic revitalization (community building), and it also led to a growing desire to enjoy and live life as spiritual kin (oikonomia) (Newbigin, 1989: 154).
Participation leading to community building
The second theme that emerges from interviewee data is participation. Some 28% of the respondents indicate that MM helped to rebuild the neighborhood in Lynch (community building) by participating in the missio Dei and helping people partake in the mutual indwelling life of the triune God (Joyce and Forster, 2017: 33–36). This was accomplished through interaction and participation with neighbors. For example, Lonnie and the MM staff reached out to (in the well-known phrase of Abraham Kuyper) “every square inch” of the community and sought to transform Lynch by equipping people to be economically self-sufficient by running businesses such as a gas station, a fitness center, and a coffee shop. Locations such as the coffee shop or the gas station became centers for community formation in that local people were able to connect with one another and create a sense of belonging.
Several comments manifest this mutual interrelatedness within a larger neighboring community. Israel said, “Meridzo staff try to show people how to love on other people like Christ loves us. That way they know what the love of Christ looks like when you take somebody who has not done what you’ve asked, or had done wrong and you still love them and still help them.” Mary proposes that MM “is truly transformative in that it went from support into community.” These comments show that MM has provided an environment where community finds its strength in mutual love. Scott Hahn terms these relationships covenantal relationships, which are distinguished from economic or contract relationships in their form of exchange. Contract-based relationships identify people as customers, employees, and clients (Bell, 2012: 103–109), while covenant-based relationships turn them into spouses, parents, children, and siblings (Hahn, 1998: 26–27). Thus, it was through participation that MM has offered a vision of this sacred kinship that could lead people toward a life of communal flourishing.
In this way, MM sought to build relationships of trust that went beyond mere assistance; the goal was mutual friendship and community formation. In particular, the businesses (the coffee shop, gas station, and the agribusiness center) contributed to vigor and a sense of community in Lynch. This also offered the potential for residents to meet up and organize to solve problems for the common good of their community.
Identity transformation leading to God’s oikonomia (God’s household rule)
A final theme from my data is identity transformation. Some 36% of the interviewees say that MM sought to cultivate an atmosphere in which local people could identify themselves as both a part of a kingdom community and local community (Gibbs and Bolger, 2005: 95–115). One indicator of identity transformation can be noted in a comment made by Abraham, an employee at a local gas station owned by MM; he states, “If it’s lunch time we sit there and have lunch. I like the people that come here. They are not merely customers or neighbors but brothers and sisters.” Lonnie similarly reported joy in “seeing residents take part in ministries that were freely chosen and nourishing for the beneficiary.” These statements reveal an identity transformation that points toward sacred kinship within the family of God (oikonomia). Lynch residents began to see each other as “brother and sister” and saw the community as “my” community. Such experience of “being with” has fostered neighborhood revitalization.
These filial ties were not connected by blood-based relations (John 1:13) but by covenant-based relationships. This in turn not only created a space for Kingdom family-type relationships to develop, but it also diffused responsibility to neighbors in the community. By giving the residents an opportunity to care for the poorer people, they experienced “a sense of love and being loved,” which was noted by Joshua. In this way, residents entered into a new awareness and experience of being neighbors and friends rather than a mere collective of local strangers. Oikonomia thus entailed a deepening relationality and sense of mutual belonging rooted in the Kingdom of God.
In short, a brief analysis of interviewee data connects the three emergent streams to their desired results. This holistic relational healing (communion formation resulting from connection) gives rise to new transformative networks (community building resulting from participation) and an intensifying experience of mutual indwelling (oikonomia resulting from identify transformation) (Stevens, 2000: 120–23). These three themes and desired results reflect Community-for-a-community for MM’s outcomes.
