A local church has a responsibility to meet the needs of the community in which it is located. The local church is an entity that is designed to be a safe haven for all of those who live in the community, in which it is located. It was designed to meet the needs of the people and to be of service to those individuals and households, "if," it is within their power to assist and to be a blessing.
According to the scriptures, during the operation of the early church, the Apostles used the gifts and money they received from individuals who gave into the storehouses, to meet the needs of the people in the community. The scripture also records that there was no lack among the people. They all lived in common, which means they all experienced the same quality of life (Acts 4:32-35).
All throughout the Old Testament there is a trail of God reprimanding the Priest and accusing them of stealing from the people to increase their own livelihoods and families while the needs of the community went unmet.
Today many of our local churches in the community are only interested in what the community can do for the church. For example, how many members they can get to sign up for membership, how much money they can collect at services, how big of a home the pastor lives in, how many cars the pastor can obtain, how much influence and notoriety can be produced for the pastors and or leaders, and the list just goes on and on, while communities at large are struggling profusely!
It is time for the local churches to properly align themselves with the vision of the real purpose of its existence. These churches must get to the place where the needs of their communities, take first priority.
One might ask "how can a local church serve its community?" It can start by linking up with area schools to provide mentorship to young people, help struggling families pay their bills, provided food for the hungry, provide shelter for the homeless, provide or help support programs for job readiness, provide jobs in the community, donate clothes to those in need, take care of the elderly, look after the widows, foster healthily relationships with kids from single parent homes to assist in providing love, attention and guidance.
It is the responsibility of a local church to survey the area it services in order to know the needs, and then to meet those needs. This act of commitment will be pleasing to God, the community and the church at large.
It’s time for local churches to take a stand and give back to our communities without expecting anything from them in return!
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