I write a quarterly column for Preach magazine, in which I explore a significant word, phrase, or idea in the Bible, or a theme or section of Scripture, and the ideas that it expresses. At the end of this piece I list the previous articles I have written for them. Here I explore the question of whether churches should mostly look outwards, engaging in community action, or inwards—and what the relationship might be between the two.
Should we be more concerned with the life and health of our own church community—including discipleship, teaching, and evangelism—or more concerned with engaging with our wider community through social action?
‘False dichotomy!’ I hear you cry! Surely we should be concerned with both? Yet every faith community needs to have its priorities, and most end up leaning one way or another. And there is an important dynamic that we have to take into account: by and large, doing the second is much easier and less problematic than the first, for reasons both inside and outside our churches.
It might be difficult to get people to volunteer to help run a food bank, or work for the homeless, or offer practical support to those who are struggling. Difficult that is—until you ask for people to go on a course about evangelism and preach the gospel in the streets! And you might well find yourself criticised by others for doing street evangelism, but I have never heard of a church being criticised for helping the poor.
Because of this, there has always been a danger that energy going into community engagement is energy drained from discipleship and evangelism. Some decades ago this was seen as a sharp division: evangelical churches warned against the danger of the ‘social gospel’ which was a distraction. The situation is healthier now; in my city, the largest social engagement projects (especially working with the homeless) are all run by evangelical churches.
Yet in my denomination (the Church of England) we will happily have discussions about the environment and caring for the poor—yet run a mile from debates about evangelism and mission.
So the tension remains. What does Scripture say about getting the balance right, or even showing us how these two are connected? God’s people are called to be holy (set apart) and missional (sent into the world). Scripture holds these together through a cluster of interlocking themes, especially covenant, election, holiness, mission, and mediation.
Set apart…
All through Scripture, God’s people are called to be distinct from the world around them, set apart by the call of God to live in a distinctive and counter-cultural way.
In the Old Testament, this distinctiveness has several dimensions to it. It is founded on an ethnic distinction; Israel is formed of twelve tribes descended from the twelve sons of Joseph, and their ethnic identity is contrasted with the peoples around them and those they are to drive out of the Promised Land. It is maintained through the command not to intermarry with those nations.
This distinct ethnic group is now called to be distinct in their worship—to worship God alone in the ways he instructs alone. Their worship is to reflect the character of God, and will lead to the people themselves reflecting this. The central command here is to ‘be holy, for I am holy’ (Lev 19.2).
And that holiness, though flowing from worship, is not restricted to worship, but affects the whole of their communal life. It does so through shared communal practices of Sabbath observance, food laws, circumcision, and national festivals. But it is also reflected in distinctive ethics—a focus on justice, the importance of mercy, distinct sexual ethics, and economic integrity.
…to shine a light…
Alongside this emphasis on being distinct is the explanation of the purpose of the difference between Israel and the surrounding nations. This is not about Israel’s superiority, and its merit in deserving God’s favour—quite the opposite!
The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples (Deut 7.7)
The purpose of election is to demonstrate the grace and generosity of God. And his commandments governing their way of life were designed to speak of God’s justice to those beyond Israel’s borders.
And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? (Deut 4.8)
This takes us back to God’s promise to Abraham in Gen 12.2:
I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
There is from the beginning both the internal dimension (‘a great nation’) and the external dimension (‘you will be a blessing’).
This is the meaning of God’s intention that Israel should be a ‘kingdom of priests’ (Exodus 19.6). Priests are mediators between God and the people—and if the whole nation is priestly, who are they mediating between? It must be between God, the creator of heaven and earth, and all of humanity, who have turned from him in sin but to whom he continues to reach out.
