The contribution of the Church to the local community
The Church is more than simply a place in which Christians worship on a Sunday. It is an active Christian presence that should impact on the lives of individuals in the local community.
The challenge to the Church of changing moral and social trends
Society today presents a number of challenges to the Christian Church and some Christians believe:
In many people鈥檚 lives nowadays, Christian teachings and the values of the Church do not have an important role to play. People are not as concerned about Christian moral teachings as they might have been in the past.
An increase in materialism is presenting a challenge to the Church. Many people regard money and possessions as being more important in their life than God. This is the opposite of Jesus鈥 teaching.
Society is changing. Christianity is now one of many belief systems.
People nowadays are more individualistic than in the past. The sense of gathering together as a community is being lost. In society today the number of people living alone is the highest ever recorded. There is a growing sense of isolation, whereas in the past more people would have been members of a church community.
Moral standards portrayed in the media are sometimes opposed to Christian values. People could be interested in the lives of celebrities, who may not always be considered good moral role models by some Christians.