Restoring At-Risk Communities: Doing It Together and Doing It Right

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Summary: A Graduate Student's Reflection
Review: Amazon Book Review: Restoring As-Risk Communities
Edited by John M. Perkins
Legendary urban minister and founder of the Christian Community Development Association, Dr. John Perkins, has edited a wonderfully helpful "how-to" manual for urban ministry practitioners who are interested in serious Christian community development. As a graduate student of religion, I had the opportunity to study urban ministry this semester and found Perkins' collection of essays to be most instructive. In his own words, Perkins assembles this collection of essays as "a handbook that describes not only the theology, principles, and strategy that guide what we are doing, but also offers more practical how to's-lessons learned from years of struggle and triumph in some of America's toughest neighborhoods," (Perkins: 13). As a serious scholar of Christian community development, that is, grassroots efforts through the Christian church to provide "creative long-term solutions to the problems of the poor," Perkins shares invaluable principles that will undoubtedly benefit persons whom God calls to lives of ministry in the city. With a central emphasis on the three R's-redistribution, reconciliation, and relocation, Perkins and his colleagues provide a blueprint for holistic Christian community development.
In three sections, Perkins and his colleagues outline the following: Foundations of Christian Community Development, Strategy of Christian Community Development, and Ministry in the Community. The essay topics range from Understanding Poverty in part one to Indigenous Leadership Development in part three.
Why read this book? Anyone who wishes to minister in the inner city should read this book simply because one can draw valuable insights from individuals who have already committed their lives to urban ministry and missions and are doing it well. Who should read this book? Anyone who is considering ministry in the inner city, regardless of her background, should read this book. It is an especially helpful beginner's guide. It will long be considered a part of the canon of urban ministry literature. The reader will find it to be very practical, well written, and useful. It engages the student in a serious and stimulating conversation about how God is already working in the city.
On a scale of one to ten, I give this book a seven. As I have already mentioned, its quality is good, and it will be extremely helpful to a person considering urban ministry. Moreover, it has contributed to the scholarship of this field in ways that are immeasurable.

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Summary: Great Beginnings
Review: I first encountered this book about three years ago when I was looking around for something meaningful to do my Master's degree in. It played a key role in my choice to study development and to major in International Development as a way to live out my Christian faith in a tangible way. This is a troubling book because of the questions it raises and the challenege it lays down for all of us. As a former pastor, I was struck by the importance of the work that CCDA does and the witness they produce. I eventually became a member of CCDA and have encouraged others to do so, even if they don't want to take an active role. I like the format of the book and the straight forward way the ideas are presented. Currently I order copies of this book on a somewhat routine basis, either here on Amazon or from CCDA, to give to people that I meet who are interested in more 'doing Christianity' and less 'talking Christianity'.

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Summary: Blueprints for Urban Ministry
Review: John Perkins as well as a collection of other equally exemplary authors have complied an incredible book that serves as a veritable blueprint for all those seeking to do work in or better understand Urban Ministries. Not only does Perkins provide a comprehensive guide to implementing an effective urban ministry strategy through such components as "the three R's," and "the wheel of ministry," but he goes much deeper into the issue and helps the reader to understand topics such as what it means to be "underclass" and "the vandalism of shalom." This bottom up approach from the varied perspectives of the numerous contributing authors is an incredible resource that helps the reader to grasp this incredibly complex and pertinent topic with an entirely holistic approach to ministry. The reader then becomes not only versed in and familiar with the specific implementation of Perkins' system for urban ministries, but more than that, he or she understands the very basis for all of these findings. Clearly Perkins has an understanding for the uniqueness and need for contextulization in urban ministries. He is not content to simply offer the reader a fish, or, for that matter, how to fish, but he goes so far as to provide the reader with an understanding of the fish themselves. In addition, Perkins does an incredible job of providing the reader with insightful narratives throughout the book.
The fantastic and highly elucidating narratives that are included within this text are worth their weight in gold, with special emphasis to that of Mrs. Vera Mae Perkins' narrative on "Counting the Costs and Rewards" of urban ministry. In reading this text, the reader is able to glean golden nuggets of insight and wisdom from years and years of dedicated and effective work in the urban mission field. Perkins includes a wide verity of narratives that include stories of both success and failure, taking place both in the United States and abroad. In keeping with its endearing and useful qualities, this book also offers an incredible breadth of honesty that is not found in most texts.
Perkins starts his book by stating, "I have come to see these desperate problems cannot be solved without strong commitment and risky action on the part of ordinary Christians with heroic faith" (Perkins 17). Clearly Perkins places no value on euphemistic speaking when dealing with urban ministry. Perkins, as well as the other authors, tells it like it is in doing the Lord's work in what can sometimes be the most desperate places in the world, cities. In sharing both the up's and down's candidly and without reservation, Perkins allows the reader to better grasp a realistic view of doing urban ministries while at the same time being able to carefully count the costs and consider what it will mean to follow God's call on one's life to pursue God's call to the city.




