When you think of ministry, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? A program? A program would help you to serve some segment systematically or perhaps more efficiently, but it is not always necessary. You can minister to others by targeting just one person, by meeting their individual needs.
She is in her twenties, a student who works and studies part-time. Although she is the eldest of three siblings, she is rather shy and introverted. Our host noticed her depression tendencies and taught her how to pray, and also encouraged her to finish her studies in computer science. To bring her out of her shell, she gave her two assignments.
The first one is to make the slide presentations for all her sermons. She would tell her what her message is about, and ask her to do the research to find the pictures and put the Scripture verses together. The second is to assist in selling the Do It Yourself dumplings, and to keep records of all the financial transactions. By making her responsible for some meaningful work, her confidence slowly improved and she is on the road to recovery.
Touching Lives
Another person is an old man in his seventies who lives alone. He has a family, but because he had been a bad husband and father who divorced his wife, gambled, got drunk often, took drugs and went to prison, they no longer want him around, and he cannot go home. So he rents a small house for NT$2,000 (US$67), plus electricity at NT$40 (US$1.35) a month and lives by himself.
At first our hosts did not even know he lives there, because he always stayed inside. But one day there were distributing bread and noticed him. He told them he could not eat the bread because he had no teeth, so our hosts taught him to dip the bread in water to soften it before swallowing. They also applied for social welfare on his behalf, and the Christian hospital now sends him congee with ground meat and vegetables Mon-Fri. We met him twice as we followed our hosts around to distribute bread in the neighborhood. Twice we prayed with him at his door steps, and both times his eyes welled up with tears that some outsiders would care for him.
Do you need to run a program to serve? No. Giving the young woman assignments, and applying for welfare for the old man, are both customized for one person only. But you can start serving where you are, one person at a time, with their needs. It is not glamorous, but the Lord said, “if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” (Mt 10:42) The heart of the matter is: do you want to obey and serve, or do you want to make a name for yourself? You decide.
RayKLiu 