How Do We Keep Ministry Focused On People?

I talk a lot about strategy and tactics on this blog.  I also talk a lot about community and understanding how communities function online.  I hope, though, that a deep love for people permiates my posts.  Sometimes I worry that I communicate too much from my head and not enough from my heart.

There are three things I do several times a week to keep lost people on my heart.

Listen

I’ve talked quite a bit lately about online listening strategies.  Listening strategies are vital to ministry.  I think many ministries fail because they never learned how to listen to the lost.  If you don’t listen, how will you show them you care in a way that means something to them?

Walk

You have to walk among the people.  Listening is great, but it should always create a desire within you to get to know people.  As I am led by the Holy Spirit, I move from people’s Tweets into their blogs.  In my opinion, blogs are so much more personal.  I get to see how their tweets weave into people’s lives.  I get to know what they love, what hurts them, and what gets under their skin.  In short, walking among the people humanizes them.  They aren’t the faceless lost we speak of in church.  They are mothers, fathers, lovers, sisters, and brothers who feel deeply and passionately about their slice of life.

Pray

No, I’m not talking about praying in a room, or praying for people – even though those things are important.  I’m talking about praying with people.  Pray with them in crisis, pray with them in celebration.  Offer to pray for them if it’s appropriate but, if you can, pray with them.  You will be amazed at how prayer touches you as much as it touches them.

I never want to forget that ministry is about people.  So far, these three things have served me well.