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Summary: A Christian's Responsiblity
Review: John Perkins' book Restoring At-Risk Communities is essentially a handbook for the Christian Community Development Association (CCD). It is a wisdom-filled collection of writings from the current leaders of ministry in America's inner cities. The CCD is a well-known alliance of people dedicated to addressing the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of urban communities in the name of Jesus Christ. However, this book is not only applicable to those involved in the association. All those who call themselves Christians should read Perkins' book in order to understand the responsibility we all share in rebuilding our cities for Christ.

We are all aware that poverty and violence are taking over our cities. Perkins does a great job of displaying the root of those problems and calling Christians to take notice. He highlights the Biblical principles of caring for the poor, uniting as one people, and seeking justice. The book is full of examples of the needs in the city and how God can work there. Never do any of the authors suggest that this is a simple, easy task. Story after story declares the difficulty of taking responsibility for ministry in the city, but they also recognized that it is an imperative and rewarding effort- something that cannot be ignored and must be acted upon.

Perkins tackles some very important issues in this collection. As a model for effective ministry he explains the "Three R's": relocation, reconciliation, and redistribution. These three principles serve as headings for many practical programs that have been proven successful. Issues such as racism, social action, and society as a whole are discussed in detail with very enlightening information. The book also uses a lot of examples that are helpful in creating a model to be applied in other urban ministry settings. The book highlighted some very important issues, presented intriguing new solutions, and gave practical tools for improvement.

Restoring At-Risk Communities is a very informative, but also inspiring book. A different person writes every chapter so each holds a different view of this type of ministry. The authors freely share their personal experiences and testimony. Readers are able to see the risks ministers take in moving into at-risk neighborhoods, the pains of reconciling races, and the power in developing leaders from within a community. The personal stories and experience expressed in the book brings to life the passion and commitment of this type of work. This book is a "must-read" for anyone who believes in the call to spread the love of God.


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Summary: A Missiological Must
Review: Many authors and editors have constructed texts on the who, what, how, and why of inner city/urban ministry, but Perkins' compilation is a must-read for anyone aspiring to reach underprivileged communities. The information offered to the reader is quite general, and allows for flexibility when considering mission planning and strategy. At the same time, it dares those who consider themselves "called to urban work." Perkins lays out a convicting methodology in his tri-fold approach to urban ministry. His exposition of the need for relocation, reconciliation, and redistribution nearly drives the reader to the conclusion that effective service in the at-risk context can not happen outside of these elements of strategy. His argument is incredibly convincing and is obviously backed by several experientially-tested co-authors.
The book is written from a vast spectrum of perspectives. The content spans from theological reasoning and standpoint, to the simple, yet profound reminder for ministers to serve their husbands/wives and children. As supporters of the Christian Community Development Association, these writers hold no qualms about articulating the need to edify and create similar programs in the nation's communities. Whereas several other urban missiologists write from an international vantage, Perkins primarily keeps his message within American walls. Nevertheless, the information provided is pertinent to any urban context across the globe. The commonalities of poverty, leadership development, and the local church are addressed - making this text one of value for most ministers of the city.
While projecting a foundational theology that seeks to meet spiritual needs, Perkins proposes a strategy for missionaries and teams that include the book's major themes of relocation, reconciliation, and redistribution. In the midst of defining and promoting Christian community, the necessity of indigenous leadership and partnering with the local church, Perkins maintains a tone of '3R' tactic. Due to a lack of Christian disciples in the city, the book heavily pushes for avoidance of urban flight, while advocating relocation to the heart of town. In addition, the editor believes that a failure to redistribute resources, time, and the Gospel back into the lives of the ghettos and slums will yield a continued hopelessness in the hearts of the city's residents. And at the crux of the matter, the reader is encouraged to ruminate upon the significance of reconciliation (God-to-person and person-to-person) for reaching the goal of meeting needs and building the Lord's church in the city.
Perkins' concern is the establishment of Christian presence in the hurting communities of America. He and his co-writers are well aware of the social gospel, but their motivation is for the spreading of the Good News to transform the spirit of the urban world - above and beyond providing for temporal needs. For the novice, the book serves to expose and inform. For the expert, it works to challenge and sharpen.

