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The Holistic Mission of the Church
A Response to Joel Van Dyke and Kris Rocke's 'Asking the Beautiful Question'
To facilitate a truly global conversation, we ask Christian leaders from around the world to respond to the Global Conversation's lead articles. These points of view do not necessarily represent Christianity Today magazine or the Lausanne Movement. They are designed to stimulate discussion from all points of the compass and from different segments of the Christian community. Please add your perspective by posting a comment so that we can learn and grow together in the unity of the Spirit.
There is a story that I cannot forget from one of the Egyptian villages where we have done development and social work through CEOSS (Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services). One day we found many children had diarrhea, and some of them were close to death. The council of the village met and decided to open two new clinics to deal with the problem, but surprisingly the problem was not solved. Many more children suffered from diarrhea, and the situation became worse and worse. The council met again. When they analyzed the situation they discovered that there was a pool of dirty water at the entrance of the village where flies and mosquitoes bred and carried the virus to the children. The council decided to clean the area, and the result was no more diarrhea among the children.
I take that as a parable about ministry. Each context is unique. We need to understand carefully the situation we live in so that we can apply the Word of God effectively and go beyond the problems to the root causes of these problems. This, I think, relates to Van Dyke and Kris Rocke's point that we must listen to "outsiders." Very often outsiders offer unexpected insights into the true nature of the problems, and help us see the root causes that are hidden to us.
In the Middle East we are living in a very difficult time. The world economic crisis, terrorism, climate change, political instability, and religious extremism all contribute to the current thorny context. Yet when we study the ministry of the early church in the book of Acts, we find a context that could be even more difficult than today—a climate of persecutions, economic sanctions on believers, poverty, and political oppression.
Reading Van Dyke and Rocke's thoughts on ministry to and with the poor, I found myself thinking about that early church and its response to community needs. I believe that they had a clear understanding of the root causes of the problems in their context, and that their ministry directly targeted those. Their context is not exactly ours, but their response is a good template for us as we shape our unique response. It fits very well with the holistic ministry the authors describe in Central America. Acts 2:42–47, which sums up the early church's operations, indicates three main focal points: (1) the teaching of the apostles, (2) partnership, and (3) social responsibility.
The teaching of the apostlesWhen facing poverty and persecution, it would be very easy to overlook the importance of teaching. Yet the early church devoted itself to the apostles' teaching (Acts 2:42).
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fr.antony joseph
Pleasesend all the related documents on mission today in india
S.Joseph
We need The Gospel, We need, eveangeliziing by you and We invite you to make a seminar for us (Myanmar)
Tony
This may be a bit picky, but it doesn't quite seem right to call that question from Psalm 137:4 a "beautiful question". A desperate question, yes, but beautiful? If you read the rest of the Psalm and understand the context, isn't it about the despair the Israelites are feeling after the fall of Jerusalem and the horror of seeing their babies smashed against rocks by the Babylonians? Raw, powerful, desperate, honest. But beautiful...?
Katlyn Levi
Since coming to college and realizing that my relationship with Christ must be reflected in the relationships I have with the world, I have wondered how this could successfully be accomplished. I always hear of the social justice movement and how it seeks to meet people's material needs, but it is obvious that the modern application of social justice is really missing the gospel. So often it is not a holistic approach. I appreciate this article because it speaks of reaching people holistically, and not simply meeting either material or spiritual need. The story of the South American women and their response to Hagar, I thought, was an excellent example of how Christians can use Scripture to guide someone spiritually as well as improve their physical situation.
Jon, USA
Thanks for this article. I am blessed and convicted as I discern God's direction for my church. Please, pray with me for growth and authenticity as we share God's truth and love with our people.
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