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Operation White Fields

Philippians 3:10

MATURE • MENTOR • MINISTER • MAINTAIN • INVESTING IN BLACK FUTURES THRU STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Note: Pastor Gilliam handed me this insightful and visionary article after the 1st meeting of the "Assembling the Nations" initiative in Wilmington, DE on January 15, 2005.  I asked her permission to publish it here and I trust it will bless 'n stir your heart into intercession and action — even as it did mine.

Operation White Fields
By Nailah B. Gilliam

Operation White Fields (OWF) is an evangelistic effort of Praise to the King Ministries, Inc.  This outreach (geared largely toward unchurched, urban youth) was inspired by words, which Jesus spoke to His disciples.  While preparing to move our ministry to a new location, I was struck by the sight of a mass of young people in white T-shirts hanging out on the corner of block where my church was relocating.  I had often commented on how, if an all points bulletin went out for a black male suspect wearing a white T-shirt, baggy jeans and braided hair, they'd have to pick up half the males in the City of Wilmington.  But this time, the Holy Spirit reminded me of what Jesus said in John 4:35.  "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest?  Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest."  The next day, while finalizing the lease for the building, I heard a noise outside.  It was the sound of a plastic soda bottle that had been thrown at one young man by another that landed in front of my car, splattering it with soda.  Instead of being deterred from moving our church to that block, I became excited about the countless possibilities of making a positive impact on the lives of the people, both young and old, who lived there.  The key was how to reach them.

I had a vision of a large field of cotton T-shirt-wearing 'Joshuas' just waiting to be harvested off corners and out of gangs, drugs, sex and violence and enlisted in the Army of the Lord.  I thought about how in the natural, people walk into a recruiting office seeking to join the armed forces; but the military can't build a mighty army based on walk-ins alone.  They need recruiters!  And so does the Army of the Lord.  We need a trained cadre of born-again believers scouring the streets (the highways and hedges) with a compelling message that makes folk want to investigate salvation and its unlimited benefits.  On that basis, it is OWF's goal of to inspire and encourage Christians everywhere to become the servant that Jesus spoke of in Luke 14:23, "And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled."

I've never felt that a church should move into a neighborhood and see its building as simply a place for its current membership to worship.  If God put you there, you're there to make a difference in the lives of the people.  Going to church should be like going to a gas station: you get filled up and you go.  Likewise, you go to church to get inspired; and you go forth and serve!  Nobody cares about your expensive cars, your fancy clothes or how elegant your sanctuary is.  They won't care if you have the 'baddest' choir in the area or how well you 'hoop' when you preach.  Those things won't impress hurting people.  What will, is the fact that you respect them enough to present Jesus the way the first century church did it: by looking for ways to address their immediate needs.  What's the literacy rate in the area?  Is there a need to start a tutoring class, food and clothes closets, or a mentoring program?  Do we have the skills and manpower to provide information and referral services to neighborhood residents?  If so, how can our church make this happen?  How about an alternative Friday night outreach for the youth that includes rappers and the spoken word?  These are just a few examples of activities and services churches can provide.  We must be careful not to become too holy to help!

The current Generation X trend in urban hip hop culture has produced an army of young people (mostly male) whose cultural statement is being made by their clothing, their hair style and their music.  In almost any urban setting across the country, you'll encounter scores of black males wearing oversized, white t-shirts, baggy jeans and braided hair.  It's amazing, how much solidarity exists.  This sub-culture, mainly African-American, is however, embraced by other ethnic groups.  One can only wonder what goes on in the minds of young men passing one another on the street, seeing a mirror image of themselves.  They might not know each other by face or name; but yet there is a kinship of sorts.

I'm convinced we won't reach them by "dissing" their outward appearance.  Instead, we must embrace them as they are.  The church must be the one to extend the olive branch.  We should not compromise God-ordained statutes.  But we must realize that the church as we know it today, is a far cry from what it was 2000+ years ago.  So instead of making people feel they have to have an extreme makeover before stepping foot into your church; welcome them with open arms.  Have sensitivity training sessions with deacons and ushers.  Tell them your outreach effort is being expanded to include the young people who hang out in the neighborhood around your church.  And we're going to make them feel welcomed when they get here.  As a Pastor, my feeling is, "It's okay to come to our church with your hair braided, your T-shirt, jeans and Tim's.  But we don't want to see your underwear in God's house, a'ight!"  You can't clean a fish before you catch it; that's why our numbers are so low.  Churches should consider instituting once-a-month "dress-down" or "denim" Sunday morning services, where everyone, including the Pastor, dresses casual.  There should be monthly Youth Sundays where youth and young adults are encouraged to take an active part in the entire service; and not just have a Youth Sunday in name only or only when there's a fifth Sunday!  We must realize we're not dealing with Generation "Next"— today's young people are Generation Now!

Many say this is the generation that is weaker, but wiser.  Weaker in their ability to resist the temptations of this world, yet wiser beyond their years: street smart, sexually active and enterprising.  The parents of this generation (the so-called Baby Boomers and Baby Busters) must take responsibility for not instilling the values in them that were so vital to our growth and development.  We have pawned them off to television, video games, latchkeys and competitive sports programs, while we've pursued the American Dream that has rapidly become the American Nightmare.  Today's young people live in an "anything goes" society where morals and values are foreign words.  The foundation of our lives is being blasted away by persons seeking to live life on their terms, by negating the existence of the God who sees, knows and cares about them.

We must implement turn-around strategies to attract young people to Christ.  Once we've gotten their attention, we must then seek ways to increase their affection for the things of God, while diminishing their affinity for the things of the world.  Operation White Fields is an excellent opportunity for churches and ministries to take on the challenge of reclaiming our young people and our communities for Christ.  We must see it as our mandate and our mission.  Could it be that when Jesus spoke the words in John 4:35, He was prophesying of the very time we're living in?  Was He telling us present-day disciples that now, rather than later is the time to reach this generation?  Selah.  I leave you with the words Jesus spoke in Luke 10:2, "Therefore said He unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth labourers into His harvest."  He's sending you.  Will you go?

Nailah B. Gilliam is the Pastor and Founder of Praise to the King Ministries, Inc. Contact her at: 602 Vandever Ave, Wilmington, DE 19802.  Phone: 302-571-0695, Fax: 302-571-1236, or email: ladynailah@yahoo.com 

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