What Does the Lord Require?
Compassion & Justice Curriculum
Churches Planting Ministries , ECC
Available April 2004

Purpose and Summary of the Series:
A new curriculum series has been designed for local churches that want to deepen their faith and move to action by strengthening their understanding of the biblical concepts of compassion and justice and how to apply them. Modules I and II are interactive seminar-style courses that incorporate mini-lectures, Bible study, videos, music, group activities and personal discernment. Modules III and IV are practical workshop-style courses that incorporate biblical sources, community and congregational analysis, organizational planning, action steps, research, resources, and group discernment.

This series contains roughly ten hours of material and is led by a trained consultant of Churches Planting Ministries. (This series will also be available in a weekly Sunday School format later this year.)

Overview of Each Module:

• Module I introduces the reciprocal concepts of transformation for the poor and spiritual renewal for the church, while focusing on justice and the poor/at-risk in the Bible.
• Module II examines some objections to compassion and justice ministry and explains that religion without justice is an incomplete mission of the church.
• Module III focuses on community analysis and discusses the way to define, analyze, begin to relate to, and understand a particular community.
• Module IV incorporates congregational analysis and organizational planning to form a deeper commitment to the church’s call in the community. This
• Module concludes the series and seeks to incorporate learning done in Module I-III to help a church begin or improve a healthy outreach ministry that is informed by a biblical grounding of compassion and justice.

Target Audience:
All those interested in moving further in their journey of Christian formation through understanding the concepts of compassion and justice
Pastors and/or pastoral staff
Those involved/interested in community outreach, economic development, or missions
Christian Education/formation leaders or small group leaders interested in connecting faith and service
Teachers and leaders of children, youth and adult ministries
Those who want to be closer to the heart of God by loving “the least of these”

For More Information:
. . .about Churches Planting Ministries – check out www.covchurch.org/cov/cpm
. . .about the curriculum – contact Liz Mosbo VerHage (liz.verhage@covchurch.org, 773.907.3311)
. . .about getting it – contact your Conference Churches Planting Ministries Coordinator