The Mission of the Church (AQA A-Level Religious Studies): Revision Notes
The Mission of the Church
Introduction to Christian mission
All Christians, despite their different practices and beliefs, share core elements:
- Belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour
- Belief in one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (as stated in the Nicene Creed)
- The same core biblical texts, especially the New Testament Gospels
These shared beliefs allow us to speak of all Christians collectively as 'the Church'.
What is mission?
Definition: The word 'mission' comes from the Latin mittere, meaning 'to send'.
Biblical basis: Christians believe Jesus gave instructions about mission to his disciples and all future followers:
- In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus' final instruction was to "make disciples of all nations"
- In John's Gospel, Jesus said: "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you" (John 20:21)
- Jesus' Parable of the Sheep and the Goats emphasised doing good for those less fortunate
Mission is therefore central to Christian religious identity. Christians believe they have been sent out to do God's work in the world.
Church of England's view
For Anglican Christians God's mission is about transformation - transforming individual lives, transforming communities and transforming the world.
Developments in Christian mission (early 20th century to today)
Christian mission can be understood through three main approaches:
1. Mission as evangelism
Evangelism involves persuading others to become Christians.
Historical roots
The practice of evangelism has deep roots in early Christianity. St Paul (1st century CE) travelled around the Mediterranean visiting synagogues and communities to share the gospel and establish Christian communities. This model remains important, especially for evangelical Protestants.
Church Missionary Society (CMS)
Case Study: Church Missionary Society
Founded: 1812 (from merging several missionary societies)
19th century work: Sent missionaries to Africa, Australasia, India, the Middle East, Japan and the Pacific Islands
Methods:
- Men trained in Europe to teach from the Bible
- Lived with families in their mission field
- Learnt local languages
- Provided health and social care alongside sharing faith
- Established churches and trained local ministers
- Set up schools for Christian education
20th century developments:
- Partnered missionary families with UK churches
- Churches provided prayer and financial support
- Shift from converting foreigners to supporting local churches
- Example: 1980s Cairo - worked with Cairo Anglican cathedral on childcare projects for the Christian 'Zabaleen' (rubbish recyclers), helping improve living conditions and maintain faith
The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM)
Case Study: The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM)
Founded: 1890
Current work: Qualified doctors, nurses, pharmacists and teachers work in teams to establish and staff:
- Churches
- Hospitals
- Schools
Approach: Openly share evangelical beliefs whilst providing medical care and education
Example: Karanda Mission Hospital, Zimbabwe
Mission Statement: To provide authentic Christian witness by demonstrating Christ's compassion through medical work, establishing and strengthening the local church, and training Christian professionals for medical ministry.
The Alpha Course
Case Study: The Alpha Course
Started: 1977 at Holy Trinity Church Brompton, London
Context: Rising secularism and declining church attendance in the UK
Format:
- Ten weekly sessions
- Shared meal, talk about Christian faith, discussion
- Churchgoers bring non-churchgoing friends and neighbours
Spread: Throughout UK and worldwide, operating like a franchise with churches buying materials
Purpose: Persuade people to 'buy into' Christian faith
Evolution of evangelism
Key Transformation in 20th Century Evangelism:
The approach shifted from:
- Converting people of other faiths in other countries through preaching
- To providing healthcare and education
- To operating in post-Christian Britain as well as globally
2. Mission to the poor and disadvantaged
Helping the poor and needy has been a Christian practice throughout history. Early examples include St Paul collecting money from new churches to support the Jerusalem church, wealthy Christians providing schools and housing for the poor in medieval times, and in the 19th century, rich people leaving money in wills to provide bread for poor parishioners.
The Children's Society
Case Study: The Children's Society
Founded: 1881, London
Context: Industrial Revolution created widespread poverty and many orphans
Backing: Archbishop of Canterbury supported Edward Rudolph (Sunday School teacher)
Original approach:
- Cottage homes with around ten children each
- Matron and master acted as parents
- Fed, clothed and housed homeless children
From 1970s: Fewer homeless children, so shifted to helping young people with illness, stress or poverty in family day-care centres
Since 1990: Focus on social justice for poorest and most disadvantaged young people, challenging government and society
Christian Aid
Case Study: Christian Aid
Founded: After Second World War
Structure: Agency of 41 British and Irish churches
Work:
- Short-term, medium-term and long-term aid to less economically developed countries
- Emergency aid following major disasters
- Improving standards of living for world's poorest communities
Biblical basis: Jesus' call to feed the poor, clothe the naked, tend the sick and house the homeless
Funding: UK overseas aid budget and donations
Christian Aid Week: Each May, local volunteers distribute envelopes for donations, allowing communities to participate
Important distinction: Christian Aid does not seek to convert people to Christianity - it focuses purely on practical help and social justice.
