Idea: Churches Organized for People
Submitted by: Girard Walmsley, Camden Churches Organized for People
Camden Churches Organized for People(CCOP) was organized to put our faith into practice in our city. As early as 1997 we saw the need to help each other to grow spiritually so that the work we do is always based in our faith. At first we planned one service on a night during the Octave of Unity. Then we decided that we needed to express more of our unity, and prepare ourselves spiritually for tackling the many issues that needed to be addressed in our community. We planned an entire week of Christian unity services that would take us to a different church, in a different area of the city, with a different church or denomination each night.
2008 is the tenth year of doing this. We noticed that Martin Luther King Day celebration routinely falls within the Octave. Thereby we always begin on that Monday...especially highlighting Dr. King's contributions on that day...although the entire week expressed the unity that Dr. King promoted in his ministry. Thus, we usually start the week in an African American Baptist Church to honor the communion that brought Dr. King to us all. Services are held in many churches: Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Pentecostal, Methodist, COGIC, and other Independent congregations. Hospitality times follow a 90-minute service. Not only have we had the privilege of hearing many local pastors share the Word of God, we have been drawn close to Christians throughout the city.
These yearly services are a highlight for many, and the serve to draw us together and make us strong.
We begin direct planning in October, but the dates are set a year in advance. A planning group of committed Pastors and lay people gather to decide the theme for each year, and the churches who will be invited to host a service. We are careful to rotate services based on denomination, neighborhood of the city, and ethnic makeup of the churches that host services. The services have promoted our knowing each other better, understanding different forms of worship and discipleship, and greater willingness to work together on the issues that affect the families in our city.
I recommend that you dream big and act accordingly, it worked here.« Previous Bright Idea | Next Bright Idea »
