Ministries

There are 2 types of ministries a church can use for outreach, both being vitally important. Domestic ministries help to save the lost within our community and country. This is the area which can save our country. Drug abuse, teen pregnancy, gangs, suicide, and homicide plague our fellow Americans. It seems like a huge problem. How can we solve it? By giving our time. The downfall of the family can be found deep in all of these situations. Churches must step up and become THE FAMILY to our "orphans" and "widows". Give our time and we can give hope. Give names to faceless "victims" and we have specific people to pray for before the Lord. We can ask to become His Hands and Feet in our community, state and in America.
We need to step up and create a new gang. One who doesn't sell drugs but pushes Jesus and Salvation. One who doesn't focus on violence but shows boys how to become men. To respect others, to care for their family, to become leaders in our community and nation. We need to show girls that there is UNCONDITIONAL love in Christ. HE will never leave you or forsake you. Show them how boys and men should treat them (with respect and care) as well as how they should act. We need to discuss how precious they are and how they will create a whole new generation of leaders.
Children are a gift from God. In our country presently, we have to step up and treasure all of the kids around us, not just our own. We have to find the LOST treasures and help them realize how important they are to us. We have to treat them like they have a huge value to us, as the church community.
The population of the United States is about 300 million. The world population is around 6.7 billion. We account for around 22% of the world population. Just by math , you can see that if we truly want to reach the lost we need to focus outside of our country. We can not say we are truly trying to reach all God's people if we ignore 78% of the world. Most of the other 78% have few if any resources to meet their daily needs. I'm talking about people starving, no clothes, no shelter, dying of preventable diseases. I'm talking about mothers watching their children die, children watching their parents die. I'm talking about people who have NEVER heard the name of Jesus. We have to jump up and be crazy for Jesus. We have to help meet all these needs.
Does the need seem too big? Does 167 million orphans sound like too many to rescue? Pray. Ask Jesus to multiply our efforts. Come together and pray without ceasing for miracles. First, we have to have a beginning for God to multiply.
We also need to remember to give our time to all these people. Sure, we have less time to give, but we must give it none the less. You can give hope to an orphan, hope that someone out there cares. We can minister to the sick and dying when they are surrounded by friends and family as overwhelmed as themselves. We can sit and pray with them even when we don't speak the same language. By making human contact, you can be Jesus's loving Hands to another in need.
Strong outreach programs are essential to spreading the gospel. We have to STRETCH, leave behind what is comfortable and stretch some more. When you think you have gone far enough, stop and pray for God to take you further. We have to find the children who are lonely and vulnerable. We have to find the single mom or dad who is overwhelmed. We have to find the young person who has taken a wrong turn in life (the drug dealer, the gang member, the prostitute). We have to find them, love them and truly treat as we would our brothers or sisters we have known since birth or our own children. We have to give them value in our life and the community of Christ. We have to lead them to Salvation.
Have to find the village that is dying of starvation, malaria, water-borne illness, or HIV. We have to bring them help. They need food and medicine, but they need it to come from someone who will look them in the eyes. Someone to hug them without reservation. Someone to grieve with them over their loses.
I believe the Church can handle all of these things. One question remains,
Are you willing to step up?