HELPING THOSE IN NEED

BY STACY BOOK

     When I came to visit the church I attend, one thing that I really liked was that they had a food pantry.  I love to help people and I know that is a gift God has given me.  I talked to the person in charge of this and she said they collected food and tried to give it away when the need was there.  They also would send it to the Henderson Community Outreach if they hadn't given it away after so long.  After a while, I felt God leading me to join this church.  I've been going now for over 8 years. 

     As I got involved with this food pantry, I felt God wanted us to do more.  I prayed about it.  I decided to visit the community outreach and see how they went about helping others.  Before I left, I talked to the lady in charge.  To my surprise, I knew her.  I've known her for a long time.  She also lives down the road from me.  Before I left, she asked me if I've ever thought about starting an outreach in Webster County, which is the county my church is in.  She said they can only help people in Henderson County and she gets calls from Webster, but can't help them.  I felt God speaking to me then.  That would be neat.  I kept praying about it.  Over the next few years, we did expand our food pantry some.  We did different things to get the word out.  We helped with food, clothes and other expenses.  We didn't do things like the Henderson Community Outreach did, but we were doing more. Over the next several years, I still felt God wanted us to do more.  I've often thought, "Have we been obedient to God?  Are we doing what he wants us to do?"  I just kept praying about it and waited for God to show us something else. 

     Well, one Sunday, our pastor gave me a letter that was sent to our church.  It was from another church on the other end of the county.  They have a food ministry and they wanted to extend it to the other end-which was on our end.  I thought that was exciting.  I wanted to look into it.  So me and the pastor and some other church members went and talked to them.  After talking it over and spending time praying about it, we decided to start having a fellowship dinner every Wednesday night for anyone in the community and giving away food boxes once a month to anyone who was in need.  With the help of donations and the Tri-State Food Bank, we will start this food ministry.  I want this to be a ministry where we can build relationships with people and let them know God loves them and we love them too.  I want this to be a ministry where we have to depend on God to provide and to show us as a church how to help these people with whatever need they have.  I pray that everyone we help will see God working in this ministry and they will want to know more about this AWESOME GOD we serve.  Tonight July 23rd, 2008, is our first food give away.  I can't wait to see what God is going to do through this ministry.  It's exciting, but it's scary, too.  I do know this.  God will provide, even when it seems we don't have enough to give.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.  Galatians 6: 9-10

They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were being done by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.  Everyday they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.  And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.  Acts 2:42-47