Grassroots definition of success rooted in Meridzo Ministries
The three linking themes, three desired results, and the outcomes of MM suggest that if a church is about a network of Kingdom relationships, we may measure success based on relational health and increased holistic connectivity. In light of the data collected from the interviews and my analysis, several interpretive questions arise regarding a metric of success: What percentage of local people have any proximity to MM? How many people do MM staff know on a first-name basis? How accessible are MM staff to local residents? How many people in the community would regard MM as a friend or brother or sister? While I affirm that it is possible to measure success based on levels of connectedness, statistical questions help in evaluating these qualitative commitments.
Though most of my informants rooted their assessment responses in a relation-centered success metric, how does this compare to previous ECP evaluative efforts? In the past, ECP practitioners have measured their business/church success through the lens of either a business metric focused on profits or a spiritual metric focused on spiritual fruit, such as the number of baptisms (Steffen and Barnett, 2006: 167–80). Even though these metrics help ECP practitioners locate their current position in regard to the progress of stated goals, they fail to capture the holistic nature of the gospel message that epitomizes ECP’s attention to changed interpersonal relationships, conscious attempts to interact with the neighborhood, and community transformation. However, MM’s relationship-based metric offers a more substantive attempt at capturing the heart behind ECP efforts. My informants have offered a grassroots understanding of success based on holistic transformation encapsulated in Kingdom relationships (“love God and our neighbor”). Thus, we need an assessment that captures that transformational dynamic emphasized by MM.
Application of Clemens Sedmak’s kinship model
It was through a brief analysis of informant data found in Chart 2 that this study revealed three transformative outlets occurring in MM: (1) communion formation resulting from connection, (2) community building resulting from participation, and (3) oikonomia resulting from identity transformation. The goals of these three outlets were rooted in relational transition, that is from orphanhood to spiritual family (communion formation), from contract relationship into a covenant relationship (community building), and from mere proximity to neighborly intimacy (oikonomia) (Kisskalt, 2011: 12). The above terminology embraces various relational connections with God and others through proximate depth.
Interestingly, these three linking themes of MM are quite near Austrian theologian Clemens Sedmak’s kinship model. Sedmak’s kinship model may serve as a bridge in repurposing the emergent themes from MM and framing a grassroots evaluative model. Sedmak, in his presentation at the fifty-ninth annual Midwest Missions Studies Fellowship, provided a helpful framework for expanding our conversation on the relational types. Based on his work within the context of Catholic Social Teaching, Sedmak presents four distinct kinship types: (1) blood-based kinship, (2) milk-based kinship, (3) water-based kinship, and 4) wine-based kinship. While I have been using the term spiritual kinship within the context of oikonomia, Sedmak’s quadrilateral broadens kinship to include various relational experiences, both natural and spiritual. Blood-based kinship refers to belonging through birth or to spiritual initiation; milk-based kinship refers to belonging through communal family life or to spiritual formation and discipleship through true community such as the triune God and Christian communities; water-based kinship refers to belonging based on compassion and transactional service (giving water to the thirsty); and wine-based kinship refers to belonging through companionship or celebration (the wedding of Cana). The main idea of these kinship types is that even though human beings have broken relationships with God and other people, we as bearers of the image of God are yet connected in some way to divine and human communities. And the claim is then made that restoration of broken relationships is made possible through kinship transition. Chart 3 is provided in order to explore a possible application of Sedmak’s model in connection to the three linking themes of MM.
Application of Clemens Sedmak’s kinship model
Because the metaphor in play deals with liquids, the process of translation might involve various experiences of spillover, both natural and spiritual. For example, someone may be simultaneously water-based (compassion) but also moving toward blood-based kinship (spiritual initiation). 15 As this transition is occurring, there is also the possibility for transformation into milk (spiritual formation and discipleship). Additionally, Sedmak’s paradigm is more soluble than hierarchical. For instance, by inviting a stranger in need into the Kingdom of God, water-kinship (compassionate service) is transformed into blood-kinship (child of God); blood-kinship (spiritual initiation) can also be translated into milk-kinship (spiritual formation and discipleship). Another manifestation of this fluid translation occurs in the process of turning water (compassionate service) into wine (belonging through celebration). This might take the form of transcending pity into a loving celebratory community. Thus, the transformation of water into wine facilitates encountering the stranger with openness. In communal celebrations, socio-economic and racial barriers are loosened in an atmosphere of mutual jovialness.
