I've taken the church for granted.

Or at least some of the services we provide our members. I've never put too much thought into our visiting teaching or home teaching systems, other than when I was in charge of visiting teaching, but I've since come to realize how wonderful and unique those programs make us.
I have a friend that called me early this morning asking me to come check on her because she thought she was in labor. Normally I'm used to that call, but not when it's 32 wk twins. By the time I got to her place 45 minutes later (yes, it was far longer than I wanted but I had to feed 9 kids, bathe two girls, and take home a puking child that had spent the night) she was waiting at the front door with her bag. I spent the next several hours with her at the hospital, again not unusual, and then came home and started making phone calls and sending out emails trying to find people to help with child care so her husband can continue to work while she is hospitalized trying to keep those babies in.
What is unusual is that I am having an extremely difficult time finding help. I don't know much about her congregation, and what programs they might have in place for these type circumstances, but so far I have received no offers of help from her fellow church members. The two that would like to help are unable to, which leaves me (who has a sick husband and am on call for when this mom goes into full labor, plus on call for another birth) and one other friend that has helped out a considerable amount over the last 2 wks.
Never before have I been so grateful for the church and the help it provides it's members! I know that if I was in this situation all I would have to do is pick up the phone and make one phone call and people would be knocking at our door offering meals or asking to take our kids home for play dates. What a blessing the visiting and home teaching programs are!