At Mission Alive, when we encourage every Innovative Faith Community (IFC) to pursue economic justice as a part of proclaiming the gospel, we are not embracing a modern trend toward social works. From the moment God first called a people His own, faithfulness to Him always included a concern for the well-being of others, even those outside the family. Our IFC leaders are positioned squarely in the ongoing story that runs in a straight line through the whole of Scripture and the centuries of witness of the Church.
When God called Abraham, the promise was for one person only only. Abraham was promised a material blessing (land) so that “all peoples on earth” would be blessed through him. God’s people have always been called to be a different kind of community—one where generosity, hospitality, and care for the vulnerable are measures of success.
Under Joshua, the people entered a land not to be controlled by a few powerful families but one that was shared in ways that protected every tribe and household. Laws about gleaning, Sabbath, and Jubilee outlined in Deuteronomy were not theoretical religious rituals; they were concrete economic practices designed to prevent generational poverty and the concentration of wealth and power perpetually with a few.
Jesus stood firmly in this tradition. He announced good news to the poor, challenged systems designed to take advantage of the vulnerable, and his followers eventually formed communities where possessions were shared so “there were no needy persons among them.” The Kingdom He proclaimed was spiritual, certainly, but also exceedingly social and economic.
Today, faithful Christians have continued this witness. The martyred Archbishop Óscar Romero called the church to stand alongside the poor and marginalized, even at great personal cost. Walter Brueggemann (whose writings prompted this article) has reminded the modern church that biblical faith always confronts scarcity, exploitation, and systems that deny dignity.
At Mission Alive, we believe all IFCs (all churches, for that matter) should be actively involved in the story God has been writing from the beginning in which His people push back against injustice of every kind, including economic injustice. When churches create spaces of belonging, advocate for their neighborhoods, support the flourishing of their community, and refuse to separate discipleship from justice, they become signs of the inbreaking of the Kingdom of God.