A key concept to expressing this transformation of relationships is perichoresis (mutual indwelling). God created us to participate in the divine life so that we might find our being-in-communion in the relationships with God, others, and creation. Simply put, it is a sense of Community-for-a-community: “I am because you are.” 16 These perichoretic relationships are developed by relational boundary-crossing, or Sedmak’s liquid transformation, which enlarges the circle of belonging. By crossing boundaries and differences, one can transform a one-way relationship (water-based kinship) into a two-way relationship (wine-based kinship). Sedmak called these relational changes “kinship moments” or “kinship experiences.” He argues that these four kinship structures (water, blood, milk, wine) could shed new light on the concept of mission in ways that could potentially alter missional praxis.
Three proxy indicators for holistic ministry in the marketplace
By drawing upon interviewee data and using Sedmak’s kinship structures for the purposes of this study, I want to develop proxy indicators for assessing three desired key results (communion formation, community building, and oikonomia). Because it is difficult to measure outcomes (Community-for-a-community) directly, I will employ indicators. Indicators refer to particular characteristics that show whether individual behaviors or conditions are changing positively. Many indicators are proxies. For example, it is difficult to say with certainty that people are growing in their faith, but a proxy indicator is their regular participation in weekly Bible studies. In this way, a proxy indicator does not tell the whole story. But it will give us a better indication than previously accessible. It will also help in predicting change in behavior or condition. Thus, carefully selecting proxy indicators will help to account for whether a person, family, or community in Lynch is changing in meaningful ways. Chart 4 shows proxy indicators for key result categories.
Proxy indicators
As noted above, Sedmak’s kinship structures assist in analyzing holistic transformation in our case study of MM; his notion of “kinship” moments specifically provides a framework for describing relation-based identity transference and proxy indicators. The first major theme that emerged across the data was “communion formation.” This involves a spiritual connectedness and an identity shift based on a narrative of conversion. The Rileys and MM, though committed to holistic change, anchored their ministry in the saving grace of Jesus Christ; in this way, one of the teloi (goals) of their efforts was an experience of salvation for the people of Lynch. This initial transition, from orphan to child of God, corresponds to Sedmak’s translation of water (compassionate service) into blood (spiritual initiation).
Salvation, though personal, is not limited to the individual experience; rather, it involves a life of discipleship within the context of a community (community building). According to Sedmak’s scheme, this would entail a diffusion of blood (spiritual initiation) into milk (spiritual formation and discipleship). MM’s focus on whole-life discipleship illustrates this well. As previously mentioned, the for-profit’s operations of MM have promoted economic hope for the future by creating businesses. It was through this for-profit branch that the MM staff were able to engage the hopeless and poor to equip, enable, and empower them toward faithful stewardship of their talents and faith. This can be seen in the push for a sense of belonging and creative connective outlets such as the gas station, coffee shop, and fitness center. Furthermore, it was reflected in increased opportunities for local residents to empower the poor in their own community. Thus, Lonnie emphasized the importance of this kinship moment when he said, “Through discipleship and through avenues that God has allowed [Lynch residents and MM staff] to serve, they just blossom” financially, socially, and spiritually. This reveals a clear kinship moment from blood into milk as an essential aspect of “community building.”
