Bob FetterhoffBy Bob Fetterhoff
Quick now…take a trip down memory lane to your elementary math class. Remember the word integer? An integer is a whole number. If you’re struggling, an integer is not a fraction.
The word has many relatives in English. Integral refers to being “a crucial part of the whole.” Integrity means “to be uncompromised and trustworthy.” Integrated schools brought diff erent races together during the turbulent 60s.
You may have heard about integrated ministries from the Commitment to Common Mission, adopted by our Fellowship. When the articles in this magazine refer to integrated ministries, they describe people involved in ministries of compassion in the name of Christ.
When Jesus interacted with people, He “had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless...” (Matthew 9:36, NIV). Followers of Christ today are reminded to imitate His example and be clothed “with compassion” (Colossians 3:12).
Jesus set the pace for us. He healed the sick, restored the sight of the blind, gave the lame the ability to walk, and raised the dead. He fed 5,000 people with a few loaves and fish. He calmed a raging storm and multiplied a catch of fish. These miracles were tangible demonstrations of His love for hurting people. He got their attention; then He called them to follow Him as disciples.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ remains the core of our message, but the love of Jesus compels us to express His love in tangible ways to a broken world. We may not be able to perform the miracles He performed, but we can express His love through acts of compassion.
As you read these pages and hear more about integrated ministries, remember that tangible expressions of God’s love are important tools He can use to soften hearts calloused by sin. Such expressions do not substitute for declaring the message of the Gospel. They support and flavor that message with love.
I encourage you to look prayerfully around your own community for ways God might express His love through you to those who are lost and need a Shepherd (Luke 15:3-7).
Bob Fetterhoff is the first elected multiyear moderator of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches (FGBC). He is the pastor of the Grace Brethren Church, Wooster, Ohio.
