My husband, Keith, and I frequent a local restaurant where the wings are served hot and the fries extra crispy. We usually have the same server, and we’ve come to know her quite well during our weekly visits. More aptly, she’s gotten to know us—our likes and dislikes. She anticipates our every need. When our glasses are half empty, she’s there to fill them. When the last bite is taken, she’s there to remove our plates. With any slight expression of need, she responds with great care.

Isn’t that the posture of a Christian who’s called to be a living sacrifice for the Lord? We’re to be highly trained at interpreting the signs of the Spirit’s work, and we’re to step up to the table at every prompting. We are to notice the needs of those around us and respond as Christ would. Jesus taught us to wash each other’s feet and to meet each other’s needs. That’s the basis of ministry evangelism—meeting people’s needs in Jesus’ name.

In our cover story “Breaking the Ice” you’ll read about a church in Alicia, Arkansas, that noticed the needs of its community and responded with an outpouring of the love of Christ. Instead of being frightened or overwhelmed by a serious drug problem that plagued their town, they reached out to those who needed help breaking the bonds of addiction. Alicia Baptist Church didn’t limit their ministry to spiritual needs. They ministered to the physical needs as well.

You’ll also want to read Reflections (p. 6) by Charles Roesel, former pastor of First Baptist Church, Leesburg, Florida. Thirty years ago he led his church to reach out to their community through ministry evangelism. With more than 70 ministries—some for women in the midst of crisis pregnancy, others for the homeless, still others for those with addictions—FBC Leesburg seeks to minister to the whole person. In the midst of all the ministries the church has never lost site of the primary need we all have: the need for Christ in our lives.

What about your church? Where has God placed you? Every community is unique. What are the needs He has put at your doorstep? When it comes to using felt needs as an open door for evangelism, the possibilities are limitless. God cares about every part of a person’s life—spiritual, emotional, intellectual, relational and physical.The church can offer hurting people a place where they can find love, acceptance, guidance and, most of all, hope.

Our ultimate model for ministry evangelism of course must be Jesus. When we look at His ministry, we see that He was consistently concerned with the physical needs of those with whom He came in contact. Many who came to Him were seeking only to have their physical needs met. But Jesus didn’t leave it at that and neither should we. The greatest difference the church can make is the eternal difference that only comes through salvation. That’s what separates us from every other charity seeking to do good works.

But in the meantime, we must be willing to address the physical crisis in a person’s life. It might be the very thing God is using to draw that person closer to Him. I believe in a gospel that’s strong enough to take on the needs of our world. And we have a sacred assignment to help bring new life to those stuck in the old one.

Carol Pipes, editor, cpipes@namb.net