I recently became involved in a new ministry at my church: the Soul Food Ministry. It began as a ministry that brought batches of cookies to new members, but it has spread to offering dinners to those who need encouragement…not those with births or deaths, with Sunday school classes taking care of those, but those who are just struggling with various issues that might need a meal one night.

Although I love to cook, I was reluctant to join the ministry in its inception. I would rather cook a week's worth of dinners than bake one single cookie. So, when the ministry expanded, I was completely on board.

The first family I brought dinner to just needed that: encouragement. They had a two-year-old and one on the way. The wife had struggled through the pregnancy, and a home-cooked meal (cooked by someone other than her!) was just what they needed.

Now I get e-mails each week, or every couple of weeks, giving names of those who might benefit from a dinner, and those involved in the ministry just sign up for a family and bring the dinner to the church on the appointed day.

My mother's church has a similar ministry…with a twist. Members make meals and leave them in the church freezer, adding the name of the dinner to a list posted on the fridge. When members need to take a dinner to someone, they can take one from the freezer and cross it off the list.

I think this is an innovative ministry, and I share this with the hope that you will continue to think of new ways to both involve your members and minister to your congregation.

This issue marks our second anniversary, and we have been overwhelmed by the response by you, our readers, to what we correctly thought was something church leaders needed: a purchasing guide to every single product and service that your worship facility needs. We hope we continue to provide a valuable tool to you as you evaluate and buy resources for your church.

I'm always interested in hearing from you. You can reach me at jill@religiousproductnews.com.

God Bless,

Jill Pinheiro
Managing Editor

P.S. Don't forget that we're looking for interesting church signs to feature in upcoming issues of the magazine. Does your church have an innovative, inspiring or just plain interesting message on your church sign? If so, take a picture and e-mail it to me. Please include the name and location of your church.