And so Isaiah anticipates the day when Israel will fulfil its priestly vocation as ‘all nations’ are drawn to the God of Israel in Zion (Isa 2.2–4, 60.3)
…as the light of the world…
When Jesus describes himself as ‘the light of the world’ (John 8.12), he is claiming to fulfil this vocation of Israel. And as a result, he himself has both this internal and this external focus. On the one hand, he has been ‘tempted as we are, and yet without sin’ (Heb 4.15). On the other, to the shock and surprise of both his disciples and his critics, he was happy to spend his time with ‘tax collectors and sinners’, in order to bring healing to their sickness and call them to repentance and holiness (Luke 5.31–32).
There is no paradox in Jesus also then calling his followers to be ‘the light of the world’ (Matt 5.14); those who follow him are incorporated into him, the ‘body of Christ’, and therefore share in his ministry in and to the world—the new Israel in him. We must be distinct (light, not darkness) but this distinctiveness is to serve others and glorify God. Or, to change the metaphor, we are salt (Matt 5.13) which must not lose its difference (saltiness) but must be mixed with the food to have its effect.
We find the same double focus on distinctiveness and engagement in Paul and other New Testament writers. In his most striking injunction, in Romans 12.1, Paul urges us to ‘offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to him’, using cultic language of worship from Leviticus, but applied to our whole lives. He immediately works out the implications for this within the body of Christ, in terms of gifts and mutual service—but quickly then turns outward: ‘live at peace with everyone’ (verse 18) and ‘overcome evil with good’ (verse 21).
Held in tension—or held together?
Rather than answer our opening question, all this transforms it. The blessing of Abraham, the calling of Israel, and the example of Jesus show that distinctiveness and engagement are not so much in tension as completely dependent on each other.
If we are not distinct, living out the holy life in the transformed community that God calls us to be, we have nothing with which to engage the world. And yet, if we do not engage the world, then our holy distinctiveness serves no purpose, and fails to glorify God.
This is illustrated when we learn to pray aright the Lord’s Prayer as Jesus taught us. Traditionally, we address God as ‘Our Father in heaven’ and expressed our desire to ‘hallow’ his name—before moving on to pray that his kingdom come and his will be done. This introduces a separation between those who call God holy—those for whom Jesus is Lord—and the places where we see God’s will being done—commonly interpreted as bringing compassion and justice to the wider world.
But Jesus taught something rather different. We address God as our Father in heaven—but then we pray for three things:
May your name be hallowed,
may your kingdom come,
may your will be done.
(This is really clear in the Greek of the New Testament). Our longing is that our world is transformed (‘you will be done’), but that cannot easily be detached from people calling on the name of the Lord to be saved (Romans 10.13). You cannot have ‘God’s kingdom come’ without them meeting the king of the kingdom!
So God’s call to his people is always to be ‘both/and’: both distinct and engaged; both set apart and sent; both gathered and dispersed; both worshipping and serving. And in all of this, each pole actually requires the other. The people of God are to be distinctive for the sake of the world, and engaged in it without being assimilated.
My previous articles in Preach magazine have been on the themes of:
- the phrase ‘Word of God’
- the theme of ‘Mission’
- the meaning of ‘Apocalypse‘
- the ministry of ‘Healing’,
- the question of ‘Welcome’,
- the biblical understanding of ‘Justice’,
- the biblical view of creation
- what the Bible means by the term ‘church’.
- what the Bible says about grief and grieving.
- what is so good about the Old Testament?
- Why should we welcome the stranger?
- How can we rejoice in an imperfect world?
- What does scripture say about disability?
- What are the scriptural roots of our understanding of preaching?
- How do we make sense of the psalms of conflict?
- What does Scripture say about poverty and our response to it?
- What is the meaning of Sabbath?
- What is it like to encounter the person of Jesus?
- What does Joel tell us about the promises of God?
- What is the connection between prayer and fasting?
- What does the rise of artificial intelligence tell us about being human?
- The God of small things
- What we can learn from the shorter letters of the New Testament.
- The theme of diversity throughout Scripture
- exploring what worship is in scripture.
- Why is the Exodus important for the New Testament?
