I learned a lesson from my oldest boy on Sunday.
Our interim pastor preached about “impacting God’s world” and he encouraged us to identify three people we can pray for daily — people we can pray for who do not have a personal relationship with Christ.
He asked us to write the names down on a little card each one of us received.
While I sat there struggling to come up with a name, my 9-year-old didn’t hesitate. He leaned over and whispered: “Dad, do you have a pen?”
I found a pen and handed it to him.
He grabbed the pen, took his card and began writing a name.
I stole a glance at his card.
In his fourth-grade scrawl, he wrote: “Caleb E.”
His 2-year-old brother.
There I was, struggling to identify a person at work, maybe a neighbor, someone on the baseball field.
But his mind went immediately to one of the little boys in the next bedroom.
Isn’t it amazing how God can use kids to teach us lessons?
Through my son, I learned that my first church marketing responsibility is to those closest to me — the people in my own home, those in my family, my dearest friends.
What are some ways God has helped you minister to those closest to you?
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You can’t “do” ministry until you identify ministry needs. Take time to brainstorm and identify the needs in your church and your community. Then develop a plan.