Saturday, First United Methodist Church gave the homeless and the hungry the opportunity to eat a hot meal free of charge. They plan to continue offering meals to those in need the second Saturday of each month.

The Matthew 25 Missions Ministry, named for the Bible verse it correlates to (Matthew 25:35), is just one of the many efforts by the church to conduct mission work in the community. The verse states, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.”

The idea for the ministry came from the work being done at the Zion Shelter and Beebe Memorial Church. Beebe offers the needy a weekend meal the fourth Saturday of each month and the shelter provides a meal Monday through Friday at noon. This leaves two weekends each month in which those in need have a hard time finding a way to eat.

FUMC has extended its efforts past offering a hot meal the second Saturday of each month by sending a snack pack and hygiene kit with those who come and take advantage of the free meal. This gives additional nourishment to those in need for the days where no meals are offered in the community. The church also passes out devotional materials to those who come to eat.

The meals are cooked and served by teams formed within the church, but money to buy the food comes solely from donations from the congregation and the community. The teams are made up of volunteer members in the church and there is active participation from the youth and other subgroups within the congregation.

In addition to what the Zion Shelter provides, the campaigns by both Beebe and FUMC provide not only a way of nourishment for those in need, but it also gives hope to those who may feel hopeless.

The churches hope their missions will encourage other churches and organizations in the community to add to the opportunities for the homeless. Through a joint effort and shared resources from the community, there can be more opportunities provided for those in need to have a way to eat, giving them not only nourishment, but hope.