MEN'S MINISTRY: How can I help?

I have a friend whose husband passed on to be with Jesus. It's been about a year and she's struggling along as all widows or widowers do. She recently posted on Facebook that she has some chores that she needs help with around the house. She's sad and lonely and frustrated because when her husband died those people who said they would help have suddenly found themselves too busy. She doesn't want to be a burden, but there are things she can't do and she doesn't know where to turn. She can't carry her air conditioner from the shed to the house so she opened her windows and the one for the AC has no screen. Her irrigation system stopped pumping and she couldn't get it started. The ice maker in her refrigerator stopped working.

As Christians it's our job to help so it's time we start promoting that in our congregations. It's time to start noticing and taking care of those around us. I told my friend to call her church. The question is... what will the church do? Every congregation has people who can take a few minutes out of their week to stop in and check a problem out, perhaps solve it, and/or at least give some advice.

EVERY congregation has adults who can volunteer to help these people with these things. Don't push it off on the youth. Yes, there are things they should help with too, but true service is learned through the example of giving adults.

EVERY congregation has people who need a little assistance. What is happening in the church that we get so upset over church politics, but forget about those in our community that need a little of Jesus' love in the form of carrying an air conditioner and going the extra mile to put it in?!

What you need to do: men will volunteer to help if they know it's just a job or two once in a while. I know they will. They like to feel needed and appreciated.

• Start praying.
• Start asking. 
• Start expecting. 
• Start a list of helpers and how they can help: home repairs, odd jobs, lifting/moving, computers, small engine repair, etc.
• Let the elderly people in your congregation know you (as their congregation) are there to help and start a list of needs: emergent and not-so-emergent.

My heart aches for her that she's reaching out to Facebook for help and not her church. Have we become so consumed worrying about kids and our silly congregational politics that we've forgotten that we're here to help?

DO IT!  DO IT NOW!!