Church Urban Fund (CUF)
Case Study: Church Urban Fund (CUF)
Established: 1985 by Church of England
Origin: Response to Archbishop of Canterbury's Commission report Faith in the City, which identified large-scale urban poverty
Current work: Provides financial and practical support to churches and communities in poor urban areas
Focus:
- Improving quality of life for local people
- Supporting social justice work
- Building trust
- Empowering local people
- Speaking out against injustice
Active for: Over 30 years
Evolution of mission to the poor
Key Changes Throughout the 20th Century:
- Early 1900s: Wealthier Christians gave money or worked directly to provide clothes, food and housing
- After WWII: Increased awareness of poor and disadvantaged in other countries
- Late 20th century: Focus shifted to fighting causes of poverty through community work and social justice campaigns
3. Mission to the Christian community
The Church has a duty to care for faithful Christians in their own communities.
Early 20th century
In the early 1900s, most British people were Christians who attended church regularly. Church priorities focused on building, care and maintenance of churches, providing clergy, and supporting Sunday Schools and other services. Many new churches were built in the late 19th century for urban populations after the Industrial Revolution.
Challenges of the Era:
Finding suitable ministers for poor city parishes that needed financial help and social care was particularly difficult. This led to the development of new dioceses in the Church of England, such as Birmingham (1905) and Sheffield (1914).
Mid-20th century developments
Local Ecumenical Partnerships started in the 1960s when congregations from different denominations agreed to work together or share buildings. This reflected a new spirit of cooperation between denominations known as ecumenism.
In 1987, the British Council of Churches rebranded as Churches Together in England, symbolizing this collaborative approach.
Case Study: Church of Christ the Cornerstone, Milton Keynes
A practical example of ecumenical partnership where one building is shared by:
- Church of England
- Baptists
- Methodists
- Roman Catholics
- United Reformed Church
Key Terms:
- Ecumenism: The drive to promote unity between different Christian Churches
- Ecumenical: Promoting unity among different Christian Churches through shared services and activities
21st century developments
Case Study: Fresh Expressions
Established by: Methodist Church and Church of England
Purpose: Take Christianity to people where they are, rather than expecting them to come to church
Approach: New worshipping communities in places where people gather:
- Cafés
- Surfer centre in Cornwall
- Skateboard park in Essex
Worship style: Focused on interests and concerns of congregation, flexible timing
Mission: Deliberately attract people to Christianity whilst engaging with their cultures
Evolution of mission to local communities
Development Since 1900:
- Serving majority Christian country through denominational churches
- Developing inter-denominational links and partnerships
- Exporting the idea of 'church' to other kinds of communities
Different views about mission
Not all Christian groups engage in mission in the same ways. Understanding these differences is essential for recognizing the diversity within Christianity.
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Quaker Approach to Mission:
- Belief: God speaks directly to people's hearts
- View on evangelism: Wrong because it interferes with God's work in individuals' lives
- Practice: Serve local community and help poor and needy, but do not evangelise
The Salvation Army
Salvation Army Approach to Mission:
- Primary focus: Serving the poor and needy
- Practice: Also serve worshipping congregation and evangelise, but majority of effort goes to caring for homeless and most deprived members of society
Exclusive Brethren
Exclusive Brethren Approach to Mission:
- Belief: The whole world is contaminated by sin
- View: To be saved, they must separate from mainstream society as far as possible
- Approach: Keep work and worship free of sin by cutting themselves off
- Mission: Impossible in their view, because God wants them to separate from others, not work with them
These different approaches show that there is no single 'correct' way to interpret Christian mission - denominations understand their responsibilities in diverse ways based on their theological beliefs.
Exam tips
Essential Exam Preparation:
- Be able to explain the three main types of mission and give specific examples of organisations for each
- Understand how mission has developed and changed from the early 20th century to today
- Know key dates: CMS (1812), TEAM (1890), Alpha Course (1977), Children's Society (1881), CUF (1985)
- Be able to compare different denominational approaches to mission
- Understand biblical basis for mission (Matthew's Gospel, John 20:21, Parable of Sheep and Goats)
- Be prepared to discuss why some groups don't engage in certain types of mission
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
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Mission comes from Latin mittere (to send) - Christians believe they are sent to do God's work
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Three types of mission:
- Evangelism
- Serving the poor and disadvantaged
- Serving the Christian community
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Evangelism has evolved from overseas conversion to supporting local churches and engaging people in post-Christian Britain (e.g., Alpha Course, Fresh Expressions)
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Mission to the poor has shifted from charitable giving to fighting causes of poverty through social justice campaigns (e.g., Christian Aid, Children's Society, Church Urban Fund)
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Mission to Christian communities has developed from building denominational churches to ecumenical partnerships and taking church to where people are
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Not all denominations approach mission in the same way - Quakers don't evangelise, Salvation Army focuses on the poor, Exclusive Brethren avoid mission entirely