Buy me a Coffee
This verse motivates me:
St. Paul said: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. Romans 10:9-10 NLT
As Paul said a Christian should always be able to answer any question put to them about their faith. After 8 years in Catholic school I still struggled to explain the concepts of salvation and the trinity to my Muslim friends who questioned me. It was only after doing my own research, that I can now explain these concepts and provide strong arguments and evidence in favour of The Gospel.
Even though the Church of England may be reluctant to evangelise it still has a duty to inform and teach its members about these difficult concepts and show them the immense amount of archaeological evidence and arguments in favour of The Gospel.
There is also a great deal of evil in the world and one great tool we have is The Gospel. If Christians and Non-Christians know the truth about who Jesus is and what He said then they are less likely to be deceived.
I would also like to say that it is also the duty of the Church to provide strong leadership to its members and ensure consistent and accurate information is being dispensed at every pulpit.
I would also like to say that you write beautifully and I hope one day to reach a similar level of eloquence.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
E McKay
Thank you for your lovely encouraging comment!
All you say is very wise, but I’m wanting to add a bit! As well as focussing on our own church community in “discipleship, teaching and evangelism,” we need some focus on pastoral care – and worship. As well as looking outwards with social action (and support for worldwide missions), we need to campaign and work for justice in the nation and world. Obviously no one person (no one congregation?) can do ALL these things, but let’s appreciate each other’s various ministries!
It’s highly appropriate that the issues touched on here are offered in a context of preaching because I think preaching, and excellent preaching at that, is pivotal (existential even) both for the internal life of a church community and also for any hope of it being effective, in Christian terms, at whatever way it engages with the wider community. If I were a Church trouble-shooter (are there such people?) the very first thing I would want to do if sent to a failing church is listen to whatever is being offered in terms of the preaching.
Christian engagement with the surrounding community is obviously a no-brainer but whether it should be done on an individual basis or be as an organised church enterprise must surely vary with local circumstances, the various needs which present themselves, and the various gifts and resources that people are able to offer. Perhaps I’m overly cautious but I’m somewhat wary of a church’s intentional involvement with community groups (local councils, organised groups etc) outside of the church; a great deal of precious time and energy can be expended on feel good relationships which can all too easily mitigate against a church’s unambiguous presentation of the gospel. The hard fact is that people may be pleased to accept some of what a church has to offer as long as it doesn’t overstep the mark when it comes to talking about religion!
On the other hand every single Christian, even the bedridden, cannot help being right there in some way as an individual among people outside of their Christian community. We cannot avoid being watched, noticed and judged – whether we feel comfortable about it or not! If we viewed ourselves as members of a sales team we would be bubbling over at the opportunities for doing business which constantly came our way. The real issue is how to be an effective ‘Christian salesperson’; some people are naturally blessed with this gift, others of us find it very difficult. And this, in part at least, is where great preaching comes in…
“Should churches look inwards or outwards?”
Neither.
Look Up!
But once you have looked up, then where do you look?
After that, you act.
“Yet in my denomination (the Church of England) we will happily have discussions about the environment and caring for the poor—yet run a mile from debates about evangelism and mission….
you might well find yourself criticised by others for doing street evangelism, but I have never heard of a church being criticised for helping the poor.”
Is there perhaps also an historical context to consider here?
The legacy of ‘Souperism’ both in Ireland, whereby relief was often linked to more-or-less forced evangelism and the Religious Test in the English Workshouse whereby normative Anglicanism became associated with a certain coercive religious conformity and bad-faith.
That is also our inheritance as Anglicans.
There appears to have been a marked (over?)correction since the days that the ragged school and workhouse pews were filled by default in Anglican Churches.
As I understand it the Faith in the City report (1985) marked the final and pivotal orientation in practice away from Evangelical and confessionally based relief towards what is now known as a ‘Social Justice’ model.
Whether relief should be an inegral part of Evangelism, whether relief and religion should be kept clearly separate is a difficult question to answer.
