What you bring up pertains to part of my original question. I agree that we should help, but at what point our helping becomes wrongful enabling or co-dependency of the person in their hurtful lifestyle. Their has been many who have received help from our church, but I can only think of a few that were legitimate in their need. Would it be prudent for a church to tell those who come by for help that we are not set up for that but we do give funds to several local relief ministries that they could go to for help. Most likely they will refuse to go to the ministry by giving some type of excuse. Of course, there may be a situation that we may want to explore in helping ourselves, but we get many who comes by for help. Their must be a network of what churches they receive goods in that if one person receives some aid, then their will be 5 more knocking on the door.

What concerns me the most which is wrong is that I see it as taking up the church resources mainly in discipling its congregation, not to mentioned any spiritual awakenings from those who come by. It is easy for people to substitute a good work instead of spending time in growing spiritually. I see the more time spent on mercy ministries, then the less time we have on helping people grow in their faith.

Maybe a big church can handle all aspects, but smaller churches have difficulty in doing so.

John Chaney

"having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith . . ." Colossians 2:7