Food pantry and clothing closet ministries meet more than physical needs. They open doors for spiritual needs to be met—for the Gospel to be shared and received.
Bread of Life Ministries, the food pantry ministry at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Manassas, has been in operation for many years but is now even more intentional about sharing the Gospel. Ministry leader Sarah Fletcher attended the SBCV Hunger Summit in 2016 and learned how other ministries were incorporating the Gospel into food distribution. Sarah became inspired to have Bread of Life share Christ even more diligently with all of its visitors.
*Bob started visiting Bread of Life in October 2016. At the time, he was homeless. Several church members started helping him with shelter and meals. He began attending the church and a small group taught by one of the elders. It wasn’t long before he expressed an interest in joining the church and began attending the New Believers Sunday School class. In February 2017, Bob accepted Christ into his life, professed his faith publicly, and was baptized. Working with local agencies, he is now attending a trade school in the hope that he will soon be back on his feet and able to provide for his own needs. This is all a result of church members at a hunger ministry, loving him right where he was and sharing the Good News of Jesus with him.
Miss Rita has been coming to Bread of Life Ministries for a long time. She is a delightful, 80+-year-old who loves Jesus. Ruthann Barton (ministry assistant at Emmanuel) and the other workers noticed that Miss Rita almost always had questions about the Bible and wanted the workers to share verses with her. They suspected she could not read but didn’t want to ask and make her feel awkward. One day she told them she had an important question. “Does God hold it against you if you can’t read the Bible?” They assured her He does not. Ruthann set to work, trying to locate a CD player and the Bible on CD for Miss Rita to listen to God’s Word. Miss Rita is thrilled. Even though she cannot read, she is diligent in telling others about Jesus and what He has done for her.
If your church has a hunger ministry, take the opportunity to share Christ with everyone who comes through your doors. God has brought them to you for a reason, and you could be the one to lead them to Christ.
by Sue Sawyer
Subscribe to the Proclaimer for Free
Not yet receiving the Proclaimer? The print version of the magazine mails three times a year, and there is no cost to readers. Why not sign up now?
