Outreach – caring for others outside the church – is central to Community Church life. However, we go about reaching out to and caring for others in a manner that is quite different than most churches.
A majority of churches are part of denominations to which they pay taxes – money which is used to both support the denominational bureaucracy and its designated outreach programs. Unfortunately, this leaves the local church little say in how their taxes are allocated and what outreach programs they support. Additionally, churches often set aside a small portion of their annual budget for outreach. Most often this means writing checks to a wide range of programs and ministries they help fund. In some cases, volunteer support is also provided.
Supporting Charities
At the Community Church, we are not part of a denomination. We pay no taxes to support a regional or national bureaucracy, and no one mandates how our outreach dollars are allocated. Additionally, we do not believe that it makes sense for a local church to serve as a “middleman” in supporting other community programs and ministries. This was a valuable role the church played throughout history when people did not have information on worthy charities. Today, however, information on not-for-profit organizations is readily available online and people can make their own, well-informed decisions on the charities they choose to support.
The Community Church approach to outreach is unique and respects the ability of those in our church family to make wise decisions on their own. It also avoids inevitable disagreements over allocations such as who gets what and how much. Over the last 23 years, we are confident our project-based approach to outreach is right for us, and in the process has transformed lives.
