In Depth:  Layla Wilder

If you want your church to help poor people, just decide how you are going to help, find people to serve, start serving and tell them about Jesus.

OK, I admit that there is a little more than that to starting a mercy ministry. At Guilford Baptist Church, in Sterling, Virginia, USA, just two years ago, we launched a ministry that includes a food pantry and reaches out to homeless people and at-risk youth. Based on our admittedly brief experience, we have developed a long list of ‘things to do’ and ‘things not to do’ when starting a mercy ministry. Our three most important ‘to-dos’ are to decide how you are going to serve, find people and preach the gospel.