The Church's Book of Discipline explains that "The United Methodist Church believes God's love for the world is an active and engaged love, a love seeking justice and liberty.  We cannot just be observers.  So we care enough about people's lives to risk interpreting God's love, to take a stand, and to call each of us into a response, no matter how controversial or complex.  The church helps us think and act out of a faith perspective, knowing that Christ calls us to live out our faith in the world."  The Church and Society team's mission is to help raise awareness, to present opportunities, and to assist efforts when our faith and compassion demand we take a stand.