I read this great quote last week...
"Remember that you can break down the severest opposition by taking a personal interest in the people whom you meet. Christ took a personal interest in men and women while He live on this earth. Wherever He went He was a medical missionary. We are to go about doing good, even as He did. We are instructed to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and comfort the sorrowing."
Matthew 9:35 sums it up thusly...
The take away is that while Jesus spent much of His time preaching and teaching, He knew that people's spiritual needs were closely connected to their physical and mental needs. Effective ministry today, must follow Christ's example and care the whole person -- physically, mentally, and spiritually.