Check out my thoughts on being good stewards of what God has given and living simply here.
This also a blog that I post on regularly if you want to check it out.
A simple way to love your neighbor is to meet them where they are. You don’t have to be in a church building to minister to people – God can use you right where you are.
A popular summer activity in our area is to hang out at the local swim club. Some very beautiful, yet simple ministry happens there. Children invite their friends to the upcoming VBS and sometimes share what they’ve learned with each other. Parents talk. In the midst of children playing and shouting for “Mommy” or “Daddy” for the hundredth time, lives are shared, stories are told and doors are opened. There are even times when a person opens up and an opportunity to offer the gift of prayer arises. Mothers share with other parents what they’re learning in Christian Education and encourage others to join them. There’s also the exchanging of books such as “The Case for Christ” (by Lee Strobel) for the curious new friend. So many opportunities!
The workplace is another area of ministry. Time and time again we get prayer requests from our church member’s co-workers. Our church members have found ways to minister to their co-workers by sharing the power of prayer.
Internet communities, like MySpace, have also provided links of communication where testimonies and stories of Christ’s hope are shared, friends reconnect and where simple invites are extended to come out to church.
God has placed ways to love your neighbor all around you. You don’t need a program to minister to people, start where you are.
Instead of having a competing event on October 31st we do something that honors Christ by simply inviting our neighbors to stop by while out trick-or-treating. For the past several years our neighbors walk over and join us. Some drive from local neighborhoods and some families even make it by public transportation from the inner city!
This ministry is a very simple one. We’re simply there to meet our neighbors and put a face on Ashland Church. We meet kids, teens, parents and even grandparents. Our neighbors are always grateful. Many are surprised that we offer this free of charge and want to know why we do this – what an opportunity to share Christ’s love! Families are invited to different ministries; some join us for these ministries and for others it is simply and introduction to Ashland.
We set out easy carnival games and crafts while providing hot soup (for the chilly parents as they follow their children around), hot dogs, and of course, lots of candy. The activity that really draws a crowd is the box maze. With large appliance boxes (donated from local companies) and lots of duct tape, some very talented individuals make a maze for the children to crawl through with flashlights and glow sticks in hand. This has earned quite a reputation among the children and as soon as October hits they start to talk about it.
This very simple outreach has been a great way to reach out and get to know our neighbors.
Filed under: Uncategorized
We are very excited this year to have had opportunities to minister to families through a local public elementary school! At Thanksgiving, we gave the school gift cards to a local grocery store. The only notations we wrote on the gift card were the amount, “from Ashland Church” and our website. The school administration then decided which families to give them to. We were able to do the same thing during the Christmas season as well. As a result, we have started a new relationship with the school administration and ministered to families we would not had known needed help otherwise.
We were also able to minister to several local families with children during the Christmas season by buying gifts for their children. At the same time, an inner-city ministry used our church hall. Ashland families were blessed to be able to donate gifts to the children that came to their Christmas party from single parent households and a group home.
During Thanksgiving we distributed baskets filled with food to local families and ministries. We also have a partnership with a local church and donate to their food bank monthly.
Although we are a small church, our church family has been able to share Christ’s love in a very tangible way.
I was talking to another parent yesterday at church about how my third grade son was coming home from school and asking us some heavy questions related to the birds and the bees. My husband has skillfully answered his questions. We try and give him the answer to his question and no more at this point, though we’re realizing we need to go on at some point soon.
The other parent commented how it was good that our son was comfortable to come and ask us. I honestly had not thought of that, but I am so glad that he is.
I grew up in a Christian home and I always knew that I could go to my parents for help or advice, no matter what (and I dropped some bombs on them, believe me). So one of my goals, as a parent, has been to be approachable to my kids. I want them to know that they can come to my husband and I and ask our advice or what things mean, or talk about a problem they’re having.
I’m not quite sure what we did right but apparently, through God’s grace, we’re doing something right. Thinking back, we have always tried to talk to the kids. For instance, what did you learn in Sunday School becomes how they can apply it to their life. When they had issues with friends or each other we tried to do more then just discipline, we discussed as well (which should go hand in hand, there is middle ground between being a drill sergeant and your child’s best friend).
Hopefully we can continue this relationship with our son and our other two will feel comfortable as well.
