Challenges to the Church – moral and social trends
In the past the local church was often the centre of community life. It was a place that people turned to for help.
Many people were involved in their local church, they knew each other well and supported one another.
Religious leaders were treated with respect and had significant influence over the community they worked in.
In recent years, all this has changed. Now nearly half the UK population has no faith, the Church has much less power and its leaders find it harder to influence people’s lives.
Care for others
One area that the Church can still work in is the provision of care for others.
The Salvation Army is a Protestant A branch of the Christian Church. of the Christian Church, with over 1.6 million members in 109 countries. The Salvation Army is known for its work with people who have fallen on hard times. It offers help to:
- the elderly
- the young
- offenders
- drug addicts
- blind and disabled people
It also provides food and shelter for the homeless and operates food distribution centres.
The Salvation Army’s social work is a religious activity, but they help Christians and non-Christians alike.
The charitable work done by the Salvation Army is based on the teachings of Jesus found in the Bible. They do all they can to help others. Members of the Salvation Army believe that everyone has a right to the basic necessities of life:
- food
- clothing
- shelter
- education
- health care
- safe environment
- economic security
- productive work
- fair wages and benefits
- safe working conditions