Each of the seven goals in our new Community Reconciliation objective will be met through a series of events and/or activities through which God can work to break down barriers that will, over time, lead to community reconciliation. Some highlights:
Absorb Pain: To make a difference for those who suffer, people who seek to help should first commit to “absorb the pain of their neighbors.
- Action Step: On May 7, 2017 Jericho’s 26 Church Partners and their 7,000+ congregants will dedicate Sunday worship as “Mercy Sunday,” so that they can intentionally commit to “absorbing pain and making reconciliation happen.”
Proclaim Hope: Proclaiming that hope of life transformation exists in the person of Jesus Christ is the first step towards making it a reality it peoples’ lives.
- Action Step: On June 23, Jericho Award Day, we’ll proclaim hope for at-risk youth and their families via Graduate Awards: Distributing scholarships (valued at more than $250,000) to students at The Academy and S.A.Y. YES! Learning Center (both part of Pathways Danbury Youth Ministries), Wyldlife Summer Camp, and Spring Street Summer Learning Camp.
- Action Step: We’ll proclaim hope for our homeless neighbors caught up in the opioid epidemic via assistance provided in our homeless shelter and Christ-centered recovery services at Good Samaritan Mission.
Point to God’s Authority: We’ll acknowledge that, in everything we do, God rules over all earthly powers that seek to divide us.
- Action step: We’ll build momentum towards ShareFest Sunday, to take place in spring 2018, when Church Partner congregations and a compassionate public will come together for a huge evening a worship and fellowship, to point to God’s authority.
Bring People Together: Jericho is committed to bringing together people of all races, genders, faiths and classes to “love our neighbors as ourselves” as per the Great Commandment.
- Action Steps:
- Organize “Good Samaritan” multi-cultural events on the Danbury Green to engage the community, encourage neighbors in need, and share the love of Jesus.
- Have six Community Prayer Gatherings in the coming months, open to the public and rotated among our church partners.
- Expand volunteer opportunities for up to 4,000 volunteers/mentors in Jericho youth and adult ministries.
- Work together for the common good; hundreds of volunteers will be mobilized for a weekend of city-wide work projects through ShareFest, coming in spring 2018.
- Worship together through supportive relationships among the churches in our partnership.
Give Generously: We’ll seek to support Jericho’s expanded outreach of the action plan for this objective.
- Action Step: The Maranatha Foundation has offered a $100,000 matching provision to help launch the expanded mission in fiscal year 2017-18.
Reflect God’s Character: Throughout the year, we’ll reach out to the Danbury community with love, grace, and compassion, fully believing, like the Good Samaritan, that our neighbors are all those in need.
- Action Step: We’ll offer:
- Special prayers, outreach and counseling to address the fears and concerns of our immigrant brothers and sisters.
- The Greater Danbury Prayer Breakfast on May 3, 2017, 7:00 – 9:00 am at The Amber Room (RSVP michael@jerichopartnership.org to attend)
- Jericho’s Transformation Gala on November 30, as we celebrate what God has done through Jericho’s ministries.
Protect the vulnerable: We’ll expand programming to protect Danbury’s most vulnerable, breaking down barriers that separate us from each other and from God.
- Action Steps: Expand many of Jericho’s existing opportunities and ministries, including recruiting more mentors, sending more kids to transformative camp experiences, and enhancing peoples’ lives through offering quality pediatric and senior care, pregnancy counseling, academic support through CityServe, and more.