As Christians, we are called to serve others in the name of Christ. The Old Testament is filled with instructions and warnings to care for “widows and orphans” and “the resident aliens in your midst.” Jesus continued those prophetic teachings with words of his own.

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus demonstrates love of neighbor by telling the story of the good Samaritan. In it, a traveler is attacked by robbers and left for dead. Two religious leaders pass by, but a Samaritan man rescues the man from the ditch, binds his wounds, and brings him to safety. That Samaritan demonstrated true love of his neighbor, Jesus taught. You can read the whole story in the Gospel of Luke (Chapter 10:25-37).

Jesus gets even more specific in a teaching he offers near the end of his life, in Matthew’s Gospel. In that teaching, he describes the final judgement when people will be separated into two groups. Contrary to what we might think, there is only one criterion for this judgement. Did we care for Jesus in the form of those in need? He says, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Again, you can read the whole story in the Gospel of Matthew (Chapter 25:31-46).

It’s our desire to be faithful followers of Jesus that inspires our commitment to mission at St. Thomas.

We seek to find balance in our mission work in two ways:

• First, we seek to balance WHERE we engage in mission. The majority of our work is done within our own local community. We engage with a number of local non-profits to support this community. We also support NATIONAL mission efforts and we engage in INTERNATIONAL mission work, as well.
• Second, we work hard to find a balance in how we help. It’s important for us to support good work in our community financially. It’s equally important to us that we put our hands to work, engaging in ministry with our bodies, rolling up our sleeves and getting to work.

Whether you are new to St. Thomas, or are one of our founding members, we invite you join us in living out Jesus great commandment to love God and love neighbor by serving others in the name of Jesus Christ.