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MORE Ministry IDEAS to Ponder

"Who had known the mind of the Lord" a woman "after His heart."

Let me give you just one example of being Ministry-Minded using one of my sons who has started or been involved in several ministries. Having a family plus a full-time job that meant a lot of traveling, he nevertheless proved where his heart has always been—open and looking for every opportunity to minister to others.

Mowing the Neighbors Lawn. My son was living in a neighborhood where there were many young families with small children. His daughter loved playing with the next-door neighbors on both sides, both of who didn't have a dad living with them. My DIL heard that the dad on the one side was in the military and was deployed, so with two small children on her own, this military wife often struggled to keep her lawn mowed. So, at his wife suggested, my son just continued mowing straight across both lawns!

Then a few weeks later, they heard that on the other side, the dad had left for another woman, so my son began to mow across all 3 lawns! When his mower couldn't keep up, they agreed to use their offering to purchase another mower in order to care for the (military and infidelity) widows and orphans.

Mowing is normally a great ministry for men, so share this story with your brothers, nephews, uncles, etc. As far as you're concerned, both of these mothers could easily be ministered to by offering to sit with her children, bringing a meal once a week (by just doubling yours) giving her a break from cooking, or offering to come clean once a week. Where is your passion, what do you love to do; what has He anointed you with? ASK HIM.

Block Party Grill Nights. Again in this neighborhood, rather than grilling in their backyard, my son and his wife decided to grill in the front yard to look for opportunities to "love on" their neighbors. ("love on" is just one of the many endearing sayings learned from living in the South.) Grilling in their front yard brought the neighborhood children running when they smelled the hamburgers and hot dogs. When they came close, my son, DIL and granddaughter offered them something, saying go ask your mom (or parents). Soon the other neighbors began grilling in their front yards too! And that resulted in closing the street while they all got together to fellowship.

Of course, conversations sprang up and interestingly, they knew this family was each a Christian, asking them "Where do you go to church?" Because THIS is true evangelism. So be ready with an answer if you continue as His church. ASK HIM. You could find your ministry by stating something like "I don't currently attend church, but I have wanted to have a women's Bible study, would you be interested in coming if I started one?" Or offer to join them to somewhere local where you believe they would fit in and feel loved. To get inspired, read the Salvation Story Gentlemen's Club Dancer

Neighborhood Dad. My son often played outside with his daughter, often while my DIL was also outside (he's always been a big kid and adores children, playing with his younger siblings and now his daughter). So he began just naturally fathering the neighborhood kids. PLEASE NOTE: In today's world, you have to be very careful to be above reproach, which is where my DIL was such a blessing. Together they made sure she, the mother, was always there in clear view much like what kept Billy Graham's ministry free from scandal (a scandal that was and still is rampant and destroys so many ministries). Billy Graham and his leaders all agreed from the onset that they would never be alone with any woman that was not their own wife! Billy stuck to this even when on several occasions a woman was sent to pick him up at the airport but he refused to get in the car with them—instead, he took a cab!

Thankfully it's a bit safer being a woman, nevertheless, ASK HIM to be sure that you are also above reproach because we should never be ignorant of the enemy's schemes. Where is your passion, what do you love to do; what has He anointed you with? ASK HIM. What do you enjoy domestically? Or maybe it's just helping children to be carpooled, walked the neighborhood children home from the bus stop getting safely inside their home? Simply ASK HIM.

Homeless Breakfasts. The Lord had led me to purchase a portable gas grill for the 3 months I was renting a beach house in Florida. It's seemed odd at the time to invest in this, but I didn't lean to my own understanding. Knowing I couldn't take it with me, I ASKED HIM what to do with it. He told me to offer it to my son. Again, I didn't lean to my own understanding because they couldn't use it where they lived. So when I offered it my son said, "Oh, would you mind if I gave it to the ministry I've been helping with on Saturdays? We give men living on the streets food, but we had talked about offering a hot meal, letting the aroma draw them over when we share the GOOD NEWS with them." Well of course I was thrilled.

Years later I heard the grill still is in use and they've expanded the work they're doing. Where is your passion, what do you love to do; what is He anointed you with; what do you have that He wants to use? ASK HIM.