How does your church minister to members who become homebound due to chronic illness or injuries? Jesus charged the church to look after the affirmed and the widows among their believers. How does your church put that command into action? I’ve worked with employees for years who have medical issues that keep them out of work. When I suggested they go to their churches for assistance, almost all said they tried but received no help. What a sad commentary on the state of the church today.
Jesus asked that we spread the gospel to everyone so that they would receive salvation, but he also wanted us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Meeting someone’s needs is the best way to show God’s love in action. When you demonstrate God’s love, you become Jesus to that person; they see Jesus in you and want to know more about the person who made you want to help them.
Another reason to help our members that should be obvious but seems lost on many is that we need workers in the field to show God’s love for others. We bring in new members and tell them how the church brings fellowship into their lives. Then they see a church member develop a severe illness and need to stay home for months. They hear nothing further about them. No one goes to their home to cut the grass. No one checks to see if they need grocery pick-ups or rides to their doctor’s appointments. No one regularly checks to see if the caregiver needs a sitter so they can run out to do errands. The new member questions if the church walks their talk or just says one thing and does another.
A homebound connection ministry is vital for any church wanting to grow or stay healthy. It’s a ministry that shows you care. However, to have one, you may need to be creative. Many of these individuals have medical conditions restricting their exposure to others who may be potentially carriers of harmful bacteria, fungi, or viruses. Many churches developed ways to meet those needs during the COVID shutdown. Rather than eliminate those practices, why not continue them on a smaller scale or ban them together with other churches to make them available as a homebound ministry project?
