What is Compassion Ministry
When people hurt, they seek answers and hope. Our current culture has a “me” first focus. Seldom do hurting people find others reaching out to them without a dollar sign or “hook” attached to the offer. Christ followers, however, reach out because they love people. There is no hook. They just want to help people who are hurt and share the love of Jesus.
Christ Followers Reach Out in Love
However, many people no longer trust Christians. News articles have misrepresented the Christian faith with hate-filled and discriminatory views. True followers of Christ may not agree with everything others do, but they still love individuals. Disagreeing with someone does not mean they hate the person. A Christian can disagree with a behavior and be friends with an individual. The two actions can coexist, just as Jesus selected individuals to be his closest friends whom society at that time shunned.
Help without Strings
Helping individuals in pain, who are lonely, who need support in some way, without expecting anything in return, sends a message to the world that Christians still believe the message of Christ is true. We agree with his teachings and love his people, all of them. That’s the purpose of Compassion Ministry. Showing Christ’s love; living God’s promises before the hurting world through church outreach.
Compassion Ministry’s Purpose
With cultural changes in family dynamics, serious healthcare staffing shortages, and a lack of government funding to support seniors and low-income families and individuals barely surviving in today’s economy, what better time for churches to show the world the love of Jesus in action? The programs presented in Compassion Ministry demonstrate how you can start a Compassion Ministry program in your home church or extend it in your community. If you want help getting started, please feel free to reach out to me via the contact form on the About Me page or text/email me directly.
What led me to add a section to my website about churches and reaching out to people isolated at home? Primarily, two things inspired me: being a Christian and being a caregiver stuck at home for 18 years. As a Christian, I wanted to find ways to encourage non-believers to return to the church and to trust in the Bible again. As a caregiver, I wanted churches to find a way to stay connected with their members who could no longer attend in person on Sunday but still wanted to remain part of the church family.
I present information on both topics throughout Compassion Ministry. If you want more information about starting a Compassion Ministry in your church, please reach out to me.
All churches probably already have some form of a Compassion Ministry. You may call it your benevolent fund, meal train, Sunday School card distribution, or other programs. These are all great programs. Compassion Ministry does not intend to ridicule or deny the value of these programs. It is meant to enhance them.
The programs offered in Compassion Ministry are designed to support individuals who do not receive support from government or insurance funding, nor can they afford help from staffing agencies. They often just need a helping hand or a little relief.
Statistics show that family caregivers often die before the person they are caring for. If churches relieved their burdens by taking on ancillary duties unrelated to caregiving, the reduced stress might help them live longer or at least improve their mental well-being. I hope you find some of these program possibilities; if not, come up with some of your own. Thanks for considering the idea.
As you begin reaching out to members of your church and assisting them with various projects, you will likely encounter those who are unfamiliar with the fundamental beliefs of Christianity. While some did not attend Sunday school, it is possible others had no exposure to Christian beliefs at all. Members should also prepare to respond to individuals who are angry due to previous encounters with Christians who were judgmental about choices they made, which those individuals felt were immoral. Helping members learn to respond apologetically and lovingly to others’ behaviors, and assuring them that God loves everyone, is essential.
