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While sometimes we've abdicated to the state, at other times we've pointed to our struggling church budgets. Those are no longer adequate excuses (if they ever were). We now have an unprecedented opportunity to serve the poor in our communities. We'll only be limited by our imaginations (and, to be extremely pragmatic, our ability to write grant proposals).

That's not to say that all faith-based organizations will want to sign up for federal funds. Organizations that can't separate their evangelism from their social work probably won't want to if it means they will have to forgo evangelism or make evangelistic efforts optional. But most evangelical churches probably won't be tempted to trade their evangelism for a few government grants. More likely, some may be enticed to use any regulations on evangelism as an excuse to exempt themselves from social services.

"We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Eph. 2:10, NIV). We do not serve the needy as a means to proclaiming the gospel but out of a love for Christ. As Bob Pierce famously prayed: "Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God." We should seize this opportunity to launch new faith-based social programs and enhance the ones already in place. Must we silence ourselves on why we do these good works? Certainly not. And if DiIulio and his coworkers are to be believed, we won't face that dilemma. But if churches have put off aid programs because they can't find the budget for it, they've just lost their excuse.

Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

The Christianity Today Weblog regularly covers the charitable choice debate. In the last few days, for example, it took note of the comment by Don Eberly, deputy director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, that office was postponing its plans—and Bush's subsequent denial of the delay.

The Center for Public Justice Web site offers reams of information about "charitable choice" plans past and present

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April 2 2001, Vol. 45, No. 5