Background

Which recent crisis/natural disaster has most greatly affected you—caused you to look around and wonder what your church could do if something like that hit your community?

What’s been your personal, hands-on experience with compassion-based ministry: food pantries, shelters, tutoring, teaching English as a Second Language, etc.? What effect did it have on you?

Scripture

Leviticus 19 speaks clearly of our responsibility to honor both God and others. Do we speak to these issues of justice, fairness and mercy in our churches?

Which New Testament passages do you believe speak most clearly to the issue of holistic ministry?

Interacting with the article

The author wrote, “We are ‘created in Christ to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do’ (Ephesians 2:10).” Historically, what has been your understanding of that verse and its meaning for our daily lives?

The author also said, “A church that is healthy will be a church that serves.” Brainstorm a list of qualities that define a healthy church. Compare them with the EFCA’s “10 Leading Indicators of a Healthy Church” (visit www.efca.org/church-health and search for “Leading Indicators”). How is your church doing overall in the “healthy” department?

Further consideration of the topic

Download TouchGlobal’s “Quick Start Guide: Creating a ministry of compassion,” by Dr. Ron Hesselgrave (www.touchglobal.org).

Review the list of recommended resources for this issue (“Compassion Resources”) and consider reading one together as a team.