The high cost of gas and the belt-tightening cost of groceries has many families in a bind.

With school starting just around the corner, the impending need for school clothes is looming large in many parents’ minds.

Your church could start a seasonal or year-round clothes closet.  Ask church members and retail stores to donate clean, wearable clothes for school-aged children. Local shoe stores would make a fabulous contributor to a clothes closet as well.  Children’s shoes can be incredibly expensive for a family who has lost an income or needs to outfit multiple children.

Let the community know about the project and word will spread!  Determine eligibility guidelines, if any; how much clothing to give per child; and what hours you will operate.

In order to share the Good News, put a tract or New Testament in one bag per purchase. Have a room next door for someone to meet with a prayer warrior if they’d like. Give Christian posters to the children.  Invite everyone to your next service. You’ll be fulfilling this excerpt from Matthew 25 (NIV):

The King will say ”…I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

The car pulled over on the side of the road. Out of gas! With two scrawny kids in the backseat, it’s too far to walk to the gas station but too hot for her little family in the car. What’s she to do?

A van pulls up and a man gets out. Will he help or will it get worse, she fears? Nervously she walks over to tell him what happened.

“Howdy, ma’am,” he says. “I saw you stranded over here.  I’m with Friendly Church on Seventh Street. How can I help?”

With a sigh of relief, she notices the church’s name on the van. Explaining the situation, she thinks,  “What’s he doing out here?  It’s not Sunday.”

He grabs a cold bottled water and a couple juices from an igloo for the kids. Then a gas can from the back of the van.

He fills up the tank and pulls a small New Testament from his back pocket. Inscribed inside is the church’s address and phone number.

“Thought you might like this,” he says gently before he climbs back into the van.  “Have a blessed day.”

She slides back into her car, tucks the Bible into her tattered purse and turns towards the little faces in the backseat.  “Kids, we might try going to church this Sunday.”