Imagine a world where every person in your community had a sign over their head announcing what they needed.
Some of those signs would say, “Food.”
Others might have “Friends” written over their heads.
Still others might note, “Freedom from Addiction.”
That might be helpful for churches looking to meet the needs around them and share the love of Jesus in the process, but that’s not the world we live in.
Most of your community’s needs are hidden, some more than others. That means you need to be intentional about uncovering nearby needs.
Here are five practical ways your church can get started in this today.
1. Recognize the Power of Observation
Your God-given senses are the best tools at your disposal for uncovering needs. But you can’t properly deploy them from the comfortable chair in your office. Walk around your neighborhood. Talk to people you meet. Work from the local library branch one day a week — or a favorite coffee shop.
Look and listen for signs of need—vacant homes, people looking for work, people with disabilities. Make sure you write down what you’re learning. You’ll be surprised at what you can forget in just a few hours.
Get the whole church involved in this through a prayer walk. Split up into small groups of four or five. Walk through the neighborhood praying silently for needs you see and people you engage along the way.
Make sure you spend some time debriefing with your team afterward. And again, write down some of what people learned throughout these experiences.
2. Foster Connections to Build Trust
If you really want to understand what’s going on in your community, you need to build trust with people. People are more likely to open up about their challenges when they feel valued and safe.
What makes people feel safe? Show you care. Serve your neighbors and meet the needs you know, and they’ll open up about other needs.
For example, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize your local public school is likely in need of some support. Even in wealthy areas, few public schools have all the resources they need. Sit down with your local principal and see how your church can help.
It’s particularly important that you do this without trying to run the show. Be willing to help, no matter how it fits into your agenda. Partner with organizations that are already at work. You don’t need to create your projects.
As you serve others, ask questions about what needs people see around them and who is involved in meeting those needs.
3. Leverage Data and Technology
Your community’s demographic data can open up all kinds of ministry opportunities. Tools like MissionInsite give you detailed demographic information about your neighborhood—such as income levels, ethnic backgrounds, and family composition.
A lot of the biggest needs in your community are kind of like microscopic organisms—you can’t spot them with the naked eye. You’d need a microscope to see those tiny life forms, and the same goes for things like illiteracy, mental health struggles, or someone being a refugee. These vulnerabilities aren’t obvious, even if you’re paying attention. They’re under the surface, and you have to dig a little deeper to really notice and understand them.
That’s where MissionInsite comes in. It’s like the microscope for your ministry. It lets you zoom in and spot those hard-to-see challenges by providing incredibly detailed insights about your community. This deeper understanding helps you meet people where they really are.
4. Partner with Local Organizations
You can’t find all the needs on your own. The nonprofits and schools in your community often have deep insights into the challenges your community faces on a regular basis. Even small businesses can offer a valuable perspective into your community’s needs.
In fact, one of the most important places to start when trying to meet needs is to partner with existing organizations that are already serving your community in meaningful ways. You’ll be meeting an important need and you can learn from them about other needs that might not be as easy to spot.
Consider deploying volunteers from many different organizations to meet your community’s needs. Encourage them to keep their eyes and ears open to the needs they see along the way.
5. Conduct Surveys or Assessments
Surveys will give your church a broader view of your community’s needs so you can see the issues your neighbors are facing in crystal-clear detail. When you collect data directly from your neighbors through surveys, you ensure that you hear from a wide variety of your neighbors—and particularly those whose voices are often unheard.
Design some simple surveys, using a mix of multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Distribute those surveys strategically at events, through social media, and even door-to-door in some settings. Make sure your distribution casts as wide a net as possible. Your success in finding your community’s hidden hurts will depend upon your ability to connect with as many different kinds of people as possible.
Take a Step Today
You won’t discover hidden hurts in your community overnight, but you can take a step today.
Commit to taking a long, hard look around your community.
Connect with organizations that understand your community.
Dig into data with new resolve.
Take a step today.
If you’d like to learn more about how you can discover and meet hidden needs in your community, check out our free guide, Neighbors in Need: How to Identify and Help the Most Vulnerable.
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