The Gospel of the Kingdom must be more than words. One of the ways we give expression to that is by helping local churches with their programmes (social action) in their local communities. Most nations do not have free health care, schooling, child care or benefit systems, so churches get involved with:
- feeding programmes for the poor
- children’s homes for orphans and homeless
- schools (free or subsidised)
- self-help projects – agriculture
- skills development training – e.g. on sewing machines
- basic health care
Each local church seeks to meet the greatest needs, but in most cases it will not receive any assistance from government agencies. Often it is simply a case of the poor helping the poor with the little resources they have. Small amounts of money given on a regular basis can make a significant difference to an individual, group, or community.