Better Together: Restoring the American Community

I just started reading "Better Together: Restoring the American Community." http://www.amazon.com/Better-Together-Restoring-American-Community/dp/0743235460

It is written by Robert Putnam, author of Bowling Alone. I can tell you already it looks to be a great book. Putnam opens up the book talking about a group named Valley Interfaith, which worked with the community to improve the local schools. 86% of the students were economically disadvangeted, and 58% had limited proficiency in English.

Note these significant actions by Valley Interfaith:

1) Putnam states that "the teachers did not ask parents to come in to the school, but made visits to students' homes, asking parents about theirt hopes and worries regarding the school and their children. For many parents, it was the first real connection with the school, the first time anyone had bothered to ask their opinion." p.11

2) The workers in Valley Interfaith seek out community leaders whom they can train in leading ministries that help their community. Reformer Saul Alinsky believed that "reform could best be achieved when the citizens of poor and neglected communities organized and exertted power on their own behalf." Their motto is, never do anything for anybody that they can do for themselves. p.12

3) Their ministries were based around local support and ideas. "Unlike activist organizations that develop a public agenda first and then try to attract people who support it, the IAF encourages the emergence of local agendas from these congregations." p.12

4) Assessing community needs was done through "hundreds of one-on-one conversations."

It seems to me that this is a missional approach to serving the community--going to where people are, finding their needs, listening to them, and helping them be a part of improving their community.

These one-on-one interviews sort of reminds me of what Rick Warren did, but with a missional emphasis.

What if we took this approach to helping our community?