Operation Inasmuch Is . . .

• a city attorney delivering lunches for volunteers all over town;
• a retired Army officer roofing the house of a family he has never met;
• a school teacher cleaning a shut-in’s yard;
• a secretary sewing lap robes for nursing home patients and blankets for homeless persons;
• a thirteen-year-old mouthing the words to a story about Jesus for a puppet in a backyard Bible club in a neighborhood where children have never seen such a thing;
• a mother of three making Life Books for children in foster care;
• fifth-grade boys placing door hangers advertising their church’s contemporary worship on 300 apartments.

    Perhaps the testimony of congregational leaders is most illuminating.  One senior pastor who was visiting a church in view of a call to be their pastor, noticed that the congregation was conducting an Operation Inasmuch the following Saturday.  When he saw the number of people signed up to participate—170 out of a total membership of about 250—he was, in his own words, “sold on the church.”

Pastor Louise Hilbert of St. James Lutheran Church, Fayetteville, NC, had this to say about her congregation’s first experience with Operation Inasmuch:  “[It] has exceeded my expectations in the number of people involved and the broad nature of the projects.  Some of these people I don’t see in a lot of church activities, and they have been touched in some way to come and be part of this.  It certainly has helped to foster a stronger sense of community within our fellowship.”[ii]

Operation Inasmuch Works Because . . .

It is a focused, one-day event.  “It’s almost like a missions bullet.  In our society . . . it’s hard for people to fit into their busy schedule a long-term commitment for a lot of different things.”[iii]

It is local.  One participant said:  “We should do the faraway things, but you don’t feel and know firsthand those faraway things.  It makes me feel good to do an Operation Inasmuch.”[iv]

It is hands-on.  People want to know they are making a difference.  For all our participation in checkbook missions, many prefer to get personally involved.

The methodology is already in place.  Congregational leaders do not want to plow new ground when it is not necessary.  Operation Inasmuch has honed its process and methods over seven years of practice.

The cost is affordable.  Costs are often shared with other non-profit organizations or churches or, in some cases, with government agencies.

It offers something for everyone.  One lay leader responds to the question of why Operation Inasmuch worked well in her church:  “Mainly because it has gotten people involved.  They are able to use their gifts in areas they have not been able to use before. ”[v]  

Impact on Congregations

Most congregational leaders want the answer to another question:  Does it edify and transform the congregation?  The experiences of congregations involved in Operation Inasmuch verify that it does just that.  Specifically, . . .

It facilitates brotherhood.  One leader opined:  “The thing that is most appealing to me is the community focus and the ecumenical effort [in which congregations of various denominations worked together in an Operation Inasmuch].”[vi]

It mobilizes large numbers of people.  Participation ranges from 25 percent of average Sunday attendance on the low end to 125 percent on the high end depending on the number of projects offered and the quality of planning and recruitment.

It energizes a congregation.  One lay leader says:  “Our day devoted to helping people at their point of need resulted in spiritual growth for most everyone who participated.  Members experienced spiritual renewal and continued commitment to respond to the needs of others in our community.”[vii]

It builds fellowship.  “I firmly believe God sent Operation Inasmuch into our midst at a time when we needed a unifying experience in our fellowship.  It did the trick!  If I had to choose any one ministry that would revitalize a congregation, bring old friends together, and alert us to the many needs around us, it would have to be Operation Inasmuch.”[viii]

It broadens a congregation’s understanding of missions.  “We’ve always been a missions-minded church, but helping people realize that missions happens right across the street and down the road has been an educational experience.”[ix]

It enhances involvement in other mission causes.  One pastor says:  “Our people got turned on to missions.  Now we’ve taken a mission trip to Honduras and everyone who went was involved in Operation Inasmuch.”[x]

It authenticates a Christian witness.  One congregation leaves a card with each recipient of an Operation Inasmuch project.  It reads in part:  “What we have done for you today, we have done because of our love for the Lord Jesus Christ.  If you, too, believe in Him, . . . we ask that you serve someone else in His name.”[xi]

It gives laypersons prominence in ministry.  Due to the particular skills required in the projects, laypersons emerge as leaders more than followers.  They discover they have talents, which are valuable to the Kingdom.

