Ok, so my Saturday morning adventures weren’t earth-shattering…you have been warned…
Steve and I went for a walk this morning which took us through some of Downtown Oak Park. On a street corner there a few people had set up a table with a huge sign “Free Hot Chocolate”.
When we got there they offered us some. I said “I don’t want any – I just want to know who is giving it out”. So they gave me the card they were giving out with the hot chocolate.
As I suspected the card said “Vineyard Church of Oak Park” on one side. I suspected it because I’d heard they do things like this (and they’re the only group in Oak Park that I’ve heard does) You can see what the other side said in the image.
What they were doing – giving away something free, with a card saying why – is called Servant Evangelism. Jim, the executive director of Off The Map (whose blogs I manage/oversee), used to lead the servant evangelism ministry at the church which thought up servant evangelism in the first place. So there’s a neat connection there. Off The Map’s Doable Evangelism and Ordinary Attempts are clearly related to Servant Evangelism, although they are not ‘programs’ like Servant Evangelism.
I might have talked to them more if I wasn’t with Steve, but I didn’t want to keep him waiting.
As soon as I turned away from the hot chocolate person someone else, whose name turned out to be Ray Johnson, said “Are you registered voters? Would you like to sign my petition to run for re-election in the Spring?” I asked him if he was with the hot chocolate group. Maybe it was a stupid question. It probably ruined his day since he isn’t – he’s a Progressive Oak Parker. (I found this out when he gave me a sheet saying he belongs to a new party called Citzens for Progessive Action) He said, chagrined, “No – maybe I should move further away; but I was here first!” He also said “They’re a very conservative church” which I knew was true. To his credit he refrained from commenting any further on them.
I said I couldn’t sign his petition because I didn’t know anything about him, but I would read about him. He gave me a sheet with information about him on it.
I looked at it quickly and said I liked that he’s an advocate for civility in board deliberations (it said that on there) since I try to encourage that on the blogs I manage.
(In spite of not wanting to keep Steve waiting, I did talk to him for a few minutes)
After we walked away from him, Steve said, he probably didn’t expect so many words from someone who wouldn’t even sign his petition. But I said maybe my helpful advice not to stand right by the hot chocolate group, because it looked like he was with them, was valuable to him, at least!
very funny –
Yes I advised Steve to try and brand “kindness” a few years ago- which it looks like he did.
Yes his ideas had a lot to do with OAs. My small adaptation was to eliminate the “stuff” and the “card” and replace it with attention. Thus OAs were born.
He doesnt think my idea is so great because it seems too off the map even for him. His idea is great way for Cs to experience some authentic conversations with Non Cs and to market themselves as “ok people”
It became too contrived for me and like in all churches – the same group of people showed up each week to do Servant Evangelism
His church spent about 300-500k per year on stuff to giveaway and far less on helping the needy in Cincinnati- I wanted to change that but he was King and he got his way
he is a friend and I respect him but he is one weird dude in real life ( and humorously enough he sucks at listening)
Thanks for sharing more about the connection between OAs and servant evangelism and you and Steve Sojgren.
I think attention is a more meaningful gift than stuff and a card so I like your adaptation!