4 Mistakes to Avoid When Ministering to Members

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? When a group takes care of those within the group, they can be a great blessing to the Lord and their church. A mother was diagnosed with cancer. She had two school-age children, and she and her husband both worked to make ends meet. Over a three-month period, their group dug in to help the family through this difficult time. First there were visits and then a call for group members to bring food every night. As the family burden increased, the group developed a plan to take the kids to school, pick them up, and drop them at the house when dad got home from work. The group even helped with the family’s house payment. The mom survived her bout with cancer, and the entire group was forever changed because of the experience.

WHAT DO I DO? Not every ministry experience tracks well. Here are a few mistakes to avoid:

• Assuming someone else will do it – A group failed to visit a member who had lost her mother because everyone thought some knew her better and would make the contact. Ultimately no one made the contact and the woman left the group and church hurt.
• Being unclear on expectations – Sometimes we ask for volunteers and fail to make ministry expectations clear. Or the person we are helping expresses a need and we misunderstand.
• Not listening – Often we are too busy doing the ministry to listen. Many times the best ministry is just listening.
• Poor communication – Sometimes we drop the ball because we do not communicate well.