Jean-Paul Heldt:
"There is no longer a need to qualify mission as 'holistic', nor to distinguish between 'mission' and 'holistic mission'. Mission is by definition 'holistic' and therefore 'holistic mission' is, de facto, mission. Proclamation alone, apart from any social concern, may be perceived as distortion, a truncated version of the true gospel, a parody and travesty of good news, lacking relevance for the real problems of people living in the real world. On the other end of the spectrum, exclusive focus on transformation and advocacy may just result in social and humanitarian activism, void of any spiritual dimension. Both approaches are unbiblical;they deny the wholeness of human nature of human beings created in the image of God. Since we are created "whole", and since the Fall affects our total humanity in all its dimensions, then redemption, restoration, and mission can, by definition, only be 'holistic'."
Steve Saint:
"Social services without the Gospel are like pain killers for cancer. But the gospel without the offer of loving compassion will frequently meet only a rejection of God's love which they have not seen, and consequently locked doors."
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