16 If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need. 1 Timothy 5:16

Paul’s instruction was for the younger women to help the widows they knew. They were probably widows within the church. Presumably the church would be helping those who were not affiliated with the church and were poor and in need of help. It’s a beautiful thing to see the church mobilize its members to meet the needs of a society, both within the church and outside.

Often, though, churches rely on ministries outside the church to help meet needs. Rescue missions, homeless shelters, crisis pregnancy centers, food kitchens, and even nursing homes are much better suited to meet more specific needs. Many of them are founded by Christians and have a spiritual element to them. They too need volunteers and donations to keep them running.

Consider what you can do in the next month to volunteer at one of these organizations. Pray for them as their work is often discouraging and difficult.