Strengths- Provides services to those in
need
- Helps people cope with their present
circumstances
- Good in crisis
situations
- Good for building new
contacts
- Possibility of working with other
agencies where there are common goals
- More scope for overt Christian ethos
and values
- Clearly identifies the church or
group of churches taking action
| Strengths
- Tackles issues that directly affects
people’s lives e.g. social, political, economic.
- Organises local people to tackle the
issues together
- Is more responsive to ‘real’ local
needs
- Helps people work together for
improvement of quality of life in the community.
| Strengths- Draws its agenda from people’s
immediate experiences and needs, not from the perception of need by
others
- Helps people recognise their own and
their communities resources and use them to the common good.
- Enables people to take increased
control over their own lives and to participate in the making of decisions which
affect them
- Provides possibility of long term
change in the community
- Builds long term links and trust
with local agencies as people are not just working to their own
agenda.
- Can incorporate Community Provision
(usually by local people or controlled by them) and Community Campaigning
- Helps by focusing on community
relations
|
Drawbacks
- Tends to focus on effects rather
then the roots causes of the problems
- Can create over dependence on the
helper
- Can leave the cause of problems
unaffected
| Drawbacks
- Sometimes focussed on tasks to be
done and particular issues rather than individual community
needs.
- Can be short term e.g. a campaign
about a particular issue which brings change to the lives of local people but is
not followed up adequately.
- Possible dilution of Christian ethos
and values
| Drawbacks- Issues can arise around how much
overt Christian influence can be exercised over a project as well as questions
of partnership with non Christians.
|