Handing Out The Gospel's Audibly Read Message of Salvation Along With Our Church Charity!  A Reasonable Exchange?

     Churches are often besieged for charity of various sorts, and that is fine, and that is one role churches play, but in some instances the way we give out the needed things to the needy may not advance the Lord's cause much.  Sometimes people learn that you can go to such and such church and receive free things, and so, wanting some of the free stuff, they go to the church, get the things they need, and never really give Jesus much of a thought as they do so.  It is a practical usage of a church by someone needy...maybe it's even a bit cynical on their part...but it happens, right?

     I think that it is fair and reasonable that there be an exchange, a two way exchange, between giver and receiver.  Churches are supposed to spread the teachings of Jesus.  Needy people need certain material things that churches sometimes hand out.  So why shouldn't it be a win-win situation?  Why not set it up so that at a certain time you open up the church for charity applicants.  Then they sit, and a book of the Bible is read...a whole book.  You could read an entire Gospel, an entire letter to the churches, a book of Wisdom, like Proverbs or 20 of the Psalms, or  Ecclesiastes, etc.  So, if someone wants what the church has to offer, they show up, a volunteer from the church reads the entire chosen book aloud while the charity applicants who showed up on time listen to it, and then after that you could talk about meeting their needs or letting them shop through the items available, etc.  So, before they get material items, they get spiritual strengthening.  And a church could adopt a policy of only managing regular charity in that manner.  The needy people have to arrive and be seated on time, no late arrivals allowed, and after the reading of some of God's word is completed then the ones who gathered to hear it can be listened to and helped as possible.  Or the charity store can be opened, or the food pantry, etc. 

     It would ensure that the church gets a chance to invite them to actually hear Jesus' teachings, perhaps choose to save their soul through Jesus, a chance to gather together with others, perhaps take communion together...all of that.  Because material needs are important, but spreading the Gospel is the church's job too.  The ones that say, "I'm not staying for that!" or "I don't have time for that!" probably are not in such urgent need after all. 

     I think you could expose a lot more ears to a lot more of the Lord's teachings if charity was handled in this sort of manner.  And people could get a sense that they are not alone and that there was One willing to watch over them in their times of need and trial if they would enter into the offered New Covenant with Jesus, asking Him to be their Lord.  It would also be an opportunity for a lot of the church members to serve as Lay Ministers of a sort, reading the books out loud to the needy.  Retired people and unemployed Christians, etc., might do a lot of the reading.   You would want someone that was a reasonably good reader.

     Anyway, that's just a thought for churches and ministries to consider.  Perhaps, over time, many hundreds of people in a church's area would come to have heard parts of the Bible in their entirety and feel the effects of those planted seeds perhaps.