This post was originally published on this site

by Steven Christoforou, Executive Director of FOCUS

Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly… (Acts 6:7)

Shortly before His glorious Ascension, the Lord gave us a command that we remember as the great Commision:

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you… (Matthew 28:19-20)

For a variety of historical and sociological reasons, we assume these words refer to preaching and teaching: to the communication of thoughts and ideas that intellectually convince people to become Christian. 

The Church will grow if we spread Christian ideas.

But the truth is a bit more nuanced…

In the Book of Acts, we read about how the Church grew following the Ascension; “the number of the disciples was multiplying” (Acts 6:1). But this growth faces a roadblock when the Apostles realize that some of the widows weren’t being fed. 

At that time, widows and orphans were particularly vulnerable–they couldn’t support themselves economically, lacked important legal rights, etc. That’s one reason why, in his Epistle, Saint James notes that “pure and undefiled religion” is “to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1:27). 

The early Church took this duty to serve seriously. In the Old Testament, for example, the Lord commands Israel that “there shall be no poor among you” (Deuteronomy 15:4). In the New Testament, the Lord explains that we will all be judged by whether or not we fed the hungry, clothed the naked etc (Matthew 25:31-46).

That’s because this service is sacramental. When we care for those in need, we make the Kingdom of Heaven manifest. We take invisible realities and make them visible as they break through into our fallen, broken world with a taste of the Life to come. 

So when the widows weren’t being fed, something critical in the life of the Church was breaking down. Something invisible was not being made visible. 

Nothing changed about the preaching of the Apostles. But that preaching now rang hollow because the community of the Church accepted the same sin as wider society. So the previously unchecked growth of the Church ground to a halt.

Faced with this situation, the disciples had a choice: should they stop preaching and teaching to focus on this ministry, or should they resign themselves to a certain imperfection in the Church’s care for the poor and vulnerable?

The Apostles denied this choice and realized that the Church could (and should) commit itself to both the right words and the right conduct. So they ordained the first deacons to oversee this “ministry of the tables” and ensure that the Church cared for all, especially the most vulnerable (Acts 6:5-6).

Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly…

The number of people interested in the preaching and teaching of the Church seems to be increasing. Many communities are welcoming scores of new inquirers and catechumens. Glory to God!

But, if the Church is going to grow as it always has, this cannot simply be a consequence of clever words and an abundance of media. The Church must not simply continue but actually recommit to service: to feeding the hungry and clothing the naked. 

In just the last two years, the number of FOCUS Centers across the country has more than doubled. By the end of this year, it’s possible that we’ll have tripled the number of FOCUS Centers since 2023. 

This is fantastic growth–and we glorify God for it–but there is still much more to be done: more cities that can sustain a pan-Orthodox FOCUS Center, more parishes that can begin their own initiatives where a pan-Orthodox ministry may not be possible, etc.

May God continue to bless our efforts and ensure that we continue to make the Lord’s Kingdom manifest in more places for more people. 

Join us in making the Kingdom of Heaven visible—donate today to help FOCUS make the world a place where everyone experiences and shares the transformative love of Christ.