One of the churches with the biggest of hearts is The Church of the Good Shepherd. If you are driving along South 312th Street at approximately Third Street and look to the south side of the road you will see the church.

With a membership of approximately 200, they serve their church members in many ways under the guidance of Reverend Esther Poirier. However, that guidance reaches extensively into the greater community through a number of outreach programs.

On Tuesday and Friday between 9-11 a.m., you can see people who live within the Federal Way school district or Northeast Tacoma lining up outside the church’s fellowship hall in the lower parking lot waiting to visit with volunteers from the Federal Way Community Caregiving Network.

They are seeking help with their rent, limited hotel stay for homeless families, gas vouchers, bus tickets or a bag of food. Since 2001, the church has made one of their portables available to the Caregiving Network to provide this service.

In addition, The Church of the Good Shepherd members have a breakfast outreach program during that time for all guests seeking assistance, as well as homeless members of our community who need a breakfast meal and a time to visit, socialize and possibly get out of the wet and cold.

On Saturday afternoons, the fellowship hall is again open for the Caregiving Network’s free community meal. And it does not stop there.

The church has also been the host church for homeless women needing a place to be warm, eat, sleep and be safe from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. through the Reach Out Program during the months of October through April. The church has hosted this program for the last two years and will host it again this year. In addition, there are many other outreach programs that can be viewed on the church’s website at www.goodshepherdfw.org

Yes, this is the Little Church with a Big Heart and we are blessed to have them in Federal Way.

Elizabeth Elliott, Federal Way