The ministry of Jesus was to “preach, teach and heal” (Luke 9:2). He came to bring justice, show compassion, restore us, and transform our lives now and for eternity. For that, we his followers worship him as “living sacrifices” [Romans 12 :1 – “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”]
As those who follow Jesus Christ we seek to love God and our neighbour with our whole being, because God commands it [Luke 10: 21 – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.”]
It is not a charitable choice, but a commandment to “Love one another” as
Christ loved us.
[John 13:34]
Jesus’ ministry focused on freeing the oppressed, reconciling the broken, enriching the poor, releasing the captive, welcoming the isolated, sheltering the homeless, providing for the vulnerable with acts of love, justice and proclamation of good news (Luke 4:18; Matt. 25:31ff). Christians are instructed to go and do the same. It is not a charitable choice, but a commandment to “love one another as Christ loved us” (John 13:34).
It is the mission of the whole church, and every person has a valuable part to play. However, some people already have knowledge about various aspects of that mission. They may work in related health and care service areas, and in so doing they have specific acquired knowledge and skills that can benefit a Faith Community Care ministry in your church.
Faith Community Care (FCC) is a contemporary iteration of ‘Diakonia’ understood as the gift of serving or ministering to others, especially the most vulnerable in need of support to relieve spiritual, mental and physical distress (Acts 6:1-7). This care focuses on the whole person and their relationships, seeking to effect peace, healing and whole health, or shalom. The method by which the FCC worker provides this care is through their lived experience, their acquired professional knowledge and skills, and their God-given gifts, which are united with their Christian values, attitudes and spiritual gifts. The context in which the FCC worker ministers is the faith community and the geographic, or cultural community which that group serves.
Faith Community care brings an intentional whole person (body, mind, spirit, relationships) health focus to pastoral care, adding scope and outreach capacity to this existing ministry. A more expansive paper discussing the theological rationale for health and care ministry in your church is available on the AFCNA website www.afcna.org.au.