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Summary: INSPIRING
Review: Perkins uses insightful and inspiring writings to inform and enlighten all on the principles and importance of Christian Community Development. This book is truly and inspiration for all Christians, even those who may have wandered from their faith. His stories, both biblical and real life, help to show people that others do care and it is possible to live out the mission of Jesus. Often, the biblical principles seem too far away, antiquated. This book shows that they are more relevant than ever in today's society. This book not only motivates but also provides a how-to guidebook for those looking to become involved in Christian Community Development. Every principle is clearly reinforced with Jesus' teachings and real-life success stories. This book could inspire and motivate anyone to take a major role in the betterment of their community.

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Summary: Ryan's Review
Review: Restoring At-Risk Communities by John M. Perkins et al. is an essential handbook for anyone involved in urban ministry. The book promotes a vision for improving at-risk neighbourhoods based on the biblical concept of shalom, where community members develop a state of general well-being and experience all the fullness of God's blessings. I like this book because it provides ministry theory that is very practical. The concepts presented are insightful and are bolstered by numerous accounts and testimonies from the authors' own experiences of living and serving in underserved urban communities. It is clear the writers are speaking from first-hand experience and the reader can see how the efforts of these men and women have improved living conditions in the inner-city and restored human dignity for the marginalized.

Perkins outlines a useful model for community development utilizing the three R's of relocation, reconciliation, and redistribution. The model is designed to: bring leadership back into the community to foster the development of indigenous community leaders, reconcile people to God and others and overcome challenging human barriers such as class discrimination and racism, and develop economic viability for communities so at-risk neighbourhoods have the capacity to achieve sustainable development. The authors make a strong biblical case for these principals and describe how the concepts were implemented within their own ministry contexts. Their real life stories are open and honest regarding the strengths of Christian community development as well as the challenges and hardships that are inherent to urban ministry.

The vision for community restoration outlined in this book is bold, and at times seems overly optimistic. As I read I kept asking myself, "How can people in urban neighbourhoods be convinced that God loves the ghetto? The harsh reality is it is difficult to experience the fullness of God's blessings in the midst of class stratification, racism, drugs, violence, and a wealthy population that turns a blind eye on poverty. However, the authors remind the reader the true source of power behind community development is Christ. In the Words of Chris Perkins, "... it will take a powerful gospel - a gospel with guts - to enable us to love across all the barriers we erect to edify our own kind and protect us from our insecurities" (Perkins, p. 112). The biggest strength of this book is the acknowledgment that overcoming the fundamental barriers to restoring urban communities is only possible through Jesus.

If you are currently working in urban ministry and missions, or are considering serving in an at-risk neighbourhood, I highly recommend reading this book. It contains excellent methodology that can be used as a how-to manual for your ministry. The authors will open your eyes to the challenges involved with Christian community development, and plug you into a network of committed, passionate individuals and organizations involved in effective urban ministry.


Rating:
Summary: Doing it Together & Doing it Right
Review: Restoring At-Risk Communities, the official handbook of the "Christian Community Development Association", is a very insightful and practical "tool" and "testimonial" that informs it's readers of how to "appropriately" and "successful" meet the different challenges usually encountered in ministering to urban at risk communities. Edited by the well-informed founder and chairman of the Christian Community Development himself, John Perkins, he as well as many others professionals, do a great job sharing and expressing many of their different realities (i.e. racism, poverty, the lack of indigenous leadership) serving underdeveloped communities and the strategies they think are beneficial to aiding them. One of those strategies or concepts in which the book is centered around is "The Three R's"-Relocation, Reconciliation, and Redistribution. Relocation deals with the need for the people of God to live and work in the communities among the people that they are attempting to serve and bring to the gospel to; Reconciliation deals with having individuals (servants and the served) loving God and loving their "neighbors" as themselves; and Redistribution, deals with the people of God putting their lives, skills, education, and resources to work, in order to empower the people in the community of need. All of which should help promote "wholistic ministry"(Evangelism and Social action), as well as address the "Three Universal Needs" usually unmet in undeveloped communities, "the need to belong", "the need to be significant and important", and "the need for a reasonable amount of security".

