Understanding the Importance of Community Practice for Christian Social Workers

Abstract: The start of the early Christian church is recounted in the book of

Acts. In Acts 2 (NKJV), the author shares that after the outpouring of the

Spirit of God, over 3,000 believers gather themselves together, where they

held “everything in common,” shared their resources, and that each person’s

needs were met (Acts 2:41-45, The Message).

The following article takes a bird’s eye view that assists us, as

social workers, in understanding the importance of community practice.

Community calls us to a sense of belonging and inclusion with a group of

people. Community also calls us to consider again our shared values and

resources. This article grounds us in the Biblical narrative, moves to our

social work skills and knowledge base, and then concludes with thoughts that

encourage us to address the “wicked problems” by being disruptive forces

in the planned change process which is at the heart of community practice.

Understanding the Importance of Community Practice for Christian Social Workers.

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