Salt & Light Process: Getting Started

Recommended initial steps:

1. Build a team. A Salt & Light Project is a team effort. We suggest that this team include a project director, a research director, an editor, a project manager, and a networker.

2. Build on prayer. Only by the power and guidance of the Spirit can a project be carried through to completion and have the desired impact.

3. Plan budget and timeline. The amount of resources and time available will influence the scope of your project.

4. Identify your audience and purpose. In each city, the religious and social context will be different, and you should plan accordingly.

You are interested in launching Salt & Light in your own community/city …

Where do you begin?

Salt & Light Process: Getting Started

Recommended initial steps (continued):

5. Find the local connecters. Identify the existing networks in your community, such as a ministerial alliance or church coalition. Connecting with existing networks increases access and legitimacy.

6. Reach out of the box. A Salt & Light project requires lots of input from community "insiders.“ Be intentional about building diverse relationships.

7. Map out the process. Sketch the main steps of the project: design, research, writing, graphics, review, production, website development, product distribution, and follow-up.

8. Start with a pilot. A good way to get off the ground is by producing a chapter on a single topic, such as homelessness. Follow the above process to generate a finished document, which can build support for the project and feedback for further chapters.

You are interested in launching Salt & Light in your own community/city …

Where do you begin?

Benefits of Salt & Light

What can a Salt & Light Project accomplish? It will not solve all the problems of the city, or the church … but it will plant seeds and stir

hearts in the direction of God’s intentions.

As suggested by the Knoxville experience, potential outcomes include: • Encourage nonprofits already engaged in great work, hopefully moving

more volunteers, funds and other resources their way. • Galvanize action from a wide range of people by appealing both to the

heart (through true local stories) and the head (through well-researched local statistics).

• Rekindle hope by highlighting ministry "heroes"—ordinary people doing God's work in the city—as well as those who have experienced first-hand God's transforming power.

• Point people toward practical opportunities to show God's love for the city at their level of experience and interest.

• Connect people who care about the city, and promote effective collaborations among individuals, churches and other organizations .

This book will draw out the best in you. … You will be inspired and stirred to greater depths of love and sacrifice. You will be drawn to join others in living for a cause bigger than yourself. (Introduction to the Salt & Light Guidebook)

Benefits of Salt & Light

Potential outcomes (continued): • Bring to light truths about the city that may be hidden or unknown. • Inspire new initiatives to fill a gap in available services. • Serve as a catalyst for churches to get members informed and engaged

around key issues, and to unpack the theological principles of kingdom ministry.

• Expose churches to the important role filled by nonprofits, government agencies, schools, businesses and community groups—and vice versa.

• Nudge the church to shift from a need-based paradigm alone to an asset-based model that builds on strengths, emphasizes relationships of mutual trust, is respectful, and does not promote dependency.

• Provide the church with motivation and models for building relational bridges across different cultures and denominations.

• Encourage focus group participants to continue their connections and dialogue through ongoing networks, or "ministry roundtables."

You will discover hope everywhere. Just train your eyes to look for it and your heart to treasure it. (Introduction to the Salt & Light Guidebook)

Benefits of Salt & Light

Potential outcomes (continued): • Move toward developing consistent benchmarks and shared goals for the

well being of the city. • Demonstrate the body of Christ's commitment to the city’s well being, as a

witness to skeptics, and as an invitation to partnerships with government and secular nonprofits.

• Facilitate an intentional, strategic approach to city transformation, bringing leaders together across city sectors to recommend a course of action on priority goals.

• Get the attention of key leaders like the mayor and city council, who may be more interested in working with church groups after seeing the scope of their current and potential contributions.

• Enhance the credibility of the project leaders as experts on the city, opening doors to new conversations and consultations.

• Shape indelibly the lives of those who participate in bringing a Salt & Light Project to fruition.

