Development of the mission of the Church

• Over the centuries, charity schools were set up for the poor, financed by bequests from Christians who were well off
• In the nineteenth century, the Church of England Children's Society was formed to provide homes with a loving family environment for homeless children- the Society still provides care in the form of family day-care centres, giving advice and campaigning for social justice
• In the 1980s, the Church of England set up the Church Urban Fund to address the poverty it had identified in many towns and cities in three ways:

  • working in local communities with churches and other organisations to deal with particular issues
  • addressing hate and prejudice by encouraging community cohesions and providing a safe place where people can go and discuss their problems over a cup of coffee
  • setting up community-based responses and financial services to address the distress caused by unmanageable debt
• From the 1990s and continuing today, practical help has been given to the poor through the setting up of food banks- churches are often involved in the management of these
• Another area of need relates to the lifestyle of many young people who regularly go clubbing, often drinking heavily, and is addressed by street pastors.
• Who are street pastors?

  Christian men and women from local churches who are trained to listen to and help all they come across without being judgemental in any way
• The Society of St Vincent de Paul is a Catholic organisation operating in churches, schools and universities that sees itself as fulfilling Jesus' command in the parable of the sheep and the goats
• St Vincent de Paul:

  Members and involved in a wide range of work, e.g. repairing and distributing donated furniture, providing debt advice and counselling, teaching literacy and numeracy, providing holidays for disadvantaged families, etc
• Churches have also been responsible for setting up aid agencies whose main concern is those suffering poverty in less economically developed countries. For instance, the Catholic bishops in the UK set up CAFOD
• Role of aid agencies (e.g. CAFOD):

  • these aid agencies usually work through partner churches and other reliable organisations in the countries where help is needed
  • they provide emergency and long-term development aid, encouraging sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices
  • they campaign for social justice