It would be amazing if every ministry that proclaimed the name of Christ was able to be a self sustaining beacon of light and resources for their communities. Wouldn’t it be a glorious sight to see if people were once again able to get all the help they need from their local church?
Not every ministry has the personal resources to have their own food pantry or career closet and that’s okay. It is a great goal to strive for because God put us here to serve others. There is something absolutely free you can do though in the meantime that will benefit your community.
Is there anyone in your congregation who works in social/ human services? If there is, start there. Ask them about free resources or programs available in your community. Start a list of these resources. If there’s not anyone in your congregation that already knows this information, a deep dive Google search is the next best thing. This will cost you a bit of time (few hours at most), but other than the cost of time (which is still a seed you can surely sow for the kingdom), it costs you nothing and can benefit everyone. Make a list of all the resources you find and keep this information on hand for your ministry’s leadership team so that they can serve the people as the need arises.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Giving the people Jesus should be automatic of every ministry as it is a core responsibility to why ministries even exist in the first place. As the body of Christ, we should be serving and caring for people and sometimes that includes telling a single mom or dad where they can get diapers and formula if the ministry itself is not able to provide it. Don’t worry if you’ve never done this before or have no idea what kind of resources may even be available in your area. Below is a list of types of programs/ resources/ services that exist in most US states. If you’re outside the US, this list may still prove helpful as a guide to find out if your county has anything similar.
Social Services: Your formal Department of Social Services is usually the hub in order to apply for SNAP benefits (food stamps) and Medicaid (state funded medical insurance)
Department of Labor: Your formal DOL center has information on unemployment benefits and where to go for free job search services (most of the time including workshops and resume assistance) as well as any programs funded under the Workforce Investment Act that may offer free job training for people who are unemployed or underemployed. In Connecticut, we have American Job Centers, Workforce Alliance, The Workplace, Inc. and a few more.
Find out who your state’s disability access agency is and there may be more than one. In Connecticut we have DDS (Department of Developmental Disabilities) and BRS (Bureau of Rehabilitation) that assist individuals with disabilities and families of people with developmental disabilities with a wide array of programs. Find out who yours is and what they offer.
Find out who your state’s mental health access agency is. In Connecticut we have DMHAS (Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services). Find out who yours is and what they offer.
Find out who your state’s child protective service agency is. In Connecticut we have the DCF (Department of Children and Families). Find out what they offer.
Find out who your state’s access agency for senior services is. In Connecticut we have local area Agency on Aging offices. These agencies provide services to individuals 65 years of age and older. Find out what they offer.
Find out crisis lines / hotlines that are available in your state. In Connecticut, we have Info Line 2-1-1 that provide referrals for programs and services available in the community as well as 24/7 suicide crisis intervention.
Other ideas of programs / services that may be available in your community; Food pantry, Diaper Bank, Rental Assistance, Eviction Prevention, Security Deposit Assistance, Soup Kitchen, Homeless Shelters, Domestic Violence Shelters, Energy Assistance programs, Support groups, free clothing or Dress for Success programs, Animal Shelter, community centers, warming centers (in winter), cooling centers (in summer) and any place that may offer free household items to those in need.
If we cannot at the present moment be the ministry that can every need ourselves, let us at the very least be the ministry that invested the time into finding out where we can send people for the help that they need.
Battleground Ministries 
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