The sixth public seminar on Christianity and Social Concerns was held virtually from January 11 to 13.
Based on their own experiences, two pastors instructed the church to carry out social concerns on January 12.
A pastor surnamed Huang pointed out that to act justly and to love mercy was something that everyone who walked with God should practice, as Jesus also had compassion for the weak on this earth at all times.
He said, "It's unthinkable that a pastor won’t be involved in caring for social needs", he said, "Caring for others is the result and goal of evangelism, as it can build a bridge to evangelism. They work together, promoting each other."
So what can the church do? Pastor Huang shared some good deeds his church had done, such as carrying out charitable actions during the Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan and supplying food to the people in Wuchang when COVID-19 broke out in Wuhan. He also initiated a blood drive for believers, encouraging them to participate in the fight against the pandemic.
Through these actions, the believers not only helped those in need but also preached the gospel, contributing to their spirituality.
Pastor Huang shared, "There is nothing that can’t be used by God's people to glorify Him. We can glorify Him at all times and in all aspects, as long as we set our minds on what God wants us to do."
In response to the question of "How does the church carry out social service activities?", a pastor whose last name is Zhang mentioned the challenges and opportunities the church encountered when conducting social service activities. He shared the four aspects of strategy, positioning and direction, plan, and promotion.
In terms of strategy, the church service organizations should first determine their vision, mission, team construction, and value, so they could have a solid foundation to meet social concerns. The vision is to do God’s will by carrying out social service; the mission was the strategy and method the church used to implement and complete the vision. The team construction was about how to reserve and use human resources; value meant that based on the Biblical values the church service organizations carried out social care.
In terms of positioning and direction, Pastor Zhang said the churches must take into account what they really wanted to do while doing social service.
He mentioned the churches should consider how to start and run a long-term and healthy organization and how to achieve its mission when starting social care services.
When it came to promotion, he advised the church leaders to learn from Paul’s missionary spirit. Encountering many dangers and difficulties in his missionary work, Paul never flinched but kept pushing forward with what he should do.
Finally, Pastor Zhang shared, "During the years I have been involved in charity work, I have had all kinds of experiences. But I really find that God’s love is profound... When I pray to Jesus alone through whom God appears, I am encouraged and comforted." We should live in the Lord who can give us opportunities. If we have faith in Him, there is much we can do to glorify God and benefit others.
-Translated by Abigail Wu