Sedmak’s final kinship moment involved wine-based transformation. Wine, as a eucharistic symbol, represents a profound experience of relational intimacy with God and his spiritual family (shared identity). The filial translation involves a communal identity shift; those who once were mere neighbors now recognize the possibility for mutual indwelling. In the emergent themes from my data, I referred to this experience as oikonomia. Though “‘community building” served to expand relational connection and belonging through the for-profit division of MM, oikonomia is an awakening into a mystical family that embodies eucharistic ties. This spiritual stirring includes a two-way movement; first, spiritual kin are united to each other, then they are sent into the world to invite others to the open table of God’s self-giving love. For my MM informants, communal experience with God (such as the city-wide prayer meeting) resulted in a transformed heart for the city and society, and celebrating life together.
To push the use of proxy indicators for ECP ahead, further possibilities for actualizing Community-for-a-community as a reality are put forward. Each indicator listed above taps into different aspects of the relationships found across the dimensions of missional praxis. For example, proxy indicators in the “Water→Blood” section provide specific examples of ways of personally relating to people in the neighborhood. These activities may take people out of their comfort zone, particularly when venturing into the neighborhood. So indicators in the “Water→Blood” section range from organizing a community fellowship to providing a mutually recognized gathering venue for local events such as hosting a neighborhood meal once a month. These opportunities and events create space for the movement from compassionate service to spiritual initiation. Furthermore, ECP practitioners can help their neighbors come alive in God through conversations offering greater spiritual understanding and depth to their Christian walk. Accordingly, the activities listed in the “Water→Blood” proxy indicator section help in demolishing barriers between church and neighborhood and between people and people.
The “Blood→Milk” proxy indicators happen as an ECP seeks not only to extend beyond boundaries, but also to open up new spaces for economic productivity (Roxburgh, 2010: 103–104). For example, an ECP can host job fairs and put up notices that the fair is being held to help the unemployed find jobs. Additionally, some places specifically collect clothes so people can be dressed appropriately for job interviews. Furthermore, ECP provides space where people can learn how to find, apply for, and keep a job. ECP is willing to come alongside new hires to teach them how to function in a work setting. All these multiple spaces can foster neighborly love between Christians and neighbors. By working alongside neighbors in relationships that lead to economic flourishing, people learn to trust each other and create value for one another. In this way, “Blood→Milk” indicators can be measured in part by improved responsible stewardship that leads to mutual economic development in the neighborhood. The “Blood→Milk” transition also entails spiritual growth and renewal; this may take the form of an increased interest in spiritual disciplines such as prayer as well as a deepening commitment to Christian community.
The last dimension, “Milk→Wine” proxy indicators indicate participation in the missio Dei (the divine self-giving). As people get involved with the church and their neighbors, they recover the imago Dei in “Blood→Milk” proxy indicators. They come to recognize that the flourishing of their community is not an end in itself. Rather, the community seeks to point beyond itself to the Kingdom of God. These “Blood→Milk” indicators can be gauged in part by things such as developing a quality-of-life plan for the community, cleaning up blighted areas of a city, and collaborating with local churches across racial barriers. All of these examples involve mutual collaboration between church members and neighbors for the common good. Moreover, success would consider the formation of new friendship circles in neighborly collaboration. For example, “Blood→Milk” indicators will track people released from drug and alcohol rehab programs to make sure they have a positive environment to live in, along with required participation in volunteer projects so they would learn the benefit of helping others. What most people do not understand is that new friendship circles need to be formed upon release from a rehab program. This is because old friends tend to enable return involvement with drugs or alcohol. Thus, success is seeing an increasing number of people involved with an ECP are getting training or finding employment. Spiritual life also takes on an added eucharistic movement during these proxy indicators in that churches and Christian communities begin to step into the larger society in order to invite others into the family of God.
