It can pair well with every other model, especially the Service Station Mod- el. By combining opportunities to receive and to serve, you create a healthy “take and give” dynamic. In fact, whatever other model(s) you feel drawn to, the Service Station Model can be a helpful complement. Challenges to the Mission Station model It can be hard to find good matches. When it comes down to actual imple- mentation, it can be frustratingly difficult to match specific ministry oppor- tunities with people’s actual competencies, bandwidth, work schedules, per- sonal preferences, etc. But you probably already know this—it’s a challenge for all ministry. Not all “service” is created equal. There’s an important distinction that needs to be made. Service opportunities, when understood to be part of a self-gen- erated process of a reworked identity and spiritual growth, are healthy and powerful. “Community service,” on the other hand, is usually understood as something very different—often something imposed as part of a legal sanc- tion and experienced as a form of punishment. In reality, of course, it can sometimes function as a little of both, but this distinction needs to be kept in mind. Branding can be tricky. It’s important to think carefully about how you’ll communicate the kind of service opportunities you’re offering to returning citizens. You’ll obviously want to avoid any impression that what you want is for them to come (whether as part of their punishment or not) to help you do the church work your members don’t want to do. Though you may well want to continue making yourself available as a place to do community service, you will want to make sure that, as much as possible, you craft service opportu- nities that are truly meaningful and important to the returning citizen you’re connecting with.
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