The Church and Social Ministry

In the history of the church, the subject of social ministry has produced two extremes: on one side, a faith closed in on itself, looking at the world from a distance; on the other, a social engagement that forgets the Gospel and the salvation of souls. The Bible calls us to a different road: “faith which worketh by love” (Galatians 5:6).

This course is designed for those who serve, or want to serve, in the church’s ministries of care: helping people in need, prisons, addictions, families, the elderly, struggling neighborhoods.

In the first module you will lay the foundations: why works matter, the command of love, and the “pure religion” described by James.

In the second module you will look at the church in society: salt and light, the Great Commission, solidarity and subsidiarity, and the relationship between professional skill and the guidance of the Spirit.

In the third module you will move into practice: who is my neighbor, the character of those who serve, the models of the early church, and how to measure the true “success” of a ministry.

With the BereaWay Method you will receive the Word, examine it in its context and connect it to the concrete needs of the people God places beside you.

What you will learn

• Explain why good works are the necessary fruit of saving faith
• Hold evangelism and social service together, avoiding both detachment and activism
• Apply the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity when serving people
• Plan and evaluate a social ministry according to biblical criteria