Appeal to Postmoderns

            Leonard Sweet says postmoderns, or the generation of young adults born between 1965 and 1983, respond best to “HOT missions.”[xii]  HOT is an acrostic for high-online-technology and refers to postmodern attitudes and behaviors.  HOT missions is involvement in small, community-based initiatives.  Operation Inasmuch hits the bull’s eye of this target.

            In his book SoulTsunami, Sweet describes those qualities of involvement in missions that is most appealing to postmoderns, using the acrostic EPIC—experiential, participatory, interactive, and communal.  He asks:  “What does Planet Hollywood or Hard Rock Café deliver?  Great food?  They serve experiences.”[xiii]  Therefore, postmoderns are looking for an experience when considering any sort of mission activity.

            Regarding the expectation of participation, Sweet says:  “The postmodern world is a karaoke world.”[xiv]  They don’t need participation; they demand it.  They are not content to gather in small groups and learn about mission work in third world countries; they want to roll up their sleeves and get personally involved.

            Furthermore, postmoderns are looking for interactive experiences.  Twentysomethings and thirtysomethings who are accustomed to interacting with video games, internet chat rooms, and a host of other interactivities are not content to “sit and soak” in church; they expect to do.

            Finally, Sweet cites the discovery of the United Methodist Church that people are wanting ministries that facilitate meaningful relationships.  They asked:  “What works?”  The top five responses were:  (1) Emmaus (an intense weekend of spiritual renewal); (2) Disciple Bible Study; (3) Covenant Discipleship and other small group experiences; (4) Volunteers in Missions; and (5) Camping.  The common denominator in all these ministries is an emphasis on relationship.

     Operation Inasmuch touches each one of these EPIC bases.  Indeed, thismay explain why it has been so successful everywhere it has been implemented.  As evidenced by many of the citations in the section above, most congregations seem to have “hit on” the experiential, interactive, communal qualities of Operation Inasmuch upon doing one.  No wonder they have seen a high degree of participation of postmoderns in their own mission blitz.

Making Memories

            Leonard Sweet puts his finger on the salient question for many congregations in the Twenty-First Century when he asks:  “What shapes the life of your church—meetings or memories?  Meetings issue forth more meetings.  Only experiences issue forth memories.  Can you think of one meeting that promotes a more vital faith among your people?”[xv]  I have two folders full of stories from people who vouch for the memory-making capacity of Operation Inasmuch.  Here is one.

            Raleigh King is a sixty-nine-year-old gentleman who has Ushers Syndrome.  As a result he is considered deaf and blind.  He lives alone in a very rural part of Madison County, [western] NC.  There is a small gas station about a mile from his home.  When he needs something, he walks to that store.  The community has placed signs along the road that read:  “Caution: Blind Man Walking.”           

            Raleigh is very independent.  He rents a mobile home.  He is a great housekeeper.  His bed is always made, his dishes washed, and everything is neat and orderly.  He maintains his own checking account.  He has a stereo and television in his living room.  The stereo can be heard from the driveway when you visit.

            During a recent [Operation] Inasmuch, he was provided with a ramp and front porch with a roof.  Raleigh enjoyed the interaction with the church group.  He is patient with anyone who does not know sign language.  He communicates by printing in your palm.  He takes great pride in educating others about deafness.

            Mr. King tells us he loves Jesus very much and that one day he will go to be in heaven with Him.  He attends church in his community.  The Inasmuch project has made it possible for him to stay in his home for a much longer period of time.  The Inasmuch efforts by Mars Hill Baptist Church did more than just provide access for Mr. King, it also gave him hope . . . .  Anyone privileged to know Mr. King has been truly blessed.[xvi]

            Congregational leaders looking for an effective way to mobilize their members in transformational ministry would be wise to consider Operation Inasmuch.  

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