Teddy James
AFA Journal staff writer
September 2010 – During a weekly church service, a member of Hope Church in Atoka, Tennessee, was boasting about his chili making skills. The pastor, Byron James, took the boasting as a personal challenge as chili cooking was a source of family pride for him. Since several men in the South take pride in cooking two things, chili and barbeque, the annual Hope Church Chili Cook-off was born.
The community was brought into the competition, and the event became one of the church’s largest outreach events. Hope Church members recruited unchurched coworkers to judge the heated competition. As a matter of tradition, the pastor used an old family chili recipe perfected by his father. Unfortunately, he lost. The man who bragged his chili was the best in town won. He used his own family’s secret recipe: a can of chili bought from Walmart. He refused the award, and an unchurched lady won first place. She soon gave her life to Jesus as a result of a church reaching out through a pot of chili.
Many in the church world today tend to judge a ministry based on the number of people involved, dollars donated or books sold. There are ministries that seem to take over evangelical Christianity, only to fade when the next “big hit” comes along. But with 51% of churches attracting under 100 adults, according to a recent Barna survey, having the resources for a ministry requiring 150 active people would be a difficult undertaking to say the least. So what is a church to do?
Know your community
When we look to the life of Jesus, a theme runs through every encounter He had. He spent time with people and knew them. Jesus, through the omniscient nature of being God, knew the Samaritan woman at the well had five husbands. He knew Peter would respond to the call of being a fisher of men. While we may not have the prophetic gift of Jesus, we can still know our community and the people in it.
A ministry named Jesus was Homeless, seeks to get to know people in the Branson, Missouri, area. As a means to meet this end, they began delivering sack lunches to weekly stay motels and homeless people. Over 300 meals are delivered weekly, but more importantly, those who deliver sit and talk to people with desperate needs. They get to know those who are depressed and hurting. These extraordinary ordinary believers show people how Jesus offers hope and help.
A church in Nashville, Tennessee, noticed several people in the area loved to play soccer. From children to teens to adults, any given weekend would see people of all races, nationalities and ages kicking a ball around a field. Rob Vaughn had an idea about hosting a Nashville World Cup. This year, over 200 people from 20 countries participated, many of them Muslim. During play, Christian players build friendships and share the Gospel.
But what if homelessness is not a problem in your area, or no one in your church would know a soccer ball from a football? What if your church is so small the resources just aren’t there to do something that large?
Jenny and Josh Manley in Louisville, Kentucky, invite people into their home. They often host foreign students for a social gathering in their house during Christmas and other holidays while they are away from family. The point is to give these students a nice home cooked meal and let God create the fellowship.
A family in Brighton, Tennessee, has invested in a large screen and a digital projector. The family invites all the neighbors in the suburb to come over for a NASCAR night, especially the Bristol race, which is a night race. When there is not a race, the family will show family-friendly movies, such as Facing the Giants, Radio or Fireproof. From this act of hospitality, six families have started joining the family in their church.
Love your community
Jesus never says we must be big to be effective. He only says we must love God first and others second. He even tells His closest friends the world will know they are His disciples by their love. How can the church show love to a world that often rejects, or is even hostile toward, the idea someone will do something for you without gaining anything in return?
A church in Grapevine, Texas, found a way. Fellowship Church held a back-to-school drive in July. The church gave all members a list of needed school supplies for local students. Families can choose to buy one or two items. They can also choose to adopt a child by purchasing a backpack, then filling it with all the goodies. As a result of the generosity, many children are able to go to school with their new backpacks, one of the few things they have with the title “new.” Even teachers are presented with the generosity and love of the church after asking where the students got these new supplies.
In an effort to show love in the community, Harrisburg Baptist Church in Tupelo, Mississippi, recently conducted 72 Hours of Service. Two groups of people were involved, bakers and takers. Bakers baked cakes while takers went to the local fire department, police department and various businesses. While there, takers had an opportunity to meet new people and begin to know the community. In the process, those in the church begin to love outside their four walls.
First Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, has an active pillow case ministry. Several women get together to sew and embroider pillows. They enjoy fellowship with women who have a similar hobby. Once the pillows are finished, they take them to people in the hospital, especially those with family members in the ICU. It offers them a small bit of comfort when all seems lost.
While we love doing congregational and group ministries, there is a calling for each of us to have a personal ministry. This is the way you personally show love to your community. Tony Manley has such a ministry. She bakes fresh bread or pound cake once a week to take to the local hospital’s ICU. This has opened many opportunities for sharing the bread of life with people starving for truth and comfort.
Sometimes the best way to show love to your community isn’t done in a hospital, church, city hall or any place crowded with people. Kathy Norquist knows this. Kathy takes a run down her road in Oregon once a month for the purpose of picking up trash. She says this has made her more conscious of being a steward of God’s creation. Some neighbors who could not care less about God, but are extremely concerned about the environment will drive by. It is an avenue to humbly open dialogue and build a loving relationship without them even knowing it. To them it just looks like service.
Serve your community
The English Standard Version of the Bible translates Psalm 100:2 as, “Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into His presence with singing.” All through the Bible we are told to serve. We are not necessarily told what to do, but we are repeatedly told how to do it: humbly and happily. Once we know and love our community, the service is more about taking advantage of opportunities presented for service than being creative.
No one likes tax day. However, Christ Central United Methodist Church in Rainbow City, Alabama, took advantage of that dreaded day to serve. Members of the church set up a table in the local post office offering free postage and snacks for last minute tax filers.
A church in South Dakota took advantage of an annual Amateur Radio Field Day. The church building sits on a hill and is surrounded by five acres. This is a dream location for HAM radio operators. Capitol Heights Baptist allowed this two-day event to take place on its land. They provided restroom facilities, a constant supply of coffee and even cooked breakfast for all those present.
After Guntersville, Alabama, First United Methodist Church members got to know their community, they noticed a need of mothers with special needs children. Thursday Child was born. On Thursday mornings, a mother with a special needs child brings him to the church and leaves him in capable hands while she goes grocery shopping or to get her hair cut. Some mothers have described this as a gift from God.
While most ministries featured in magazines and books boast huge numbers, most of the ministries cited here are done by a church with fewer that 150 members. Jesus doesn’t measure success by numbers. He measures success by our faithfulness to follow Him outside the box and into the lives of people.
The question is not how many resources do you have available to invest in a ministry. The question is, how willing are you to know, love and serve your community? We are the hands and feet of Jesus, we are His ambassadors. Whether it’s cooking chili, making pillow cases, feeding the homeless or babysitting some sweet kids, let us be the body of Christ and get our hands dirty. 
Recipe swap
Do you have a ministry that can be done by one or two people? How about a church with just a handful of members? Does your church serve in a way other churches could use to reach out to their communities? We want to hear from you. Send us an email at [email protected].
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