We're blessed to have a loving, caring church family. We're also blessed to have several services set up specifically to minister to our church body or even to the surrounding communities. However, some of these ideas could be instigated in smaller churches as well:
- Meal Train: people volunteer to deliver a meal to people recovering from surgery or going through debilitating medical treatment. See mealtrain.com
- Counseling: a service normally provided by the pastor can be expanded by training other church members with tools to help them counsel those in need.
- Discipleship Groups: when a new believer comes to faith, it's important that they be discipled right away so that their new-found faith is made stronger with knowledge of what God's word says, what the church believes, etc. It's also important because we want new believers to become part of the church, serving, encouraging others, sharing their testimony. Today's converts could be tomorrow's church leaders.
- Physical Needs: money could be budgeted to help people who have trouble paying a bill or handling an emergency.
- Cards of Encouragement: our church has a list of people who would benefit from receiving a card once in a while. Maybe they're sick or grieving or lost their job, whatever the situation, it's a wonderful way to minister to those in need.
- Food Pantry: some churches partner together to stock a food pantry within the community.
- Transportation: members could volunteer to take people to doctor's appointments and/or run errands.
The opportunities to serve are endless. If you have an idea for a way to meet a need, talk to your church leaders. If you have a need, talk to your church leaders. Either situation is a way to connect with your church family.
If you are able, find a way to serve within your church. Everyone has the ability to do something, whether it's sending an encouraging text or card to someone who's going through a rough time, or making coffee on Sunday morning, or mowing the lawn, or being on the prayer chain. Of course, some tasks are harder than others. Some take more of a time commitment but find something you can do and be a part of the solution.
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
James 5:13-18 NKJVYou may also like:
-"Isolation"
-"Pray for the health of The Church"
-"Peter is the rock"
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Please join me this week in praying for those who need help but don't ask for it. Pray that they see the benefits of allowing others to help them. Pray that they have good experiences as a result of opening up to others. Pray that they are served by Christians who show Christ to them. Let's also pray for those who refuse to help, for whatever reason. Pray that God softens their hearts and minds, that he give them servants' hearts so that they may know the joy in working together as one body of Christ and the reward of knowing they are doing God's will.
I'll post daily reminders on:
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