Relocation

Ministry of Presence

Living out the gospel means sharing in the joy, suffering, and pain of my neighbors. Sharing life happens through the ministry of presence. In other words, sharing life happens when you practice being an active participant in the community in which you work and serve. This sharing of life can happen whether you are a lifetime resident, a returner to your community, or a newcomer to the community.

How did Jesus love? “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Jn 1:14) Jesus relocated. He became one of us. He dwelt among the people and embodied a ministry of presence.

By relocating, we work to develop and invest in our communities without displacing our neighbors. We work for and share the benefits of the community with our neighbors. Relocation transforms “you, them, and theirs” to “we, us, and ours.” Effective ministries nurture communities of believers that have a shared stake in the development of their neighborhoods.

Relocation is community-based in the very essence of the word. There are three kinds of people who live in the community. First, “relocators” are people who were not born there but moved into the neighborhood. Second are the “returners.” These are the people who come back to a community after an extended time living elsewhere. Third, the “remainers” have continued living in the neighborhood without any extended time living somewhere else. Together, “relocators,” “returners,” and “remainers” invest in their shared home in order to see their community flourish.

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