A Mind to Work

In all of my years of church work, I have never seen anything that compared to the energy and enthusiasm demonstrated yesterday. I have been in congregations where we have pleaded and begged for members to come out and help with one project or another only to see a handful on the work day.

In Nehemiah 4:6, the children of Israel were commended because the people had a mind to work. It could easily be said of the Spring Meadows Church of Christ that the people had a mind to work. I have to admit however that there were people just standing around yesterday. There were a number of reasons they were standing, but none of them had anything to do with apathy or laziness. Here are a few of my observations:

• There were often more workers than there was work to do. People were standing and asking for something to do, but all the jobs were taken.
• Members of the body were spending time in genuine Christian fellowship. Not just talking about the latest soap opera or their favorite recipe, but talking about the work of the church. I heard discussions about Bible classes, how to use our resources and ways we could reach the community.
• Some of us were just standing in AWE. God is powerful. God is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). God is working through his people in Spring Hill, TN.

What a day of rejoicing we all enjoyed yesterday. There is a spirit and warmth that I have never experienced any other place. What a blessing it is to be among a people who have a mind to work.

Three Steps for an Effective Ministry

All too often we complicate the basic tenants of ministry. We adopt every new idea and trend that is coming down the pike, or we overload our congregation with programs that don't have a clearly defined purpose. Today, I want you to consider 3 basic steps to establishing an effective ministry.

Step One: Take time to identify your congregation's gifts and talents. You will be far more effective in your work if you use the talents people have rather than trying to plug them in where they don't fit. One of the most dysfunctional ministry models out there is to develop programs and then look for people to fill those roles.

If you learn to identify the skills and talents in your congregation, then you can begin to build your ministry programs around the talents you have. One of the best resources I have found for helping members find their gifts is the book, "Life Keys," by Kise, Stark & Hirsch. If you would like a copy of the worksheets I have developed using Life Keys leave me a note and I will send copies of the congregational worksheets.

Step Two: Research the needs of the congregation and community. Start with your own church family. Ask them to help you indentify needs in the church family and in the community. Study your community to see where there may be gaps in community services. Is there a need for Christian counseling, healthcare clinics, financial planning services, marriage workshops, etc? Allow the church to be the light in the community by providing needed services.

Step Three: Look at your members talents and the needs in the church and community and begin to build ministry teams to meet those needs. You won't be able to fill every need, or you may not have the manpower or skills to develop certain programs now. Your work will be far more effective if you build your ministry around your members strengths. If you approach your work correctly, in time your work will prosper and you will develop new people for new programs.