We could transform our churches to do what the 1st century churches did
Here follows a template that you can take to your church leaders to introduce a ministry which can assist in developing the re-institution of Love-based transactions instead of Trade-based transactions.
(The Ministry planning template used was lovingly provided to me by
To Care – Expose needs and hurts of those within our church or those who visit our church, which brings compassion and a desire to resolve.
To Educate – Teach the church members how God taught and sustained the early church to meet the needs of those around them without having needs themselves.
To Demonstrate – Show how we can solve other peoples problems by that which God has already given us and so Demonstrate that Where the world and the devil say you can have if… God says you can have freely
To communicate – The good news to the poor.
Our Primary Target:
Committed Membership
Secondary Target:
Core, Congregation, Community & Crowd
The needs this ministry focuses on is the need for a mechanism whereby the Holy Spirit can prompt the church to meet one another’s needs.
The Mechanism is so designed as to make known the needs of the individuals within the church in such a way as to keep anonymous those who are in need. This information is made known to the Church so that the church members can respond and assist as they are lead by the Holy Spirit.
The needs met may start off as physical needs, move to things like lift clubs, house sitting, Legal & Financial advice and eventually all the practitioners who normally charge for their services would assist church members in difficulty for nothing, simply because they recognise they are their brothers and sisters in Christ and that they love them as such.
One suggestion of how the mechanism could work (Please note that the Holy Spirit will prompt you to use one or more mechanisms in different situations so this is just an idea from which to start discussing what will work for you in your church
Cards people can fill in with their needs that they can drop into the offering basket
1. Collect cards and place on the board (Wall). The card has two identical numbers. One can be torn off and kept by the member in need and the other remains on the card.
OR
2. Collect cards and enter them on a central database of needs. email or contact people that may provide for each particular need
OR
3. Website could have a needs page and anyone could add their need or answer to it
We would need to test this on the small group initially
Board (Wall) design (Where cards will be put up on)
Card design (Cards/papers on which people can write their needs)
Printing Cards
If the Cards option is successful in the small groups then implement it in the church. Continuously Pray so that the Holy Spirit can show you other ways to make this work in other parts of the church too.
Be Spirit Lead, Humble, Compassionate and desire mercy, They should not be one who gossips, But they should be empathetic, enthusiastic, patient, have leadership ability, be able to do administration (manage the needs and the meeting of these needs), Should be able to deal with people in a loving way (even when they are angry)
Find people with compassion/mercy gifts (If anyone wants to serve in this ministry evaluate them according to the above criteria)
Give them an introductory training.
Give them hands on training.
Administrative mostly….Some people skills required.
There is a completely flat structure of those who would operate in this ministry. The leader is only a coach and has no authority other than the Bible. If the leader cannot find scripture with which to guide a person to a different behaviour then the leader must re-evaluate his/her attitude on the subject. If a person does not wish to change their behaviour after the Word of God on the matter has been made known to them, then make this known to all of those who are working in this ministry that they should all try to dissuade the offender and assist them to change. If the offender still refuses then at a meeting the leader is to remain silent and all those in the ministry are to individually agree that the offender must leave the ministry until such time as he/she mends his/her ways. At no time is the leader to say a word about it, it is a matter of the Holy Spirit’s Authority, and not the leader. The leader however remains accountable first to the Holy Spirit and then to the Church as a whole and finally to the Church Leadership.
Read this book
Understand the mechanism your ministry has chosen to put in place and understand the part you are to play in it.
Regularly update their score cards for all to see
It depends on the route….Cards…Website…phone calls … It really should cost very little to start. A book would be used to record the needs, and when they were met.
It should not cost much at all. You will need some storage space and some volunteers. A book, pre-printed cards (or blank cards and a rubber stamp).
Pray for it and follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit. He will guide each of us in ways best for each of us.
- With each other?
Cell Phone and Telephone and e-mail
- With its leadership?
As above
- With other ministries?
As above
- With church staff?
As above
- With the church at large?
Via weekly leaflet and from the Pulpit, quarterly magazine, email, sms, etc..
- With whom is it trying to serve?
