The honest truth
tells us that people are not going to be open to God unless they are being cared
for. In fact, people are not going to respond to a church that cannot or does
not care for itself.
James
2:15-17
15 Suppose a brother
or sister is without clothes and daily food.
16 If one of you says
to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but
does nothing about
his physical needs, what good is it?
17 In the same way,
faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
(NIV)
The following are
numerous areas where your church can begin (if it has not) in order to minister
to some of the various needs in your congregation.
Ministry
to Your church (Circle of Care
Manual for Coordinators (2003, Care Ministries, Church of God, Cleveland,
TN), p. 14-19.)
Community Crisis Teams
These teams respond to emergencies both personal and
community-wide. It is important for a church to be prepared for a crisis before
it occurs. It must decide in advance how it will respond.
Crises include, but are not limited to, death, divorce, illness,
surgeries, tragedies (fire, tornado, flood, etc.), job loss, imprisonment and
deployment.
Family Crisis Care
A system should be in place to assess family needs and to inform
the church of ways the members can help when death, sudden illness or other
tragedy strikes a church family. These needs are not always financial but may
instead involve yard work, help with job placement, counseling, or child care
while the surviving parent searches for a job. It may be something as simple as
sending cards on special days or periodic calls to check on the family.s
welfare.
Meal Care Teams
This team can demonstrate the love of the Father in a practical
way by providing a tasty meal or baked item to those suffering through illness
or grief. Teams can be formed with a leader. The leader is then responsible to
set the menu and contact team members when there is a need.
The size of and number of teams will be determined by the size
of your local church. By setting up a rotating system, the same people are not
called on every time. This also gives more people opportunity to serve in this
way. It may sometimes be necessary to combine the teams to provide a sufficient
amount of food for the occasion.
15
New Baby at Home
The first week home with a new baby is filled with excitement
and joy but also the lack of sleep.
Provide a family with a week of prepared meals. The meals can be
frozen in advance in disposable containers, along with the baking/heating instructions.
The object is to allow the family to relax and enjoy the new family member.
Cards of Encouragement
This team of individuals strives to bring kind words to those in
the church family who need a word of encouragement. In this age of electronic communication,
it is amazing how much the handwritten note can mean.
Car Ministry
The car ministry is led by competent men and women who donate
their time and expertise to offer advice and provide checkups and maintenance
on cars of singles and the elderly.
16
Homebound Outreach
This is a visitation program to disabled or shut-in members.
Special effort is made to remember them on holidays and special days, and to
offer the Sacrament during some visits.
Transportation
Car in the shop and you need a ride to church? Call this group.
This team can also provide prearranged trips to the grocery store or doctor and
pharmacy for seniors.
Relocation team
Is there a church member needing to move across town? This team
will be willing to help with the relocating. They provide the truck and boxes,
strong arms, legs, and backs to load and unload the truck. Consider asking part
of this team to bring food and drinks to share with the family and workers on
the day of the move.
Fellowship Ministry
This group serves the church by organizing and preparing church
fellowship meals, church picnics, and other times of refreshment for the whole
church.
College Care Packages
This ministry needs willing hands to assemble and distribute
care packages to college students.
This may be in the form of send-off packages with essentials, or
it may include periodic care packages with kind notes, cookies, popcorn and
other gifts.
17
Prayer Ministry
The responsibility of this group is to uplift the church through
prayer. Its members pray for the church routinely, keeping prayer a continual
focus. Breakout groups include special emphases: youth, children, music
ministry, missions, benevolence, Israel and the community, to name a few.
It may be beneficial to set up a system of notification whereby
individuals and specific needs are placed on a weekly prayer list by request.
Designate the process for this. whom to call or how to submit. Have a printed
list available at a certain time and place each week.
Electrical or Plumbing Teams
These volunteers provide assessment and minor repairs to needy
members of the church who face emergency situations and don.t know where to
turn.
Baby-Sitting Pool
Have a listing of people available for child care. Be sure to
list key elements like expected rate of pay (some may do it as an exchange for
care for their own child), contact number, and whether or not they will need
transportation.
Church Office Volunteer Work Force
A volunteer force can accomplish much and be a comfort to the
staff. Volunteers can assist with mailings, folding bulletins, answering
phones, running errands and other assignments. These can be weekly, occasional
or as vacation relief.
18
Fall Yard Work Invasion
During the fall, mobilize youth to show up at various senior or
homebound church members’ homes to rake and gather leaves. If possible, have
the participants take their own rakes, blowers and bags.
Welcome Home for the Holidays
In every church there are those whose extended families do not
live nearby. This ministry targets couples, singles or small families of all
ages who would welcome the opportunity to be a part of a bigger celebration. It
may simply involve setting an extra plate or two at the family holiday table, but
it can reap rewards of friendship that will last a lifetime.
Hospital Visitation
Take the time to stop by and offer a simple hello and a word of
comfort to those who are in the hospital.
Assisted Living/Nursing Home Outreach
Be sure to remember the older members of the congregation who
are in these special residences.
Pregnancy Support
Those who are facing a crisis pregnancy desperately need the
church. Extending care and concern for those in this situation does not imply
acceptance of a wrong lifestyle. But an even greater wrong would have been done
if they had chosen to abort the baby instead of carry it to full term.
Those on this care team will need listening ears and
compassionate hearts. Those to whom they minister will need their prayers and
support. You may have among the church members strong Christian women who have
walked this same path years before. They could be a valuable resource if they
are willing to minister by reaching out to those experiencing the same type of crisis
they once faced. They could also be ideally suited to volunteer to help at the local
crisis pregnancy center.
Ongoing Support Groups
Survivors of Suicide: Giving safe and
sensitive support after a loved one has died by suicide
Recently Widowed: Making available support
for men and women after the death of a spouse
Divorce Support: Providing a positive,
healthy environment for healing and growth after divorce
Step-family: Sharing and surviving the challenges
of the blended family
Senior Citizens: Providing inspirational
and fun-filled fellowship and activities
Caregivers: Furnishing information and support
for individuals caring for a loved one who is physically or emotionally ill
Single Parents Support: Helping to meet the
daily challenges
Cancer Support: For those who have or
have had cancer
·
Are there any you do not see here? Make a list.
·
Which ones are you interested in? The first step to carrying the
word of God to the world is learning how to care for those around you. We see
this in final words of Jesus:
Acts
1:8 - But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and
you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the
ends of the earth." (NIV)
For the Pentecostal
church, this power is represented in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
But that discussion
is for another post. Here I want to ask you, what relationships could you replace
Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth with? Here’s a hint -
Jerusalem with family and Judea with community.
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