World Impact recently hosted a panel discussion in Detroit, Michigan, where local Christian urban leaders shared how they are engaging their communities.
The discussion, moderated by World Impact’s Yvonne Tejeda, included these panelists:
- Lisa Johannan, Director of Central Detroit Christian Community Development Corporation
- Laura Killing, Co-pastor of New Life Hope International Church
- Semmeal Thomas, Senior Pastor of City Covenant Church
- Rhonda Adams, Pastor
- Alvin Locket, Director of Operations at Returning to the Ministries New Holy Cross One Church and Founder of RTTM Community Center
The panelists shared their insights on various topics, including the challenges and opportunities facing Detroit, the importance of building relationships with the community, and the power of trauma-informed care.
Challenges and Opportunities in Detroit
The panelists agreed that Detroit is a city with a rich history and a bright future. They also acknowledged that the city faces several challenges, including poverty, crime, and a lack of educational opportunities.
“We need to be authentic and transparent,” said Rhonda Adams. “We need to go into communities and build relationships.”
Panelists discussed the perception that suburban churches have of urban churches. “It starts with perception and changing perception about who you believe the urban church is and who you think black and brown people are,” said Laura Killing. “Jesus preached to everybody. You preach to the rich and the ruler, you preach in poverty.”
Building Relationships with the Community
The panelists emphasized the importance of building relationships with the community. They believe that the church should be a place where people feel welcome and loved.
“The church should be about love and meeting people where they’re at,” said Alvin Locket. “We need to find ways to connect with people and make them feel like they belong.”
Success Stories
The panelists shared several success stories about the work they have done in the Detroit community.
“So for us it’s about ministry and letting people see what we do,” said Alvin Locket. “A lot of people notice Detroit is the second largest theater marketing in America. We started putting together shows as just a way to get young people involved in our church, and it’s grown. It starts with kids. Moms and dads come to see the kids; they’ll come and check it out and see them doing something positive, and there’s that excitement that the young people have––it spreads, and it’s just about giving back.”
Rhonda Adams shared about a recent trauma training session she facilitated, “In our session, we actually had one of the mothers of our church who brought her child with her. He had to be maybe about six or seven. And as he was sitting there coloring with the pastor, it was amazing to hear from the mom. She was shy and quiet at first, but she actually made a comment on a question that was answered. And that also opened up the atmosphere to let us know that God can move to any of us. People were saying, when are you having the next session? When are you having the next one?
“I actually had a call from someone because they work during the day and they said, well to be conscious having one not only in the daytime but in the evening time, and see that there’s a need that we all of us are carrying, sometimes we can’t express ourselves to those closest to us, and so we need to have a special place.”
Semmeal Thomas shared, “Yes, we did a funeral yesterday for a man that was around my age and we met him because he was in our community of Rightward and he hung out in an area we call the Tree. And the Tree is a beautiful spot where everybody goes and they smoke their weed and they drink their liquor and they just talk smack all day.
“So when we first started our church, our Pastor [Bley] got the grill and he grilled some hamburgers, hot dogs, and some chicken and we took some chips and stuff and we just went over and hung out with them rather than expecting them to come and hang out with us. And over the years we ended up baptizing probably 30 people from the Tree. People from the Tree slowly but surely started coming to the ministry. This individual that I helped celebrate yesterday was one of those people. I believe he had a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. And it was interesting to see it come full circle.”
The Power of Trauma-Informed Care
The panelists also believe that the church can play a vital role in helping people heal from trauma.
“Trauma-informed care is about creating a safe space for people to release stuff they have been holding for such a long time,” said Rhonda Adams. “It’s about letting people know that they are not alone.”
Urban Ministry Leadership Development
World Impact is a Christian missions organization committed to empowering urban communities. The organization offers various programs and services, including church planting, leadership development through Church-Based Seminary offerings, Trauma Healing, and Prison Ministry.
“World Impact is dedicated to giving you materials that will be conducive for your environment,” said Semmeal Thomas. “We want to help you reach your full potential.”
Additional Highlights from the Discussion
In addition to the above, the panelists also touched on several other important topics:
The Church’s Role in the City
Lisa Johannan emphasized the importance of the church being involved in the community and addressing social justice issues. She stated, “I think the church is similar to a warming center… I think where the church has fallen short… we’ve lost our prophetic voice in terms of calling us in and calling us (to address) social injustice.”
Understanding Different Cultures
Laura Killing highlighted the need for the church to be inclusive and welcoming to people of all cultures. “Understanding another culture… it starts with perception and changing perception about who you believe the urban church is…”
Unity in the Body of Christ
Semmeal Thomas called for more unity and support within the church. He challenged the audience, “So if you got 10, you know how hard it is to get 10 people to follow you… So up under this model, you are recognized and confirmed as a church.”
The panelists concluded the discussion by calling on the audience to get involved in their communities. They believe that everyone has a role to play in making a difference.
“We all need to be the hands and feet of Jesus,” said Lisa Johannan. “We need to go out into the community and show people love.”
During each of our Empowering the City events, we found it a valuable opportunity to connect with local leaders and learn about the challenges and opportunities facing their cities. These discussion also provided a platform for the panelists to share their insights on how the church can engage the community and make a difference.
Watch panel discussions from other Empowering the City Events:
