Abstract
In the United States, the Church has always been expected to provide care for members of the community who were sick, hungry, homeless, and struggling to survive. Congregations have responded in many different ways over the years, mobilizing their financial resources and human capital to meet the needs they see around them. Changes in the economic, political, and social environments have resulted in new opportunities for congregations to be involved in the development and delivery of services to the community. Churches have responded to increased expectations by offering programs that address critical community concerns at a higher rate than ever before. Even though churches represent an organizational type that is very different from most traditional social service providers, they are typically expected to adopt the same structural models, often with ineffective results. Congregations will be most effective as providers of social services and community problem solvers when they are allowed to organize in ways that respect their traditions, cultures, and theologies. The purpose of this study is to test how various organizational elements combine to influence how a church can most effectively mobilize to serve its community.