Those whose needs are met will be contacted through a leaflet specifying which needs were met, unless contact details were left on the card (transcribed into the book but not publicised) in which case a message can be left for them.
Monitoring how well this ministry is doing?
Firstly bear in mind that there is often an adoption curve where slowly & cautiously those who have needs will use this ministry. So do not expect that suddenly everyone will respond. it will take time to grow.
Measure the ministry on whether people are getting there needs to us and are they being met, I.E. It is very measurable with stats.
Stats i.e. Mr. Bloggs needs a lift…Mr. Smith met the need. This will be documented but not publicised as to who needed the lift or who met the need. A certain amount of discretion is required for example it may not be prudent to simply say lift required. But the Holy Spirit will guide you as to what to write.
The Ministry’s success could be measured in some of the following ways
The growing maturity in Jesus Christ of those who serve in this ministry
Are people making needs known and are they being met…Physical needs.
Anyone in the church leadership confirmed to have integrity within the church and who has not been found to be a gossip may check the books of requests made versus those met and those collected.
How do you measure someone who needed shoes for their child getting them and someone needing a lift and getting it? These must remain stories and not be reduced to 5 needs this month 6 the following. (We publicise stories not statistics. God is far more glorified in a story than he is in a set of numbers.)
Prayer, Prayer and more Prayer. Pray for the Ministry team, and those in need and those who will give daily. An additional suggestion, that the group can meet periodically for Bible study is also a good one.
We will all shepherd one another as brothers and sisters equal to each other before God as Jesus instructed.
The leader takes responsibility for his Ministry team and their growth
The Needs Board (Wall) will be available to the Ministry team members & church leadership too.
One-on-one meetings to determine:
- Time commitment
- Family matters
- Quiet Time
- Vocation vs. Ministry demands
- Small Groups/Accountability Relationships
- Praying for each other
- Group devotionals
- Ministry team Fellowships
One vision could be that God would grow this bigger than your church and use it as a means of outreach to your surrounding communities.
In all likelihood, God will put within the Ministry team and its leadership the passion for what he wants to achieve through them.
The church of the days of Acts had 0 needs. We can achieve that. The needs board (Wall) disappearing and being replaced by people who can openly confess their needs and not feel that they are open to ridicule and at the mercy of the gossipers would be the ultimate goal
Needs board (Wall), fully functional and all needs within the membership being met.
The Holy Spirit will direct – We will not dictate His direction or limit his direction to the finite knowledge of our here and now.
(We needed to make it difficult enough so that those who are really in need will follow the process (at the same time making provision for problems like cultural differences, illiteracy, disability etc). The process must also be a bit of a pain so that those, not in real need will not bother to do it.)
Proof of what we do with whose resources is an essential
(A record of needs publicized & Needs met must be kept by the Church)
Proof that negligence is at least mitigated is also essential
(A Needs Analysis on the situation & person should be done and
some form of due diligence should be assured before needs are met.)
Proceed only when you have peace in your hearts that you have discovered God’s Will in this matter.
Below is a Needs Analysis Template that you could use (and adjust as the Holy Spirit dictates) which will assist you in finding and answering the real needs of people and not just their wants. Or what they think they need.
Name of your Need
Need Number (Church to supply)
Original request - details of the need to be met.
All Information is treated as strictly confidential and all persons that will be
handling your information are bound by Trust and Non-Disclosure Agreements.
Please note that the process requires a fair amount of effort on the part of
the Ministry Consultant (You who filled in this card)
It is therefore essential that you provide valid contact details for day and night.
Description of The Person in Need
(Names if possible)
Ministry Consultant:
Contact Details (day) :
Contact Details (Night) :
Contact Details (Cell) :
Description of the Need :
Who (if any) amongst the Church Leaders &/or its members have you spoken to
about this need?
Name Function Outcome of Discussion Comment
TAKE NOTE:
At no time will any consideration be given to even mentioning the person/business
meeting the need.
All the Glory goes to God.
We do not Trade fame (advertising space) for that which should come naturally
for God’s Children.
Who is involved in this need?
Ministry Team Administrator to Complete:
Name Function Expected responsibility in the team Contact no