1 Corinthians 3:6 hints at the long-term approach the church should have as it relates to ministry. Paul planted the seed, Apollos watered, and God is the one who makes it grow.
Our world is in desperate need for a long-term partner. Most organizations treat helping others as if they are on a conveyor belt in an assembly line. They reach you, you evaluate their situation and provide them with a solution, and then you are done. However, the church was not designed to function that way.
When we see people in need, it is critical that we slow down and become the Church that Jesus died for—a Church that will do whatever it takes to bring people to salvation.
The following are some of the needs in our society that the Church can be the solution for. It will not likely be mutually beneficial, but it may just snatch them from the flames of judgment (Jude 1:23).
The need is so great in these areas, my prayer is that your church will find one or two needs that are in your community and commit to making a difference.
- Divorce Care: Our society treats divorce as a norm. However, there is nothing normal in the life of a child who is living through the tearing apart of the family. As families blend together, a whole new series of challenges arise.
- Poverty and Homelessness: Don’t let the stories of those who abuse the system keep you from finding a way to provide long-term assistance to those deep in poverty or found to be homeless. (Find a homeless shelter near you: http://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org/)
- Foster Care and Adoption: There are nearly 450,000 children in the foster system on any given day in the United States. These kids need the love of godly homes. The families who take them in need support and encouragement. Families who are adopting encounter unique challenges and adjustments. (thechurchisthesolution.com, compactfamilyservices.org)
- Abused and Neglected Children: There are so many forms of abuse and neglect of children in our world today. Consider just this one ministry, Project Ignite Light (ignitelight.org), which provides important personal items to children who need to be examined at Children’s Advocacy Centers around the U.S.
- Immigrants: There are political answers for the situation we are facing with immigrants in the U. S., but before we are members of a political party, we are citizens of another world. Because of that we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves, and extend clothing, covering, food, and care to those in need. Our neighbor may not have the same language we do or even the same religion, but our commitment is to love them as Jesus does.
- Special Needs: Churches are waking up to the ministry to families with children who have special needs. However, there is still more to be done. Ministry to these families should go beyond Sunday morning to provide support throughout the week as well. (myhealthychurch.com/specialneeds)
The ministry of the Church is not a conveyor belt on an assembly line. It’s a journey of human beings loving and daring for other human beings in the name of Jesus Christ.
What will your church do?