We need growing ranks of Christ-followers here learning to be kind and humble and selfless and bold. (Introduction to the Salt & Light Guidebook)

Costs of Salt & Light

None of the hoped-for benefits of Salt & Light are guaranteed … and all come with a price. It should not be undertaken lightly. To do it well

requires a significant investment of time, financial support, relationship-building and long-term follow-up.

Before starting a project, count these costs:• Is there a project leader with the time, dedication, skills and connections

to see it through from start to finish? Does this person have a long-term commitment to the city so that they can remain invested in follow-up?

• Some of the benefits of Salt & Light may be immediately apparent; other aspects of the vision may take many years to unfold. Can supporters be patient to see results?

• Salt & Light rests on a theological understanding of the church’s mission that may not be the dominant view in your community. Can you invest time in Bible studies and theological dialogues to build consensus around the basic premise of the church's calling to be salt and light in the world? If not, pastors might not get involved and may even oppose your efforts.

This book was written especially for tired followers of Jesus: forthose who are tired of a comfortable, predictable faith in God. (Introduction to the Salt & Light Guidebook)

Costs of Salt & Light

Count the costs of a Salt & Light project (continued):• Are you willing to deal with controversy and discomfort? The research on

your city is likely to uncover uncomfortable truths, unseat stereotypes, and unsettle the status quo. You will see the church through other groups' eyes and you might not like the picture. You will likely lose confidence in simplistic perspectives on the needs of the city or what the church has to offer. You may be challenged to move beyond compassion to deal with justice, asset-based development and racial reconciliation. Be prepared to take this journey … and to walk with others as they take it after you!

• A successful Salt and Light project exposes the gap between aspiration and ability, creating a vacuum for ministries of equipping and mobilizing the church. Give thought ahead of time to how to offer follow-up training and networking that prepares the body of Christ for effective ministry.

• Be careful not to oversell the potential of a Salt & Light project. The guidebook and website are simply tools in the hands of committed catalysts and coaches for good in your city. The long-term impact of the process depends on whether you develop ongoing systems that help churches take collaborative, informed, strategic action.

There is much to do and to change here to help us become the community God has on his heart. (Introduction to the Salt & Light Guidebook)

What Does It Mean to Be Salt & Light?

To be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-14) means to reach out into the community with a message of hope and acts of love, rooted in the gospel

of Christ.

"Salty" Christians share God's heart for those who live in poverty and despair. They are driven to act when the light of research reveals the

brokenness—and the potential—in their city, their church and themselves.

"Salty" Christians love God's kingdom (Matthew 6:33) and work together to extend the goodness, righteousness and justice of the King throughout

every corner of their city.

"Salty" Christians bless their city through a restorative, relational influence, service that empowers, advocacy for the vulnerable, compassionate

investment of resources, joy in the midst of struggle, unified witness to the gospel's gift of reconciliation, and the transforming power of prayer.

The goal of Salt & Light is to motivate and mobilize Christians to be increasingly salty and alight with God’s glory.

We hope the longing of your heart translates into action and that your tired soul gains strength as you join Jesus on the streets of our community—for that’s where he is, and it’s where you are needed, and where you will be transformed. (Introduction to the Salt & Light Guidebook)

Salt & Light Research: Questions

Salt & Light research addresses four primary questions:

1. What are the most important things to know about our city? (context)

2. How is God at work in this context – what are signposts or building blocks of transformation and grace? (assets)

3. What are the critical needs and opportunities for showing and sharing God's love in the city? (ministry)

4. How can individuals and organizations collaborate in the work of God's kingdom? (partners)

Our calling to be salt and light drives us to become students of our city. Why? Because God loves Knoxville, and the more in tune we are to the complex realities around us, the better we can serve as instruments of His love. (“Community Study,” Salt & Light Guidebook)

Salt & Light Research: Values

• Biblically informed – research goes hand-in-hand with theological reflection, applying the biblical text to the ministry context.

• Practical – not about gathering information for information's sake, but for the purpose of hands-on engagement.

