Will our dire problems keep us from flourishing?


Grow Deep Blog #1
By John Ligtenberg

Our community and its people are facing severe problems: 

  • Stable Housing 
  • Addiction 
  • Living Wage Employment 
  • Racism 
  • Family Dysfunction 
  • Crime 
  • Violence 
  • Suicide 

These needs are real, with statistics and stories highlighting their severity. My heart’s response to all of this is that we have to PRAY. But as I dug into these problems, my heart moved from the problem to the solution. 

Colossians 3:1-2 opens with some of my favorite verses: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” 

Our 2025 GROW DEEP Campaign is a call to pray with a focus on the ingredients required for individuals and communities to flourish. 

What are the ingredients that lead to flourishing? Each week, we will send out three texts around an essential ingredient for communities and individuals to flourish. We will show you how Love INC and other community partners are working in these areas and specific steps you can take. The themes are:  

  • Belonging 
  • Security 
  • Growth 
  • Health 
  • Hope 
  • Faith 
  • Purpose 
  • Harmony 
  • Sobriety 
  • Family 
  • Stability 
  • Life 

 

The 2025 Prayer Campaign calls us to pray, “Thy will be done on earth (in Rapid City, in the lives of those in need here) as it is in heaven.” We are praying that Christ’s light in us would shine brightly, that our community would witness our good works and God’s love, and that they would know His salvation and walk in His ways, flourishing in all aspects of life. 

At Love INC, our goal is not just to address short-term problems, but to help individuals GROW and sink DEEP roots in Christ, enabling them to flourish amidst life’s challenges. 

Cornelius Plantinga, in Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin, describes the biblical concept of shalom:  

“The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom. We call it peace, but it means far more than mere peace of mind or a cease-fire between enemies. In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight – a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom He delights. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be.” 

This summer, our ultimate prayer is for our community to experience this shalom in Christ through His people. 

Join me in a prayer for our community and those in need as we launch this campaign: 

Heavenly Father, thank You for being the source of life and all things good. Thank You for showing us the path to life and flourishing. We pray for our community and those in need. May our community be a place where people find healing and hope. As we enter this summer of prayer, speak to us, open our eyes to the needs around us, and show us how You are at work in making all things whole. Guide us in bringing about greater opportunity and transformation for our community, especially for those trapped in despair, hopelessness, and need. 

“O Lord, my God, let Your mercy be stirred for those in misery; let Your compassion be moved for those who cry to You. You are the fountain of mercy, and Your ears are open to the prayers of the poor. The poor man cries out before You, and You hear him, O God; the needy lift up their voice, and You do not turn away. Let us then hear the cry of the poor, and with hearts of compassion, let us relieve their necessities.” (St. Augustine) 

We pray Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done, On Earth As It Is In Heaven. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.