A Moment for Mission
“I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.”‘ —Matthew 25:35-36, CEB
“There is an epidemic of homelessness and the church needs to respond,” said Pastor Kimberlynn Alexander. “We are doing Matthew 25: feed, clothe and shelter.”
For 25-member St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church in downtown Memphis, Tenn., a calling to an emergency housing ministry may seem beyond their means, but God is providing in amazing ways.
St. Matthew’s UMC had space, but they lacked other necessary resources, so they connected with church and community partners to fill the gaps. The collaborative ministry has grown and is bringing together a variety of talents and gifts that are all vital as the effort gains momentum.
St. Paul’s UMC, a suburban church 25 miles away, quickly became a ministry partner and a sister congregation. Every week, volunteers accept and sort donations, provide hot meals and do laundry.
Volunteers also provide fellowship and personalized help for many of the guests, ensuring that each person has exactly what they need before they leave. Throughout the year, the congregation completes construction projects and hosts toy, food and clothing drives to ensure Mission Row, a series of large closets located within St. Matthew’s UMC, is always fully stocked.
At least once each month, the Gleaners from Collierville UMC deliver 500-1,000 pounds of perishable food from restaurants and grocery stores for distribution. The ministry’s overnight guests, community members and a Hispanic congregation that meets in St. Matthew’s building all benefit from the donation.
Learn more about this ministry collaboration: https://www.umc.org/en/content/church-responds-to-homelessness-epidemic.
Children’s Message
Today’s memory verse comes from Matthew 25:35-36. Jesus said
“I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. (lift a dinner plate)
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. (lift a cup)
I was a stranger and you welcomed me. (open your arms)
I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. (lift a shirt)
I was sick and you took care of me. (lift a first aid kit)
I was in prison and you visited me.”
Jesus is telling us that when we help others, it’s like we are helping him. When we give food to someone who is hungry or clothes to someone who needs them, it’s just like we are doing it for Jesus himself.
I learned about a small church in Memphis, Tenn., called St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church. They studied Jesus’s words and felt a calling to help people who were unhoused and in need. They don’t have a lot of resources, but they knew that God would help them along the way.
St. Matthew’s UMC decided to turn part of their church into a shelter for people who needed a safe place to stay, especially women and children escaping from difficult situations. They provide hot meals, showers, toys for the kids and a warm place to sleep.
But guess what? They didn’t do it all alone! They teamed up with other churches and community partners, like St. Paul’s UMC and Collierville UMC. Together, they collected donations, provided meals and made sure everyone had what they needed.
When we come together to share what we have, we show God’s love to others, just like Jesus taught us. St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church saw a problem in their community and decided to make a difference, no matter how big or small their church was. They followed Jesus’s words from the Bible, and God helped them every step of the way.
Each one of you can also make a difference in someone’s life by showing kindness and love. Just like St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church, we can work together to be a shining light in our community!
Offertory Prayer
Compassionate God, thank you for teaching us to help others and for showing us how to love like Jesus did. We pray for all the people who are unhoused, hungry, imprisoned or sick, that they may find comfort and help through our outreach. Bless the churches and community partners who work together to make a difference. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.
Newsletter Nugget
“I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.”—Matthew 25:35-36, CEB
For 25-member St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church in downtown Memphis, Tenn., a calling to an emergency housing ministry seemed beyond their means, but God is providing in amazing ways.
“There is an epidemic of homelessness and the church needs to respond,” said Pastor Kimberlynn Alexander. “We are doing Matthew 25: feed, clothe and shelter.”
The John Meeks Center, the church’s housing facility originally intended for mission teams, is now a shelter for short-term stays. Women and children are often present—some are escaping domestic violence, while others are without affordable housing. Guests can expect a hot meal, a shower, toys for the little ones and spaces to relax and sleep.
“We have to do something different in order to serve the needs of the community,” shared Alexander. “The whole congregation is plugged in.”
Terrence Ryans, lay leader of St. Matthew’s UMC, is trained in trauma response to best serve the guests. Alexander explained, “Homelessness is trauma.”
Ryans uses the Triumph Over Trauma curriculum to help guests boost their self-awareness and understand the stress they carry in their mind and body. He explained, “This helps them identify what triggers them so that they can make positive choices going forward.”
The church also offers visits to Mission Row—a series of large closets—to guests and the wider community. There visitors find clothing, hygiene and personal care items, food, bedding and household supplies.
“We want to be able to serve the poorest population and know that God has done it. There’s no way we could have done it without him,” Alexander said.
Learn more about this ministry: https://www.umc.org/en/content/church-responds-to-homelessness-epidemic.