Our church, for instance, runs showers and storage facilities for homeless people. We also keep Almshouses with an historic religious ‘Test’ which is in now long in abeyance.
How (and if) to speak to people who are in receipt of alms and assistance at our hands about Christ strikes me as a very difficult question.
I wonder what Dr Paul thinks?
WHA
Look up again!
We are of no earthly good unless we are heavenly minded!
Preaching, as Don points out, is central.
Over the last decade or more there has been great emphasis, coming mostly from the USA it seems, though evident in some spheres of Presbyterian, on the the Person of Jesus, from the whole of the canon of scripture: who he is, what he has done, within the Trinity, with not so much on exhortation, application, morality. Some have critiqued that even in New Testament texts, Jesus is almost jettisoned, removed from preaching.
A lot of sermons have an underlying message of, you are not measuring up, try harder.
As we are not too far from Easter, where do we place our emphases.? Try harder, not measuring up?
God is Good News.
For a stunning book on the Glory of Christ see of a book that name, by John Owen; stunning written at the end of his life, it is so far from bad-press lemon-sucking to puritans, to be almost experiential charismatic.
Indeed Geoff:
“The rule of Christ, as king of the church, is internal and spiritual, over the minds, souls, and consciences of all that do believe. There is no one gracious acting of soul in any one believer, at any time in the whole world, either in opposition unto sin or the performance of duty, but it is influenced and under the guidance of the kingly power of Christ. I suppose we have herein not only the common faith, but also the common spiritual sense and experience, of them all. They know that in their spiritual life it is he that liveth in them as the efficient cause of all its acts, and that without him they can do nothing. Unto him they have respect in even the most secret and retired actings of grace, not only performed as under his eye, but by his assistance; on every occasion do they immediately, in the internal actings of their minds, look unto him, as one more present with their souls than they are with themselves; and have no thoughts of the least distance of his knowledge or power.”
John Owen, The Glory of Christ
Anne Askew
March 12, 2026 at 8:43 am
“Should churches look inwards or outwards?” Neither. Look Up!
Ian Paul
March 12, 2026 at 10:58 am “But once you have looked up, then where do you look”?
Good Heavens! Which Commentary did that come out of?
What are you Beholding?
God said “Behold my Servant”(In NT. Looking unto Jesus)
Isaiah 42:1
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
….. It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
Matthew 12:18-20
Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
Isa.4 :8
…..and he shall choose thee. “ Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
Question “What kind of Servant was Christ? And how should we be servants of the Most High God”?
To Shorten this post and if you are willing to understand God’s
“Behold my servant”
AND “But once you have looked up, then where do you look”?
See Service and the Servant of the Lord. by T. Austin-Sparks
Chapter 5 – The Servant as a Herald @ austin-sparks.net.
It is a toure- de- force on what it means to be a servant of God
It links with our previous posts on “Comfort” which I have documented under the Heading “Comfort all that Mourn in Zion”.
For your edification and comfort. Walk as He walked and let this mind be in you Which was also in Christ Jesus. Shalom.
A great article, thank you Paul.
This false dichotomy of inwards or outwards is sometimes (often?) expressed in a choice between discipleship and evangelism, both on a corporate level and individually. Not that Christians or churches and their leaders necessarily believe we shouldn’t be about both, but too often discipleship trumps evangelism because ‘we’re / I’m not ready yet’, or because we feel we need to go deeper with Jesus to have something to offer the world. But are never quite ready. And yet it is when we step out, in faith, to intentionally share the good news of Jesus in apt word and loving action, that we are compelled to go deeper in our discipleship; to pray more, to study God’s word more; and then, like Jesus’ first disciple / apostles, to come back rejoicing – especially where there is a sense of shared mission, celebrating together what God is doing around us through us, despite us!
I commend Church Army’s ‘Envoy’ as the best means I know to grow in this.
Going in and out of the sheepfold. Going up and down on the son of man. This is being dynamic.