• Asset-based – affirms strengths and resources in a community as well as problems and needs. Research assumes that communities should be defined by their gifts and potential, not their deficiencies.

• Relational and collaborative – the relationships formed in the process of research are as valuable as the learning products of this research.

• Locally relevant – professional researchers may be engaged in the process, but their work should be intelligible to the local audience.

• Respectful – upholds the dignity of each person and community, regardless of their level of education, social status, and standing in the Christian community.

Characteristics of Salt & Light research:

Salt & Light Research: Tools

• Secondary research – A review of existing research (by universities, city planners, nonprofits, Census Bureau, etc.) on the history, culture, demographics, socio-economic status, and key issues facing the city.

• Focus group - Brings together people who have knowledge or experience in a particular area (such as addictions or housing) to share their insights. A focus group has two purposes: to gather information on a topic from multiple perspectives, and to foster dialogue and networking among participants.

• Case study – Tells a story about a particular program or person, whether as a model of effective ministry ("Stories of Hope"), or as an example of why such ministry is needed ("A Glimpse in the Life").

A "toolbox" of research options to help you understand, appreciate, and engage with your city:

Salt & Light Research: Tools

• Community study – A systematic way of learning about a specific neighborhood or people group. Builds on secondary research with first-hand ways of gathering information, such as field observations, interviews, resident surveys and asset mapping.

• Church survey – Develops a portrait of ministry involvement and interest among churches in your area. Can be used to build a database of ministries that churches sponsor or support through partnerships.

• Theological learning community – Studies Scripture to help guide how the church can act on Salt & Light research. This group unpacks the church's calling to city ministry in light of specific research findings, and explores the biblical vision for a transformed community.

A "toolbox" of research options to help you understand, appreciate, and engage with your city:

Salt & Light Research: Sample

(From the chapter on Children & Youth)

Knoxville: A Tough Place to Grow Up Black

Indicator Black children White children

Low birth weight in Knox County* 13% 8%

Infant mortality rate in Knox County (deaths per 1000 live births)*

12 4

Births to unmarried parents in Knox County*

78% 31%

Graduation rate* 65% 82%

Child poverty for Knoxville, compared with other TN cities**

Knoxville: 48%Memphis: 37% Nashville: 33%

Knoxville: 18%Memphis: 10% Nashville: 10%

% of children living in high poverty neighborhoods (over 20% poverty rate), compared to other TN cities**

Knoxville: 70%Memphis: 63% Nashville: 49%

Knoxville: 24%Memphis: 15% Nashville: 6%

* 2007 data ** 2000 dataSources: Tennessee Department of Health Vital Statistics (2007 data); American Community Survey (2007 and 2005-2007 annual

average data); Metropolitan Planning Commission (2000 data); TDOE Report Card (2008)

History of Salt & Light in Knoxville

• In 1998, Andy Rittenhouse was hired by the Knoxville Christian Community Foundation to research the scope of the city's social needs and the church’s response. This report became the first edition of the Salt & Light Guidebook.

• A band of Knoxville churches began a dialogue about how to follow up on this research. This led to the founding of the Compassion Coalition in 2000 as a network that informs, equips, and connects believers to transform lives and communities through the love of Christ.

• The Compassion Coalition produced a 2nd edition of Salt & Light in 2003, significantly updated and expanded. The 3rd edition was released in 2009.

• This new resource (nearly 450 pages) draws on a three-year research and writing process including 30 focus groups; dozens of personal interviews; analysis of demographic data from multiple sources; a survey of area churches; and a survey of residents in public housing communities.

• Most of the material was contributed by local authors with support from a professional research and editorial team, as well as myriad volunteers.

• The guidebook is supplemented by a Salt & Light website which offers study guides, ministry tools and research reports to help mobilize ongoing learning and action (www.compassioncoalition.org).

The start-up question: How can Christians invest in ministries that are making a difference in Knoxville?

Salt & Light

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? … You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

… In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise

your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)