How does the Church serve the local and worldwide community?
The future of the Church and mission, the role of the local church, and the role of the worldwide Church, including charity and reconciliation.
A focused answer on the role of the Church for Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies A (1RA0), covering mission and evangelism, the local church, the worldwide Church, reconciliation and the work of Christian Aid.
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What this dot point is asking
Edexcel wants you to explain the future of the Church and the work of mission and evangelism, the role of the local church in its community, and the role of the worldwide Church, including its work for reconciliation, its support for the persecuted Church, and Christian teaching on charity, illustrated by the work of Christian Aid. These practices show faith in action, locally and globally.
The future of the Church: mission and evangelism
Christians believe the Church has a duty to grow and to share its message with the world.
Christians carry out mission and evangelism in many ways: through preaching, missionary work, church planting, personal witness and acts of service. They do so because Jesus commanded it, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation" (Mark 16:15) and "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19), and because they want others to share the hope of salvation. Christians differ over methods: some emphasise direct preaching, others emphasise showing the gospel through loving service. The growth of the Church, especially in parts of Africa and Asia, and its decline in some Western countries, shapes debates about the Church's future and how best to share the faith today.
The role of the local church
The local church is where most Christians live out their faith day to day. It supports individuals at the key moments of life and provides community and belonging. Many churches work together across denominations through ecumenism (Christian unity) and run joint projects to serve their towns. The motivation is the teaching of Jesus to love one's neighbour and to care for those in need, so the local church puts the gospel into action where people live.
The worldwide Church: reconciliation and charity
The worldwide Church works beyond the local community for justice, peace and the relief of suffering. It works for reconciliation, bringing people and groups back into right relationship, between divided communities and between people and God. It supports the persecuted Church, Christians who suffer for their faith in some parts of the world, through prayer, advocacy and aid. And it carries out charity on a large scale, following Jesus' teaching in the parable of the sheep and the goats, "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40), and Paul's teaching on love in 1 Corinthians 13.
A key example named in the specification is Christian Aid, a charity that works to end poverty around the world. It provides emergency relief in disasters, funds long-term development such as clean water, education and farming, and campaigns for justice on issues such as debt and fair trade. Christians support such work because they believe all people are made in God's image and that faith must show itself in action. For the exam, link mission, the local church and charity together as the Church's service, and be ready to evaluate whether helping the poor, worship, or spreading the gospel is the Church's most important task, noting that many Christians see them as inseparable.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of Pearson Edexcel exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Edexcel 1RA0 20193 marksOutline three ways the local church helps its community.Show worked answer →
A 3-mark Outline question (AO1): three accurate, distinct ways. Acceptable points include: running food banks and helping the poor; offering groups for children, young people and the elderly; providing baptisms, weddings and funerals; offering counselling and support; outreach and visiting the sick or lonely. One mark for each distinct way, no development needed.
Edexcel 1RA0 20184 marksExplain two reasons why Christians do charitable work.Show worked answer →
A 4-mark Explain question (AO1): two developed reasons. Reason one: Jesus taught love of neighbour and care for the needy, "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40). Reason two: charity puts faith into action and follows the example of Jesus, showing God's love to others. Two marks for each developed point.
Edexcel 1RA0 20225 marksExplain two reasons why mission and evangelism are important for Christians. In your answer you must refer to a source of wisdom and authority.Show worked answer →
A 5-mark Explain question (AO1): two developed reasons plus a source. Reason one: Jesus commanded his followers to spread the gospel, so sharing the faith obeys him. Reason two: Christians want others to share the hope of salvation. Support with a source: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation" (Mark 16:15), or Matthew 28:19. The accurate source secures the fifth mark.
Edexcel 1RA0 202112 marks"The most important work of the Church is to help the poor." Evaluate this statement. In your answer you should give reasoned arguments to support this statement, give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view, refer to Christian teaching, and reach a justified conclusion. [12 marks plus 3 SPaG]Show worked answer →
The 12-mark Evaluate question (AO2), plus 3 SPaG. Arguments for: Jesus taught care for the needy as central, "whatever you did for one of the least of these... you did for me" (Matthew 25:40), and charities such as Christian Aid put this into action, so serving the poor is the Church's most important work. Arguments for a different view: the Church's first task may be worship of God and spreading the gospel (mission), since helping the poor without sharing faith neglects eternal salvation, and other works such as reconciliation also matter. Use specialist terms (mission, evangelism, charity, reconciliation). Reach a justified conclusion weighing service to the poor against worship and mission. The best answers sustain a line of reasoning.
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Sources & how we know this
- Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Religious Studies A (1RA0) specification — Pearson Edexcel (2016)