Ministry in a Time of Recession

Here are some ways your congregation might reach out to the unemployed in your congregation and community.

Pink slip care. Assemble practical care packages for the newly laid off—workers’ rights laws for your state; recent help-wanted ads with Post-it notes and a pen; a grocery gift card; a directory of government services, mortgage renegotiation programs and local relief organizations; and a resume checklist, paper, envelopes and stamps. Encourage church members to give the packages to anyone they know who has just lost a job.

Career counsel. Recruit a human resources director or social services worker from your congregation or community, who is willing to spend a few Saturday mornings advising the unemployed on their rights and how to obtain government assistance. Advertise the free seminar in your local newspaper’s want ads and on community bulletin boards. Make sure your church knows about it—the best advertising is word of mouth.

Job pool. At each worship service, ask church members to fill out a card indicating available jobs they know of or jobs they’re seeking. Use your church Web site as well as local information boards at coin-operated laundry facilities, coffee shops and grocery stores to disperse the information to your community. (Tip: Delegate oversight of this ministry to an unemployed church member and compensate him or her—even if only a little—for the time.)

Coffee per diem. Secure permission to offer free, quality coffee and cookies outside state unemployment offices, temp agencies, etc. Take the encouragement a step further by printing a message of hope on napkins you pass out.

Weekly gathering. Reach out to the unemployed in both the church and your community through a weekly gathering at the church, a coffeehouse or other community hangout. Offer a time of sharing and, at the end, give people an opportunity to pray and be prayed for. Ask people to submit written prayer requests and let them know a team of people will be praying for them throughout the week.

Resume tune-ups. Host a free resume workshop at your church. Recruit or compensate local personnel directors, career counselors (and maybe even an English teacher!), etc., to give a brief resume dos and don’ts seminar, followed by some hands-on assistance for attendees.

—From Outreach magazine, March/April 2009