Burst the Bubble: Finding Your Passion for Community Outreach
Sung K Kwon
Do we “come to church week after week and systematically and mechanically participate in a religious ritual”? Do we “pray every day for the kingdom of God to be a reality on earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10)? Do we really know what this means, especially in a practical sense?
In Burst the Bubble, Sung Kwon—executive director of Adventist Community Services for the North American Division—urges us all not to be like the Pharisees and Sadducees of old, but to “carry out the mission of turning the world upside down” as God has called us to do. He points out the contrasts between the ways the early church was organised, with its outreach through practical service, and how today’s church often focuses on merely sharing what we believe. This paradigm shift causes the perception that Christians as a whole are only interested in being right and not in the needs of their wider community.
As I began reading Burst the Bubble, I was worried that it would be telling me something that a lot of our community-minded church members already know, that we need to meet people where they are—and it does. However, the main focus of the book is on developing strategies, not only to put the good ideas into practice through training and intentional programs, but also to be able to assess if what we are doing is successful, which is often difficult as results cannot always be justified by visitors to church. The author encourages us to look at the big picture: to become a church that not only meets the immediate needs of our neighbours but strives to encourage community development and eventually social change.
Burst the Bubble is great for those looking for a practical outline for mission service whether you are just starting out or already have community projects well under way.
Sonia Knight is resources manager for Adventist Media.
