Jesus calls us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit the sick. And if we do this to even "The Least of These," we have done this unto Christ (Mt. 25:40). So there are so many reasons to reach out to the poor in those in need in our community. It meets a need. It shows kindness. It brings glory to God. And as Mt. 25:40 shows, through this service, we encounter Christ.

I have served in mainly upper middle class suburban congregations. Sometimes these congregations have still had a poorer population nearby the church, and we have helped those in financial need there. Sometimes, however, we have provided food, clothing, and financial help to people in an adjoining city. 

While there are families and individuals who are served in this way who can be reached for Christ, sometimes the socio-economic differences between the church and those served can sometimes make those served feel uncomfortable in an affluent suburban church. There are ways to overcome this, but as a follow-up to Outreach & Evangelism Tip / Idea #1, I want to highlight the opportunity that for  suburban congregations to also reach those in different socio-economic levels through "social justice" ministries.

Inviting people who are unchurched/seekers to serve alongside us is often an entry point for connecting with seekers. There are also many who have been blessed financially, had financial struggles growing up, or whole generations like the Millennials who may be particularly drawn towards social justice ministries. And when we minister to the poor in Christ's name, we encounter Christ himself--which can help people along in the conversion process.

Here is an example of this in work. At where I serve now, we have a homeless ministry called the "Least of These"--started by a group of Millennials on their own, and now adopted by our church. Besides going down and feeding and praying for the homeless in downtown D.C., those in this ministry have come up with a "Socktober"--a month in October where people can donate socks and toiletry items to the homeless through our church.

I posted the message below on our church's Facebook page, and on my personal page. I then posted this in a neighborhood Facebook page, and finally, share this directly on the page of some of our neighbors. I shared it and said, "I thought that you guys might be interested in this." I got almost an immediate response, asking, when do you need the items by? This is from a great family who gives to various causes, serves many people, but had a bad church experience and does not go anywhere to worship.

Many people, if asked directly, are glad to be asked and are happy to serve and give in these simple ways. This helps draw people closer together, and draw us closer to God. And through this ministry, they encounter Christ. 

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Here is my post:

HAPPY SOCKTOBER! - Hi to my Virginia friends and neighbors! I wanted to share with you a service opportunity. We are part of a homeless ministry for downtown D.C. called The Least of These.

One way that we are seeking to help the homeless this time of year is through "SOCKTOBER." Socktober is a collection during the month of October of socks, as well as hygiene items, for the homeless. Last year we collected over 700 socks! This year, rather than just collect socks, we will be asking people to donate a hygiene bag which includes a pair of NEW socks and/or a winter hat and gloves. This is in response to frequent requests from our homeless friends for specific items.