Update from the Block:Why Planting Deep Roots Matters More Than Transactional Ministry
- Reconciile Community Church
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
Hey everyone, it’s Pastor Will here, bringing you another update straight from the block.
If you know me, you know how much I love and care about Welcome. It’s a community near and dear to my heart, and I’m deeply passionate about neighborhoods just like this one. But all too often, the real stories of what’s going down on the ground get overlooked. My mission is to change that—to promote, uplift, and celebrate loving, caring, and serving communities where people truly look out for one another.
Looking back, one specific moment stands out vividly from when I first started doing prayer walks in the neighborhood about nine years ago.
As I walked around the block and introduced myself to neighbors, I kept encountering one very specific, jarring question:
"When are you leaving?"
At first, I was completely perplexed. Why was everyone asking me when I was going to pack up and go? I was here to help!
But as I spent more time listening to the people who live here and genuinely getting to know their stories, the heartbreaking reality set in. I realized that our community’s relationship with the church had historically been deeply transactional.
Moving Past "Transactional" Ministry
Too often, outside groups or churches come into under-resourced neighborhoods to serve for a day, a weekend, or a short season. Sometimes, it's done more to make the volunteers feel good about themselves than to create lasting change. They do a project, take some photos, and then they leave.
When ministry is transactional, it sends a damaging message to the neighborhood. It unintentionally communicates that the church isn't actually for them—it’s just using them.
But that is not the heart of God. The church is for everybody. It belongs right here, in communities like mine, just as much as anywhere else.
Planting Deep Roots
Because of this, we knew we had to do ministry differently. We don't want to be a transient presence. We want to be a people and a church that plant deep roots.
When a church plants deep roots in a neighborhood, it builds a foundation of consistency. It tells the community: We are here, we are staying, and you can rely on us. Fundamentally, this consistency isn't just about us; it’s a reflection of the Gospel. It extends to the beautiful truth that they can rely on Jesus. Just like Jesus promised to be with us always and never leave us, He wants His church to reflect that exact same faithful presence.
He wants His church to step into places that might be perceived as difficult, staying steady so that the people there can experience the tangible reality that Jesus stays with them, too. He doesn’t walk away when things get tough.
Join Us on the Block
That’s the update from the block today. We aren’t just passing through; we are planting our lives here.
As we continue this journey, I want to ask you to partner with us in a few ways:
Pray for us: Pray that we can continue to love, honor, and serve our community well.
Consider giving: Your financial support helps us plant these deep, sustainable roots so we can serve Welcome for the long haul.
Join our mission: If you want to learn how to do deeply rooted, incarnational ministry in communities like this, come alongside us. We will gladly teach you everything we know.
God bless you, and thank you for being a part of this journey with us!
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