In sum, Chart 4 provides a useful paradigm for understanding and evaluating transformative movements in ECP ministries such as MM. The proxy indicators for each dimension (communion formation, community building, oikonomia) are tabulated to help ECP practitioners describe how far an ECP has come towards its outcome. Although my indicators do not cover every aspect of holistic transformation, they might offer measurable answers to this vital question, How can we measure if an ECP is manifesting Community-for-a-community? This question emerges from informant data focused on holistic relational well-being, which entails connectivity with God and neighbor. Based upon our analysis of this case study in Lynch, we discover that economic thriving and community transformation are both the consequence of relational well-being. Thus, the focus of ECP practitioners should not be initially on planting churches, producing wealth, or dealing with poverty issues, but on working to achieve spaces and structures that can contribute to bringing about right spiritual and neighborly relationships. It is through loving God and our neighbor (the Great Commandment) that it will become possible to advance “foretastes of the Kingdom God and to bring shalom and justice to our communities, societies, and nations” (Lee, 2016a: 63).
Concluding remarks
In light of this case study from Lynch, Kentucky, we wrestled with the question of how to measure the success and effectiveness of Entrepreneurial Church Planting. Christians have postulated a variety of possible metrics in order to evaluate ECP achievements. Some Christians maintain that in order to experience personal development and the common good, we should pay attention to the transformation of the heart (the Great Commission), which then naturally leads to social transformation. Others argue that we should follow “creation ethics” (the Creation Commission) based on the norms laid down by God for all humanity, which will result in economic flourishing. While both “personal salvation” or “stewardship” approaches offer a variety of helpful principles, they may at times fall into the trap of contributing to either a highly individualistic Christianity or full-fledged secularism. Whether the need be for the good news of Jesus Christ (the Great Commission) or for bread and a place to work (the Creation Commission), both approaches presume that outsiders have resources and the poor have needs. What is missing from both of these approaches is a focus on biblical relationships (Community-for-a-community). What if in building relationships with the poor as friends or spiritual kin we collectively move closer to Jesus’ heart and true shalom? A focus on relationships serves to redirect our actions toward holistic transformation, and it aids in mutually rearranging our assumptions concerning missional effectiveness.
A current example of holistic transformation was examined in the case study on MM. Rather than beginning with theoretical metrics of success, this study sought to inductively discover emergent themes in a grassroots ECP ministry. Careful examination of this fruitful ECP was done to identify possible evaluative indicators for assessing missional effectiveness; three dimensions identified included: (1) communion formation, (2) community building, and (3) oikonomia. Common to all three was both a horizontal and vertical relational dimension. These characteristics suggest that the mission of the church is intended to be integral to perichoretic indwelling (the divine life–Community) and for interpersonal transformation (a community). Individualistic or materialistic cultures tend to think about and measure actualization and transformation only in terms of me rather than we. But we are made for community (“love for God and neighbor”) as we participate in God’s mission by fulfilling the Great Commission and the Creation Commission. This study has demonstrated that Community-for-a-community is a significant outcome for ECP practitioners to measure, and that a real measure of ECP’s success and effectiveness is based on relational transition. This can be seen in identity shifts from orphanhood to spiritual family (communion formation), from contract relationship into a covenant relationship (community building), and from mere proximity to neighborly intimacy (oikonomia). The results of this study indicate that it is within the framework of Community-for-a-community that an ECP program is enabled to maintain unity between the Great Commission and the Creation Commission (Self, 2012: 71).
It is important to note that what we measure determines our goals, activities, and consequences. Thus, we need to develop new strategies to move our communities, societies, and nations towards relational flourishing with God and others. One possible strategy suggested in this article was the combination of grassroots insights with Clemens Sedmak’s kinship model. Because MM emphasized a narrative of holistic transformation through identity transference, this case study naturally lent itself to models focused on relational movements such as Sedmak’s. By combining the three linking themes of MM praxis with Sedmak’s model, several proxy indicators rooted in relational transformation were offered as a possible evaluative tool for ECP practitioners. Such a relational strategy will eventually facilitate spiritual transformation as well as challenge intransigent social boundaries and increase Kingdom-based civic participation. In this way, this evaluative approach will contribute to a greater degree of faithfulness, fruitfulness, and hopefulness in our families, workplaces, worship gatherings, and in our local communities.