Except for people who have received or given help in mission work, this effort often goes unnoticed by the public.

No one database tracks all the mission work done by various denominations. But, people in social work have a wide perspective.

Mike Jackson, director of the Muskogee County Department of Human Services, said that the importance of churches in social services has never been given the recognition it deserves.

“Of the majority of people who come through our offices, many have been to churches first to be able to tide them over for a period of time,” he said.

Jackson said church nutrition programs are just one example of local mission work.

“If it wasn’t for them, there would be lots of families who wouldn’t have anything during the week or on the weekend to eat at all,” he said.

Jackson said mission work fills a gap left by budget cutbacks in government and social services.

“Public agencies can’t do all the things that we used to be able to do, and churches to me, are probably one of the most important pieces as far as the social services program in any community anymore,” he said. “It can’t be done if the churches aren’t standing there with their hands out there to do that.”

Jackson said the benefit of church mission work spreads far beyond Muskogee and into the entire county.

“If it wasn’t for the cooperative ministries in Warner who help all the people who come up and down I-40 and break down, there would be a big burden on the community,” he said. “They provide food and do other kinds of things to help people get back on the road. I can’t think of a community in this county where the churches don’t step up and do something, even the small churches.”

Jackson said his work with a social service agency has revealed how much good is done through church missions.

“We’re not vocal enough about the positive things the churches do in this community,” he said. “I know that in our office, as well as many other social service agencies across this county, we all know how fortunate we are to have the people in this community support the churches and the churches support the people who have a need.”

At St. Joseph Catholic Church, Father Bryan Brooks pointed out that mission work reduces the burden on government.

“If you were to take away any of the food pantries or the shelters or the Good Shepherd Health Clinic, then it would become solely the responsibility of the local, state and federal government,” he said. “Without the churches it would make a much greater demand on our tax dollars.”

Brooks said the community is healthier when there is a greater spirit of cooperation, and less of a reliance on a single source for assistance.