The Church’s primary mission is to carry the Gospel message of reconciliation. Should the Church concern itself with helping the poor? Scripture, and church figures like Francis of Assisi, John Calvin, John Wesley, and Pope Francis all tell us that the answer is a unqualified yes.
When it comes to serving the world’s most desperately poor, questions of effectiveness come into play. For many churches, this would mean committing resources (time, energy, funds) they simply don’t have in order to create new programs, send teams, and so forth. And the same goes for expertise.
A more realistic, effective, and much simpler solution would be for our churches to actively partner with what is often called the Parachurch -- in this case, Christian Humanitarian Organizations with demonstrated track records in serving those who live in extreme poverty.
A look through the websites of these parachurch organizations show them to be actively interested in partnering with our local churches as they serve “the least of these.” It would be entirely appropriate for our churches to welcome these servant organizations into the sphere of who they are and what they do as the Body of Christ -- these organizations are truly God’s people, doing God’s work, His way, in His name, and for His glory – and many are extraordinarily effective.
What would this partnership look like? Most churches could quite naturally and easily champion the work of these organizations within their congregations just by actively promoting their work, providing regular opportunities to support it with special gifts, and perhaps designating a small portion of the church general budget as ongoing support.
The benefits of such partnerships are considerable: Churches frequently find themselves revitalized as their membership rallies around a ministry outside of and larger than themselves, while individual members are often glad of the chance to make a difference in the lives of the suffering. And of course, God’s precious “least of these” are served, in the name of Christ and to His glory.