In the manner of eleven chapters and two hundred and sixty-six pages, this enlightening guidebook and manual also explains what Christian Community Development is (a model and concept created by the grassroot workers of different church based efforts, who have seen themselves as the agents of Christ, providing long-term solutions to the problems facing undeveloped communities, through the application of practical biblical principals), its transformational effectiveness, its necessary principles for its introduction into "underserved' communities (The Three R's- Relocation, Reconciliation, and Redistribution), its relationship to the church, its development of indigenous leaders (those already native leaders within the inner-city communities that are in need of development), and how to have families become part of the work of those participating within its ministry.
If you are considering ministry within the city, or if your are already doing ministry within an urban community, Restoring At-Risk Communities is an excellent and affordable buy, that will be a blessing to you, your ministry, those that you serve with, and those that you serve in the urban community.


Rating:
Summary: Maple Syrup for the inner city
Review: The writings in this book are from a perspective of Christian action that has adopted an approach towards mission guided by the themes of relocation, reconciliation, and redistribution. By focusing their energy on these principles the contributors to this book labor against the societal structures that keep people oppressed. The book is a collection of writings from individuals who have real experience in what they are writing about. This book is not in the realm of theory, but of reality. The fact that it is written by so many authors in different situations also highlights the fact that this purpose of Christian community development can (and must) manifest in various forms and can still be consistent in motivation and goal. This opens up the potential for replication of intent in the differing areas God calls us.
Instead of offering merely a map to community development, the testimonials illustrated the total life commitment necessary to follow Jesus into this type of work and advise us to count the cost. The book does not paint a rosy picture of urban ministry! A life of this ministry is self and family sacrificial. A life of this ministry is dangerous. A life of this ministry is not going to be easy-physically, mentally, or spiritually. This book is filled with real life stories of urban ministers who pass on their stories with the intent to inform and inspire.
What separates this book from others that attempt to outline community development is a focus on racial reconciliation. This is important because the idea of the fast paced homogenous church is very alluring, but this is at the expense of the opportunity to show that Christianity is the tool that can break the wall of separation between races. It is also important in America because the racial problem has been swept under the rug and now manifests in more subtle and often just as painful forms. This book admits that true racial reconciliation has not occurred in America, offers Christianity as the tool to shatter the separation, and then shows real life examples of personal and structural racial reconciliation through conscious and intentional Christian action. If you agree with the following quote by John Perkins, then this book is for you: "The desperate conditions that face the poor call for a revolution in our attempts at a solution... these desperate problems cannot be solved without strong commitment and risky actions on the part of ordinary Christians with heroic faith."


Rating:
Summary: Getting Started in Urban Ministry
Review: This is a collection of essays by people who have applied the ideas of Christian community development to their own ministries. Their various perspectives and stories provide a basic understanding of what Christian community development is, what it requires from those who hope to use its strategies, and some simple suggestions for putting the strategies into practice. This book is helpful because it provides theories as well as stories from people who put the principles into action. New church planters can use it as a handbook full of guiding principles, and those who are already involved in urban ministry can use it as a source of encouragement and to get new ideas.

One thing I find beneficial about this book is that before it talks about how to fix the problems in at-risk communities, it explains what the problems are and why they exist. I find it especially helpful that the idea of broken community presented in this book is very objective. Individual irresponsibility is addressed as one possible reason for a person's poverty, but it is pointed out that societal injustice can be just as much to blame. Biblical as well as modern-day examples are given as illustrations.

The "three Rs"-relocation, reconciliation, and redistribution-are central to the practice of Christian community development. Not everyone who reads this book will agree that these ideas are as important as they are made out to be, but I find it very hard to argue with strategies that are not only based on scripture, but that have also been tested and found effective on many occasions over the last several decades.

This book is not perfect. African-American issues are well represented, but issues dealing with Hispanics, Asians, and other growing minorities are almost completely ignored. However, this is probably because Perkins himself is black, and for that reason the fault can be easily overlooked-he simply speaks in the area where he is most familiar. The strategies are broad enough that they can still be applied in various contexts.

I strongly recommend this book for anyone seeking to plant a new church in any urban or at-risk context. As the urban situation continues to worsen, stronger and bolder methods of ministry must be used in order to reach those who are hurting. The ideas presented in this book are bold and pro-active, and most importantly, I believe they take their root in the Word of God.