Given the church should be involved in serving its neighbours in practical ways, how should they primarily seek to do that:
- By running their own programs; or
- By working/volunteering in secular organisations, from the NHS to local community groups?
This question came to mind recently because as part of the Passion for Life initiative the Christian law students where I study are going to run a drop-in advice centre for a day. This is modelled on activities done as part of the college's own pro bono scheme, and is going to be backed up by the college. Some Christian law students do volunteer as part of this scheme (including me, although I've given limited time to it), but justifiably the manager of the college's scheme questioned why it was that many Christian students would be willing to do this but weren't signed on to the college's own scheme.
From another point of view, most local churches have very few resources to devote to any sustained social action program, and even when they don't always do it well.
But at the same time, I think I remember Tim Chester commenting that social action done without the Gospel being preached alongside it is understood by non-Christians as either Christian's trying to earn points, or as Christian's agreeing that felt-needs are the most important needs. However, would that criticism apply if you were working as part of a secular organisation (e.g. the NHS)?
Anyway, I have lots of thoughts but no conclusion. What do you think?
PS. Of course I know not all social action needs an organised program, but some does, and it is that type of social action that I'm thinking about here.
Well theologically I'm inclined to say you need to get into your community on a proclamation footing - just preach the gospel. And then you just *will* end up serving those who come under the word.
ReplyDeleteSo David Wilkerson never began reaching out to gang members in New York through drug rehab centres. He just went and preached a very raw, stark, foolish gospel. But as they started getting converted there was no getting around the need to get them off the drugs etc. So then you have to get those sorts of programmes off the ground. But it wasn't the way in.
Pragmatically speaking, I wonder whether volunteering for your college's pro bono scheme might be the best way of making contacts to invite to church/pub/Passion for Life events?
I encountered this in CUs. This is how I advised a CU leader thinking about handover:
ReplyDelete"2. Prune
Review the current shape of leadership – strengths & weaknesses, opportunities & threats, don’t reinvent the wheel but decide whether any roles are worth adding/amending/shrinking/taking away? Remember we don’t need to franchise everything – we don’t necessarily need a sports rep to run sports events, we’d rather free people up to join the sports teams; likewise, social concern…a terrific thing to be involved with as aliens and exiles (cf Jer 29, Daniel 6v1-5, 1 Pet 2v11f), but we don’t need to franchise, organise & structure it – let’s free people up to join people & planet, Christian aid, or other societies, etc and do this with non Christians!"
I've heard two alternative views:
1) if something's worth doing, franchise it as a christian thing
2) if something's worth doing and non-christians can do it already, leave it to them, we must get on with evangelism because they can't.
to me, both of those betray a shallow (at best) understanding of the "common good". I've observed it coming from (a) Kuperian neo-calvinism, which seeks to develop a christian city (b) a hard denial of common grace, saying that there can be no such thing as common goods (ethically, not economically) between a christian and a non christian.
Although I didn't agree with everything in it (I doubt one should agree with any book entirely), I found Graham Cray, Disciples & Citizens and John Stott, The Contemporary Christian very helpful on these issues.
Personally, it strikes me your College manager has a point...not unlike my reaction when people say "let's *love* people for mission week, by doing chores for them" - my reaction is that it's manipulative - love is an all year round call to self-giving, not a manipulative confuse you into asking why on earth im doing it, essentially as a bribe to come to my event...
Hi folks, thanks a lot for your thoughts. Very valuable things you're saying. You both come to the same conclusion, which is quite convicting to be frank.... have I squezed out service to non-Christians, by spending too much of my time with Christians? The answer is probably yes. As I say I am pro-pro bono, and have done a little. But busyness has prevented me doing more.
ReplyDeleteGlen, I agree that we need to get into the community on a proclamation footing. I found your recent re-post about cold-contact evangelism very well-argued and convicting, sad case of most of us don't want to hear it though.
But, when you say "you" in your first paragraph, who do you mean? The church as a corporate body, or me as an individual? Volunteering for my college's pro bono scheme, or my regular job is never going to be on a proclamation footing. Neither is involvement in the lives of my neighbours, family and friends. If I did cold-contact evangelism then that would be proclamation-first but it is hard to see any other individual social action (with a lower-case 's', serving the neighbour through working, paying taxes, taking an interest etc) being proclamation first. Its always going to be alongside/after. Although I was listening to Philip Jensen the other day who was reminding us that evangelism should be motivating all our decision about where to work etc. So in some sense it is proclamation-first, but not from the non-Christian's perspective.
Drawing the line between individual and church action is difficult. Do you see what I mean?
More to be said, but I best finish soon.
Chris,
I love your quote. I agree wholeheartedly as well. Again I remember hearing Tim Chester talking about a church-run cafe he walks past regularly. He says there is rarely anyone in it, but in terms of time, energy and money, it is consuming massive church resources. In contrast he says he knows people who regularly visit a local Afgan (I think it was Afgan) cafe and befriend people there. He joked that was great as someone else ran the cafe for them! I think churches are very bad about thinking how they spend limited time resources, and retain focus. They tend to recognise X as good, and then assume they should do it. Rarely do they ask which is more important X or Y.
I've heard (and thought) both those opinions you list. It strikes me that I need to do some proper thinking about common grace, 2 kingdoms etc. You've recommended Cray before. Should I look out for that before Stott? i think I own Stott's book, but I've never read it.
Hmmm... wise thoughts though. Thanks.
Oh sorry yeah - in that para I meant 'the church' not you personally. The mission of the church is proclamation. Translating that to your individual situation needs to acknowledge:
ReplyDeletea) you've got to earn a crust! And you're employer's mission certainly does not have to be the mission of the church. Not everything is church. And that's totally cool. And Jesus gives dignity to all work, protestant work ethic, etc, etc.
and
b) you are a particular member of the missionary body with particular gifts (you are not called to play all the parts)
disciples & citizens is terrific, and is, if you like, a whole book (although not half the size of Stott's) devoted to the conclusion of Stott's Contemporary Christian: how does the now/not yet work itself out specifically in what Cray calls "dual citizenship, not double lives". It's thorough, in depth, and close to home. My hunch is you'd find TCC is Stott putting things you're already on page with better than you ever could (in typical Stott fashion)
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