Mission, Evangelism & the Worldwide Church
The Church in the Local Community
The Church is not just a building — it is the community of believers who follow Jesus’s teachings. Christians believe they have a duty to help others in their local area. Jesus taught, “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Mark 12:31), and the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37) shows that ‘neighbour’ means anyone in need, regardless of background.
Many churches are active in their communities, running projects that support vulnerable people. Two important examples of local church action are food banks and street pastors.
You need to know about the Church’s role in the local community, including food banks and street pastors. These are practical examples of Christians putting Jesus’s teaching about loving your neighbour into action.
Food Banks
Food banks collect donated food and distribute it to people in crisis — those who cannot afford to feed themselves or their families. The Trussell Trust, founded on Christian principles, runs over 1,400 food bank centres across the UK. People are referred to food banks by professionals such as doctors, social workers or schools, and receive an emergency food parcel lasting three days.
Christians support food banks because Jesus taught that helping others is the same as serving God: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat” (Matthew 25:35). Churches provide volunteers, collection points and premises for food banks, putting their faith into practical action.
Street Pastors
Street pastors are trained Christian volunteers who patrol town and city centres at night, usually on Friday and Saturday evenings. They care for vulnerable people — offering water, flip-flops to those in bare feet, warm clothing, and a listening ear. They help people who are drunk, distressed or at risk of harm, and liaise with police and ambulance services when needed.
The Street Pastors movement was founded in London in 2003 by Reverend Les Isaac. It now operates in around 250 towns and cities across the UK. Street pastors do not preach or try to convert people — they simply demonstrate Christian love through practical care. Their presence has been shown to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour in many areas.
Mission is the broader calling of the Church to carry out God’s work in the world. This includes preaching the gospel, caring for the poor, promoting justice and working for peace. Evangelism is the specific act of spreading the Christian faith — sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with non-believers.
Jesus commanded his followers to evangelise: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). This is known as the Great Commission. Christians carry out evangelism in many ways — through preaching, missionary work overseas, Alpha courses, social media and personal example. Church growth depends on both evangelism (reaching new people) and nurturing existing believers.
The Worldwide Church
The Church operates on a global scale. Christians believe they have a responsibility not just to their local community but to the whole world. The worldwide Church works for reconciliation (bringing peace between conflicting groups), responds to persecution, and addresses global poverty and injustice.
Reconciliation is central to Christian teaching. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). The worldwide Church works to bring peace in areas of conflict — for example, the role of churches in the peace process in Northern Ireland and in post-apartheid South Africa, where Archbishop Desmond Tutu led the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Many Christians around the world face persecution for their faith. In some countries, Christians are imprisoned, attacked or even killed for practising their religion. Churches respond by praying for persecuted Christians, raising awareness, campaigning for religious freedom and providing practical support. Jesus warned his followers that persecution would come: “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:20).
CAFOD (Catholic Agency For Overseas Development) is the official Catholic aid agency for England and Wales. It works in over 40 countries, providing emergency relief after disasters, funding long-term development projects (clean water, education, healthcare) and campaigning for justice. CAFOD is funded mainly by Catholic parishes.
Christian Aid works with communities of all faiths and none in around 24 countries. It tackles poverty through emergency response, long-term development and advocacy for policy change. Christian Aid Week, held every May, raises millions of pounds through door-to-door collections and fundraising events across UK churches.
Tearfund is an evangelical Christian charity that works in over 50 countries. It partners with local churches to address poverty, provide disaster relief, and support communities in building sustainable livelihoods. Tearfund’s distinctive approach is to work through local church networks, believing that churches are uniquely placed to understand and serve their communities.
All three organisations are motivated by Jesus’s teaching to love your neighbour and care for the poor. Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).
The specification requires knowledge of the work of one of CAFOD, Christian Aid or Tearfund. All three are motivated by Jesus’s teaching to love your neighbour (Mark 12:31) and serve the poor (Matthew 25:40), but they differ in their denominational links and methods.