Lately there has been a movement within the Christian church to become more relevant to the millennial generation. The needs haven’t changed, yet there has been a “falling away” from the established Christian church. In reaction to the declining attendance and apathy, church leaders have stepped up to establish support networks. These support networks provide food and shelter for families, help the unemployed/underemployed find work and provide emotional support services for a wide range of issues.
According to Light of Life Church, “The cornerstone of any church ministry is the faith of the people running the program or service.” For many, this is a calling and is something they volunteer to do for their fellow human being. Without that cornerstone of faith and belief that the work they are doing is benefiting others, these programs and services would cease to exist. There are more than a dozen ways the local Christian church can support their community. Vacation Bible School and the traditional Christmas and Easter programs are common traditional ways to interact with the community. Community blood drives, concerts and ESL classes are some non-traditional ways to interact with the community.
Local Christian churches have been known for being the first to recognize a need and supply it to the best of their ability. It is the willingness of church members to do the “dirty work” that has in the past attracted people to the church. Some of the most common support services are:
Homeless Outreach–The Chosen 300 Homeless Outreach Program is one of the many homeless outreach programs that local churches can get involved in to help the homeless with food and other services.
Educational Support-An important component that many Catholic churches have supported for years is education. The need for quality education has created home school programs, ESL programs and financial seminars.
Emotional and Mental Health Support-The church’s main purpose is to provide emotional and mental health support. This includes social activities and support groups that tackle a wide variety of issues such as drug and alcohol abuse and sexual abuse.
Missions and Adoption Services-Around the world at any given moment, Christian churches are supporting missionaries that provide much needed medical and spiritual support services. Bethany Christian Services has resources available for couples who want to adopt and those who want to support orphans who need support.
Music Services-Music does still attract members to church. The right type of music honors God and supports the church. Young people are more inclined to come to a church that has contemporary music than older, more established church goers. There is an interesting article that outlines this issue. Dr. Bud Calvert shares his thoughts in his November, 2012 article entitled “Music in the Local Church: A Look at what the Bible says about Music.”
There are many other support services that the local church provides.
