What does your church do to help the community? What do you as an indivdual do to help the community?

Question

It seems that many are witnessing about Jesus...but, few are feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, and giving to the poor....how can they hear about God, if they are hungry...

Does your church do the work of God by helping your local community? Do you put as much money into programs for the needy as you do into building big chapels, improving your sound systems, buying your pipe organs, etc...?

Serious question....my church gives a lot to the community...a lot...however, percentage wise, we spend more on the building, maintenance, salaries, foreign missions, etc...are we losing our priorities?

Answer 1

GREAT Point James and I admire your honesty.

I used to give allot of money to the different churches I attended. And, in honesty, looking back on it, most of the money went back to the church and as a result back to me, for comfort and security in my church building and well being.

Now that I no longer attend church, I spend that time on real people in real need. I have found ways to help Veterans, and provide tangible goods to them, like socks, jeans, heaters etc. I also raise money for Cerebral Palsy and Multiple Sclerosis, and feel like I am really making a difference.

In the past I felt good about donating time and money, but in reality, was not really helping people that needed it. It was like giving money to a country club, where dues go towards the building and ground maintenance, and every now and then a charitable golf tournament is run. What is the difference?

Witnessing about Jesus is a fine goal, but if it is done so at the risk of not helping others tangibly is it a good thing? If a church spends money printing pamphlets to send to Africa (Millions of religious pamphlets are sent to Africa by churches in the US every day) but doesn't spend money on food or medicine, is that Christ like? Or Good, or right? Poor starving African kids can't eat paper, and I believe it is highly cruel to send them pamphlets in the place of food, but that is just my belief.

Answer 2

Generally, just going to services would not be community service. Normally you have to actually serve someone or something. Now if he was showing up to serve meals to the poor at the church soup kitchen, that might be community service. What's up with your family? Why aren't they welcoming someone new into the church instead of making jokes behind his back? He may move on to another church soon!

Answer 3

My Church does quite a bit, I believe. We have supper on Wed. nights that is free, we give money to our local Pregnancy Center, and the youth group has adopted part of the highway that we clean once a month, and we do little projects throughout the year. We too give money to foreign missions which I think is great to know that we are helping Christians who are willing to put their lives in danger in order to share Jesus with others. I don't think we have lost our priorities just yet.

Answer 4

My church donates thousands of dollars every month to community relief efforts, including donations to homeless shelters that are run by other churches and groups aside from our own. We provide free food, clothing, medical care and funeral expenses for many people, and help foreign newcomers get adjusted to life in this area. Personally, I've helped out at the homeless shelters, bought Christmas gifts for strangers, given time and money to literacy efforts, did free tutoring, and much more. In addition to church, I belong to several charitable organization that are well-known for helping those in need.

Answer 5

My church operates the area's largest homeless shelter. We often pay people's electric and heating bills if they can't afford it, and many of our members volunteer for Habitat For Humanity and other organizations. During Hurricane Katrina, we were called upon to take strangers into our homes, which we did, and many of our parishioners worked day and night in relief efforts. We help people in developing nations. We give supplies to local battered women's shelters, and sponsor free dental care. As for myself, I also volunteer with a number of different groups that are not church-related.

Answer 6

Alot of churches feel threatened by non-christians and even other christians. They invest large sums in the hopes to retain their congregation as well as to promote it to grow. Maybe if they stopped paying attention to statistics and focus on being christians they wouldn't worry about outside forces so much.

Answer 7

I like your passion to help others. However, I must remind you of our NUMBER ONE priority on earth, when it comes to loving others - its witnessing about Jesus. That is our top priority above everything else.

What we should be doing is witnessing to others WHILE helping them with earthly matters. Spread the gospel WHILE serving the homeless lunch; talk about Jesus WHILE building a home for a poor family; and talk to a child about their faith and about the gospel WHILE doing the Big Brothers and Sisters program (which is a ministry my wife and I are currently doing).

We are called to help those in need - but we must never forget that we do this Christ's sake. Clothing someone won't save their soul (and neither is someone likely to talk to you about their faith if they're are struggling just to get by) - so we must help them with their physical needs AND attend to their spiritual needs.

Answer 8

I don't see churches doing much around here or anywhere I've lived.

Answer 9

i'm not not part of a church

i lead meditation in our local jail. they say they love it. don't know if it does any good, of course.